Teardown of the Emotiva DC-1 DAC

[svart-hvitt]

This is one good report.

I wonder, why don’t the press do such reports. Last time I checked, the press complained about dwindling end-customer base.

 

[Thomas savage]

This is one good report.

I wonder, why don’t the press do such reports. Last time I checked, the press complained about dwindling end-customer base.

Because it does not engage the audience and does not increase sponsorship, possibly decreasing sponsorship.

People do not want to have to learn what a graph might mean, in Audio they prefer to relate to the subjective impressions of a reviewer. Audio to the masses is knowledge ‘someone else has’ to be referenced and revered but never to be challenged unless they realise what they reckon is just as valid then they frequent forums and wax lyrical till the cows come home.

It’s a world that’s being built where no one can be wrong, the world of Audio.. knowledge is no longer required, proof well that’s a very old currency indeed.

 

[svart-hvitt]

Because it does not engage the audience and does not increase sponsorship, possibly decreasing sponsorship.

People do not want to have to learn what a graph might mean, in Audio they prefer to relate to the subjective impressions of a reviewer. Audio to the masses is knowledge ‘someone else has’ to be referenced and revered but never to be challenged unless they realise what they reckon is just as valid then they frequent forums and wax lyrical till the cows come home.

It’s a world that’s being built where no one can be wrong, the world of Audio.. knowledge is no longer required, proof well that’s a very old currency indeed.

The charts and tables could easily be standardized on a 1-100 scale for a wider audience.

I think the lack of intelligent reports in the press is a complicated issue, where a wider discussion would need to look at ethics, moral and such difficult stuff too.

 

[Dialectic]

This is one good report.

I wonder, why don’t the press do such reports. Last time I checked, the press complained about dwindling end-customer base.

The Japanese high-end magazine Audio Technology MJ does teardowns of devices new and old. The focus seems to be less on investigation than on sating the curiosity of the Japanese DIY community.

 

[Sal1950]

This is one good report.

I wonder, why don’t the press do such reports. Last time I checked, the press complained about dwindling end-customer base.

Because most of the press is supported by advertisement. After this review, how much financial support would Amir be receiving from Emotiva?

 

[Sal1950]

It’s a world that’s being built where no one can be wrong, the world of Audio.. knowledge is no longer required, proof well that’s a very old currency indeed.

How well spoken, Super sad but the truth.

Even after one of Atkinson's worst measurement findings, he'll always waffle and defer to the praising prose of the listening report. They're always good.

 

[svart-hvitt]

Because most of the press is supported by advertisement. After this review, how much financial support would Amir be receiving from Emotiva?

The press in 2018 is worse than in 1978, I believe. In 1978 the cashflow from readers and advertisers were more balanced than today; today, the press relies more on advertisers, their sources, politicians who can give or take away privileges (taxes) etc.

So the press is no longer for the audience; it’s for another set of interest groups. Fake media indeed. Audio is no exception; this is a broader, general trend.

However, as one gap (i.e. the now non-existing intelligent media) establishes itself, new players emerge to fill a need. ASR is just one example of such a «gap filler».

 

[BeerCanChicken]

Because most of the press is supported by advertisement. After this review, how much financial support would Amir be receiving from Emotiva?

And they simply report from "Press Releases" which is basically what the company/government/organization, etc. wants them to talk about. A free and lazy press.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I will point out Stereophile and TAS began as subscriber only supported magazines. That didn't prevent them from promoting a misguided subjectivist direction in audio. Founder of Stereophile JGH in time regretted this. Presumably both represented the writer's actual view and gave them freedom to take then unpopular opinions. In time both mags took ads, and once the subjectivist meme had become predominant in some circles they inevitably became a source of spreading the word of the High End industry. With an old presumption that what is good for the industry is automatically good for the high end customer.

 

[Sal1950]

The press in 2018 is worse than in 1978, I believe.

And much worst than in 1962 when JGH left High Fidelity to start a ad free Stereophile due to a undue advertiser influence.

“Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.”
Eric Hoffer (1902-1983)

 

[svart-hvitt]

I will point out Stereophile and TAS began as subscriber only supported magazines. That didn't prevent them from promoting a misguided subjectivist direction in audio. Founder of Stereophile JGH in time regretted this. Presumably both represented the writer's actual view and gave them freedom to take then unpopular opinions. In time both mags took ads, and once the subjectivist meme had become predominant in some circles they inevitably became a source of spreading the word of the High End industry. With an old presumption that what is good for the industry is automatically good for the high end customer.

Hm...as you wrote "high end" here, it's as if I just now realized that "hi fi" at one point degenerated into "high end"; they're not the same in modern jargon.

 

[Mad_Economist]

BUF634T provides the headphone amplification

The BUF634T is a unity gain current buffer, conventionally used for headphones inside of the feedback loop of a more linear opamp (the OPA132 in the spec sheet linked, for example; more information here: http://www.ti.com/lit/an/sboa065/sboa065.pdf). Emotiva's specs claim a LM4562 (https://emotiva.com/products/dc-1), any sign of one nearby to the buffers?

 

[NorthSky]

Sad read. Thanks Amir for the reality check.

 

[Don Hills]

Regarding the rubber on the transformer, the electrical reason is to prevent the case forming a shorted turn if the screw touches the case top. I wonder if they actually thought of that though. Does the rubber touch the top cover? If so, I think it's more likely they had a case resonance problem.

 

[Thomas savage]

And they simply report from "Press Releases" which is basically what the company/government/organization, etc. wants them to talk about. A free and lazy press.

Beercanchicken is the best forum handle of all time, well done! Bravo !

 

[rebbiputzmaker]

Sad read. Thanks Amir for the reality check.

Why are you sad?

 

[March Audio]

Many years ago I built this buf 634 based headphone amp.

http://sjostromaudio.com/pages/index.php/hifi-projects/125-qrv04-headhone-amp

Now Im not saying there is any resemblance to the sound of the Emotiva, however I was disappointed. Sounded noticeably lean.

Found it in my box of crazy crap

 

[blackmetalboon]

Emotiva’s website shows this unit with a 2 pin IEC inlet!

 

[amirm]

View attachment 10357 Emotiva’s website shows this unit with a 2 pin IEC inlet!

Gosh you are right. Searing for images, all the stock photos show the 2-pin IEC but the first real user picture I landed shows the same 3-pin version I have from Sal:

 

[amirm]

This is one good report.

I wonder, why don’t the press do such reports. Last time I checked, the press complained about dwindling end-customer base.

Thanks.

Part of the problem they have is that you need to have engineering/design/manufacturing experience which reviewers of audio lack. I guess they could hire a consultant to spend an hour doing this.

What I am doing is just casual observation. A deeper dive can be done to reverse engineer the circuits and find mistakes at lower levels. Or praise.