He’ll tell you basically the same as others have already told you… keep smiling though…
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VMV D2R Stereo DAC Review
- Thread starter amirm
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Yes really, and SUBJECTIVELY reporting in what I hear when comparing between them DAC that I own. Now if you find there is a discrepancy between the graph and my hearing, that would be your problems and not mine. That per Amir statement.... if you are a member long enough you should know it better.
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MacClintock
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Well, I have not problems, but I am quite sure that all these DACs are audibly transparent and any supposed difference you hear is delusional.
Next, do the subjective reporting after carefully level-matching the DACs and listening to them in such a way that you don't know which is playing. You may surprise yourself with what you find out.
And us by actually trying (properly)
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Or Magic.
Does anyone know what the volume should be set to if you want to use D2R purely as a DAC (bypassing any possible volume control)? The PRE mode has already been set to fixed.
Some say it should be set to -2.5db, others suggest -2db, and there are those who recommend -0db. What do you think is the optimal setting to achieve a pure DAC?
Some say it should be set to -2.5db, others suggest -2db, and there are those who recommend -0db. What do you think is the optimal setting to achieve a pure DAC?
Guilherme_BR
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I believe that setting to -2Db will give you 4v xlr and 2v rca, which are the most common line levels settings.
Is there a way to bypass the volume control on this DAC? I found that if I adjust the volume before setting it to FIXED, it still passes through the volume chip. It would be unbelievable if this $999 DAC doesn't support bypassing volume control. cc @SMSL-Mandy
Why does it matter? How do you even know that there is a separate IC for volume control? Most likely it's just the gain in the DAC chip itself that controls the volume. bypassing that is the same as setting it to 0 attenuation.
This is from their manual, and it mentions that there should be a mode that outputs a fixed 4V. However, there's no mention of how to actually achieve the so-called 4.0Vrms output. There is no documentation. On ASR, I know that setting it to -2db can somehow obtain a 4V output, but this was figured out by users through their own experiments; the manufacturer didn't provide any instructions. So, it seems like an oversight on the part of SMSL. For a DAC that they consider to be their flagship, I think this is unacceptable. They might have an elegant appearance (which, actually, isn't that elegant – the knobs feel very cheap), but they lack the refinement on the inside.
Again: why would you care?
Why wouldn't I care after spending $999 on such a "flagship" thing?
Yes! You know the performance, it is good... Why does it matter how it's achieved?
Of course, I have to care. When you buy a car, you don't just consider how fast it is, you also look at its design, its comfort level. The same goes for a DAC; it might be high-performing (though the actual sound isn't particularly remarkable), but if there's a problem with the instructions, like not being able to set up the 4.0v rms XLR output as per their manual, that's a deal-breaker for me. It signals a lack of proper attention to detail. That matters to me. In fact, it was the manual that led me to believe there was a true pure DAC mode and that's why I bought this DAC in the first place. You may not understand, but please don't casually judge; that's just common courtesy.
It's so confusing.
Do you also ask how the ABS works?
If you're trying to feel accomplished by putting someone else down, I suggest you do something else that's easier. Everyone has their own needs, and you don't even own this DAC; you might not have even listened to it or experienced it, yet you're forcing others to accept a half-baked product. That's quite absurd. I won't waste any more time on you, and I hope you can come to realize the situation sooner rather than later.
Why do you assume the fixed output mode is not 4V RMS? Is there any indication it's not?
No, I don't understand. What is a "true DAC mode"? What do you expect this to do?
How is this half-baked? The manual says you get 4 VRMS in fixed mode, and 2 dB more with volume control enabled. I don't need to hear the DAC to conclude this.
I still don't understand what is absurd, or why any of this is a problem... I asked you several times why this is a problem, and you didn't give any answers. I'm just trying to understand what the actual problem is here.
But now I reread your question, and something is off, may have added to the confusion. Why do you ask about volume control if it's already set to fixed? That means the DAC volume control is non-functioning. So what are you controlling volume with? Is the DAC still controlling volume in the fixed mode?
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Reading this it seems there are two problems:
- DAC is in PRE mode and he can't put it in fixed mode - didn't find the option in the menu and the manual doesn't give instructions on how to change modes.
- Why is fixed mode limited to 4VRMS and variable mode 5VRMS? This seems a strange choice not to have independent 4V/5V mode and fixed/variable mode (like Topping).
I think his issue isn't with the performance of the DAC, just with the unclear interface / menu options.
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