Does the LED Come on and then go off after 8 hours?
- It doesn't work anymore.
 
Do you have the headphones plugged in all the way?
- Yes
 
Does it still work when the LED goes off?
- The led doesn't light up anymore no matter what I do.
 
Opened that cover and tried to feel the temp of the internal power supply. Temperature would be similar to the temps on the driver tubes of the Littledot MKII that I used to have. Maybe around 70-90C.
Tried some UETF10 in low gain, imbalance is barely noticeable.Could be my ears.

Quote:

dinkoy said:

Does the LED Come on and then go off after 8 hours?
- It doesn't work anymore.
 
Do you have the headphones plugged in all the way?
- Yes
 
Does it still work when the LED goes off?
- The led doesn't light up anymore no matter what I do.
 
Opened that cover and tried to feel the temp of the internal power supply. Temperature would be similar to the temps on the driver tubes of the Littledot MKII that I used to have. Maybe around 70-90C.
Tried some UETF10 in low gain, imbalance is barely noticeable.Could be my ears.

Click to expand...

I don't mind helping, but you HAVE to answer all the questions.  Please read the questions carefully, you didn't the first time.  Then quote my question post, and answer ALL the questions.  
 
Or not, whatever you want...

Kingwa is quick.
 
 
Watch this: NFB-11 Non-USB for USD260
 
 
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB11.1/NFB11.1EN.htm
 
/Jan

Quote:

jamo said:

Kingwa is quick.
 
 
Watch this: NFB-11 Non-USB for USD260
 
 
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB11.1/NFB11.1EN.htm
 
/Jan

Click to expand...

 
Seems a sensible move. If USB is causing troubles, just remove it! He can now still earn back something from the development cost that went into the design of the Sabre DAC platform.
I decided to go the Wolfson route and ordered an NFB-2. But the exotic specs of the ESS9018 keep on tempting me .
 
 

I really like the second "USB" BNC input!
 
 
 

Perfect fit for the Digital Interface. I can see this combo becoming really popular.
 
Just ordered an NFB-11!
 
EDIT: I wonder if Kingwa still has the Vishay resistors as an upgrade? Some of his other gear uses them, so I´ll ask...

 
I just got my NFB-11, and she's a Beauty! Very nice brushed alu panels, web pics don't convey it's Quality build.
 
I replaced the stock power-cord with an old one from a good PC powersupply, a little thicker, heavier, and looking into the female end, it has more copper... so a Free upgrade..
 
OOTB it sounds amazing!, instrument seperation, placement, layering, the soundstage is just sooo coherent. With my Radius DDM's on, I'm just drawn-in and transfixed within the whole presentation.
Songs that I usually skip over, they sound so good now... I end-up finding myself enjoying them half way through listening to them. haha 
 
USB sounds superb, King Wa did a fantastic job with it.  Does anyone else with a USB enabled ESS9018 find that the Audio sounds fuller @16/44 and kind of compressed? @24/96... or is it just me?
 
My Beyer DT990/600's I think have an issue... but are amped very well with the NFB-11, and sound Great as well.
 
I almost changed my order a few times for a Wolfson DAC unit like the NFB-12, because of how it is a WARNING about the NFB-11's Uncompromising Clarity, I think it is almost understood as a DEFECT in English. The NFB-11's ESS9018 should be CELEBRATED for it's enormous capabilities, and in NO-WAY have any MP3's (even live @192kb) sound Bad. They sound even Better! Definately Not Worse!   I think King Wa should change the description to better reflect the NFB-11, since it has been re-introduced.  *end rant 
 
I love my NFB-11.  Thank you for realising this great DAC King Wa!
 

This does pair very well with my orthos. But power is just too much for iem in my experience. Makes the triplefi sound muddy.

@ vpsporb, -Thank You very much for impressions and nice pictures. It's was exactly what I have been waiting for.
 
I have also ordered one of these : )
 
 
/Jan

I believe the kind of music that would sound bad on es9018 dac's are very dynamically compressed music, not low bit-rate music. With my wm8741 sparrow, loudness war music is more tolerable than my neutral dacs. That is not to say that the wm8741 is undetailed, it does have good detail, just it seems to do some nice soundstaging and smoothness that takes the edge off loudness war albums.

Quote:

vpsporb said:

 
I just got my NFB-11, and she's a Beauty! Very nice brushed alu panels, web pics don't convey it's Quality build.
 
I replaced the stock power-cord with an old one from a good PC powersupply, a little thicker, heavier, and looking into the female end, it has more copper... so a Free upgrade..
 
OOTB it sounds amazing!, instrument seperation, placement, layering, the soundstage is just sooo coherent. With my Radius DDM's on, I'm just drawn-in and transfixed within the whole presentation.
Songs that I usually skip over, they sound so good now... I end-up finding myself enjoying them half way through listening to them. haha 
 
USB sounds superb, King Wa did a fantastic job with it.  Does anyone else with a USB enabled ESS9018 find that the Audio sounds fuller @16/44 and kind of compressed? @24/96... or is it just me?
 
My Beyer DT990/600's I think have an issue... but are amped very well with the NFB-11, and sound Great as well.
 
I almost changed my order a few times for a Wolfson DAC unit like the NFB-12, because of how it is a WARNING about the NFB-11's Uncompromising Clarity, I think it is almost understood as a DEFECT in English. The NFB-11's ESS9018 should be CELEBRATED for it's enormous capabilities, and in NO-WAY have any MP3's (even live @192kb) sound Bad. They sound even Better! Definately Not Worse!   I think King Wa should change the description to better reflect the NFB-11, since it has been re-introduced.  *end rant 
 
I love my NFB-11.  Thank you for realising this great DAC King Wa!
 

Click to expand...

I was hesitant about buying the NFB-11 because of what it says on the website as well. Based off what Audio-GD said you almost get the initial impression that lower resolution music would sound horrible but that's just not the case.  I was surprised how well lower bitrate music sounded with this unit.
 
Also since you find it good with your DDM's I'm very curious to try it with my IE8's.  It seems like the sound signature would be a perfect match for them.

 
@JaMo: You're welcome,  I'm sure when you get your NFB-11 it will give you much pleasure. It's a great DAC at a great Price.

 Quote:

haloxt said:

I believe the kind of music that would sound bad on es9018 dac's are very dynamically compressed music, not low bit-rate music. With my wm8741 sparrow, loudness war music is more tolerable than my neutral dacs. That is not to say that the wm8741 is undetailed, it does have good detail, just it seems to do some nice soundstaging and smoothness that takes the edge off loudness war albums.

Click to expand...

 
The preference for a "smooth flavor" in a Quality DAC has always somewhat confused/es me.
Smooth ok, but what does it mean? and why is it "better" or "prefered" and Why do I want to BUY it?
The upgrading from basic IEMs and headphones to ever more expensive, detailed and better sounding ones, in steady increments. Is sound.
Same thing I thought for DACs, but all of the sudden there are mid/high end DACs used, but tuned for "Smoothness".... Eh?
 
I think I understand Kingwa's caution for "Too Revealing" in low quality recordings, but they are "bad" quality anyways.
The Low Quality tracks may not even be common in the types of music that you would listen to, or even have in your collection.
Like If you mostly listen to HQ-MP3/FLACS/CD's etc, wouldn't a smooth DAC also smooth-over some micro-details that Uncompressed music provided to you in the first place?
 
Listening to one Live, but poor recording, I can hear some increased Amplifier humming and pops that were more in the background noise before. However with the smoothing of a lower quality DAC or from "Tuning", I think noticable micro-detail is also smoothed-over and lost, like some ppl chatting in the bkgrnd, fainter distant crowd noises... etc.
 
As an aspiring Music Enthusiast, the increased micro-detail is much welcome with the NFB-11, even though it may reveal what little was masked over in "some" badly recorded music.
To me, it is part of the logical progression with ever more expensive but more capable Gears.
At one point though, it seems someone said Wait! there's Too much Detail! we need to Smoooth-it-out for EZ listening!
Isn't that the job of Head Gears though? shouldn't DACs aspire to ever greater resolution/detail etc? and leave the "tuning" to head-gears(headphones/iems) used to listen to the DACs with?
 
OY!
 
I took a Gamble on the NFB-11 hoping that I made the right choice, despite the "WARNING" that came with it, and had resisted the proffered "ANSWER" to that warning! i.e FUN,SparrowB,NFB12.
I made an amazingly right choice..... for ME.
 
sorry, it turned into 'nuther noob rant.  


 

@ Poetic:
I've never had the pleasure to audition the venerable IE8's   but if they are anything like my DDM's...
MY GOD... some tracks are so Holographic, I am totally immersed within a sonic soundscape, sooo joyful!  I thought I would feel Kascade's warm breath on my face... as she exhaled singing "I Remember"    really blowing my mind.
 
Hold onto your Hat.  

Quote:

vpsporb said:

@ Poetic:
I've never had the pleasure to audition the venerable IE8's   but if they are anything like my DDM's...
MY GOD... some tracks are so Holographic, I am totally immersed within a sonic soundscape, sooo joyful!  I thought I would feel Kascade's warm breath on my face... as she exhaled singing "I Remember"    really blowing my mind.
 
Hold onto your Hat.  

Click to expand...

I tried it last night and I can agree that it was a good match.  I can't say that I was blown out of the water as I listen to a pair of LA7000's on a daily basis though.  LOL and by the way man, I don't think you would want to feel kaskade's warm breath on your face unless you like it when men do that.. The singer's name is Haley Gibby =)
 
Also what position is your volume pot in for your DDM's? For me, 9 o'clock seems to give a good level of impact and volume. 

When you say low resolution, hw low are you talking abt? 192kbps or lower?

 
Quote:

poetik said:

I was hesitant about buying the NFB-11 because of what it says on the website as well. Based off what Audio-GD said you almost get the initial impression that lower resolution music would sound horrible but that's just not the case.  I was surprised how well lower bitrate music sounded with this unit.
 
Also since you find it good with your DDM's I'm very curious to try it with my IE8's.  It seems like the sound signature would be a perfect match for them.

Click to expand...