AudioEngine D1 measurement suggestion

[WalkingInTheRain]

Hello,

I have the AudioEngine D1 DAC and it's been working very well for 7 or 8 years, approximately. I'm going to buy the SMSL SU-9n and have always wondered how well the AudioEngine D1 compares to newer DACs. The DAC is still for sale on the AudioEngine website and I have, and perhaps to my own ignorance, been quite happy pairing it with my HD660s. @amirm would you be interested in testing this DAC if I shipped it to you? Incidentally, I moved from Seattle's east side last summer so mail is the only option.

D1 Desktop Headphone Amplifier and DAC(Open Box) — Audioengine

Perfect for providing high quality audio to speakers or headphones, the D1 is a premium 32-bit DAC and headphone amplifier for your computer, TV, and more. The D1 connects to your computer’s USB port or optical output without any software to download, making the D1 quick and easy to set up.

audioengineusa.com

Thank you!

 

[geopapa]

I have it too and plan to upgrade to the topping e30. Today i learned that they have switched to an ess sabre chip... https://audioengineusa.com/product_tech_specs/d1-24-bit-dac-headphone-amp/

 

[pablolie]

I have spare Audioengine D1 as well as an Arcam rPAC - it'd be interesting to see how 10+ years old and -at the time- highly praised DAC+HeadphoneAmp compare these days, and whether their specs (which still look pretty good) withstand scrutiny.

 

[Jimster480]

So I guess this never was tested?

 

[pablolie]

So I guess this never was tested?

There wasn't interest on ASR's side.

 

[Ron Texas]

The advertised SNR is 110 dB. I would venture to guess the SINAD is around 90 dB. Not SOTA, but probably good enough. I have one and it sounds as good as much better measuring competition. There is no audible noise.

 

[pablolie]

The advertised SNR is 110 dB. I would venture to guess the SINAD is around 90 dB. Not SOTA, but probably good enough. I have one and it sounds as good as much better measuring competition. There is no audible noise.

I second that. It sounds great with the cans I own none of which are overly hard to drive).

 

[Ron Texas]

I second that. It sounds great with the cans I own none of which are overly hard to drive).

It sounds great with the HD600's. This might sound silly, but its compact and has the output to drive nearly any headphone. It sounds as good as a Massdrop/Grace M900 which currently sells for over $500. Maybe I should try one of the newer dongles. There is a D1 V2 out with the same case but completely revised circuitry.

 

[Jimster480]

The advertised SNR is 110 dB. I would venture to guess the SINAD is around 90 dB. Not SOTA, but probably good enough. I have one and it sounds as good as much better measuring competition. There is no audible noise.

Honestly, once you reach 90 SINAD, you need either better music that is better recorded or really highly resolving headphones. And HD 650 or HD 600 likely doesn't have enough resolution to expose the flaws unless you have specific really good tracks.

 

[Ron Texas]

Honestly, once you reach 90 SINAD, you need either better music that is better recorded or really highly resolving headphones. And HD 650 or HD 600 likely doesn't have enough resolution to expose the flaws unless you have specific really good tracks.

The chip amps in many active monitors have a SINAD in the 75 to 80 dB range and nobody is complaining about the sound. Distortion from electronics is way less than speaker distortion. It only becomes a problem when high noise levels cause hiss.

 

[effj]

There wasn't interest on ASR's side.

That’s disappointing.

 

[Jimster480]

The chip amps in many active monitors have a SINAD in the 75 to 80 dB range and nobody is complaining about the sound. Distortion from electronics is way less than speaker distortion. It only becomes a problem when high noise levels cause hiss.

Yes, this is exactly why speakers are 99% of the time far inferior to high-end headphones in terms of resolution.

 

[thanhky1985]

i have been using audio engine d1 for 4 years. today i just found out, it gives too hard sound. i sold my dt770 pro headphones for 70 dollars because of it, it makes the high range sound harsh, and hurts my ears inside. today i bought hd6xx. and it hurts my ears just like dt770 pro. i just tried connecting to 3.5 port from samsung monitor. 4K QHD signal from my rx5700xt graphics card to samsung 4k monitor, and from the monitor with 3.5 port connected to headphones. the sound is not harsh and harsh. more bass. wider soundstage. more echo. gunfire in apex game no longer hurts my ears. luckily i found out about this before selling hd6xx. i will look to buy a pci port graphics card like sb880. it is my favorite sound card