[r one]

I installed the Anamero USB board in the M7 with updated 2016 f/w.  Sounds good but still prefer the HDMI input at this time.  I can switch sources in about 5 seconds which helps in comparison. 

I get slightly more/ better bass with the HDMI input which means after years of experience jitter is probably lower using that input    

With wich i2s interface model ?

My M7 is a 2015 model with factory amanero inside. I have never tested hdmi input.

 

[FredA]

The sound will most likely improve as the Amanero breaks-in, of course. And it should be significant.

 

[DACLadder]

With wich i2s interface model ?

My M7 is a 2015 model with factory amanero inside. I have never tested hdmi input.

Definitely the differential I2S version based on HDMI hardware with a short HDMI cable.  Quality of the HDMI I2S source is extremely important for best sound.  I never really cared for single ended TTL I2S as implemented in the M7.  Drove me crazy!
 
HDMI I2S may be worth a try some day if you have it installed.  I wouldn't rush out and purchase anything as the better sources cost a fortune. 
   

The sound will most likely improve as the Amanero breaks-in, of course. And it should be significant.

 
Looking forward to that.   Any idea how long of a wait?

 

[FredA]

About 100 hours, i would say, be patient.

 

[DACLadder]

Master 7 Singularity....   I've had the pleasure of auditioning the latest version of the M7 for about two weeks.   And with installation of Amanero board in the older M7 it is easy to compare apples and apples.  I'll just hit the high points in comparison of my experience for it to sink in.   "M7O" is used to describe the 4-yr. old original Master 7 with the latest 2016 FW and "M7S" the Master 7 Singularity.
 
Kingwa aggressively attacks clock jitter on the new M7S input/ DSP board.  Two precision TXCO clocks, elimination of specialized SPDIF and AES/EBU decoding chips, and faster parts all the way around.  Some changes as well to the DAC/ output boards to lower distortion.
 
The 2016 FW change on the M7O brought better balance.  Less bass bloat and better bottom end precision.  More clarity in the vocals that are a little more upfront and clearer highs as well.   The M7S seems to take that basis of soundscape and moves it forward in positive ways.  At first listen I could easily hear more low level resolution with the M7S vs. M7O.   Vocals are forward and not hiding in the mix.  The older M7O tends to smear the highs a tad in comparison.  Vocals are clear and open on the M7S which delights me as I tend to gravitate toward vocals as a sign of precision.   Bass started out weaker than the older M7O but is coming around with authority.   Harmonic content on instruments such a cellos, pianos, and even woody Les Paul guitars are balanced and satisfying.  And upper midrange glare is improved on the M7S (less).  Abundant amount of highs that are not harsh or grating. 
   
The big take away is there is more low level stuff coming out of the M7S!   I can easily hear tape hiss (with speakers) on old analog recordings.  Virtually non-existent on the M7O.  More reverb/ echo tails expand the soundstage illusion.   Low level detail in mixes easily recognized and pop out like never before.  Vocals are forward, prominent and clear.  Highs such as cymbals, bells, etc. are less metallic.  Bass is tight with good rhythm.
 
I've had some operational issues that Kingwa has been walking me through.  Initially I had high distortion on HDMI I2S using the Singxer SU-1.  It would come and go - work OK for a while and then not   Kingwa had me jumper the M7S DSP to "BYPASS" which is not really bypass but a lower precision PLL mode.  Worked and sounded OK.  In normal mode with no bypass jumper Kingwa explained this is 'high exact" mode.  The Amanero works flawlessly in "high exact" mode.  So does the Singxer SU-1 suck in comparison?  Maybe so...   But for the past few days the Singxer SU-1 has been working OK on HDMI I2S input in "high exact" mode.  And sounding damn good.  Kingwa did mention to try to keep the M7S in "high exact" mode (Bypass - OFF) for best sound quality when using the RJ45 or HDMI I2S inputs.  (Edit - Kingwa also says that only he I2S inputs (RJ45 and HDMI I2S in my case) are affected by the bypass jumper.  USB, SPDIF and AES/ EBU inputs are not influenced when Bypass - On).
   
And there is less variation in sound between inputs is another big benefit of the DSP/ input board change.   Connecting the Singxer SU-1 simultaneously to HDMI I2S, AES/ EBU, and SPDIF inputs so I can switch between  the inputs.  Not much difference in sound between these inputs.  I will revisit those inputs again later but their performance has improved over the M7O.
 
So there you have it.  The M7S continues to blossom and at least I don't have to wait 3 months like the old M7O when new.  I've never listened to AGDs Sabre DACs but it looks like they have a new flagship DAC model in the Master 7 Singularity.   At least until some other DAC technology can catch up.  We will probably see the new input/ DSP clock design on many new products to come.  (Edited for clarity and typos)

 

[FredA]

Master 7 Singularity....   I've had the pleasure of auditioning the latest version of the M7 for about two weeks.   And with installation of Amanero board in the older M7 it is easy to compare apples and apples.  I'll just hit the high points in comparison of my experience for it to sink in.   "M7O" is used to describe the 4 yr. original Master 7 with the latest 2016 FW and "M7S" the Master 7 Singularity.

Kingwa aggressively attacks clock jitter on the new M7S input/ DSP board.  Two precision TXCO clocks, elimination of specialized SPDIF and AES/EBU decoding chips, and faster parts all the way around.  Some changes as well to the DAC/ output boards to lower distortion.

The 2016 FW change on the M7O brought better balance - less bass bloat but better bottom end precision to the old box.  More clarity in the vocals that are a little more forward and clearer highs as well.   The M7S seems to take that theme going forward and then some.  At first listen I could easily hear more low level resolution with the M7S vs. M7O.   Vocals are forward and not hiding in the mix.  The older M7O tends to smear the highs a tad in comparison.  Vocals are clear and open on the M7S which delights me as I tend to gravitate toward vocals as a sign of precision.   Bass started out weaker than the older M7O but is coming around.   Harmonic content on instruments such a cellos, pianos, and even woody Les Paul guitars are balanced and satisfying.  And upper midrange glare that is improved on the M7O with 2016 FW but is still present by a small amount has improved and better balanced on the M7S.
   
The big take away is there is more low level stuff coming out of the M7S!   I can easily hear tape hiss (with speakers) on old analog recordings.  Virtually non-existent on the M7O.  More reverb/ echo tails expand the soundstage illusion.   Low level detail in mixes easily recognized and pop out like never before.  Vocals are forward, prominent and clear.  Highs such as cymbals, bells, etc. are less metallic.  Bass is coming around with authority and precision as I had hoped.

I've had some operational issues that Kingwa has been walking me through.  Initially I had high distortion on HDMI I2S using the Singxer SU-1.  It would come and go - work OK for a while and then not   Kingwa had me jumper the M7S DSP to "BYPASS" which is not really bypass but a lower precision PLL mode.  Worked and sounded OK.  In normal mode with no bypass jumper Kingwa explain this is 'high exact" mode.  The Amanero works flawlessly in "high exact" mode.  So does the Singxer SU-1 suck in comparison?  Maybe so...   But for the past few days the Singxer SU-1 has been working OK on HDMI I2S input in "high exast" mode.  And sounding damn good.  Kingwa did mention to try to keep the M7S in "high exact" mode (Bypass - OFF) for best sound quality when using the Amanero USB or HDMI I2S inputs.
   
And there is less variation in sound between inputs is another big benefit of the DSP/ input board change.   Connecting the Singxer SU-1 simultaneously to HDMI I2S, AES/ EBU, and SPDIF inputs so I can switch between  the inputs.  Not much difference in sound between these inputs.  Kingwa did say the AES/ EBU and SPDIF inputs don't use the "high exact" PLL mode.  I will revisit those inputs again later but their performance has improved over the M7O.

So there you have it.  The M7S continues to blossom.  I've never listened to AGDs Sabre DACs but it looks like they have a new flag ship DAC model in the Master 7 Singularity.   At least until some other DAC technology can catch up.  We will probably see the new input/ DSP clock design on many new products to come.

Great feedback.

Not surprised by the observations you make: more micro-information, better soundstaging. Should put the M7 back in the position for best DAC around 2k, if not under 5k. I like the idea of getting rid of all spdif receivers and replacing them wtih a custom solution that is an order of magnitude better at rejecting jitter. All manucfacturer will copy this approach eventually. The de-jittering is also applied on the i2s inputs, i assume, which is great. I am quite impressed. Kingwa is the man.

 

[Kingwa]

   Kingwa did mention to try to keep the M7S in "high exact" mode (Bypass - OFF) for best sound quality when using the Amanero USB or HDMI I2S inputs.

My English always worst and made mistook.
I was mean the bypass jumper only active while HDMI or RJ45 IIS input. Other input had not any functions on the bypass.
That is in other USB, SPDIF , AES inputs, the bypass will auto off even though it is push on the jumper.

 

[DACLadder]

  My English always worst and made mistook.
I was mean the bypass jumper only active while HDMI or RJ45 IIS input. Other input had not any functions on the bypass.
That is in other USB, SPDIF , AES inputs, the bypass will auto off even though it is push on the jumperY

Thank you Kingwa.   Your English is plenty good and I just misunderstood what you meant.  When Bypass - ON only the USB RJ45 and HDMI I2S are affected.
 
So keeping Bypass - OFF is the way to go for I2S input.  I'll edit the main thread above.  Thanks again!

 

[FredA]

  Thank you Kingwa.   Your English is plenty good and I just misunderstood what you meant.  When Bypass - ON only the USB and HDMI I2S are affected.  The SPDIF and AES/EBU input will not function (no sound) in this mode.
 
So keeping Bypass - OFF is the way to go for any input.  I'll edit the main thread above.  Thanks again!

Not the usb. Just the HDMI and RJ45 i2s if i read correctly.

 

[DACLadder]

  Not the usb. Just the HDMI and RJ45 i2s if i read correctly.

That looks to be correct after reading an Email from Kingwa... Thanks

 

[DACLadder]

In an Email Kingwa further explained "high exact" mode.   It is high performance mode reserved for the best quality inputs and only RJ45 and HMDI I2S.  This mode is programmed for each I2S input when ordered from the factory.   In my case with HDMI I2S on input #5 is the only input that supports "high exact" mode.   If I had ordered another I2S input then that source would also have been programmed for "high exact" mode capability.  The other inputs - USB Amanero, SPDIF, and AES/ EBU input don't operate in "high exact" mode.  And they do not respond to the Bypass jumper and operate normally jumper on or off. 

 

[DACLadder]

  Good lord!  Operator error and disregard this post...

 

[FredA]

Hi every one.

I just aquired my first real audiophile headphone, an akg k701, now discontinued, for just 160 usd on ebay.

At first, i thought of pairing it with a cheap ebay amplifier. After hearing it driven with a MF X-Can (the original one) together with my master-1 as volume control and my m7 as source, i was amazed with how good it sounded. Quite better than my speaker setup and much better than hooked to my NFB-5 combo. But although very transparent, the x-can was missing power to properly drive the K701, so there was some distorsion in the highs.

So i decided to order an NFB-1AMP which was in promotion with a 5% rebate and to mod the akg to balanced operation which is very easy with the last version, since it features a 4 wire cable. This was not the case with the original Austrian made one.

To cut to the point, my Master-7 sounds so good with this setup, without any breaking time on the NFB1-AMP, i never thought my speakers were such a limiting factor. The result is liquid and very articulate, with awesome bass definition and depth. The AKG is very neutral and so are the M7 and NFB-1AMP, so this lets you hear the recording, and i mean the whole recording, all inflexions, ambiance elements, reverberations, and defects as well.

Simply speaking, you are drawn into music very deeply. After a couple of hours, it is hard to go back to the speakers. And i should mention: my speaker setup can compete with most systems out there under 20-30K.

I put a lot of time fine tuning my usb chain (intona->wird->singxer F1->rj45 i2s through 3-iinch cable without socket to the F1)->master-7). I selected some quality usb cables as well. I now see the outcome: a source that is pretty much dead-on, tonally and spatially. With lots of details. Very very close to live. It took headphones for me to apprieciate the M7 to its full value, while i thought i already did. I was a very happy camper who did not know what he was missing.

The only drawback is that you need to crank up the volume for the k701 to perform at its best. My other headphones sound also not as good at low volume, it's pretty common i assume.

 

[enigmus12]

Hi,
 
Your experience pretty match mine. It always surprises me how the Audio-Gd elements keeps shining after every update on my system. I don't know if you have performed the new dsp v7 software update but it's very cool to see that the hardware can sound better only with some software evolution (it means a very good hardware design). At least to me, the changes were far less than minor with the v7 (bass way less bloated, better imaging, details).
 
On a side note and on the new Singularity 7, i firstly thought that the design was only made to put the inputs to the same level as the I2s one (if we exclude the analog upgrade) and I was not seeing the need to upgrade as a Singxer Su1 owner. But after some email to Kingwa i was wrong on it. I didn't realize it at first but the Altera FPGA is not the same along with the chips before it. I'm far more inclined to buy the digital board to upgrade my Master 7 now It seems we could do it in a few month.
 
The words for Kingwa :
"The old Master 7 had the FPGA model 2nd generation , now the new model had the 4th generation, the speed is up to 450M , compare to 250M in the old unit.
The chips before FPGA , in the old units is 74XXXX series, they are 40MHz chip, now the new units had the Xilinx CPLD up to 450M."
 
"The FPGA and CPLD are not working under software, they are arrange the hardware follow the software. The advantage is the inside hardware working journey is very short, much shorter than the normal hardware design, and had not any circuit caps effect while the signal transmit. The normal hardware design must had the circuit caps by the PCB design and always effect the signal , made the high speed digital signal become distortion and due become low speed. (Note , " circuit caps" may not the technology word in English but I don't know how to explain this.)"

 

[FredA]

Hi,

Your experience pretty match mine. It always surprises me how the Audio-Gd elements keeps shining after every update on my system. I don't know if you have performed the new dsp v7 software update but it's very cool to see that the hardware can sound better only with some software evolution (it means a very good hardware design). At least to me, the changes were far less than minor with the v7 (bass way less bloated, better imaging, details).

On a side note and on the new Singularity 7, i firstly thought that the design was only made to put the inputs to the same level as the I2s one (if we exclude the analog upgrade) and I was not seeing the need to upgrade as a Singxer Su1 owner. But after some email to Kingwa i was wrong on it. I didn't realize it at first but the Altera FPGA is not the same along with the chips before it. I'm far more inclined to buy the digital board to upgrade my Master 7 now It seems we could do it in a few month.

The words for Kingwa :
"The old Master 7 had the FPGA model 2nd generation , now the new model had the 4th generation, the speed is up to 450M , compare to 250M in the old unit.
The chips before FPGA , in the old units is 74XXXX series, they are 40MHz chip, now the new units had the Xilinx CPLD up to 450M."
 
"The FPGA and CPLD are not working under software, they are arrange the hardware follow the software. The advantage is the inside hardware working journey is very short, much shorter than the normal hardware design, and had not any circuit caps effect while the signal transmit. The normal hardware design must had the circuit caps by the PCB design and always effect the signal , made the high speed digital signal become distortion and due become low speed. (Note , " circuit caps" may not the technology word in English but I don't know how to explain this.)"

I have the v7 upgrade indeed. It had me doing some tweeking to get back to a balance i liked, cause there is a bit more in the upper range and eveything was fine-tuned for the old firmare. But i knew it was worth doing it because it is a significant upgrade as far as resolution, soundstaging and bass definition are concerned, The excess in the highs come from both my room and speakers. I don't hear it with the heaphones even thought the AKG is considered as bright.

I am sure the singularity 7 is yet another upgrade. I would like to buy an upgrade board as well. But there are a lot of desolderig and soldering to do. I will buy the board for sure when it's offered. I have no doubt whatsoever it is better. In fact, i would guess there is no better DAC in this price range.

With the shorter/cleaner signal path to the Altera and improved jitter rejection, i am sure you can hear an improvement. my guess is it might sound as good as a Master-7 fed with an excellent DDC while fed through the internal Amanero board.