[gandhisfist]

I don't consider hd650 an appropriate choice for me. I found hd800 laid back for my taste. So, I think hd650 would be more laid back.
What dac have you used with Vali?
I don't want to change the sound signature of t1. I just want a less resolving sound but a great step up in sound quality too.

 
 
I've only used the modi with the vali before, but it was still a very warm, tube sound to my ears.  Not sure what you mean by less resolving with more sound quality.

 

[heart banger-97]

 
 
I've only used the modi with the vali before, but it was still a very warm, tube sound to my ears.  Not sure what you mean by less resolving with more sound quality.

 


Thanks,
And you consider mod/vali warmer/more bass/thicker than nfb10.33?

 

[gandhisfist]

 

   
 
I've only used the modi with the vali before, but it was still a very warm, tube sound to my ears.  Not sure what you mean by less resolving with more sound quality.

 


Thanks,
And you consider mod/vali warmer/more bass/thicker than nfb10.33?

 
More midrange, not more bass.

 

[Luckbad]

mrscotchguy and others:

How's the single-ended output of the 10.33? Looking at this and its little brother as a lower cost option at work to what I've had previously, and not all my cans are balanced (My IEMs never will be).

 

[mrscotchguy]

Sorry, I just saw this post...
 
I am very happy with the single-ended output from the 10.33.. personally, I find it works well with pretty much anything that doesn't require boat-loads of power.  I personally like the HD800 single-end vs balanced due to how efficient the HD800 is.  Volume just gets too loud too quickly without much control.  The HD800 sounds much better on high-gain with balanced output, especially for bass response, but I am usually sitting at "4" volume!
 
What headphones are you planning on driving with the 10.33?  
 
My favorite pairings are: 
 
1) TH-600 -single ended
2) ANY Grado! - single ended
3) HE-4 - balanced (only seconded by the Oppo HA-1 pairing)
4) HD650 - balanced (I'm sure there's better pairings out there, but muscially enjoy nevertheless!)
 
All my other cans feel like a mismatch for the 10.33.  My Beyer DT990 and DT150 sound boring and have anemic bass driven from the 10.33, though I am sure balanced might show some improvements.  I did get a chance to test out the T1, but the bass just could not hold up to the SPL Auditor I had.  
 
I am not sure if that say something about the 10.33 or the headphones.  I can say this, all the headphones that don't pair well with the 10.33, sound great directly from my iPad or phone.  The same cannot be said for all the headphones that sound fantastic from the 10.33!
 
I cannot comment on the NFB-15, since I've only listened to it one time... and it was feeding a Little Dot for that matter.  

 

[Allanmarcus]

Sorry, I just saw this post...

I am very happy with the single-ended output from the 10.33.. personally, I find it works well with pretty much anything that doesn't require boat-loads of power.  I personally like the HD800 single-end vs balanced due to how efficient the HD800 is.  Volume just gets too loud too quickly without much control.  The HD800 sounds much better on high-gain with balanced output, especially for bass response, but I am usually sitting at "4" volume!

What headphones are you planning on driving with the 10.33?  

My favorite pairings are: 

1) TH-600 -single ended
2) ANY Grado! - single ended
3) HE-4 - balanced (only seconded by the Oppo HA-1 pairing)
4) HD650 - balanced (I'm sure there's better pairings out there, but muscially enjoy nevertheless!)

All my other cans feel like a mismatch for the 10.33.  My Beyer DT990 and DT150 sound boring and have anemic bass driven from the 10.33, though I am sure balanced might show some improvements.  I did get a chance to test out the T1, but the bass just could not hold up to the SPL Auditor I had.  

I am not sure if that say something about the 10.33 or the headphones.  I can say this, all the headphones that don't pair well with the 10.33, sound great directly from my iPad or phone.  The same cannot be said for all the headphones that sound fantastic from the 10.33!

I cannot comment on the NFB-15, since I've only listened to it one time... and it was feeding a Little Dot for that matter.  

I was getting close to getting a 10.33 over an oppo ha-1, until I read this! The oppo is certainly much better looking, but is more expensive, but not by much. $900 for a used oppo vs. $700 for a 10.33 (with remote and shipping). I have ether-c headphones, so do you think the oppo is worth the extra money?

 

[Rockcoon]

I was getting close to getting a 10.33 over an oppo ha-1, until I read this! The oppo is certainly much better looking, but is more expensive, but not by much. $900 for a used oppo vs. $700 for a 10.33 (with remote and shipping). I have ether-c headphones, so do you think the oppo is worth the extra money?

A read, Oppo is an earkiller because of it's mediocre sabre chip implemintation, and could be matched ony with warm cans, like LCD 2 rev. 1. Guys from Oppo thread told me, that even with my neutral HE500s it will be a torture machine. Do you afraid of harsh and sibilance?

 

[Allanmarcus]

I was getting close to getting a 10.33 over an oppo ha-1, until I read this! The oppo is certainly much better looking, but is more expensive, but not by much. $900 for a used oppo vs. $700 for a 10.33 (with remote and shipping). I have ether-c headphones, so do you think the oppo is worth the extra money?

A read, Oppo is an earkiller because of it's mediocre sabre chip implemintation, and could be matched ony with warm cans, like LCD 2 rev. 1. Guys from Oppo thread told me, that even with my neutral HE500s it will be a torture machine. Do you afraid of harsh and sibilance?

Some people are more sensitive to high frequencies and thus they hear harshness. I'm not. A very few people have commented on what you describe, and a huge number of people are happy with the ha1. while I'm sure the audio-gd 10.33, and all their products, are great, the oppo or the corda classic amp or the MassDrop grace m9xx are probably in my future. I'm old enough that my ears can't distinguish subtle differences, and my brain can adjust pretty fast, so I figure if I get a quality product, I will buy for features.

 

[Luckbad]

I was getting close to getting a 10.33 over an oppo ha-1, until I read this! The oppo is certainly much better looking, but is more expensive, but not by much. $900 for a used oppo vs. $700 for a 10.33 (with remote and shipping). I have ether-c headphones, so do you think the oppo is worth the extra money?

If you're worried, grab both S/PDIF modules for an extra $20. I had a NOS dac with both of the same inputs and preferred the DIR9001 even though it limits you to 96kHz.

 

[Rockcoon]

Allanmarcus Well, if harshness is not an issue, then oppo ha-1 looks like good option. Build quality, exterior and features.

Personaly, i'm done with all that delta-sigma, especially sabre, and find myself happy in a NOS world

 

[mrscotchguy]

Allanmarcus Well, if harshness is not an issue, then oppo ha-1 looks like good option. Build quality, exterior and features.

Personaly, i'm done with all that delta-sigma, especially sabre, and find myself happy in a NOS world

I went back and forth between purchasing the Oppo HA-1 and the 10.33.  Oppo even let me demo a unit for 3 weeks.  I felt it was quite the profound upgrade from my humble setup at the time.  Ultimately, I had the opportunity ( <-- sorry for the Oppo Pun) to get the 10.33 for a smoking deal and couldn't resist.  I figured I could always just turn it around on the FS/FT thread, if all else failed.  Having the chance to listen to my friend's NFB-2 setup, I wasn't expecting all that much, honestly.  When I couldn't stop listening, and really never had ear fatigue, it was pretty clear to me that I wouldn't need to upgrade to the HA-1.
 
Here's my impressions.  The HA-1 pairs so well with my HE-4, that I nearly bit the bullet and bought the HA-1 on the spot.  It also sounded great with the Grados, and good with pretty much everything else.  The HD800s sounded great, but only for about 15 minute sessions before I had to take a break.  The HA-1 did everything well, but only drove one pair GREAT.  It's well built, solid, and gorgeous.  The interface is good, but not perfect, but certainly more polished than more Hifi gear with digital interfaces.
 
If you're looking for an amp that will work with everything, great detail, tight bass, then the HA-1 might be for you.  Yes, it's more polished than Audio-GD products.  It can even be used as a pre-amp, which it did quite well.  But what I noticed was the same as many mentioned before, the HA-1's dac just doesn't seem to be on the same level as the amp.  I couldn't justify purchasing a $1200 unit and need to start looking for a dac to pair with it.  I noticed, while testing current dacs that I had at the time, the HA-1 was a bit picky.
 
As for the NFB-10.33, I can tell you this, I haven't been tempted to purchase the Oppo since.  I would suggest getting the TCXO upgrade, and the both SPDIF modules, even if you don't plan to use them.  The DIR9001 is certainly the way to go from my experience. There's something very musical about the Wolfson chip, and it might not sound super exciting the first time you listen, but once you give your brain some time to burn in, everything else feels harsh or artificial!
 
I ended up purchasing the remote later, and never use it.  My 10.33 just sits near my keyboard, so it's actually easier to use the knob.  If I were to upgrade, there's a chance I would find the remote useful, but certainly not necessary.
 
PS, as to the comment above, I found I do not like the Sabre sound either. Maybe in 10 years, there will be a more balanced implementation of it, but until then... 

 

[Allanmarcus]

Thanks for the advice. So many darned options. I have a peachtree DAC-it, which I like, so an amp-only is an option. I'm agonizing over a used oppo HA-1, a used 10.33 (TXCO), the MassDrop Grace m9xx or the Corda Classic with FF upgrade. I really like crossfeed, but it's not a deal breaker. too many darned options.  

 

[mrscotchguy]

Thanks for the advice. So many darned options. I have a peachtree DAC-it, which I like, so an amp-only is an option. I'm agonizing over a used oppo HA-1, a used 10.33 (TXCO), the MassDrop Grace m9xx or the Corda Classic with FF upgrade. I really like crossfeed, but it's not a deal breaker. too many darned options.  

That sure is a load of choses. I own an older Meier amp, and crossfeed is great for work/concentration, but even well implemented crossfeed seems to hurt bass response from what I've noticed. I'm always interested in the Meier Symphony.2, though not much else has peaked my interest since the 10.33.... I mean, except for other Audio-GD gear! :evil:

I hear you can regularly get the Oppo HA-1 refurb for about $900 direct from Oppo.

You don't see many used 10.33 (maybe for a reason?) on the FS/FT, so it might be an option.

As for the Grace, anytime there's a Drop, a few week after shipment, you always see them up the item back up on the FS/FT thread!

Don't buy on impulse, I've learned that many times on here!

 

[mysticstryk]

Been looking at this myself lately.  Seems like a somewhat affordable way to jump into the balanced end of the pool.

 

[mysticstryk]

How much of an upgrade would this be over my modi/magni stack?