[Rockin_Zombie]

   
..
 
Previously I had DAC19MK3 SE + C2C headamp + K702. At the beginning it was mind blowing combo but after couple of years I decided I need more and moved to Reference 10.32 + balanced HD800 and it was end game setup for me. When Master 11 came out I have asked Mr. Kingwa if it is worth to sell it and get Master 11 instead and he said NO, the difference is not that big to be worth it. So I decided to keep it, will upgrade its USB32 to Anamero one day and that is it. If you are into classical, jazz or other acoustic music this is the combo to get - I mean Master 11 + balanced HD800. 

This is what I really liked about audio-gd, no push for sale. I asked about the HDMI upgrade and he said unless I plan to use an external USB to i2s converter, there's no need. Asked about longer USB cables, he said just to get a well shielded one. The man is honest. 
 
Anyways, picking up the M11 tonight! Can't wait

 

[Rockin_Zombie]

It's here! It's beautiful! Listening to it with the HE6 balanced right now. The biggest difference with the nfb 10.33 is that the treble is better tamed, don't hear any significant spikes anymore. I'd think that's the R2R DAC working its charm. Otherwise the sound is as amazing as it was, just what I expected. The unit itself is quite beautiful. I stored it sideways like a desktop computer, very stable. The remote is top quality. The packaging was nicely done, there's no chance of damage. I think my amp/DAC search is over. 

 

[Velomane]

Rockin Zombie, that's great to hear. What genres do you listen to, and how loudly?

 

[Rockin_Zombie]

Rockin Zombie, that's great to hear. What genres do you listen to, and how loudly?

Mostly metal and rock. I have never measured but I listen to them quite loud cuz my wife complains from the other room lol.
I did get the +6db mod. I can crank it up to 65/100 till my ears start hurting. No distortion whatsoever though! Loudest listening level for me is 55, normal would be 45.

I don't listen to classical, but I don't think there will be any issues with loudness. There's always the option of +9db too.

BTW I was hesitant about the +6db mod for no reason. The volume control is impeccable, I have no problem connecting my iems or using this as preamp to my active monitors. The volume steps are so tiny that I never have to worry about suddenly cranking them up.

 

[Velomane]

Mostly metal and rock. I have never measured but I listen to them quite loud cuz my wife complains from the other room lol.
I did get the +6db mod. I can crank it up to 65/100 till my ears start hurting. No distortion whatsoever though! Loudest listening level for me is 55, normal would be 45.

I don't listen to classical, but I don't think there will be any issues with loudness. There's always the option of +9db too.

BTW I was hesitant about the +6db mod for no reason. The volume control is impeccable, I have no problem connecting my iems or using this as preamp to my active monitors. The volume steps are so tiny that I never have to worry about suddenly cranking them up.

Thanks for the info, it's exactly what I was hoping you would say.

 

[Rockin_Zombie]

Report after using M11 for the last 12-13 hours straight..(yes I need help): 
 
1. The heat isn't as much as  I have seen on some posts. It runs slightly hotter than my nfb 10.33, and compared to my gaming laptop it's like an A/C heat is a non-issue in my book.
 
2. I was advocating for turning it on only when necessary, but since the heat seems to be quite well managed, I have decided just to keep it on. So far no stutters or any issues. I can't tell if it sounds better with "burn-in",  I have been enjoying it immensely from the get go. 
 
3. The DAC section has been the most significant difference for me. The nfb 10.33 is a quite capable amp itself, but the M11 dac seems much more refined. Especially the treble control is beautiful, I guess there's a reason a lot of people prefer how R2R DACs sound!
 
4. Interestingly, I notice the improvements a lot more when I am using it as a preamp with my Audioengine A5+ and the SVS 12 subs. The M11 sounds much "cleaner" than the nfb 10.33 as a preamp. With headphones, they do sound better, but nothing stands out to be a clear improvement (minus the treble smoothness I already talked about, that's the highlight for headphones). The nfb 10.33 is no slouch of course.
 
In summary, audio-gd rocks big time! With their clean unassuming looks and beastly interiors, they have turned me into a loyal fan.  

 

[Luckbad]

Master 11 is the dream for me.
 
Sadly, a dream that probably won't come true until next year.
 
I've overspent so much I'm selling almost all of my best gear.

 

[gassah]

Hi, first time poster.  I'm wondering how much of a deal the M11 is and is it because Kingwa can do it cheaper because it's made in China.  I'm considering the Moon 430HAD also but I'm not the diehard audiophile most of you are, though I have listened to some excellent recordings and appreciate quality.  I've had some decent home theater equipment, Revel Studio speakers, Proceed amps and the HD600s, all for about 15 years.  I'm ready to buy the LCD-XC and HE1000s.  I'm hard of hearing but can wear hearing aids with the headphones and I wonder if normal hearing folk can even hear a difference with A/B testing.  With all that said, any opinions for me on the M11 vs 430HAD?

 

[Quinto]

  Report after using M11 for the last 12-13 hours straight..(yes I need help): 
 
1. The heat isn't as much as  I have seen on some posts. It runs slightly hotter than my nfb 10.33, and compared to my gaming laptop it's like an A/C heat is a non-issue in my book.
 
2. I was advocating for turning it on only when necessary, but since the heat seems to be quite well managed, I have decided just to keep it on. So far no stutters or any issues. I can't tell if it sounds better with "burn-in",  I have been enjoying it immensely from the get go. 
 
3. The DAC section has been the most significant difference for me. The nfb 10.33 is a quite capable amp itself, but the M11 dac seems much more refined. Especially the treble control is beautiful, I guess there's a reason a lot of people prefer how R2R DACs sound!
 
4. Interestingly, I notice the improvements a lot more when I am using it as a preamp with my Audioengine A5+ and the SVS 12 subs. The M11 sounds much "cleaner" than the nfb 10.33 as a preamp. With headphones, they do sound better, but nothing stands out to be a clear improvement (minus the treble smoothness I already talked about, that's the highlight for headphones). The nfb 10.33 is no slouch of course.
 
In summary, audio-gd rocks big time! With their clean unassuming looks and beastly interiors, they have turned me into a loyal fan.  

Your experience mirrors mine, the treble is impressive!  the M11 preamp is a significant improvement on my floor system (Marantz PM11S2 and Harbeth SHL5) as well ..

 

[pervysage]

Has anyone tried NOS mode? How does it sound?

 

[Luckbad]

Has anyone tried NOS mode? How does it sound?

 
I'm curious as well. After using the NOS-1704, I've discovered the beauty of non-oversampling.
 
I read somewhere that because of the Amanero's very low jitter, the DAC-19 can do NOS mode well. That might apply to the Master 11 also.

 

[Solude]

Oversampling isn't related to jitter.  NOS is fine as long as the source is 88KHz or higher.  Otherwise you reflect back on the signal and have treble roll off.  Which is not to say some people don't like how that sounds.

 

[Luckbad]

  Oversampling isn't related to jitter.  NOS is fine as long as the source is 88KHz or higher.  Otherwise you reflect back on the signal and have treble roll off.  Which is not to say some people don't like how that sounds.

 

The NOS had bypass the filter, so it had high request from the source. The Amanero had very low jitter present. From the HiFiDuino report, the Phase Jitter 0.04~2.41ps (10Hz~1MHz), Total Phase Jitter (RMS) 2.42ps . So it can working well in NOS mode.

 
That's (obviously) from Kingwa.

 

[Solude]

All true.  But OS does not reduce that number. PLL does as does upsampling where new timings are created.

 

[defbear]

I asked Kingwa and he said NOS on M11 should work very well. He also said I could remove the sealed cover without voiding the warrenty. To take the top off, do you just remove the four bolts in the corner? Or is it every bolt on the top? BTW, I am seriously pleased with Master 11 and my Auduze Lcd2-f headphones.