New Luxman DA-06 doesnt sound so great. Will it get better?

After living with a D10x for a over a year and also auditioning some other Luxman products, the only positive thing i can say about Luxman as a brand is that their products look very nice. Sound quality wise, they are consistently underwhelming and quality control is not consistent. That D10x despite all its heft did not sound as good as a Topping D90. I currently now use a Holo May and it absolutely runs circles around the Luxman D10x. If you don’t mind the ESS sound signature, there are far superior and dramatically cheaper options to any of the Luxman DACs.

It continually surprises me how much difference of opinion people can have over same pieces of audio equipment.   I have had a number of DACs.   One of them I still have is the Luxman DA-06.   It has not been active in my chain for some time, but was pulled to try some others, PS Audio DirectStream (still have), Vinnie Rossi DAC in L2 Signature pre-amp (sold), Lumin X1 (still have), and Mola Mola DAC in my Makua pre-amp.  The DA-06 does not have an ethernet connection and relies on separate server and streamer device(s) for streaming.   It was primarily marketed as a USB DAC, for the higher resolution files, but also has coax, optical S/PDIF, and AES/EBU.   Limitations I previously experienced with the DA-06 had very much to do with the source(s) feeding it, which have evolved considerably for me.    Similarly, I went through various source changes with the DirectStream.   The best sound quality I have experienced with it has been I2S from Antipodes K50.  I have yet to try the DA-06 with the K50, but intend to do so, with USB and AES/EBU.  I also have changed USB cabling since it was last in my rack as well as AES/EBU cabling, and had not tested that digital input with the DA-06.   I anticipate I will continue to prefer my X1 and Mola Mola over the DA-06, but neither do I anticipate it will sound "terrible".  I tend to evaluate these things more on preference for certain sound quality characteristics that exhibit in my system as differences.   I also have been much better on allowing equipment pieces, including cabling, to settle in to better evaluate sound quality than I have done in the past.  The X1 took considerable hours for me, and suggest at least 200 hours, but more like 400 hours for critical evaluation.   My K50 has seemed to me to improve over many months of playing.  I intend to allow the DA-06 to get at least a 100 hours on it again, since it has been quite some time since I have had it in the chain.

@arize84, your comments on the D10x are probably the most negative I have read on it.   I have read some who have preferred newer Esoteric CD/SACD players and    DAC's as well as others, but also have read highly enthusiastic owner reviews as well.   Out of curiosity, did you get yours directly from Japan and needed to make power modifications, or was it purchased factory configured for your local power requirements?   In any case, sorry to read it did not work out for you--not an inexpensive piece.   

@azwill I bought my unit from an authorized dealer in the US. My source (Aurender A10) is definitely a weakness. The A10 is one of Aurender's earlier units and its USB out is relatively not great (A10 was designed more as a DAC than streamer for outboard DAC). However, I have a DDC that in the chain that cleans up signal before going to DAC. I have used the following DACs while/since owning the D10x (Topping D90, Gustard x26, Holo Audio May, Lumin D2, T+A DAC 200); I would choose any of those DACs over the Luxman. Similar to your experience, I2S has been the best connection in my experience (a connection the D10x lacks). The USB input on the D10x is not very good either; its coaxial input has a much better sound but can't accept DSD signal. 

Newer DACs like the Holo May and T+A 200, do such a good job cleaning up incoming USB signals that a DDC is redundant with those units. The T+A is the most revealing DAC I have ever heard in my system; On one of my favorite jazz albums (Woody Shaw – In my own sweet way), I was able to pick up the minute vibrations and not just shimmer of the hi hats (I have never experienced that level of inner detail from a DAC or turntable). The DAC 200 also outpaced my Holo May with respect to bass and dynamics. It was almost shocking what that little box could deliver.
 
I decided not to keep the Total DAC and continue with the Holo May, because I could still pick up just a touch of that typical Delta Sigma sound signature (hints of glassiness and coldness that affects musicality). The T+A let me know what more was possible as you move up the ladder, something I never got from the much pricier D10x.

@arize84,

I am really surprised, as this in the first time (at least for me) that any one has said anything negative about the Luxman D10X. What changed in the past year? Last year you mentioned that the D10X sounds as good as $20k DACs. Any other changes in the system? If user "almarg" was around he would have identified a technical mismatch that might have have happened in your system due to component changes.

Since this tread is active again I will drop my thoughts.

DA-06 build quality is good but I was disappointed when I disassembled it many years ago and found a major part of the weight was due to a steel plate being mounted to the cover.

The PCM1792a dac chip is a hybrid design which is part r2r and delta-sigma. This was BurrBrown / TI’s attempt to produce a low cost to manufacturer chip than the PCM1704 r2r chip which to this day is still one of the top best sounding dac chips ever made for PCM. It was an expensive chip to make. I wish I would have known this way back then as I wouldnt have purchased thr DA-06 and would have gotten another implementation of a pcm1704 dac.  Even flagship dacs from ESS and AKM do not sound as good with this 30 year old PCM1704 chip for pcm. I think the $45k Trinity dac uses 8 of these chips.

I have multiple dacs that I have acquired over the years and here are some of my favs:

Holo Audio May KTE: I picked this up very recently for my main system and the other poster is correct. This dac runs circles around the Luxman DA-06. The DA-06 isnt even in the same league. The Holo May is probably my end dac because it is that good.  If you are looking for another dac, it ahould be on your list and if you are debating whether to get it or not, just get it. 

LiteDac 60 heavily modified by me and uses PCM1704 x2 dac chips. This one isnt as resolving as the May KTE but it has a better sound stage and instrument seperation. It also sounds more musical than the May. This is due to a battery powered Crystek clock mod and has tube out. I have about $900 invested in it and I would confidently let it compete with $10k dacs. Easily. This one is going to the grave with me.

Technics SL-g700. This sounds better than the DA-06 with a much bigger sound stage. More 3d sounding. It has more heft and body to the sound. It also is a sacd player and a streamer. Its a solid purchase and is in my bedroom system.

I always thought my DA-06 had something wrong with it but there was nothing wrong. It is at the limits of the PCM1792a chip. It is a good, probably one of the best implementations of that chip but it is bested by other dacs with different chips and also by discrete dacs.

I also have a couple of daps that sound better than the DA-06 from Cowon and A&K not to mention a RME all based on AKM chips.  The RME is used for digitizing vinly to DSD256.  The dsd files I create puts all pcm to shame.  My coworkers tell me they havent heard better sound ever when I demoed some select recordings I made from early 80s vinyl. 

The Luxman just is sitting there. I dont use it. It needs to be sold but Im lazy and also dont want to take on the burden if any issues arise in the sale.