AMR DP-777 Special Edition.

[Audiogalore]

Thank you Steven that is very kind of you and Owen will reply soon!

[Audiogalore]

Hi Audiogalore,sounds like you might have a faulty volume chip few of us have been working with Owen from AMR to resolve this problem and AMR have stated they have a fix,i received my DP back yesterday and it sounds wonderful i have sent Owen an Email regarding your problem and i am sure he will contact you very soon but you could contact AMR direct if you wish,your DP will have to be shipped for repair i think by sound of it as this behavior is not normal.

 

Thank you Steven that was very thoughtfully and hopefully Owen will response with a solution!

[Audiogalore]

Hi Steven I have not heard from Owen. Oh well I guess he is too busy!

[Audiogalore]

Here what I got as an answer form ARM support team as follow:

 

Dear Harold,

 

Thanks for your update.

 

We have ran this past our Technical Department, please find their comments:

 

"It could be the relay switching for muting. Either the relays or the control-IC get too hot.

 

Does the customer have enough airflow around the DP-777? If yes then the main board may need to be serviced (if in warranty) as the Relay control IC overheats (it includes over-temperature protection)."

 

[astrostar59]

Sounds like the original AMR-777 was more reliable?

[91derlust]

I have had the same defect with the volume control, twice. The first time was mid-last-year; the repair was organised quickly and efficiently. However, the defect recurred last weekend and another repair has been arranged. My guess is that the issue was assumed to be isolated the first time it occurred. Hopefully now that the defect is "known", will be repaired permanently.

 

Now, onto more positive matters. My local distributor, Cameron Keating of MAXmedia, has been wonderful in trying to rectify the issue - he has gone above and beyond, twice, for what appears to have been an issue with the original design. I hope AMR appreciates his efforts. I certainly do.

 

I have had to put my back-up DAC - a W4S DAC2 - into the system while the DP-777SE is in for repair. What a change. Unprompted, my partner noticed, saying that it sounded like someone had thrown a blanket over the speakers and sounded muffled. To me, the sound is flat, lacks dynamics, and is insubstantial... like so much digital it sounds "reproduced". By contrast, the DP-777SE has the ability to present so much music the way I like it: expressive, direct, palpable and yet still subtly nuanced; musically expressive.

 

Even though I quickly adapted to the presentation of music via the DAC2 - probably took three songs - and can enjoy music via it, I now come home from work and flick on the TV or computer. With the DP-777SE in the system, I would mostly come home and listen to music, usually with my partner and often with a book and a glass of wine in hand. Surprisingly, music at home is not as life-enriching as it once was.

 

Cheers,

91.

[ijproductions]

Cameron from maxmedia has been very good to me as well with my iDSD that had had issues as well, fixes it for me on the spot when he gets a new circuit board in.

 

I want to buy a DP-777 from him but we just bought a house so no more big purchases for a while [emoji20]

[91derlust]

One week to collect, repair, and return my DP-777SE. No charge. I reckon that is excellent service... just what I have come to expect from Cameron.

 

Really glad to have the AMR back in house; lovely DAC.

 

Cheers,

91.

[astrostar59]

I have a barely used DP-777 sat waiting for my KGSShv Carbon amp to a arrive. I can't wait to hear it.

 

Any idea what the situation is with the iFI valve adapter set? Does that fit both the SE and non SE DP-777?

 

Wondering if I should have a spare set of valves as the originals or the new changed pin adapter and 6922s.

[geekuix]

I sell my DP-777 SE if someone interested. PM me

[amir57bs]

we tested DP-777 usb input.

sound is not good. if you put berkeley alpha usb between MACbook and AMR the sound is OK.

it seems just usb dacs who use gordon rankin codes sound good.

[astrostar59]

we tested DP-777 usb input.

sound is not good. if you put berkeley alpha usb between MACbook and AMR the sound is OK.

it seems just usb dacs who use gordon rankin codes sound good.

 

I would try USB to SPDIF fed into the valve BNC input. Now THAT does sound magical.

 

I had great success with the M2Tech EVO USB in to BNC out to AMR. The valve in the AMR SPDIF input works it's magic, try it!

[amir57bs]

I would try USB to SPDIF fed into the valve BNC input. Now THAT does sound magical.

 

I had great success with the M2Tech EVO USB in to BNC out to AMR. The valve in the AMR SPDIF input works it's magic, try it!

 

 

 

 

 

I think BNC true 75 ohm coax is far better than AES/EBU XLR and I think best result come from using Berkeley USB to SPDIF.

AMR is good but just with BNC input.

[astrostar59]

I think BNC true 75 ohm coax is far better than AES/EBU XLR and I think best result come from using Berkeley USB to SPDIF.

AMR is good but just with BNC input.

 

The fact the AMR has the tube correction circuit in the SPDIF input is important here.

 

However, having recently bought a RedNet 3 for AOIP I have realised USB is not the better input. I would strongly suggest you try the Rednet, it blows any USB fixer, gadget or reclocker whatever, pout of the water. USB is harsh, course and crude by comparison. I have also heard many other USB fixers inc the Uptone regen, Offramp 5, dCS SPDIF. They don't fix USB to the level getting audio out over ethernet does.

[amir57bs]

The fact the AMR has the tube correction circuit in the SPDIF input is important here.

 

However, having recently bought a RedNet 3 for AOIP I have realised USB is not the better input. I would strongly suggest you try the Rednet, it blows any USB fixer, gadget or reclocker whatever, pout of the water. USB is harsh, course and crude by comparison. I have also heard many other USB fixers inc the Uptone regen, Offramp 5, dCS SPDIF. They don't fix USB to the level getting audio out over ethernet does.

 

 

i have iUSB 3.0 but i kills the sound.

my setup is:

MACBook Pro 2014 -> Curious USB Cable 1.5m -> Berkeley Alpha USB to SPDIF -> DAC

 

i read more about Rednet

[booaaaa777]

I would try USB to SPDIF fed into the valve BNC input. Now THAT does sound magical.

 

I had great success with the M2Tech EVO USB in to BNC out to AMR. The valve in the AMR SPDIF input works it's magic, try it!

 

Followed your advise and it sure does sound different. It's amazing..thanks

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

[steven whitton]

It is with great sadness that I am selling my DP-777se she is running beautifully since problems with volume control chip was fixed,repair was beginning of year so can safely say this unit should not cause any problems and in first class condition,sounds truly amazing,I have parted with all my HiFi stuff and only my Wilson Benesch Trinity speakers in premium Finnish and Dac left,I moved home and unfortunately I have a nabour from hell who makes my life miserable when I play music,give me a shout if interested in great deal thanks

[91derlust]

Hi Steven - sorry to hear that your neighbour is giving you grief. The SE really is a very nice DAC - I am listening via SPDIF from an Antipodes DX gen-2; lovely! Also, no issues with volume since the second fix - they got it fixed this time.

 

This may already be known, but I have received confirmation from AMR that the USB input is not guaranteed to support Linux. It appears their input is not UAC2 compatible. AMR develops their own input firmware and drivers for OSX/Windows and Linux is left out of the development. This despite being told by AMR in the past they the input is UAC2 compatible and certainly their website suggests it.

 

Thankfully, the SE sounds wonderful via SPDIF.

[steven whitton]

Yes a beautiful sounding Dac I have never had any issues using USB on AMR and I had Auralic Aries streamer connected through USB without any issues which uses a Linux driver I am very surprised my AMR is still for sale I have had on EBay 3 times for a very reasonable price but only silly offers I sold everything else no problem and maybe people have lost faith in this Dac with problems that we had with volume even though there fixed now a google search will always suggest issues.

[91derlust]

I hope they have not lost faith - it really is a nice DAC. AMR did not handle the release well, reviews were sporadic, the issues with volume, no DSD support etc... They've made it tough on themselves. The SE has not garnered the hype that some competing products have.

 

I should clarify my post above - I can't edit it now: AMR does not develop their own OSX driver. I am still not clear on whether they are fully UAC2 compliant, but Linux - even if UAC2 compliant - is a mixed bag. My Aurender and Antipodes have not worked, but my Bryston BDP-2 did; the Antipodes is UAC2 compliant.

 

Best of luck with the sale - someone would be getting a very nice DAC!

 

Cheers,

91.

[steven whitton]

Thanks 91 yes it is a great opportunity for someone and I have lowered the price to £2500 I wish I could have found a deal like that when I started my journey and AMR are such a great company,yes I think they could have done a better job getting it out there for reviews and advertising especially when it is so good

[Liam]

Very sorry to read of your problem Steven. I don't know if you live in a house or apartment/flat, but it must be nigh impossible to enjoy music replay in those domestic dwellings converted to multi occupancy I see when watching TV. Would headphones be a consideration at all?

[steven whitton]

Hi Liam yes I moved to a new build which is a detached building of 4 cottages style flats basically a large building separate into 4 two bedrooms flats,although very nice and noise should not be to much of an issue but the woman downstairs as a drink problem and very unstable,she cornered me today to ask if I had a fan running at night as it was bothering her,I have a small portable fan I use in computer room when it gets to hot I can barely here it but she spotted it on window sill from outside and gave her something to complain about again, my neighbors have told me to just ignore her but it spoils my whole experience as she slams doors and windows and talks badly of me to who ever she can get to listen,when she's drunk she has an old radio blasting Gaelic music lol Headphones are an option I considered but to be honest I am going to move when I can afford too and start over again,I loved my Wilson Benesch Trinity speakers but there of to there new home in Australia now.

[Tomfox]

Hi,

are there any DP-777 (se) users considering switching to another DAC because of MQA?

[astrostar59]

I have the DP-777 and listen to MQA masters on Tidal as non processed in the DAC, i.e. as 96K. It sounds great. I have yet to hear a true MQA DAC, but TBH the current crop of MQA compliant DACs in my opinion are not great sounding DACs. The MQA element is part of the system, the DAC sound itself has to be really good to start with. For exam ample the Meridian DACs I have heard are not great but are MQA compliant.

 

The NOS R-2R architecture is where the sound is for me. To go MQA complaint I would then be going back to DS DACs or at least FPGA DACs with up sampling, something I want to avoid due to past experiences (negative).

 

The other thing is how much material becomes available. To date on Tidal only one big label has signed up, so there are few albums to far. It may go the way of SACHs and DSD, i.e. very niche and expensive.