Review and Measurements of Totaldac d1-six DAC

[PierreV]

No, you're not getting the point. Archimago exercise was useful because there was no weird step going on such as having a DA. Thus his tested hypothesis could on theory be rejected. In this one it's not rejectable or in words of Pooper, "falsifiable".

There's a difference between not being able to reject a hypothesis at a theoretical level (an impossibility) and a null result.

It's Popper, not Pooper. And I am not suggesting fancy DA here...

Edit: I think you may think you are responding to another person - by suggesting a archimago-like test, which you consider useful, I am precisely not suggesting an archimago-unlike test, where some fancy DA would be involved...

 

[AndrovichIV]

It's Popper, not Pooper. And I am not suggesting fancy DA here...

Edit: I think you may think you are responding to another person - by suggesting a archimago-like test, which you consider useful, I am precisely not suggesting an archimago-unlike test, where some fancy DA would be involved...

Yeah I'm responding to whomever wanted to capture the analog output of the DACs convert it to digital and share the digital files to people to conduct AB tests in their home

 

[PierreV]

Yeah I'm responding to whomever wanted to capture the analog output of the DACs convert it to digital and share the digital files to people to conduct AB tests in their home

Hmmmm. http://archimago.blogspot.com/2019/02/musings-measurements-on-why-2496.html

 

[zalive]

Yeah I'm responding to whomever wanted to capture the analog output of the DACs convert it to digital and share the digital files to people to conduct AB tests in their home

It's no longer the same.

 

[daftcombo]

The screams of your wife when she knows you've spent 13.500 instead of 9$ will be audible.

 

[solderdude]

She doesn't mind when you buy her equally expensive diamonds because you have the TotalDac.
I think she would prefer that over a cheap silver-plated earring she gets when you bought the $9.- toy.

 

[daftcombo]

On the french forum, VIncent is now arguing that THD, IMD, etc. have no correlation with the sound quality of a DAC.
He forgot that Amir listened to the totaldac and found it sounded like the others, or a bit worse at times.

 

[Thomas savage]

On the french forum, VIncent is now arguing that THD, IMD, etc. have no correlation with the sound quality of a DAC.
He forgot that Amir listened to the totaldac and found it sounded like the others, or a bit worse at times.

Did he post his qualifications in psychoacoustics as well?

 

[gvl]

Did he posted his qualifications in psychoacoustics as well?

He linked a Wikipedia article, everyone was satisfied.

 

[daftcombo]

totaldac was created in 2013.
In 2017, turnover was 726 093 €. Result 234 641 €.
Not bad actually.

Source: https://dirigeants.bfmtv.com/Vincent-BRIENT-2970036/

 

[sweetsounds]

The above test is at 48 kHz. To see if we have some timing related issues, I changed the sampling rate to 44.1 kHz and got this (everything else the same):

View attachment 30382


As expected, Grace Design performance does not change. But the performance of the Totaldac d1-six degrades further with tons more spurious tones. We saw this in our original dashboard in the review.

This shows what I suspected: you also measure artefacts. You change the sampling of your analyzer and the result changes. This isn't the DAC, this is your measurement.

You are measuring a device without reconstruction filter with too low sampling frequency. That's what Brient told you as well: your sampling frequency must be significantly above the input signal frequency.


Nevertheless, the ugly sidebands and the wide peak won't disappear. This DAC has issues.

 

[daftcombo]

You are measuring a device without reconstruction filter with too low sampling frequency. That's what Brient told you as well: your sampling frequency must be significantly above the input signal frequency.

He also measured at 96kHz and got worse results. Just under the 48kHz graph.

 

[Juhazi]

She doesn't mind when you buy her equally expensive diamonds because you have the TotalDac.
I think she would prefer that over a cheap silver-plated earring she gets when you bought the $9.- toy.

Skip the jewelry shop and you would notice that you have finally got rid of cellutite!

 

[solderdude]

On the local news people going on vacation with fully packed cars were interviewed and asked if they did not pack too much and if there wasn't something they did not need and could leave at home...
for a short moment I saw this guy think, looking at his wife, and was sure he was going to say ... my wife (Al Bundy style).
Alas ... he didn't.

 

[Soniclife]

With 192/24 I reckon the 'stairsteps' can be recorded and reproduced somewhat (but not exactly) similar.

Presumably if you recorded it at 44 or 48 then the ADC might actually fix some of the problems? Because it would add back the missing reconstruction filter.

 

[sweetsounds]

He also measured at 96kHz and got worse results. Just under the 48kHz graph.

I read it as 88kHz Input with 96kHz sampling, so would be again too close.
Graph 3 is 96kHz sampling and FIR-on at 44.1kHz Input.

Between graph 1, 2 only the sampling frequency changed and the height of side-bands (increasing with higher sampling rate) and noise changes (lower with higher sampling rate). So the result is measurement dependend. Doesn't say the sampling frequency of the first graphs, amirm's default last time was 48kHz sampling.

 

[solderdude]

Presumably if you recorded it at 44 or 48 then the ADC might actually fix some of the problems? Because it would add back the missing reconstruction filter.

Likely.. if sampled at the 'flat' part of the TD output signal in the same sample rate. In that case the sample-and hold would become the same samples again and the filter would undo the errors and crap would be ignored and be gone. (assuming time shifts are small enough). The reproducing filtered DAC with a filter would then correct this.
With 192kHz there are enough samples to 'describe' the flat part more accurately.

 

[Soniclife]

Likely.. if sampled at the in the 'flat' part of the signal.

World they're be flat parts of the step left after the ADC input filter?

 

[solderdude]

On the french forum, VIncent is now arguing that THD, IMD, etc. have no correlation with the sound quality of a DAC.
He forgot that Amir listened to the totaldac and found it sounded like the others, or a bit worse at times.

He needs to do some damage control... his buyers will most definitely buy his story as easily as they bought his DAC... they have to.

 

[solderdude]

World they're be flat parts of the step left after the ADC input filter?

You have a point there ...
With 192k sample frequency there should though.