Yggdrasil vs Luxman DA-06 DAC

Mechnutt said:
Welcome aboard. Glad to see you like the Luxman. I really like the Luxman, it checks all the boxes for my type of sound. I really liked the Yggdrasil with the Gen 5 usb. I was surprised that it leaned a bit to the warm side. I may eventually upgrade to it and give the Lux to my son since it is a Japanese version and I may have trouble selling it for a decent price. Or I may just go for the T+A DSD8 once my friend brings his over for me to try in my system now that I have a computer that can do DSD512. I do have quite a bit of DSD recordings and they would be a waste with the Yggy.
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Thanks - I am very happy with the Luxman... curious what filters you are using for PCM and DSD? Since I'm upconverting everything in Roon, I am using the 7th Order (CLANS) filtering in Roon and the D2 filter on the Luxman. Sounds really great to me. I got a really good deal on the US version of the DA-06 ($2k) and I'm happy not only because it sounds good, but because it matches my 509X integrated (ha). I am hoping I can sell the Hegel for more than I paid for the Luxman. Before I got the Hegel, I was seriously considering the Yggy, but multiple dealers were steering me in other directions (maybe because Schitt is only selling direct - but I wasn't going to be able to demo it anywhere so that was a factor in the decision as well). It does sound like if you're heavily invested in DSD it wouldn't be the best direction to go in.

Mechnutt said:
Right now I am wrestling with the idea of selling my amp and preamp and going with a Luxman integrated or just sell my BAT preamp and buy a custom Don Sachs SP-14 tube preamp with all the upgrades and then wait and see how the Lux and T+A sounds with it. I am leaning on having the DS's preamp built and compare it with my BAT. I would have no trouble selling the BAT for $3200 or so with relatively new tubes and new Caps in the 6 pack.
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I can't tell you how the integrated compares with what you have now, but I'm extremely happy with my 509X. Definitely the center piece of my system. It drives everything with total control over the music and is a great match with the dynamics of my Klipsch La Scala IIs. I'm also using my CL40 valve preamp for certain music... the 509X has a preamp "Separate" function that allows you to use an external pre (most would use this as a HT bypass I assume). But there is content that just really comes to live with the valve preamp versus the 509X pre - and that is no slouch, I believe it's the same preamp as the c900u. If you're hesitant about the class A/B in the Luxman, the 590X (class A) appears to be highly recommended as well.
 
I switch back and forth between the filter with no pre and post ringing and the one with only post ringing. Currently, I use Bug Head Infinitly Blade as a music player and it has multiple settings to tailor the sound. I upsample most music with it. I have used HQP many times before and I am very familiar with Roon. Bug Head just sounds so good but is a pain to use if you want to switch around play a variety of music.

I am thinking about a Luxman L-507 uXII integrated or maybe a used higher end integrated. I am currently leaning to the Don Sachs custom preamp as so many people love it.
 
Very cool... I find the versatility of Roon outweighs the incremental benefits I may get from going down the rabbit hole of HQP or even mConnect/iPeng, etc.

Since I have the house to myself this Christmas week, I am considering doing some experiments with by bringing my Anthem MRX 720 back into the mix to experiment with Anthem Room Correction with this setup. I'll be sending the analog signal out from the Luxman back into the analog input of the Anthem, so I realize the signal will be re-digitized... but now I'm curious about any benefits I may get from ARC considering I'm sending a pristine analog signal into the Anthem from the Innuos and Luxman DAC.
 
I agree with the versatility of Roon, it is amazing. However being a Roon fan does not preclude HQPlayer. Roon is designed to work hand in hand with HQP, and the improvements are quite enormous. Roon is the finest interface, music management, meta data, etc., and HQPlayer is the best playback engine in my view. Together they make an amazing digital playback system! Both are great in their own rights, but together they are much better.
 
JSQT said:
Very cool... I find the versatility of Roon outweighs the incremental benefits I may get from going down the rabbit hole of HQP or even mConnect/iPeng, etc.

Since I have the house to myself this Christmas week, I am considering doing some experiments with by bringing my Anthem MRX 720 back into the mix to experiment with Anthem Room Correction with this setup. I'll be sending the analog signal out from the Luxman back into the analog input of the Anthem, so I realize the signal will be re-digitized... but now I'm curious about any benefits I may get from ARC considering I'm sending a pristine analog signal into the Anthem from the Innuos and Luxman DAC.
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Let us know your finding. I have AVM60 and never really use ARC, not even for movies as it sounds very good to my ears.
 
I was using ARC with my frankenstein HT/2 channel system when I was running Atmos in here. It did clean up things quite a bit with movies for me. I spent quite a bit of time learning the ins and outs of ARC. But I never really liked it for music. Now I'm curious about how it would sound running pre-outs into the Luxman L-509X, especially since the new STR integrated/amps are getting such rave reviews (with ARC as a big feature). Before I was using all internal Anthem amps.

Heading out to the storage unit to haul some of this stuff back here and see what's what!
 
I used to have MRX500 a long time back and tried ARC for a week, but never really liked it for both music and movie. I preferred it off. Never turned it on again, then I got AVM60 mainly for 4K pass-through and the Anthem sound that I like for movies.
 
Today I upgraded my Luxman drivers to the latest version and I was pleasantly surprised at a change in sound for the better I think. It is a little darker, blacker and smoother sounding. The sound stage is more focused but not quite as wide. It sounds more analog.:)
 
How do you update the drivers? Is this the same as updating the firmware on the DAC? I don't have it connected to a computer, mine is connected to the Innuos.
 
audio.bill said:
The only driver shown on the Luxman site for the DA-06 DAC is a Windows USB driver, so it wouldn't apply unless you have a Windows based server.
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What can I say, I updated from 1.040 to 1.090 and the sound is different for some reason. My son heard it too. The sound stage is more focused and it is warmer and darker. I put on a harsh recording that was not pleasant to listen to with the old driver and now it does not make me cringe to listen to it. I am using Win 10 on a dedicated desktop music computer. It did something to the sound for some odd reason.

I certainly was not expecting the usb driver to sound different. Very strange.



http://www.luxman.com/product/detail.php?id=22
 
Mechnutt said:
What can I say, I updated from 1.040 to 1.090 and the sound is different for some reason. My son heard it too. The sound stage is more focused and it is warmer and darker. I put on a harsh recording that was not pleasant to listen to with the old driver and now it does not make me cringe to listen to it. I am using Win 10 on a dedicated desktop music computer. It did something to the sound for some odd reason.

I certainly was not expecting the usb driver to sound different. Very strange.

http://www.luxman.com/product/detail.php?id=22
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I didn't question whether the updated USB driver would make an improvement to the sound, but was just pointing out that it would only be applicable to Windows based servers. Glad it's working out so well for you! :audiophile:
 
Since I'm streaming to my Luxman from the Innuos it doesn't sound like any driver updates are needed for me. Interesting that there are updates that affect the sound though only on Windows systems.

Regardless, I spent a few hours yesterday and last night tweaking my system even further and I do have to say the DA-06 is sounding absolutely amazing. It was like church last night after finally getting a few things straightened out. I am upsampling everything in Roon to DSD128 and it sounds incredibly smooth, musical, natural and lifelike. Voices have amazing imaging... I was missing the "hanging in the air" effect from my Hegel HD30.

Further tweaks may push the envelope of "audiophile" but I do not care - the sound of the system as a whole is what I'm after. Bringing in the Anthem MRX 720, I ran RCA out from the Luxman DAC into the analog input of the Anthem and did room measurements and ARC correction. I'm running the balanced XLR outs from the DAC into the 509X and running pre-outs from the Anthem into the Main/HT Bypass section of the 509X. All good quality Wireworld Eclipse interconnects. I also re-installed my front height Klipsch RP-140SA speakers on the front wall.

End result is, this allows me room-correct & EQ my SB-16 Ultra subwoofer and use the Anthem Logic:Music DSP to send a small amount of signal to the front heights, while sending a completely virgin signal from the DA-06 into the balanced line input of the 509X. I level match the La Scala IIs from the 509X with the preout signal of the Anthem, so the bass is EQ'd and the soundstage sounds 9 feet tall - absolutely massive - with the Klipsch front heights.

For movies & TV, I use the "Separate" function on the 509X to utilize the fully-EQ'd signal from the Anthem in the mains from UHD player and Apple TV.

It all sounds complicated but in practice the results are stunning.
 
I bought the DA08 because I don't do USB, and could not be happier. The best SACD I have heard to date and an excellent DAC.
 
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