Bumping this thread since I haven't been able to find much on the DDP-2.
I started back into 2ch at the start of SIP (needed a new hobby) and initially tried out the NAD C658. Nice unit despite all the critical stuff online about it. Sounds great; does a lot; software is very good. Of course, in this hobby, many of us chase the dragon for better, clearer, etc. I demo'd a bunch of different equipment including the DDP-2 and was really impressed. It sounds amazing for the price and is a clear improvement over the NAD with and without Dirac. No matter what amp i paired it with, it sang - of course some better than others. I tried the DPA-2 and I think either something was wrong with it or i had it hooked up wrong because it did not sound great. Will have to try again. The amp pairing I liked best was the Benchmark AHB2. Amazing amounts of clarity, depth and zero fatigue played at any volume for hours. In a perfect world, it would be 2x Benchmarks bridged but can't justify the $$ for a little extra mid bass.
I would agree with many that it's not a great streamer in the traditional sense. Doesn't have the flexibility of the NAD by any stretch. My primary streaming use is Roon which combines 17K+ files with Tidal. With Roon it's great. Only slight is the lack of full MQA decoding which Elac customer support tells me is likely a couple of months away via firmware.
Highly recommend this unit especially if you can find one used.
I started back into 2ch at the start of SIP (needed a new hobby) and initially tried out the NAD C658. Nice unit despite all the critical stuff online about it. Sounds great; does a lot; software is very good. Of course, in this hobby, many of us chase the dragon for better, clearer, etc. I demo'd a bunch of different equipment including the DDP-2 and was really impressed. It sounds amazing for the price and is a clear improvement over the NAD with and without Dirac. No matter what amp i paired it with, it sang - of course some better than others. I tried the DPA-2 and I think either something was wrong with it or i had it hooked up wrong because it did not sound great. Will have to try again. The amp pairing I liked best was the Benchmark AHB2. Amazing amounts of clarity, depth and zero fatigue played at any volume for hours. In a perfect world, it would be 2x Benchmarks bridged but can't justify the $$ for a little extra mid bass.
I would agree with many that it's not a great streamer in the traditional sense. Doesn't have the flexibility of the NAD by any stretch. My primary streaming use is Roon which combines 17K+ files with Tidal. With Roon it's great. Only slight is the lack of full MQA decoding which Elac customer support tells me is likely a couple of months away via firmware.
Highly recommend this unit especially if you can find one used.