In Barn for Follow-Up: Imersiv UTB - Universal Transformer Interface

I reviewed the shockingly good Imersiv D-1 DAC back in March and had this to say:

Every time I sat to listen over the course of two months the D-1 DAC’s level of sheer magic was addicting for its ability to reproduce music with a level of clarity and transparency I’ve not heard done better with the vibrant beating heart of the musical matter on full display. Bravo!

I’ve been living with and listening through the Imersiv DAC since March (review) and my impressions hold strong–the D-1 offers a level of transparency and body I’ve not heard bettered in another stand alone DAC. Bravo²!

For those people wondering/worried that the D-1 may be too transparent or too revealing for their system/taste, I will point out that I spent 6+ years reviewing nothing but digital so I’ve lived with dozens of DACs, I’ve been living with the R2R-based totaldacs for more than a decade and currently own their D-1 unity (review), I enjoy and own tube amplifiers and high(er) efficiency speakers, I love listening to records and 78s, and have had the Imersiv DAC paired with eight different amplifiers and four different speakers and it has never been anything but completely engaging. To put a finer on it, the D-1 DAC has never sounded too transparent or too revealing.

The only issue I have with the D-1 DAC is many an integrated amplifer that comes through for review only offer RCA inputs which is also the case with the Barn-resident Leben CS600x and this is an issue because Imersiv very clearly states:

Published specifications are achieved at the differential-balanced 3-pin XLR outputs. The XLR outputs must be terminated with a true differential- balanced 3-pin receiver (power amp, ideally). The RCA unbalanced outputs are not performance-specified.

…the unbalanced RCA-phono outputs exhibit reduced performance relative to the differential-balanced XLR outputs

Not to worry—this is where Imersiv’s UTB (Universal Transformer Interface) comes in. Once again from Imersiv:

To achieve 168dB performance, the diff-bal HDR-A XLR outputs must be used. If the audio device downstream of the D-1 DAC has only RCA (unbal) inputs, the UTB Universal Transformer box will properly convert the D-1’s diff-bal XLR signals to an unbal RCA format while preserving full HDR-A dynamic range performance. UTB employs Lundahl transformers, Neutrik RCA connectors, and Mogami OFC internal wiring.

Which brings us up-to-date other than to point out that I’ve used the D-1’s RCA outputs with a few integrated amps and still heard its wonderful way with music raising The Big Question—will the UTB make music coming out of the Imersiv DAC’s RCA outputs sound even better?