Audioengine D1 DAC-Plus-Headphone-Amp review by Dale

Audioengine D1 DAC-Plus-Headphone-Amp review by Dale

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  Music

[Sean Schoonover]

How do you think this would work with the sennheiser hd 598? I want to get an amp to add a little bit more punch in the base and add more clarity to my music. I'll be running it off my laptop with audio files in 320 kbps. Would you still suggest this amp or a different one? Thanks

[dalethorn2]

The D1 and other mini-DACs are good with laptops, and the bass response should be pretty tight, but don't look for an increase in bass impact - the USB-power-only isn't enough for that. The bass should sound good at medium volumes, but when real demands are put on the power, you just get less. The D1's strong feature is treble extension and detail. There are some DAC/amp combinations that have their own power, like the FiiO E17, but the E17 to me didn't have the resolution that the D1 (more....)

[dalethorn2]

....the D1 has, so I'm always on the lookout for a DAC/amp with the sound quality of the D1, but is also self-powered. The only ones I've encountered so far cost a lot more than the D1, so maybe search for some of those and see what you think. Still, the D1 is the best thing anywhere near its price.

[Sean Schoonover]

Thanks for the help. If I go with the FiiO E17 would I still be gaining a substantial amount of clarity than if I was running it directly from my laptop? Also, would the FiiO E17 greatly increase the base impact with my senn hd598s? I feel that the base impact is a little lacking for some hip hop that I listen to and would like to be able to increase it a bit from the 598s.

[dalethorn2]

I don't think when you use the E17 as a DAC, that it will improve laptop sound much, unless the laptop is bad quality. When using the E17 as an analog amp with the Aux input, driving that input from a laptop or music player headphone jack is no better. Bass may improve slightly, but it might not even be noticeable. But maybe the E17 bass and treble controls could help. Experimenting is OK as long as you don't get stuck with something that doesn't work.

[dalethorn2]

The D1 should make the 558 upper bass sound cleaner, and add detail in the treble, but it will not extend the lower bass. From what I read the low bass of the 558 is rather lean and the D1 will make it sound a bit more lean when it tightens up the upper bass.

[TheAnandArora]

Is it good for the sennshiser HD 558

[dalethorn2]

The E17 is definitely more powerful, having its own battery and adjustable gain. I never even needed the high gain setting. But the overall sound quality is higher with the D1 - the USB DAC that's in the E17 doesn't seem to be as good as the mini-DACs I have (the D1 is a mini-DAC). But, there is a possibility of improved E17's, because mine was one of the earlier ones. Unfortunately there's no way for me to know, so maybe search Google and see if there's an updated version.

[joelfantastical]

How does the audio quality of the D1 compare to E17 in terms of audio quality and power?

[numbskull20]

Yes. It will replace your soundcard. You can also connect it to your PC via the USB cable while using the optical input on the D1.