New Audio-gd NFB-8 (WM)

i'm wondering why the sudden change from using ESS9018 before to WM8741, also the analog output from diamond amp to ACSS.

Is the first NFB-8 design have some minus?

i hope kingwa can give explanation

Maybe he's not selling as many NFB series ES9018 DACs as he thought he would?

One thing I don't understand though is how Kingwa is coming up with his SNR and DNR specs.  Wolfson lists the chips as having 128dB for both in mono.  And Kingwa's specs are at 127dB for ACSS, almost the same.  The specs on the chips to run in stereo are less.  But these chips aren't running in mono, they are running in stereo if the DAC is balanced.  To run them as mono chips he would need 4 of them in a differential configuration.... unless there is something unique about this chip?

There is something I don't understand with this dac. At the top of the page on Audio GD website, it is written ACSS applies. So OK, in my little head i say it is a neutral dac.

But if you read all the page, somewhere you read :"For low impedance, we applied a diamond output stage wich is quite less colored than most conventionnal circuits". When i read diamond, I think musical Dac. So neutral or musical? Diamond or not diamond? ACSS for ACSS output and Diamond output stage for xlr and rca output?????

English is neither my first language nor Kingwa one, it is perhaps why I don't understand everything. But on NFB7 page, no diamond output stage. It is written:"The output buffers are non feedback, for low impedance, we applied a two-stage parallel connection, the output impedance is only 20 ohms."

There is something different, i am not sure that NFB 8 is a neutral dac as NFB7 or ref 7. And with Audio GD, the number 8 is used for musical dacs. Reference 8 was a musical dac, and the first NFB8 sabre inside was a musical dac, no doubt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ 

Maybe he's not selling as many NFB series ES9018 DACs as he thought he would?

 

One thing I don't understand though is how Kingwa is coming up with his SNR and DNR specs.  Wolfson lists the chips as having 128dB for both in mono.  And Kingwa's specs are at 127dB for ACSS, almost the same.  The specs on the chips to run in stereo are less.  But these chips aren't running in mono, they are running in stereo if the DAC is balanced.  To run them as mono chips he would need 4 of them in a differential configuration.... unless there is something unique about this chip?

A single WM8741 is capable of outputting a stereo differential output.  Even in mono mode, it would output a negative mono channel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SP Wild 

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ 

Maybe he's not selling as many NFB series ES9018 DACs as he thought he would?

 

One thing I don't understand though is how Kingwa is coming up with his SNR and DNR specs.  Wolfson lists the chips as having 128dB for both in mono.  And Kingwa's specs are at 127dB for ACSS, almost the same.  The specs on the chips to run in stereo are less.  But these chips aren't running in mono, they are running in stereo if the DAC is balanced.  To run them as mono chips he would need 4 of them in a differential configuration.... unless there is something unique about this chip?

A single WM8741 is capable of outputting a stereo differential output.  Even in mono mode, it would output a negative mono channel.

Ah, okay.

Yes, but there is a difference between a wolfson dac that is a little smooth on its own, and a dac which the little smoothness is accentuated by a special output stage. I can be interested by a dac a little smoother than a NFB7 by using a wolfson chip, but a diamond output stage, it is something else. 

I just wonder why they went from the Sabre chip to a simple Wolfson like they have in the DacMagic or the Arcam !!!!

I was out for two weeks and was interested in the NFB-8 and when I came back and looked at the site, I could not find the same NFB-8 DAC with the Sabre chip....

I just hope it will come back soon or else I will have to buy the NFB1 or 7...

I guess I'll have to wait and see  

Denys

You know the simple wolfson as you say is also used in the 15 000 euros Linn Klimax DS...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denys 

I just wonder why they went from the Sabre chip to a simple Wolfson like they have in the DacMagic or the Arcam !!!!

 

I was out for two weeks and was interested in the NFB-8 and when I came back and looked at the site, I could not find the same NFB-8 DAC with the Sabre chip....

 

I just hope it will come back soon or else I will have to buy the NFB1 or 7...

 

I guess I'll have to wait and see  

 

Denys

the chip is different than the one in DM

In dac magic, i think it is 8740 and not 8741.

Denys, i read that Kingwa accepts some special orders. If you want a NFB 8 with sabre, you should ask him, he has the chips, he can do it.

NFB7?

I think Denys is interested by a musical dac with diamond output stage. So not the nfb7, but the first NFB8 with sabre.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pasgod 

I think Denys is interested by a musical dac with diamond output stage. So not the nfb7, but the first NFB8 with sabre.

 Precisely... thank you....

This is how the NFB-8 was presented originally...

Glad I got it wrong with the Wolfson chip.... I do have a Dacmagic which I like a lot.... I do not want the same sound signature on a new DAC tough...

Denys