Ah ok, no worries. This has been really helpful.
Side question - have you tried the bass boost option? I find it funny that it’s there but wondering if anyone has tried it.
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No, but that’s a lot to pay for a bass boost option, iirc it’s like 20% of the dac cost to add. I do think it’s more than just a bass boost, I think it’s actually adds a separate bass channel output to the dac and then crosses over the main output. Or something like that
The dacs actually have something of a treble boost built into all of them called FIR for compensating for treble loss, since the totaldacs biggest weakness is less than stellar treble extension (although admittedly I didn’t find it to be too much an issue depending on the system). I personally thought while the treble bump was nice, it sounded better with it off.
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Do the older ones have a different sound sig than the direct? Asking since ive been basing my desire for toraldac off of direct impressions
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I think really a lot of the lineup is fairly different from the direct (and twelve with direct output). Having that direct output is a huge upgrade and is a fairly different sound (although you can still tell it’s a totaldac) vs the lower end models. Then again, it’s different, but it’s not like it’s a different sonic goal, the direct output models just sound a ton more “pure” than the lower end totaldac models whereas the lower end ones sound a fair bit more more colored and less, direct
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Any chance I can bug you for a bit more of a break down on what you mean when you say colored? I have a line on selling some more of my gear and was going to message on that dual as soon as the paypal cleared, but its kind of a big chance to take since I cant hear one nor even find many impressions tbh. I guess my big question is, when you say colored, do you mean leaning more towards the holo sound sig (not what I want)? Maybe a bit darker/thicker? What roughly should I expect tonality wise vs the direct? FWIW I am also pretty tempted by that Mistique X SE being sold for 8k, but was leaning towards the dual mainly because it came with the d1-digital.
Darker, thicker, and rich, but not that more artificial holo smoothness or presentation, it’s still organic, and while it is more on the relaxed and smooth side of things, it doesn’t sound dulled or blunted which also drives me a bit nuts with the holo stuff. It doesn’t really feel like it sacrifices much for it’s signature technicality wise, perhaps outside of some treble extension, but if you are after utmost treble extension, none of the totaldac are really worth looking at imo
Vs the direct, the direct is a lot more neutral, more forward in comparison, less smooth, more energetic, and easily more convincing from a technical perspective. You still want the d1-drivers though, since direct out of the direct can be very hit or miss. In the general grand scheme of things though, they do still share their similar technical priorities, they are still somewhat warmer although while I’d consider the lower end ones more actually warm and rich, the direct is more neutral-natural with a bit of warmth, although it’s much less relaxed
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I just realized that the totaldac d1-player is different than the totaldac d1-streamer. It seems to be a nuc based linux streamer core + an ethernet isolator? I cant find any info on it basicaly at all asside from the very sparse product page tbh
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@M0N did you try the d1-drivers on any of the lower tier dacs than the direct? Curious if that may be a worthwhile interim if I decide to step up from the dual (also curious if it will bring it more inline with direct tonality)
Unfortunately never got the chance to. Only tried the drivers on the direct and the twelve. Not sure if it would really do what you want tonality wise, I think a lot of the magic is getting a dac without an output stage that direct drives off the ladder
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This is where I wasn’t sure tbh. The total dac site says it brings similar changes to all the dacs just that the direct and twevle are the biggest, but I never fully trust product descriptions tbh
I bet it does, I just think it’s really something that will improve upon what’s there, so it will just give you more of the dac it’s hooked up to. I have actually directly tested that by using the twelve with it’s internal output stage into the drivers, then using direct out into the drivers, and while having the drivers in chain improved for either situation, it was larger for the direct mode, and the sonic differences within direct mode were greater highlighted. Basically the drivers while they generally will improve the sound of the dac regardless, won’t change a non direct dac into a direct one
Basically what I expected. Sounds good.
Another curiousity, you tried the drivers with non-totaldac dacs? Not expecting that to work well tbh, just curious
Not really, but that’s more because I’m lazy than anything else
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ROFL. I feel that. I’m moving down to a single chain almost entirely because switching shit around a lot gets kinda annoying 
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@Draaly you get it set up yet?
Nope. I only listen at work realisticaly. I may actualy go in today and set it up so it can start warming io though
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Its only been on for about an hour now, but I am getting the feeling that this is indeed what I have been looking for already. Even before its been warmed im getting a kind of “p6p but more articulate and grander staging (dont think that much wider but over all feeling is grander)” feel that I have been searching for. Quest now is just to let it warm and use it with tons of music.
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And finally we can shut you up about DACs for a while! Congratulations, hope this is indeed it for you.
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I look forward to learning how you’ll fill the void left from not looking for DACs anymore!
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Never
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