xinortket
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Is audio-gd a legit company? Their website looks shady.
Audio-GD C2 and DAC-19.
- Thread starter TheBigCW
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Quote:
I think a quick search on the forum would answer that...
| Originally Posted by xinortket /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is audio-gd a legit company? Their website looks shady. |
I think a quick search on the forum would answer that...
FauDrei
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Quote:
Yes, they are legit. Look on this forum for Reference One (Ref-1, RE-1), or Phoenix, or DAC-19mk3, or C-2C, or Compass... you'll get the picture.
Their site doesn't look very professional, but there is certain intimacy and good feeling about it's rudimentary style. It is like they are saying: We focus on audio quality of our products and not on advertising, PR, marketing & stuff...
I can confirm the part about audio quality. Good products, even better VfM.
| Originally Posted by xinortket /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is audio-gd a legit company? Their website looks shady. |
Yes, they are legit. Look on this forum for Reference One (Ref-1, RE-1), or Phoenix, or DAC-19mk3, or C-2C, or Compass... you'll get the picture.
Their site doesn't look very professional, but there is certain intimacy and good feeling about it's rudimentary style. It is like they are saying: We focus on audio quality of our products and not on advertising, PR, marketing & stuff...
I can confirm the part about audio quality. Good products, even better VfM.
Helmore
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Not to even mention their service. You'll get almost instant replies to your email directly from Kingwa (the owner). Only during their working hours of course and you have to consider time zones.
Kingwa even goes as far as to suggest competing products if he isn't completely sure his products will satisfy you. That's what I consider to be good customer service, a company that cares more about customer satisfaction than its own profit.
As for their products, their products are considered to be very good value for the money. Some of their products are better in that regard than others and you have to take hype with a grain of salt. The Compass (predecessor of the FUN) for example seems to have had more hype than it deserved and some have been a bit disappointed by it as they expected more. That doesn't mean it was a bad product though. Their C-2C and DAC-19MK3 on the other hand are considered to be very good value and so is their Reference 1 DAC and Phoenix amp.
| Originally Posted by xinortket /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is audio-gd a legit company? Their website looks shady. |
Not to even mention their service. You'll get almost instant replies to your email directly from Kingwa (the owner). Only during their working hours of course and you have to consider time zones.
Kingwa even goes as far as to suggest competing products if he isn't completely sure his products will satisfy you. That's what I consider to be good customer service, a company that cares more about customer satisfaction than its own profit.
As for their products, their products are considered to be very good value for the money. Some of their products are better in that regard than others and you have to take hype with a grain of salt. The Compass (predecessor of the FUN) for example seems to have had more hype than it deserved and some have been a bit disappointed by it as they expected more. That doesn't mean it was a bad product though. Their C-2C and DAC-19MK3 on the other hand are considered to be very good value and so is their Reference 1 DAC and Phoenix amp.
Necrolic
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Quote:
One of the best. Customer service is amazing.
Not to mention the quality of their products and the price
erformance ratio you get. All of their popular products (Compass (now FUN), C2C/DAC19MK3 (now C2/DAC19), Pheonix, and Reference 1 for starters) are VERY frequently compared to products two to three times their cost, and I've heard multiple people say the Reference 1 is hands down the best DAC they've heard up to and including $10k DACs.
For example, I now use the Audio-GD Compass, I previously had the HeadRoom Desktop. The Compass was $280, the Desktop was $999. They both have very similar sound signatures, but the Compass to me at least is as good as if not better than the Desktop, at less than 1/3 the price.
| Originally Posted by xinortket /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is audio-gd a legit company? Their website looks shady. |
One of the best. Customer service is amazing.
Not to mention the quality of their products and the price
For example, I now use the Audio-GD Compass, I previously had the HeadRoom Desktop. The Compass was $280, the Desktop was $999. They both have very similar sound signatures, but the Compass to me at least is as good as if not better than the Desktop, at less than 1/3 the price.
cynan
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Apparently, you can order the FUN with ACSS circuitry.
Can anyone care to enlighten me about what might be upgraded in a C2-DAC19 DF combo over the FUN with ACSS?
Can anyone care to enlighten me about what might be upgraded in a C2-DAC19 DF combo over the FUN with ACSS?
mtntrance
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I don't remember why but if you e-mail him from his website I am sure he will tell you. If you do learn something new please let us know.
| Originally Posted by cynan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Apparently, you can order the FUN with ACSS circuitry. Can anyone care to enlighten me about what might be upgraded in a C2-DAC19 DF combo over the FUN with ACSS? |
I don't remember why but if you e-mail him from his website I am sure he will tell you. If you do learn something new please let us know.
mtntrance
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Initial impressions are I am amazed. My point of reference is a Total Airhead with ERP-4s so I am a newbie. I am running HD650s and ACSS via optical from Airport Express. Everything is new and therefore not broken in. My only concern is when so far is when listening to So What from Kind of Blue the the trumpet sounds at the beginning of the first note distorted. I don't know if this is due to the phones not being broken in yet or the setup revealing stuff I had never noticed before. I am beginning to suspect its the latter.
Build quality is solid and delivery was on Tuesday and he shipped on Saturday. I am already grateful I took the time to read on head-fi and went for this combo. Pictures and more impressions to follow.
Build quality is solid and delivery was on Tuesday and he shipped on Saturday. I am already grateful I took the time to read on head-fi and went for this combo. Pictures and more impressions to follow.
arcer63
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I am looking at getting the DAC-19 DSP-1 this year, how much better is it than the DAC in the Compass? I'm loving the Compass still, almost 7 months later. But I want to get in with the ACSS.
I'd eventually be moving to the C2 amp as well. Do you guys think that I should hold off and buy them as a set? I know that I will like them, but I'm not sure if both of the pieces will continue to evolve at the same rate, and I dont want to be stuck(used loosely) with an "old" piece of audio equipment that cant be used as seamlessly with a newer piece. Thanks for the input.
I'd eventually be moving to the C2 amp as well. Do you guys think that I should hold off and buy them as a set? I know that I will like them, but I'm not sure if both of the pieces will continue to evolve at the same rate, and I dont want to be stuck(used loosely) with an "old" piece of audio equipment that cant be used as seamlessly with a newer piece. Thanks for the input.
Quote:
Get the 50th Anniversary re-master if you can. The trumpet was recorded too close to the mic and comes across as rather harsh, which is fixed, somewhat, in the re-master.
| Originally Posted by mtntrance /img/forum/go_quote.gif initial impressions are I amazed. My point of reference is a Total Airhead with ERP-4s so I am a newbie. I am running HD650s and ACSS via optical from Airport Express. Everything is new and therefore not broken in. My only concern is when so far is when listening to So What from Kind of Blue the the trumpet sounds at the beginning of the first note distorted. I don't know if this is due to the phones not being broken in yet or the setup revealing stuff I had never noticed before. I am beginning to suspect its the latter. Build quality is solid and delivery was on Tuesday and he shipped on Saturday. I am already grateful I took the time to read on head-fi and went for this combo. Pictures and more impressions to follow.
|
Get the 50th Anniversary re-master if you can. The trumpet was recorded too close to the mic and comes across as rather harsh, which is fixed, somewhat, in the re-master.
Pricklely Peete
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The DAC19-DSP1 is quite a jump up the performance ladder over the Compass DAC section but at 2-3X the cost of the Compass (as a whole amp/dac unit) I would expect that. The pcm1704Uk based designs are quite a bit more refined and natural sounding (think quality analog) vs the monolithic sigma delta competition. It's tough to say if there is any common ground between the two. You won't be disappointed with the 19-DSP1 I'm willing to bet.
As for holding off buying one piece at a time or ordering the set only you can make that decision. Buying the combo saves on shipping cost which a big plus but it's a tough decision none the less. I wish you luck whatever you decide to do.
Peete.
| Originally Posted by arcer63 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am looking at getting the DAC-19 DSP-1 this year, how much better is it than the DAC in the Compass? I'm loving the Compass still, almost 7 months later. But I want to get in with the ACSS. I'd eventually be moving to the C2 amp as well. Do you guys think that I should hold off and buy them as a set? I know that I will like them, but I'm not sure if both of the pieces will continue to evolve at the same rate, and I dont want to be stuck(used loosely) with an "old" piece of audio equipment that cant be used as seamlessly with a newer piece. Thanks for the input. |
The DAC19-DSP1 is quite a jump up the performance ladder over the Compass DAC section but at 2-3X the cost of the Compass (as a whole amp/dac unit) I would expect that. The pcm1704Uk based designs are quite a bit more refined and natural sounding (think quality analog) vs the monolithic sigma delta competition. It's tough to say if there is any common ground between the two. You won't be disappointed with the 19-DSP1 I'm willing to bet.
As for holding off buying one piece at a time or ordering the set only you can make that decision. Buying the combo saves on shipping cost which a big plus but it's a tough decision none the less. I wish you luck whatever you decide to do.
Peete.
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