Skipping the preamp by using the Cherry DAC DAC (and related stuff)

AmpDesigner333 · « **Reply #80 on:** 1 Jul 2016, 10:52 pm »

We often get customer comments about how well the DAC DAC plays into the Maraschino. Directly. One common remark is that there is information hidden in recordings that wasn't resolved previous to this combination. Add the mods to increase the Maraschino to Golden Cherry level, and there it is! A NOTICEABLE increase in the frequency of these "moments"!

Jeremy Kipnis is currently reviewing this combination with the HS version of the DAC DAC. I'll post when there is a review or pre-review, which Jeremy often does.

-Tommy O

AmpDesigner333 · « **Reply #81 on:** 3 Jul 2016, 12:39 am »

Through numerous phone conversations and emails, we gather information on our customer's systems. We frequently urge users of Maraschino Cherry Amplifiers to try driving them directly with a D/A converter. Of course, we prefer they use the DAC DAC, but other D/A converters will also work better directly into the amplifiers as opposed to through a preamp. Some issues we'd like to discuss in a new thread:
1. Why "direct drive"?
2. Digital Volume Control vs Analog
3. System synergy
4. What you may not know about preamps

Stay tuned for introduction of this thread ! Thanks for reading our board.

-Tommy O

AmpDesigner333 · « **Reply #82 on:** 3 Jul 2016, 04:44 pm »

OK, I started a new thread for the "direct drive" topic:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=144082.0

mittg · « **Reply #83 on:** 3 Jul 2016, 11:04 pm »

I started using my DAC DAC today. The difference is very noticeable. Before this I used several different HD Bluetooth Dac's. There really is no comparison. The improved clarity and total blackness are over the top. Great Job Tommy O.

Shear Bliss VMPS · « **Reply #84 on:** 4 Jul 2016, 12:39 am »

Ditto here on my TL-DAC DAC running with J River. Dynamics and Clarity come to mind, a real jaw dropper over the DAC I have been using.

AmpDesigner333 · « **Reply #85 on:** 14 Jul 2016, 11:49 pm »

W O W !
"On a cost vs. sound quality basis (alone), this [DAC DAC HS] may be THE BEST DAC (digital to analog converter) to come along in 3 decades [!!!!]; all the way back to the extremely costly & extraordinary $12,000 Stax DAC-X1t Vacuum Tube Output Reference DIA Processor (1989); which I used at Chesky Records (1990 - 1993) to audition many of the CDs l was lucky enough to have produced, recorded, and mastered!!!"
Jeremy Kipnis

https://www.facebook.com/jeremy.kipnis/posts/1226383484039169

Shear Bliss VMPS · « **Reply #86 on:** 15 Jul 2016, 01:03 am »

Yes it certainly seems the DAC DAC is opening our audiophile ears to what has been there on our CDs all along! One listening session will easily confirm this, as it did to me. Simply quiet amazing but us Digital Amplifier Company owners should have known better from Tommy O"s first draft and thoughts on designing it. I am in Shear Bliss here!!

jseipp · « **Reply #87 on:** 16 Jul 2016, 10:19 am »

There are several DAC DAC related threads running, but I think this is probably the best one for expressing my humble comments. This is a review of my own experience of discovery with the DAC DAC, written both in gratitude for the experience and in the hope that it will help some others discover an equally thrilling experience. I'll note that, as Tommy recommends, I am running the DAC DAC directly into a pair of 30V Inline Maraschino amps, which have proven to be a wonderful match for the super resolving GR Research Wedgies and have themselves redefined for me what is within my reach for reproducing music. What the DAC DAC has to offer the combination, however, has pretty much blown my mind.

When the DAC DAC Kickstarter kicked off, I took the opportunity to fund the combination of both the original TL (tube like) and the HS (high spec) versions. The HS arrived first and, without a proper adapter for my source, I ran it in for awhile with a secondary source through a preamp I have had around for some time, not listening closely, but noticing in passing that it sounded really good, punchy and clear.

When the necessary adapter for my main source arrived, I was able to run the DAC DAC directly to the Maraschinos. The first thing that hit me was that the soundstage became downright huge -- not out of scale, just extending in every direction, through the back wall, through the side walls straight into the neighbors' yards. I have heard many accounts of soundstaging extending well beyond the bounds of speaker setups, and have enjoyed the spaciousness of the Wedgies since I first set them up, but this was completely new territory for me. Wide and deep, clear, clean and dynamic are all equally applicable descriptions for what I heard, and what I heard definitely outclassed what I had heard before.

When the TL DAC DAC arrived, I had the advantage of all the adapters in place, ready drop the DAC in and make music. I was curious at what the difference would prove to be between the two "flavors," not expecting anything too extreme. And in a way my expectations were correct: the same huge soundstage was there, the same clarity and dynamics. But... there was now something magical going on in the mix.

When I wrote Tommy about what I heard comparing the two versions, I first emphasized that I am hugely impressed by the HS -- it's the best DAC I'd heard, doing everything I thought a great DAC should and could do. But, the TL goes beyond what I thought a great DAC should and could do. I simply no longer feel that I am listening to great audio, but that I am instead fully experiencing music, hearing through my ears, feeling through my skin.... It's as though the TL DAC DAC injects the vibrancy back into music that has gone through the indignity of being turned into zeroes and ones, a piece that represents the art of bringing music back to life.

With the TL DAC DAC there's a sense of music as whole-cloth blend of sound, but one in which each sound, each instrument has its own sonic space, bringing the very best mix possible out of everything it is fed. More than anything, where the HS does a great job of "they are here" with the music, the TL is entirely an "I am there" experience. My skin prickles, and closing my eyes I have a sense of moving through the music even as the music moves through me. I've had the great pleasure of being a musician, of being in countless rooms and halls surrounded by a vast range of instruments and instrumentalists. I've never before at home been able to reproduce that experience, the subtleties that communicate the living, breathing sense of music until I slipped the TL DAC DAC into place.

Digital Amplifier Company is currently having a substantial sale, including the DAC DAC. For me, each piece of D.A.C. equipment has moved me along the path to the sound that has ended up beyond my highest expectations. This is a great opportunity for anyone who is even the least bit curious about what these pieces have to offer to give them a try. Tommy has gone above and beyond in helping me find the fit for my system and my preferences. Your own may be very different from mine, but I strongly suspect that, communicating your desires to Tommy, you will find your own magical combination among his offerings. And in Tommy you will find a music lover whose true passion is bringing music to life for as many people as possible. Every interaction has been a pleasure, and I feel extremely fortunate for having jumped into that first Kickstarter that introduced the Maraschinos to the world. I never imagined then just how good it would get.

OzarkTom · « **Reply #88 on:** 17 Jul 2016, 02:50 am »

And Tommy has a 30 day trial. I was one of Tommy's strong disbelievers, he proved me wrong.

kedoades · « **Reply #89 on:** 17 Jul 2016, 02:21 pm »

Ok well now you guys have got me thinking about pulling the trigger on one of the TL version dac dac. I have what I consider to be a pretty nice dac so it should be interesting.

jseipp · « **Reply #90 on:** 18 Jul 2016, 02:26 am »

I would certainly recommend that you give one a try. As OzarkTom pointed out, there's a 30 day trial. It's a pure sound, no frills piece of gear and I think you will quickly determine if it's a fit for your own tastes. Tommy is great to deal with, if you have any specific questions you'd like answered directly.

AmpDesigner333 · « **Reply #91 on:** 27 Jul 2016, 07:18 pm »

We're almost out of DAC DACs! Now's the time if you'd like to try one in your system. This DAC has been called "the best in three decades"!

Shear Bliss VMPS · « **Reply #92 on:** 27 Jul 2016, 10:38 pm »

Fantastic job Tommy!! I whole heartedly agree with the assessments owners of the HS and TL have given. Really into my TL version. Price vs Performance is off the charts. Anybody with a older DAC or who is on the fence needs to experience either of these DAC DACs in their own system to compare, the difference is like Lasik eye surgery for your ears. Totally amazing what it opens up on 1s and 0s. These two versions should easily make digital products of the year! ( And then some ) their that good.

AmpDesigner333 · « **Reply #93 on:** 13 Aug 2016, 10:21 pm »

Check it out!
http://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/digital-amplifier-company-dac-dac/

Comparisons with these:

PS Audio PowerWave DAC II (with Bridge Card)
Theta Digital Generation VIII DAC (Mk. 4 updates)
Ultra-Analog A/D D/A (Custom 960 kHz Pro Tools Recording System)
iFi Nano DSD & PCM Portable & Self Powered D/A Converter System w/ 3.5mm Headphone and SPDIF Output

olesno · « **Reply #94 on:** 14 Aug 2016, 01:54 pm »

Awesome!!! I just read the review of DAC DAC and being an owner of the Golden Maraschinos I honestly didn't expect any less of a praise from Positive Feedback. I still hope Tommy will find a way to incorporate volume control into the DAC DAC as this would make it a clear buying choice for many of us.

Shear Bliss VMPS · « **Reply #95 on:** 14 Aug 2016, 03:19 pm »

Congratulations Tommy!!!

A very through and captivating assessment on your DAC DAC HS by Mr. Kipnis via Positive Feedback. Getting such a positive review of your DAC DAC should make you feel very proud of your efforts designing and getting it to market, well done. To have a industry legend to take a look-see for review and come away quite impressed carries a lot of weight and must feel some sense of vindication on your goals and ideals. At its price point a absolute steal compared to the other very nice brands Mr. Kipnis used for comparison purposes, to which the DAC DAC HS he preferred. Now I cant wait for his comparison between the HS vs the TL ..... follow-up.

A very exciting review from someone on the recording side of things, somebody who has heard and used the finest gear available for many years in many studios and isn't jaded by it all, someone still able to discern the finest details and differences in gear used, a great read!

AmpDesigner333 · « **Reply #96 on:** 16 Aug 2016, 12:51 pm »

Exciting NEWS! We now offer custom single ended output adapters for the DAC DAC. If you have a single ended preamp, here's a way to enjoy the benefits of the DAC DAC (such as black background, near-zero distortion, true DC coupling, 124dB, real musicality, ultra short signal path) in single ended systems!

Armaegis · « **Reply #97 on:** 16 Aug 2016, 10:51 pm »

Quote from: AmpDesigner333 on 16 Aug 2016, 12:51 pm

Exciting NEWS! We now offer custom single ended output adapters for the DAC DAC. If you have a single ended preamp, here's a way to enjoy the benefits of the DAC DAC (such as black background, near-zero distortion, true DC coupling, 124dB, real musicality, ultra short signal path) in single ended systems!

$150 a pair?

Are there transformers inside each one?
Is there any reduction from "pro" level to "consumer" level?
What is inside that warrants the price over a typical xlr/rca converter that I can buy off Amazon (most of which short pin1 and pin3 to ground)

AmpDesigner333 · « **Reply #98 on:** 17 Aug 2016, 04:44 am »

Quote from: Armaegis on 16 Aug 2016, 10:51 pm

$150 a pair?

Are there transformers inside each one?
Is there any reduction from "pro" level to "consumer" level?
What is inside that warrants the price over a typical xlr/rca converter that I can buy off Amazon (most of which short pin1 and pin3 to ground)

We have these custom made because the ones you buy off the shelf short the pins, as you have indicated. No transformers inside. We have used the transformer based adapters, but they add some distortion and you lose DC coupling that way. Measurements have indicated that balanced is a few dB better in the SNR department, but THD+N is about the same. Output voltage is 2.5VrmsFS using the adapters and 5VrmsFS without. Thanks.

paul79 · « **Reply #99 on:** 17 Aug 2016, 05:07 am »