Anyone have experience with the new ELAC DDP-2?

Hi Chris,

I appreciate the response. While the methods you mentioned are possible, in my mind it kind of defeats the purpose of having a streaming DAC if I have to connect it to a computer.  If I’m doing that, I might as well do all of the streaming from a computer and get a DAC that doesn’t have the capabilities for it built in. I know it’s pretty much the standard these days, but i really wish products wouldn’t be released until they are fully baked and not with an asterisk beside certain advertised features.  I know that’s not always possible.  

 Apparently all the hifi developers are hardware guys who think software is just an after thought.   When my streamer locks up mid song and I not only have to shut it off but unplug it to clear the problem,  then it doesn't matter how good it sounds when it's playing,  my listening experience has been ruined.   It appears that Elac is trying to avoid some software problems by relying on other people's software.   Good luck.   Auralic states that they are giving up on Android software and only developing iPhone apps.  Good luck in kissing off half your market.   I have a suggestion,  farm out your software development to a company that specializes in that sort of thing. 

Completed the latest firmware update on the DDP-2.. Very simple process. 

Rick Allen,

I am curious about your final opinion and disposition of the DDP-2.

Thanks for prompting me. I ended up returning it. As a DAC and probably as a preamp it’s really really good. I was primarily interested in a streaming DAC and it does most of that, but too many of the features advertised weren’t fully baked so rather than hope they would be all that I would like, I decided I would risk going beyond the no return policy to find out.  

The DAC is really really good. I kind of wish they left streaming out of it and just made a really good DAC because it sounds great. The filters on it are arguably too subtle to differentiate, but there was some slight flavor difference between them. 

Didn’t get to try it as a pre amp since it was going straight into an Integrated amp, but the sound quality from the DAC section was very encouraging. 

Overall, I’m going to wait a bit and let them flesh out the software and try some different standalone streamers with a standalone DAC.  Probably going to try an R2R just to see what the fuss is about and thinking of the MHDT Orchid for that first.