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Audio-GD NFB-11

Jul 25, 2011 at 1:53 PM Post #931 of 987
So it seems either who ever bought the NFB-11 works flawlessly or its collecting dust!! (Totally a dead thread) :D
 
Anyways i am happy owner of NFB-11(no i am not a audiophile,just love what i hear) and recently was planning to sell my desktop computer and get a laptop... So to my question , is there any option to source the NFB-11 other than using M2tech Hiface from the laptop? 
 
 
 
Jul 25, 2011 at 4:04 PM Post #932 of 987
There are few laptop to NFB-11 (and the like) options...
 
  1. some laptops do have SPDIF/optical out
  2. some laptop port replicators/docking stations have SPDIF/optical output options
 
...but still best (and usually on the expensive side) option is in the form of dedicated USB to SPDIF converter (hiFace, audiophilleo, Musiland Monitor, A-GD digital interface...)
 
Jul 26, 2011 at 4:24 PM Post #933 of 987
How does the TC Konnekt stack up against the NBF11 as a converter. I just bough a Konnekt 6 for fun  and I am in shocked how good it is. 
 
Quote:
rlawli said:
FYI:
 
The NFB-11 syncs well @ 176.4k and 192k using a TC Konnekt 24D firewire d/a, a/d, d/d audio interface:
 
Foobar2000 -> TC native Win7 32 bit ASIO driver --> TI based pci 1394a firewire card -> standard FW cable -> Konnekt FW port -> Konnekt S/PDIF out -> Canare LV77S 75 ohm digital cable -> either the NFB-11 BNC or RCA inputs. 
 
(Device drivers for Win7 64 bit and Mac OSX are available but I haven't tried them.)
 
Essentially, I'm only using TC audio interface as a PC to s/pdif passthrough device, turning off its other I/O ports and bypassing the mixer. This does have the merit of locating the "sound card" outside the PC. Also, the Konnekt (which is built like a tank) uses the TC DICE II I/O engine and JET PLL jitter elimination technologies. This chipset is used in a number of other current professional DAWs and digital interfaces, including the Weiss INT202 & 203. Although the bad news is TC is getting out of this end of the music business, I expect there soon will be a lot of this kind of TC equipment for sale cheap. Since they are still in it at the semiconductor and other professional production equipment end, they will need to maintain the firmware and device drivers for the i/o and jet technology.
 
How does it sound? Pretty good: no dropouts, low latency, the silences are dead quiet, no noise, no digital dross; and what I do hear is the cleanest and most neutral sound I've yet to hear through the NFB-11. Of course, I don't have an Audio-gd DI to compare it against.
 
Click to expand...



 
 
Jul 28, 2011 at 10:13 AM Post #934 of 987
I have played my NFB-11 for some months now, and have not really visited this thread anymore.
My setup is Macbook pro => NFB-11 (with USB) => Tangent amp 30 => Q-acoustics 1020i.
I used it at first via USB. but sometimes when touching my laptop ( i rarely do as I have wireless keyboard and mouse )
the sound would become all scratchy and it would return to normal after 20 seconds or so.
As of yesterday I switched to optical input from my mac. works fine I guess.
 
I have a question though I've seen that there is a clock update available. 
I have the version with the riser board usb input fix. The clock reads CX0862  80.00M KSS7K2H Japan.
Will it offer an improvement if I upgrade to the TCXO clock.
And if yes what will be the substantial improvement?
Did anyone here do this upgrade?
 
Sep 1, 2011 at 3:06 AM Post #935 of 987
Is the USB of the NFB11 that bad? I am thinking of getting a USB NFB11 being sold by one of our members and while I really want to try this DAC out, the USB issues have me worries, as I don't have a USB2SPDIF converter and my laptop has no optical. I will eventually use it with an i20 Transport (that has Coax/SPDIF) but I still will want to use it with my laptop every now and then via USB.
 
Sep 1, 2011 at 12:31 PM Post #937 of 987
 
 
Quote:
mochan said:
Is the USB of the NFB11 that bad? I am thinking of getting a USB NFB11 being sold by one of our members and while I really want to try this DAC out, the USB issues have me worries, as I don't have a USB2SPDIF converter and my laptop has no optical. I will eventually use it with an i20 Transport (that has Coax/SPDIF) but I still will want to use it with my laptop every now and then via USB.
Click to expand...


Not sure about the usb for the nfd-11 but the nfd-12 works great. Check out the specs for your laptop, it seems like most of the more recent laptop has spdif hidden in one of the headphone jacks.
 

Quote:
pelpix said:
Why is it no longer on audio-gd's main page but the link still works?
Click to expand...

 
NFD-11 has been discontinued
 
 
 
Dec 13, 2011 at 6:54 AM Post #938 of 987


Quote:
mochan said:
Is the USB of the NFB11 that bad? I am thinking of getting a USB NFB11 being sold by one of our members and while I really want to try this DAC out, the USB issues have me worries, as I don't have a USB2SPDIF converter and my laptop has no optical. I will eventually use it with an i20 Transport (that has Coax/SPDIF) but I still will want to use it with my laptop every now and then via USB.
Click to expand...



I just got this DAC/Amp from Currawong and have to say, I can't see why people had an issue, there is a huge difference from my on board audio card (which is OK but it can't do 24/96). I don't know how to put it, but everything seems more spacious and clear. None of my headphones need an amp per say, but my TMA-1s certainly benefit from it (though it could be the DAC making the difference). And when I use it with my HJE900s, which really don't need amping, the DAC makes a difference.
 
I'm currently using it between my computer and my TV (both the USB and optical are connected). I'll be testing it out soon on a bluray movie. And hopefully I'll have some money for headphones that will make full use of the NFB-11 soon. 
 
I want to do some reviews when I have time. But really, this is a great DAC/amp combo. I can't imagine the NFB-12 being any better. Perhaps I can go to the next meet and someone will bring an NFB-12 and I can do side by side testing. 
 
Dec 18, 2011 at 6:56 PM Post #939 of 987

 
Quote:
kyuuketsuki said:
I just got this DAC/Amp from Currawong and have to say, I can't see why people had an issue, there is a huge difference from my on board audio card (which is OK but it can't do 24/96). I don't know how to put it, but everything seems more spacious and clear. None of my headphones need an amp per say, but my TMA-1s certainly benefit from it (though it could be the DAC making the difference). And when I use it with my HJE900s, which really don't need amping, the DAC makes a difference.
 
I'm currently using it between my computer and my TV (both the USB and optical are connected). I'll be testing it out soon on a bluray movie. And hopefully I'll have some money for headphones that will make full use of the NFB-11 soon. 
 
I want to do some reviews when I have time. But really, this is a great DAC/amp combo. I can't imagine the NFB-12 being any better. Perhaps I can go to the next meet and someone will bring an NFB-12 and I can do side by side testing. 
Click to expand...



The NFB-11 works perfectly also with me.
 
Dec 21, 2011 at 5:32 AM Post #941 of 987


Quote:
reiserfs said:
Whoever wants to grab a new NFB-11 or NFB-7 for christmas: Kingwa got in 50 pieces of ES9018.
Click to expand...



Whoever wants to grab a mint NFB-11, I'm selling mine for financing a German-made amp 
biggrin.gif

 
Dec 21, 2011 at 8:25 AM Post #942 of 987


Quote:
reiserfs said:
Whoever wants to grab a new NFB-11 or NFB-7 for christmas: Kingwa got in 50 pieces of ES9018.
Click to expand...



Its good to see that he's bringing it back. I love mine. I'm sad that it was discontinued, because this is my first amp and the first one that I can legitimately recommend based on first hand experience. I've demoed a few others, but not extensively enough to be able to recommend them confidently.
 
I really do love this amp. I'm happy that I got in contact with Currawong on the FS forums. I can't wait to get headphones that can really make use of it. The TMA's benefit from it though, and its odd because before I needed to EQ it, but for most purposes now, it doesn't feel like I need to as much. I still give the TMA's a slight boost in treble, but not too much for music. For movies, and TV and the like I don't really need to. I haven't fully tested it with my A700s, but I shall. I tested it with my TMA-1s because of the diverging opinions of the effects of amping them. There is one thing for sure, those drivers can take the extra power and go as loud as you can make them go without distortion. 
 
Jan 17, 2012 at 9:02 PM Post #945 of 987
I have just order an NFB-11. I agonized over the NFB11 or 12 decision, but decided as my system and cans (HD600s) are on the smooth side, the extra detail and faithful, rather than sewwt, signature would suit best. I'll post my thoughs when I get it. Might be a while as the out on my quote it would ship after the Chinese New Year.
 
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