Audio Alchemy DDP-1... anyone?

I just bought an Audio Alchemy DDP-1 to use as an external sound card / USB DAC at my Windows 7 decktop. I’m dying to hear it but I can’t install the driver. Has anyone tried to install the driver??

Instructions are to go to www.audioalchemy.com, download the driver’s zipped file, unzip, choose the appropriate file for your OS, in my case Windows 7, then right click on a particular file, which I do. Then I am supposed to be presented with a choice to INSTALL. But instead it opens the file and all I see is program code. Support won’t return until Monday. Darn...... I hate to be stuck and unable to figure out how to go on.

Otherwise, just wondering....how  are you all planning to use it, merely as a DAC?  How does the Preamp add to the product’s utility?

I sold my Wadia during 2016 i think it was.
I had the standard 381, so i thought i did not want to wait until the mechanism needed service or such. It was not the i-version.
For Wadia, i had really urged for the Di322.
I was told Exogal, does not sound at all similar to Wadia.
So this Comet dac is not of interest  to me.

AA DDP1 seems nice, but so does SPL Director and Mytek Brooklyn.
I have no idea which of these i would prefer.
Ofcourse it's nice you can upgrade AA with the external power. But i also feel it had been nice if this was along in the machine from scratch.
SPL is the only ones having something special in their approach.

I would like a unit that has good PRAT and punch.
Not overly polite or boring.
Sadly to difficult to arrange a demo at home with these units.







 

If you're just listening to CD's, keep the Wadia, it has more going for it. If you can get the AA to demo in your system and you like it better, then fine, if you like it better based on a fair comparison, buy it. Unless you do a direct comparison, I wouldn't even consider it. 

Why not send the Wadia out for the statement upgrade?

I am also interested in the Audio Alchemy DDP-1 DAC.  Based on my understanding, for maximum performance, I would also have to buy the Audio Alchemy PS-5 upgraded power supply that is available for $595.  I was told that the DDP-1 is completely balanced from the DAC chip to XLR jack including a 4-gang Alps potentiometer (one deck per phase per channel).  The unit runs warm, but not hot.   As noted above, I hope that someone adds their comments to this post.

Funny, I just posted a request of info on this same DAC over at Audio Asylum and then headed over here to do the same. Glad you got there first. Like you I find this unit really interesting. The idea of combining DAC and analog pre in the same box, if done well, is good idea to me. Let’s hope someone pipes in. There are a couple of reviews and they are good so far. The Wadia unit you have right now is probably very good, I wonder if the AA DDP-1 can best it?