Audio-Gd Master 7 - Discrete Fully Balanced DAC (PCM1704)

[Benny-x]

This is interesting because just as you were writing this I was making a mental reminder to ask you today how the new gear is going.

My 8 year old M7 paired with the new DI-20HE has made me aware of how good a dac can sound and I have the upgrade bug again. I am going to use the tired cliché about hearing long favorite albums for the first time but it has happened.

I recently got a pair of the very neutral Hifiman HE6se and it just digs deep into what the M7 can deliver. Together they bring out the small finer details and texture of musical instruments that draws you in and keeps you listening. I would try one song in an album just to take a listen and next be at the beginning, sitting back to enjoy the whole thing.

And so now we have a new modern and HE version M7 to consider. Nice to hear!

I know you're talking about the new'ish'ly released HE-6se, but talking about listening to the Audio-gd M7 + HiFiMAN HE-6 is like nabbing the best of Chi-Fi from when things hadn't quite gone bonkers yet on that scene back 8-10 years ago. It's nice reading that, I lived through that head-fi time too and was much newer to the hobby, so all those pieces of gear still hold a special spot in my heart~ They really did offer some amazing pieces back then, there's just a million more of them now and some real show-stoppers.

I had the original Audio-gd Phoenix amp back then, it was the precursor to the Master-# series amps that led to the Master-9HE now. I haven't kept up with the Audio-gd amps, though. I found the Master Series amps took a drier turn and I went after some different brands later. The Phoenix is a great pre-amp, though, so I still haven't let it go, and I've still got my HiFiMAN 4-screw HE-6s too

 

[Benny-x]

After 5 wks the HE7 MK2 is all but broken in. Kingwa's f/w upgrade (PLL_N) is sounding very, very good. I cannot get enough of the HE7 MK2 and look forward each morning to turning on the music system. Internal synchronous USB sounding excellent as well as DI20HE over I2S. Hope I don't wake up from this dream of bliss!

HE7 MK2 is extremely dynamic and similar to the old M7s with low jitter source. The R7HE MK2 is not quite as lively but perhaps more accurate. The older M7s sound much warmer in comparison to the HE7 MK2. But the HE7 has better everything... depth, imaging, bass, clear vocals, silky highs. The MK2 electronics add so much precision to the sound that is hard to argue the benefits of the older DACs.

The HE7 MK2 is highly recommended.

I still find it amazing that you've chronicled your impressions, HW and SW updates, and other experiences for like the entire Audio-gd Ref/Master DAC timeline. It has been a seriously long amount of time, and I'm still following it! Thanks a lot.

 

[DACLadder]

@Benny-x Yeah it has been over 8 yrs for me as well with the original Master 7. My speaker system was built around that DAC. And I still use the M7 in my computer setup. Upgraded of course but that DAC has been a constant companion over the years and a great value. And sounding better than ever.

Year over year KIngwa's DAC equipment offerings get incrementally better. String enough small upgrades together and you have major sound quality differences.

Around 2015 I purchased the Audio GD M10 amp. At the time liked my tube gear better plus the M10 was so large I did not have space or strength to move it around. In 2020 durning Covid isolation I pulled my speaker gear out of the closet and setup with the M10 amp. Long story short... the M10 was not even broken in! Took another 3-4 months for the old amp to open up!

 

[DACLadder]

The Master 7 MK2 is released... http://www.audio-gd.com/Master/M7MK2/M7MK2EN.htm

I can't tell you how much I love the HE7 MK2. The excitement is much like when first receiving the old M7 and waking up each day looking forward to morning audio. Kingwa's latest firmware package (PLL_N) is sounding great. Even the old S7 I modified 2020 digital board is sounding better with PLL_N. Amazing these old DAC technologies are still relevant.

 

[PeterCraig]

Any ideas on what makes the Master 7 MK2 and the S7 different?

 

[DACLadder]

Off the top of my head... Among the changes the MK2 digital board has major power supply changes. Less class-A supplies and more local chip regulators near the individual circuits. Lower power supply noise is the intended result. The MK2 USB and I2S adapters outputs are isolated (compared to 2020 and earlier). The USB adapter runs asynchronously (and sounds very good). Also the MK2 I/O adapters are hard wired to the digital board instead of flying wires improving signal integrity.

The older Singularity digital board uses exclusively red Wima type caps for bypassing the power supplies of the digital electronics. The MK2 digital board instead employs a lot of ceramic SMD caps which are more appropriate for bypassing digital electronics (near the chips). The ceramic caps have lower impedance and much less inductance. Ceramics are lousy for analog but very good for digital circuits. Also older Singularity digital board use a lot of through hole resistors where the MK2 has smaller size SMD resistors. The smaller resistor packages have less inductance and can be placed closer to intended parts simplifying/ optimizing circuit layout. Again good for digital circuits.

The analog boards change as well. The new M7 MK2 analog outputs reuse a lot of circuits used by the R7 MK2. The analog board I2S feeds from the digital board have a shorter path to the PCM1704 chips. Power changes as well on the analog boards. Lower noise.

Just looking over the MK2 digital board compared to the Singularity you can see the circuit layout is much simpler and more direct. The signals, like clocks, have been optimized for better signal integrity. Shorter paths.

And the MK2 electronics run cooler. M7 MK2 uses 35W of power versus 48W for the last Singularity 7 specs I can find.

I'm sure I left something off. Plus other features like sampling rate display, external 10M capability, etc.

 

[PeterCraig]

Pretty good for just off the top of your head.

Daylight savings must have really helped you wake up this morning.

Probably/maybe the last chance ever to get a PCM1704UK dac.

 

[DACLadder]

I think Kingwa will have PCM1704 chips for a while. He told me he could easily build 100 M7s. I can’t see many people buying PCM1704 chips for DIY. May be wrong.

The M7/HE7 MK2s will be available for some time. But the way consumer prices are escalating they may cost more in the future.

 

[Steven Green]

@DACLadder

On the bass response for the R-7HE MK2 vs HE-7 MK2 which one will you prefer for electronic music like Dance, Trance Techno etc.? - I like when bass hits hard/tight and brutal like a slam hammer. :-D

 

[PeterCraig]

I feel it's going to be the R7 but I can say my old M7 with the DI-20HE as the front end hits with a pretty solid hammer for electronic music that is recorded with a hammer. In fact I'm impressed with the bass extension with electronic music especially when it has to be tight as a drum all the way down.

 

[PeterCraig]

@DACLadder

On the bass response for the R-7HE MK2 vs HE-7 MK2 which one will you prefer for electronic music like Dance, Trance Techno etc.? - I like when bass hits hard/tight and brutal like a slam hammer. :-D

I see you have the DI-20HE feeding your Denon SACD player. Any comments on which sounds better - a ripped SACD played via the DI-20HE through the dac on your Denon, or playing the SACD disc directly on the Denon.

 

[DACLadder]

@DACLadder
On the bass response for the R-7HE MK2 vs HE-7 MK2 which one will you prefer for electronic music like Dance, Trance Techno etc.? - I like when bass hits hard/tight and brutal like a slam hammer. :-D

That would be the R7HE mk2. The HE7 mk2 has plenty of bass also but is warmer. The R7HE mk2 is slightly cleaner with a touch more detail/ transparency. The R7… can be more revealing but not as forgiving on margin recordings, poor/ mismatched cables, and bad hardware. But glorious sounding when dialed up.

Both these DACs are very dynamic - tight bass and rhythmic. Clean highs. And in many ways they sound similar. It is easy on the ears to swap out either DAC.

 

[Steven Green]

I see you have the DI-20HE feeding your Denon SACD player. Any comments on which sounds better - a ripped SACD played via the DI-20HE through the dac on your Denon, or playing the SACD disc directly on the Denon.

The sound is definitely better over DI-20HE from my laptop with Foobar2000 as a player for my ripped CD’s in .wav files (the same quality as on the CD) than it is over a CD/SACD transport. I even had the Pioneer PD-95 that have one of, if not the world best drive mechanism and it still not sounding better than over a good USB-interface if you look on the transparency of the music. I only use my Denon DCD-SA1 for its very good sounding DAC because it has digital inputs. It uses two PCM1792 DAC chips and are fully balanced on the output stage so it is possible for me to hold the balanced signal all the way to my speaker because my Denon PMA-SA1 amplifier are true balanced from input to output.

That’s why I’m thinking of replacing my Denon DAC/CD player with the Audio-GD DAC’s because my impressions of the sound of my DI-20HE is so good plus the Audio-GD DAC's are also fully balanced on the output stage.

 

[Steven Green]

That would be the R7HE mk2. The HE7 mk2 has plenty of bass also but is warmer. The R7HE mk2 is slightly cleaner with a touch more detail/ transparency. The R7… can be more revealing but not as forgiving on margin recordings, poor/ mismatched cables, and bad hardware. But glorious sounding when dialed up.

Both these DACs are very dynamic - tight bass and rhythmic. Clean highs. And in many ways they sound similar. It is easy on the ears to swap out either DAC.

Thanks. - That sounds like I will like the R7HE DAC for that music I listen to. :-D

 

[DACLadder]

@Steven Green You may like the HE7 mk2 as well. But for modern, high dynamic range, and extended frequency response the R7HE is the one to try for techno.