Experience with AMR DP-777


Hi there, I'm fairly new to audiogon, but have been assembling high-end systems for about 15 years now. Recently bought an AMR DP-777 and swapped tubes and it killed my left channel the first time. I'm no stranger to swapping tubes (in DAC's and Preamps), so I was surprised this happened. I've read some other threads that this sort of stuff has been an issue with this DAC. Of course the DAC sounds, but I have two questions/points:

1) for those of you that have experience rolling tubes with this DAC, what is your procedure to make sure it does cause some any system failure with the unit?

2) second thing is I've sent the unit in for the SE upgrade and will be able to report back to you guys the difference/improvement in sound, as I know it's sonic signature very well
jsch123
I see where this can become a major issue and AMR need to careful not to let issue go on much longer or they definitely will lose market share!
I have owned my DP777 since about the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011 and I have NEVER had a problem with it EXCEPT of my own doing. I rolled tubes with it in standby mode and did NOT actually power the unit down. Being an Elec Eng, one would think I should have known better. This took out the left channel. I spoke to Darren and admitted that this was my fault. He took speedy care of it and I got it back (but it was my mistake and therefore I had to pay). I suspect some of these people are not telling the whole truth when it comes to their stories.

I have since received the SE upgrade and it is still the best dac I have owned/ heard including the Ayon CD5S, PS Audio dac and PerfectWave Dac (1) and Direct Stream, Super Bidat, MSB Power Dac, Metrum Octave DCS Vivaldi (this unit did not have external clocks). In the case of the Vivaldi even the owner thought the AMR was better by 2 percent and I agree (this was the pre SE DP777). The Berkely series 1 got beat in a shoot out by the iFi iDac so no need to compare it directly to the AMR as it handily dispatches the iDac (though that unit sounds great and I love my micro iDac at the office). I have not listed all that I have owned or been privy to, that list is to extensive.

My DP777 SE does well against my TT's. No, it is not as "real" sounding as my SP10 Mk3 with Kuzma 4 Point and MC Anna, but neither is it embarrassed.

It is very close to my newly acquired Technics SL1200 GAE with a Denon 103R.

I literally stopped looking at dads because the thing sounds so much like good vinyl. 

I have been toying with adding a CEC TL0 3 to the rack but the price.., OUCH!!! I currently use a Mac mini which I am about to open and configure for the regulated linear power supply I designed for the unit.

I just wanted to chime in as I have found Darren to truly be one of the good guys out there. I do know that he has been burned before by AMR prematurely announcing a release date then having to delay do to additional features being added or other issues. I for one would rather wait that have some product rushed out the door with known issues, that has happened to me before and it is not pleasant.


Note, I am not referring to the relay/IC chip overheating if the unit does not have enough airflow when I wrote: "I suspect some of these people are not telling the whole..,". 

I was responding to pleople who claim just rolling tubes will take a channel out. I suspect some of these people have done exactly what I did and tried to change them with unit powered up but in standby mode. A big No No as I learned the costly way.