Audio GD NFB- 7 Sabre32 ES9018 DAC Opinion & Reviews

Do a search in RE-7 thread. Macrog is the name.

With all due honesty he´s also the New Zealand Audio-gd reseller, so keep that in mind. This doesn´t mean he couldn´t be right though

On paper the difference between the two isn´t that big, and especially with the -10% promo price, I´m not suprised NFB-1 got most of the orders. They have the same chip, only major difference is in the power supply. Does it have a huge effect to warrant almost twice the price, maybe

Quote:

Originally Posted by vrln 

On paper the difference between the two isn´t that big, and especially with the -10% promo price, I´m not suprised NFB-1 got most of the orders. They have the same chip, only major difference is in the power supply. Does it have a huge effect to warrant almost twice the price, maybe

Absolutely...the PSU and it's quality are what makes or breaks any DAC (regardless of dac used). The NFB-7 will likely have the same differences in performance that the RE7/RE1 has (or had) over the RE5/DAC19 DSP (for example). That extra money (NFB-1 vs NFB-7) is money well spent (on the PSU) IMO.

Peete.

The problem is that as you went higher in the lineup of the reference series, you get the added benefit of more PCM1704K chips AND an increased PSU. The NFB series, on the other hand, only has the PSU benefit without the dac chip upgrade.

Furthermore, for the reference series - both of these upgrades may have assisted in the increased sound quality, but it is difficult to pinpoint which upgrade contributes the most. Even though the NFB7/REF7 has an upgraded PSU compared to the NFB1/REF5, its not like that latter is a slouch by any means.

I'm not presuming the NFB7 is not worth it over the NFB1, but I will not rule out anything until we get more impressions. Likely many others share the same sentiment and feel like the NFB1 is "safe" choice for the time being.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmac03 
I'm not presuming the NFB7 is not worth it over the NFB1, but I will not rule out anything until we get more impressions. Likely many others share the same sentiment and feel like the NFB1 is "safe" choice for the time being.

Kingwa is not the kind of person who would make a higher-end model that sells for more money if it did the same thing.  You can be sure the NFB-7 is a better performing unit than the NFB-1.  But the great thing about his DACs is that no matter your budget, you can be sure the model you get will be one of the best pieces of gear you can get for the price, and usually worth much more than the asking price.  This is evident from the hundreds of positive reviews on this forum.

Who has bought one ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by gavszero 

Doesn't look like anyone has ordered the NFB-7 , doesn't seem to have the same interest that the REF1 to REF 7 upgrade . Looks like I might miss out on the REF 7 as I'm saving up to change my car and probably only able to look into a DAC in March 2011 .. Oh well wonder whether Kingwa at the time will except me buying 8 x PCM1704UK and build me a REF 7 if they are out of stock .. See what happens anyway ..

Well, if that trend continues you might be in luck.

I will be buying one as my birthday present in November, if there's no review of it by then, I shall deliver one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audio-Omega 

Who has bought one ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmac03 

The problem is that as you went higher in the lineup of the reference series, you get the added benefit of more PCM1704K chips AND an increased PSU. The NFB series, on the other hand, only has the PSU benefit without the dac chip upgrade.

 

Yes, but that's noted in the smaller price differential for NFB1 -> NFB7 compared to REF5 -> REF7.

I'm thinking of jumping right in instead of testing the waters with something less (and then upgrading later). The pricing on the NFB7 looks too good to pass up. I'm' currently waiting for Pacific Valve to get them in stock - supposedly another 2-3 weeks. $1350 and free shipping???

There is over a 60% increase in price from the nfb-1 to the nfb-7. Are you telling me that it is worth it when the majority of the dac remains unchanged? This is a hypothetical question and please rerfrain form answering because we know that the value in one man's eyes may be vastly different from another man's. I'm just putting it in perspective.

If your phones and amp are good enough - it is worth it. $500 is buying 5,5Kg more PSU (& stuff) and that weight difference is often more than the complete weight of DACs in the same price range.

PSU (& stuff) difference does not tell or mean much to you? Get NFB-1 - it is likely that your Mid-Fi rest of the chain would hold back NFB-7.

...should I explicitly say "just IMO, of course" or is this, of course, implied?