Pharmaboy
Headphoneus Supremus
Do you guys think I’d notice any audible improvements upgrading my Audio-GD NFB12.1 to something else with these? I’d probably want to keep it under 500 USD if possible.
The 12.1 has plenty of power. I never turn the knob past 12 o’clock, but I’d be interested.
Short answer: yes, but it totally depends on which section you upgrade (amp; DAC; or both), and what you upgrade to.
I researched the 12.1 very thoroughly in 2015 but decided not to pursue it because of occasional user comments about the DAC (ie, a little too bright).
Having said that, I'm a total Audio GD fanboy, having owned (or currently own) 4 of their products:
- SA-31SE: fascinating, uber-powerful headphone amp w/its own lengthy thread here. it's a fantastic preamp in addition to being an occasionally brilliant amp
- NFB 15.32: really a fine all-in-one w/very powerful, good amp and pretty decent DAC (Wolfson chips)...also several slightly useful filter settings on front panel. The DAC doesn't compared the the multi-bit ones listed below, but it was far from deficient or unpleasant.
- DAC-19: A lot of people on Head-Fi love this one (it has an epic thread here). I'm listening to it right now...very good multi-bit DAC sound (I'll never go back to delta-sigma after this)
- NOS 19: Audio GD's pure non-oversampling variant of the DAC-19. It's my favorite DAC...it totally changed how I hear & experience digital.
http://www.audio-gd.com/R2R/R2R11/R2R11EN.htm
The amp section has max 3.5W@25ohms, so this can power anything/everything.
Plus you get a multi-bit DAC built in.
It costs $350--steal of the century IMHO.
I bought my 2 AGD DACs from Magna HiFi in the Netherlands and had excellent buying experiences both time. I'd rather deal with an EU vendor than a Chinese one, all other things being equal. This DAC/amp on their site is: https://www.magnahifi.com/en/webshop/product/agd-r2r11
Plus you get a multi-bit DAC built in.
It costs $350--steal of the century IMHO.
I bought my 2 AGD DACs from Magna HiFi in the Netherlands and had excellent buying experiences both time. I'd rather deal with an EU vendor than a Chinese one, all other things being equal. This DAC/amp on their site is: https://www.magnahifi.com/en/webshop/product/agd-r2r11
Of course, there are plenty of options outside the AGD realm. You could go for separate DAC & amp, though it will likely go over $500. Rumor has it that Massdrop will eventually drop an LD-X (Cavalli Liquid Carbon design licensed by Massdrop) complete w/the Grace SDAC (sub-$100 DAC that many purchased from Massdrop & seem to like).
Plus there's always the JDS Labs Element ($349), which many here seem to like. I've seen occasional comments that the DAC is a little sharp, but you should do your own research & form your own opinion re subjective stuff like that.
And of course there's Schiit's Jotunheim, which goes for $499 complete w/DAC. Again, many here praise it, though I see occasional comments about it being somewhat bright.
A comment about "warm" components: conventional wisdom is that you shouldn't pair a "warm" headphone like the LCD-2C with "warm" DAC or amp. I have found that wisdom to not be very wise. I've had some amazing synergy develop between my "warm" NOS 19, "warm" Liquid Carbon, and "warm" headphones (Fidelio X2s; E-Mu Teaks). Synergy between components doesn't play by simple rules in my experience.
Point being that if you buy a new DAC/amp (or standalones), do it primarily according to your own tastes in the sound of such components--not presumed sonic effects of the new component w/this one headphone.