Reserved
REVIEWED!
So I've had this thing for a bit now... first one to ship into the wild and arrive at its home. I'd say I'm pretty confident I know what this thing sounds like.
The interface is classic AudioGD, simple and intuitive, the unit can act as a amp, DAC, or both, meaning you can use any amp OR DAC with it and really understand how each section sounds.
I used this unit mostly as a DAC, BUT I did find time to really put the amp section through it's paces.
Build
Solid, tank like... nice touch with the stepped attenuator... The knob has a nice feel to it, the finish work is above average and the overall build quality is very nice VS my previous AudioGD components
AMP
The amp section is fairly neutral, with a slight tilt towards the warm side. Very detailed, never etched or fatiguing (unless it's paired with bright cans, and fed bright/poorly mastered source material) The sound presentation is best described as, fast, focused (but above average sense of space), dynamic and lively. Plenty of power is on tap (8W@40 Ohms - 600MW @ 600 ohms) meaning this thing can easily drive planars, as well as hard to drive dynamics (K240 Sextet 600 Ohms) My HD800's were driven effortlessly and sounded pretty darn good. I actually really like how the HD800 sounds, and could even live with it as a single solution! Dynamic, extended and fast... all these descriptors apply. The amp section is very good, BUT it has it's faults. The sound stage could be bigger, and there could be a better sense of air (although it is far from bad... I'd just prefer a little more) I even tried this thing with the LCD2's today at a meet and wow... all that power really wakes them up, the HE500 is drove with authority, just splendid! There are better solid state amps out there yes... BUT this on was kinda an afterthought... I'll explain why in the next section.
OH, and this thing is super quiet! I tried both my IM50 and IM02 in ear's and there was literally zero noise to be found!
DAC
Oh my... this is really where all the money is! Detailed, dynamic (not Gunguir super dynamic, but well above average) and did I mention detailed?! This thing run separated from it's amp using my Glenn OTL is majestic (I also got good results with the LD MK1+, LDMK3, Lyr, o2). Crystal clear, spacious, never etched or fatiguing, transparent. Just glorious, especially considering the price. The NFB29 does this amazing trick with it's treble presentation... all of the classic Sabre detail and extension is there but without any of the annoying shout/glare/nastiness that shows up in a lot of products from every manufacturer (including AudioGD) AND without dulling the upper registers! (Yulong I'm looking at you!) This is obviously a DAC I really like... it does have one flaw... it could be a little more dynamic, maybe just below Gunguir level dynamic... BUT that might not even be a complaint because a lot of people find the Gunguir too dynamic (I'm not one of those people) but it's something I can pick on. I would also like the option to mute different outputs. Maybe even have a nicer remote... little annoyances like these are my only real complaints.
In summary I love this thing... it did sound a little weird when I first got it, I don't know why BUT it opened up after about a week of use. I ran it isolated from my main rig and used my NFB11.32 daily so I wouldn't just get used to the new unit. The pre outs work very well with my Emotiva Airmotiv's and overall is a very nice package for a fair price. This unit pretty much convinced me that there could be a single ended master race. Combined with a good tube amp you have a killer combo that shames systems costing a ton more (Glenn OTL would be my amp of choice, or even the MadEar HD, or Taboo MK3 depending on your tastes) and gives you a ton of flexibility.
So if you're gear is all single ended OR you have no desire to re-terminate your existing gear this is about as good as it gets... just go buy one and be happy! (unless you wanna do all that then get the NFB28... which is supposed to sound pretty darned close to this, maybe even a little better)
