To D or not to D? (1100)

[Killergurt]

Originally Posted by briweed

Roy,

take a look at the Chord Dave. It is FPGA based and really a step above what the D1100 provides.

Thanks you, I have never heard a Chord product before, I will check it out. Do they also have a streamer?

[briweed]

Originally Posted by Killergurt

Thanks you, I have never heard a Chord product before, I will check it out. Do they also have a streamer?

They make one, but I would stick with either a Roon Nucleus or an Aurender. Give me a call, as I can give you some tips on where to audition the Chord Dave.

B

[W9TR]

Choosing DAC's is really fun. Each brand seems to have a flavor, and finding the right one takes a bit of experimentation. It's almost like auditioning phono cartridges.

I'd try a ladder DAC like the Schitt Yggdrasil, then try a Sabre based DAC like the Mytec Brooklyn or Benchmark DAC3. They each have retrun programs and are all in the $2200 price range. The D1100 will be closer to the Brooklyn/Benchmark sound than a ladder DAC like the Yggdrasil will be.

You can then decide if the additional coin for the D 1100 is justified.

[Killergurt]

Originally Posted by W9TR

Choosing DAC's is really fun. Each brand seems to have a flavor, and finding the right one takes a bit of experimentation. It's almost like auditioning phono cartridges.

I'd try a ladder DAC like the Schitt Yggdrasil, then try a Sabre based DAC like the Mytec Brooklyn or Benchmark DAC3. They each have retrun programs and are all in the $2200 price range. The D1100 will be closer to the Brooklyn/Benchmark sound than a ladder DAC like the Yggdrasil will be.

You can then decide if the additional coin for the D 1100 is justified.

It is fun! Since most of those options bear significant investment (money), I am trying to rely on other people's experience.
The D1100 is a specific example of a product that I don't fully understand: I like it and it seems like a good pairing with the C1100 but on paper, it is significantly inferior to the Vega, Aries, Mytek and BDA-3 in terms of supported formats and resolution, as well as not being Roon compatible, yet so many people love it. Does this mean that all those crazy high resolutions are not practical day-to-day? Would you say that the D1100 is enough to satisfy most of what people listen to today?

[Killergurt]

Originally Posted by briweed

They make one, but I would stick with either a Roon Nucleus or an Aurender. Give me a call, as I can give you some tips on where to audition the Chord Dave.

B

I would love to talk, will PM you. Thanks!

[brownbear]

What formats are you looking for the D1100 to support? It handles up to DSD256.

[Killergurt]

Originally Posted by brownbear

What formats are you looking for the D1100 to support? It handles up to DSD256.

DSD 512, PCM 32bit, 384khz, MQA for example.
No, I am not saying that I will use those. This is where it gets a little confusing for me. Many of the DACs/Streamers that I mentioned (Auralic, Mytek, BDA-3) support those formats. It looks like the D1100 is left behind specs-wise. I just don't know if people actually listen to files in 32bit 384khz, or to DSD 512 or those are just big numbers to quote to make their products loo more impressive.

[brownbear]

It will do 32/384, but if you want 512 and MQA then the D1100 is not for you. I would still listen to it though paired with your C1100. Have fun!

[Killergurt]

Originally Posted by brownbear

It will do 32/384, but if you want 512 and MQA then the D1100 is not for you. I would still listen to it though paired with your C1100. Have fun!

Do you think that investing in the D1100 now might not be smart long-term? I mean, I can always swap it but it is already slightly behind the curve.

[W9TR]

Originally Posted by Killergurt

It is fun! Since most of those options bear significant investment (money), I am trying to rely on other people's experience.

I chose the Mytec Brooklyn, Schiit Yggdrasil, and Benchmark DAC3 because they all have in-home evaluation options that, while not free, dramatically reduce the cost in a try before you buy scenario. That to me makes the most sense because of the high prices involved and the inability to demo in brick and mortar stores.

Besides, I don’t trust other’s opinions wrt DAC’s because of confirmation bias and dramatically different system configurations everyone has.

Tom