I just received a very good review of D2 DAC from one customer in Hungary. I would like to share it:
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Dear Maverick Audio,
I just wanted to let you now how I’m satisfied with the d2 dac(w.opa627). I did not find relevant information from better sounding systems, but I suspected that for this price it’s a really good deal. I have a Jadis orchestra reference running with Audiostatic esh-50, with vdh cables, and I’m mainly analog orientated. I felt like giving a chance to the digital, for a reasonable price (those overpriced cd players doesn’t worth the fuss,or only if money doesn’t count, cheap cds are far from the analog)
I bought a popcorn c200 mediaplayer with a built in display, and first I hooked my old harman /kardon hd970 cd as a dac(same ad1955) on it, it was nothing special. I thougth to try a new dac, without paying a lo of money, but of course wanted something good. I’m really happy that I chose the dacmagic, because after 1 week of burning in it’s amazing.
Maybe there are some good competitors, but the rest are miles away.
The tube output is far superior to the solid state only (actually the tube does good work in impedance matching). Excellent spacing and resolution, the sound has the same energy that I always liked in analog,lack of harshness, smooth firm dynamics, powerful guitar amps, orchestra filling the room, sound that I never heard at this audio price range. With some good 24/96 recordings (blue coast collection hifitrack.com eg.) it’s getting really close to analog, and with the static speakers it’s absolutely 3d lifelike. It really lived up to the demands of my system, and fought a well deserved place in it.
Some remarks to the usage: SPDIF (coax and optical both) are LOSSY, no error correction! this is why you have to use good cables, and really good cables, not the one your facebook friend advised. If you feed your dac with crap it will give you crap.
Finally what the main power of this dac is I think is it’s quality and price. This is the place where europe and US can’t compete, nowadays you in china have everything: the knowledge and the resources both, this is why you can manufacture it alone at a good price even in high quality. By the others they are importing everything and after that they even demand their huge profit , but the value is lost way before. Everything is expensive and has no value. I think for you this is the way, there is a huge demand for quality even in this price range, use your resources.
Yours faithfully:
Mihály Aradi