Maverick Audio DAC tour

etcarroll · « **Reply #160 on:** 18 Mar 2010, 06:03 pm »

Man after my own heart.

I love cheap.

Quote from: evan1 on 18 Mar 2010, 04:39 pm

Interested also. Hey guys if we order 25 OP Amps we save 95 cents per amp. thats what I'm talking about. Cheap and cheerful.

Mariusz · « **Reply #161 on:** 18 Mar 2010, 06:19 pm »

Quote from: ken on 18 Mar 2010, 05:47 pm

Mariusz,

If it's in Manhattan I would be able to pick it up tomorrow or possibly Saturday. Let me know

Ken

hi Ken

tomorrow after 4:30pm
or Sat&Sun before 3:30pm

works best

Cheers
Mariusz

ken · « **Reply #162 on:** 18 Mar 2010, 07:00 pm »

Mariusz,

I need to take tomorrow off so it will probably be Saturday. Just give me the specifics regarding where to pick it up etc... and we'll make arrangements.

Ken

Mariusz · « **Reply #163 on:** 18 Mar 2010, 07:04 pm »

10 04

Will PM you later

Mariusz · « **Reply #164 on:** 19 Mar 2010, 02:24 am »

Quote from: HT cOz on 17 Mar 2010, 10:07 pm

Does anyone know what chip is uses?

From Ryan:
"We use a "very old" DAC chip from Crystal back to 1999-2001 era. Although this chip doesn't look as "beefy" as other newer chip in the spec sheet, it does sound very good. And with good analog circuit, it can beat a lot newer and more expensive 192/96 DAC chip."

Cheers
Mariusz

evan1 · « **Reply #165 on:** 19 Mar 2010, 07:47 am »

Quote from: evan1 on 17 Mar 2010, 05:46 am

To hell with you all

Just placed my order

Hmm ... Just emailed Ryan ,unit not shipping until the weekend. I don't know guys reporting they got it in3 days.That's a

evan1 · « **Reply #166 on:** 20 Mar 2010, 07:35 am »

Well my tour is over and I will pass the th unit on to Paul this weekend. I am still waiting for email notification about my shippng. I just want to say thanks to Mariusz for the tour

Now I just wish mine was here

Mariusz · « **Reply #167 on:** 20 Mar 2010, 01:59 pm »

Have fun at the Rave and do not worry,......
D-1 will reach your door steps before you know it.

Paul (NY) and Ken (NJ) are next.

Thanks
Mariusz

Mariusz · « **Reply #168 on:** 21 Mar 2010, 10:03 pm »

OK, I'm officially DACless.

Paul,
hope that you will put it through its pace.

Ken,
nice meeting you and I am looking forward to your impressions.

Cheers
Mariusz

hasekisgod · « **Reply #169 on:** 21 Mar 2010, 10:53 pm »

so do you guys like the sound of this? I am looking for a pre amp to use with me classdaudio amps :-)thanks michael

ken · « **Reply #170 on:** 22 Mar 2010, 12:50 pm »

Mariusz,

Good meeting you too, still haven't picked up a tosilink cable yet but I listened to some streaming audio yesterday for a couple of hours (Pandora) via the usb and it sounded pretty darn good. Wil post some more impressions after I pick up the tosiink.

evan1 · « **Reply #171 on:** 24 Mar 2010, 08:51 pm »

Ryan finally shipped my Dac and I got it today and I'm breaking it in now with the stock tube. Actually sounds better than the unit I had on tour

etcarroll · « **Reply #172 on:** 24 Mar 2010, 10:14 pm »

Prove it!

evan1 · « **Reply #173 on:** 24 Mar 2010, 10:17 pm »

Quote from: etcarroll on 24 Mar 2010, 10:14 pm

Prove it!

My name is not Levi

I changed the cables to silver cables

pardales · « **Reply #174 on:** 24 Mar 2010, 10:39 pm »

Looking forward to further reports of people listening to this DAC in their system.

Mariusz · « **Reply #175 on:** 25 Mar 2010, 12:36 pm »

Quote from: evan1 on 24 Mar 2010, 08:51 pm

Ryan finally shipped my Dac and I got it today and I'm breaking it in now with the stock tube. Actually sounds better than the unit I had on tour

It is typical for the 2nd unit to sound a lot better then the first........especially with that silver wire in the chain.

Quote from: ken on 22 Mar 2010, 12:50 pm

Mariusz,

Good meeting you too, still haven't picked up a tosilink cable yet but I listened to some streaming audio yesterday for a couple of hours (Pandora) via the usb and it sounded pretty darn good. Wil post some more impressions after I pick up the tosiink.

Good to hear your date with "D1" is working out.
When you are done with her, please make the arrangements with shadowlight for pick up or delivery.
........and we still do not know if it worked(is -ing) in your system

**********

Shadowlight
you are the final destination for the 2nd unit - enjoy it!!!

Cheers
Mariusz

MLS · « **Reply #176 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 12:35 am »

I have had a D1 for about a month and a half now. I really like it for my desk top system playing usb from my netbook. I also use it as a pre for a Sony XDR F1HD tuner. I have the WE upgraded tube and Doctorcilantro and I went in on some new opamps which I found to be an improvement and I also got a Raytheon Windmill getter tube.

It is a fun, versatile, pretty well built piece which I will continue to build a nice cheap and cheerful system around.

Scott

ltr317 · « **Reply #177 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 03:50 pm »

I got the Maverick at last Saturday's Rave from Evan, and listened to the headphone output for several days, alternating with Sony and Koss cans. As a headphone amp and at its price point, the Maverick is competent but not exceptional as it lacks some resolution. The tonal balance is pretty good, with the bass region being somewhat muddy as it's major flaw. I then used the Maverick as a preamp and dac with a pair of Ice module amps and tube input stage, producing 250 watts per channel (8 ohms). With the stock Chinese tube in the Maverick the sound was ho-hum, sort of bland/dull and soundstaging was 2 dimensional. I switched to a Western Electric 396a tube, and the sound was better, as the WE produced some tonal richness lacking in the stock tube.

Martin and Levi came by yesterday, the latter with his Eastern Electric dac. We compared the EE, Maverick and my modded ART DI/O using my modded Jolida integrated for a couple of hours. Of the three dacs, the Eastern Electric had very good resolution, good tonal balance and that hi-fi artifact focus imaging. It was also fairly neutral sounding, surprising in that it has a tube (Mullard). The Maverick also had good resolution, but the tonal balance emphasize the mid-range and the bass region was not as defined but seemed to have more impact. It also was fairly neutral, even with the WE tube. My DI/O was the warmest dac of the three, and had a relax but also detailed sound. It was the most analog sounding of the three. Transients were not as sharp as the other two dacs.

The Maverick is a good value dac with good sonics and mods will probably elevate its performance further, but the features are amazing for a $200 dac. The Eastern Electric has the same features, except minus the headphone amp and is better sonically, but it also costs 3 1/2 times more. If you value the sonic qualities that I stated and where price is not a concern, then the EE is a bargain compared to multi-thousand dacs. If one prefers a warmer sound and is not so concern with the last bit of detail then the modded DI/O is a good choice. For my taste, I prefer the DI/O but I could also live with the other two dacs. For Levi and Martin, they like the EE best.

Mariusz · « **Reply #178 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 04:30 pm »

Quote from: ltr317 on 26 Mar 2010, 03:50 pm

I got the Maverick at last Saturday's Rave from Evan, and listened to the headphone output for several days, alternating with Sony and Koss cans. As a headphone amp and at its price point, the Maverick is competent but not exceptional as it lacks some resolution. The tonal balance is pretty good, with the bass region being somewhat muddy as it's major flaw. I then used the Maverick as a preamp and dac with a pair of Ice module amps and tube input stage, producing 250 watts per channel (8 ohms). With the stock Chinese tube in the Maverick the sound was ho-hum, sort of bland/dull and soundstaging was 2 dimensional. I switched to a Western Electric 396a tube, and the sound was better, as the WE produced some tonal richness lacking in the stock tube.

Martin and Levi came by yesterday, the latter with his Eastern Electric dac. We compared the EE, Maverick and my modded ART DI/O using my modded Jolida integrated for a couple of hours. Of the three dacs, the Eastern Electric had very good resolution, good tonal balance and that hi-fi artifact focus imaging. It was also fairly neutral sounding, surprising in that it has a tube (Mullard). The Maverick also had good resolution, but the tonal balance emphasize the mid-range and the bass region was not as defined but seemed to have more impact. It also was fairly neutral, even with the WE tube. My DI/O was the warmest dac of the three, and had a relax but also detailed sound. It was the most analog sounding of the three. Transients were not as sharp as the other two dacs.

The Maverick is a good value dac with good sonics and mods will probably elevate its performance further, but the features are amazing for a $200 dac. The Eastern Electric has the same features, except minus the headphone amp and is better sonically, but it also costs 3 1/2 times more. If you value the sonic qualities that I stated and where price is not a concern, then the EE is a bargain compared to multi-thousand dacs. If one prefers a warmer sound and is not so concern with the last bit of detail then the modded DI/O is a good choice. For my taste, I prefer the DI/O but I could also live with the other two dacs. For Levi and Martin, they like the EE best.

Cool. Did you try SS out or you did not bather ?

PS

Hope you got extra tubes for me Paul?

Cheers
Mariusz

MLS · « **Reply #179 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 06:30 pm »

If you roll the opamps I think it may take the Maverick up another notch. I am not trying to be a Fan Boy, I just like the value and flexibility this unit brings to the table.

Enjoy. Cheap and Cheerful is fun.

Scott