Millennia Media imersiv D1

@yyzsantabarbara From what you are saying tracks that wasn't recorded very well actually sounded better with the D1?  Where you listening to the D1 with headphones or speakers?  

@brbrock That passage is from the Denver meetup feedback by another person @Hiker16 on Head-Fi. The link I provided shows photos of all the top end gear that was brought to the meetup, things like PlayBack Designs MPD-8 DAC. I particularly was interested in how that DAC compared to the imersiv D-1. I found the MPD-8 kind of boring. No one would say that about the D-1.

At home I have the following setup:

Office System

• Magnepan Mini speakers
• CODA #16
• imersiv D-1 with a Balanced Y cable into the CODA #16

Livingroom

• Yamaha NS5000 speakers
• CODA #11
• imersiv D-1 with a Balanced Y cable into the CODA #11

The designer of the imersiv D-1 suggested I use a Y cable to use the DAC in 2 systems. I ended up using a Benchmark balanced cable and also Benchmark XLR cables to my amps from the Y cable.

I have other sources connected to my CODA #16 via a passive RCA switch and a RCA Schiit Valhalla 3 OTL/OCL preamp that connects to the RCA input on the CODA #16.

For headphones, I am using the RAAL SR1a earphones but at the moment I cannot use the D-1 DAC on it since the D-1 is ONLY XLR and the headphone amp I have is ONLY RCA. I am using the new Schiit Byggy DAC for my phones and also RCA into the CODA #16.

One may wonder why I am using the much older CODA #11 on the great Yamaha NS5000 speakers over the newer CODA #16 amp. It is all about the imersiv D-1.

The DAC is so resolving that I am sacrificing a tiny bit of resolution with the #11 for a slightly preferable Class A sound on the #11. I love the #16 and it works great in place of the #11 on the Yamaha and imersiv. However, at this time I prefer the #11 with the NS5000.

I am surprised there is not more chatter about this Imersiv D-1 DAC on these forums, particularly given that it apparently has the twin attributes of good technical measurements along with good sound.  In addition to almost universally high praise, I have yet to read anything negative about the sound of this DAC.  The  latest review from Michael Lavorgna at Twittering Machines (link) judges the sound to be exciting, musical, and technically excellent.  He basically wrote that it performed and sounded better to him than his long-standing reference Totaldac d1 Unity.

It is curious to me that a product that for once may be (actually not imaginarily) a game-changer, has not garnered more discussion.  I am considering purchasing one of these DACs, but I have a couple of reservations so I look forward to hearing more as the user base becomes more widespread.