Buy DD1 or DD+?
Giulio Soria
Member
Hello everyone,
sorry for my bad English.
I have a cls dd 8nm and I would like to buy a more powerful base.
Given the same price what do you recommend dd1 or dd+?
I specify that I am not interested in compatibility with playstation I only play on pc.
Thanks to anyone who can advise me on their experience.
Comments
I have both a Podium DD1 and a ClubSport DD, which is functionality the same as the CS DD+. I only play on PC.
You said your not interested in compatibility, however I'm talking about compatibility with all the older wheels and newer parts such as Podium Button Module Endurance/Rally, Podium Advanced Shifter Modules, etc.
Hands down the DD1 works with EVERYTHING.
The CS DD has many compatibility issues to the point I just put it back in the box. Hopefully future firmware/software will change this.
Thanks for your reply.
Apart from compatibility, what do you recommend? :)
Which one is better in your opinion? :)
I like both bases. Was fortunate enough not to get a faulty or squealing CS DD. Never had a problem with the DD1.
If you want to play NOW, the DD1. It's a mature, older design.
Or WAIT for firmware/software to bring the CS DD+ up to full compatibility. Even Full Force is useless until game developers incorporate into their games. That will take time. I do like the compact, fanless design.
In terms of strength, do you feel the 5nm less on the cl dd+? Or is it almost indifferent? For size I would opt for the dd+ but for strength level I am more for the dd1 I am very undecided.
In addition, reading I see that many say that the dd+ has more detail, what does it seem to you?
I don't like arm wrestling my steering wheel, so I just let games set the FFB level. Probably under 10Nm in most cases. So I guess you could say I'm indifferent on the feel of each wheel base. If blindfolded, probably could not tell one base from another.
There are a few others here with both bases who might chime in and help you decide.
This is a topic I debate with myself frequently. I bought a PS DD1 secondhand prior to the CS DD+ release. I did end up buying a DD+ not too long after, because my DD1 died (PCB issue). I sent it in to have repaired ($500) and got it back in time for me to send my DD+ in for warranty replacement (internal clunking, indicating a mechanical failure of the shaft). They both work perfectly now, and once I got the DD+ sorted out again, I swapped them back out.
In the past ~15 months, I’ve played with the DD1 about 6 months, the DD+ for 6 months, and a CSL DD Pro (8nm) for 3 months. I slightly prefer the feedback quality of the DD+, but I spent a lot of time mailing it back and forth. If I hadn’t tried the DD1, I’d be perfectly satisfied with the DD+ (aside from above issues). Likewise though, if I hadn’t tried the DD+, I’d have lived content with the DD1 (again, note the downtime).
Overall, I do think I’d slightly recommend the DD+, but only because I have an aversion to buying prior gen tech. There are firmware issues with both the DD+ and DD1 above 455, (haven’t tried 465? yet though), so that’s not something I’d use to make a decision. The steady holding torque of the DD+ feels more natural to me than the spike and trail off of the DD1, but you will get used to either and ultimately not give it a second thought. I’m a fan of the LCD on the DD1 and wish the DD+ had this (I often used this to compliment or replace wheel LCDs depending on the application), but this isn’t a make or break feature.
The lower weight and overall mechanical design of the DD+ is definitely superior in my mind and all the fans involved with the DD1 certainly get annoying and provide additional failure points, but we don’t know much about long term DD+ failure rates and issues (though there have definitely been initial quality issues as noted above).
My last comparison point is that maximum supportability will pay off better for you long term and during resale. You don’t really know what will happen in 3-4 years with your preferences and game availability, but not having PS support will close off a large secondhand market for you and you will face both longer and lower yield sales outlook. DD2 units sell for essentially the same amount as PS DD1s and much more than regular DD1s. DD units sell for far less than DD+, essentially equivalent to a CSL DD Pro 8nm kit.
Ultimately, there is just a ton of overlap here between the “top of the line” prior gen and the “middle of the road” current gen. Actual “replacement” of the Podium bases will likely occur before the CS bases and will definitely devalue resale of both the DD# and DD/+ series, but not by an equal amount. The bigger impact though will be things like firmware and ongoing support. New titles and hardware will trend in the direction of the new hardware and the old will begin falling behind quickly. That may be 2-3 years off or 5+, we don’t really know when, but experience shows that it will at some point. Or, this venture will fade and we’ll be talking on forums from other manufacturers (which would be a shame for all of us).
My final non-answer is that I plan to keep both for now, because I endlessly debate myself. So I guess my advice is what do you want to gamble on? Staying with the CSL is the only way to truly alleviate the risk.