[vrln]

I haven´t heard any of the Levinsons, but I think this is a good description of the Audio-gd house sound in the PCM1704UK series at least. The only adjective I´d add to the list is "expansive soundstage".
 
Quote:

"the sound is very mark levinson like, clear, relax, laid back and lacks a little dynamics and low power"

 

[yupoet]

Quote:

Quote from kingwa:"The CIA400 sound neutral but very slight boost the bass, so some owners think about its power is large, its sound still quite monitor."

 hmm, really agree. I am having the CIA400 to drive Audio-GD SP5. The bass is considerable a weak point --> compared to my Generic 1030a (2kUSD Monitor speakers with embed amp)
 But the bass is very very clear.

 It's just like a monitor headphone.

 

[haloxt]

Edwin said the balanced sentence was a mistake on the C-400 page.
 
Just to clarify what Kingwa was saying about the C-400.
 
"very slight boost the bass"
 
This means more bass than neutral.
 
"its sound still quite monitor"
 
Means the bass is not excessively boosted.
 
I have connected my fbi-500 (old version of c-500) to speakers with 60hz +-3dB, 33hz +-3dB, and 25hz +-3dB, and the bass was totally different on all three speakers. If you want to judge the bass on an amplifier, make sure you have a subwoofer or two that goes at least to ~30hz.
 
The power output rating by audio-gd is certainly not PMPO, but I don't know just how they measure it. I've heard it said that trying to judge the output of an amplifier with power measurements is like trying to judge the output by the weight of the amplifier. If you really want more information on it though, I would shoot a pm to pricklely_pete, I remember him once saying his audio-gd amp was very powerful and (can't remember for sure, been a while) I think he also said audio-gd's power output rating is very conservative.
 
If you want an amp with high power output rating though, audio-gd's SA300SE has a 300W x2 at 8 ohm rating. I think it's actually a better buy than the C-400 since it is balanced.

 

[Baird GoW]

Just out of curiosity how do you know what kingwa meant?

 

[haloxt]

Because I've read a lot about what Kingwa says about his gear, and had to communicate and clarify things with him while trying to touch up some of his website's grammar. I'm not responsible for the occasional crazy English you see on his site though , they have a habit of adding new tidbits here and there and revert some things all the time and I don't want to harass them too much about their grammar.

 

[ulyses]

I just finish modifying  my k702 as balanced based on castigar's guide. Everything ready now and waiting for shipment NFB10ES 

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

Because I've read a lot about what Kingwa says about his gear, and had to communicate and clarify things with him while trying to touch up some of his website's grammar. I'm not responsible for the occasional crazy English you see on his site though , they have a habit of adding new tidbits here and there and revert some things all the time and I don't want to harass them too much about their grammar.

Maybe you can explain this one for me:
 
On his site, Kingwa says (of ESS chips) "If you are afraid of flaws being revealed in music files, other gears like those applying WM8741 will be better."
 
So by "flaws" does he mean lossy compression?
 
Or the way some (even lossless) recordings relatively just sound better than others?
 

 

[haloxt]

Most likely he was referring to recording flaws, ask him yourself if you want to know for certain. There's actually a huge variety in recording quality between different lossless recordings, the worst offender today is albums that have been highly dynamically compressed.
 
Some people have suggested that lossy compression makes the music sound "better", under certain circumstances, like with gear without much dynamics or resolution, or recordings with much harshness. I would even suggest playing around with ogg vorbis codec if there's an album you really like but find too fatiguing , this is something I've experimented with and I do think lossy is fun, but I think it has no place in high fidelity. With the discontinued compass, I could see having a good percentage of your audio in lossy as the compass was about relaxed and musical sound and the effects of lossy compression weren't in opposition to such a sound signature. I still use the compass even though I have quite better gear, because the compass is so relaxing. But the current audio-gd entry level acss dac/amps are in another league when it comes to technical ability. With something like the sparrow I think the better dynamics aren't being used by lossy compressed music, and at the same time it is resolving more of the artifacts in lossy compressed music. I don't consider the sparrow "real-life" high fidelity, but I do think it is at the doorstep of such realism, so I find the idea of using lossy music on it an abominable idea .

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

Most likely he was referring to recording flaws, ask him yourself if you want to know for certain. There's actually a huge variety in recording quality between different lossless recordings, the worst offender today is albums that have been highly dynamically compressed.
 
Some people have suggested that lossy compression makes the music sound "better", under certain circumstances, like with gear without much dynamics or resolution, or recordings with much harshness. I would even suggest playing around with ogg vorbis codec if there's an album you really like but find too fatiguing , this is something I've experimented with and I do think lossy is fun, but I think it has no place in high fidelity. With the discontinued compass, I could see having a good percentage of your audio in lossy as the compass was about relaxed and musical sound and the effects of lossy compression weren't in opposition to such a sound signature. I still use the compass even though I have quite better gear, because the compass is so relaxing. But the current audio-gd entry level acss dac/amps are in another league when it comes to technical ability. With something like the sparrow I think the better dynamics aren't being used by lossy compressed music, and at the same time it is resolving more of the artifacts in lossy compressed music. I don't consider the sparrow "real-life" high fidelity, but I do think it is at the doorstep of such realism, so I find the idea of using lossy music on it an abominable idea .

 
Yes, I find that true as well.  I was 80% sure that is what Kingwa meant but asked just for good measure, on that note, I've sent them an email requesting explanation.  Sometimes it's frustrating that Edwin will answer with copy-pasted portions off the website.
 
=/
 
 

 

[ohhgourami]

I have a NFB-10ES (usb version) that I bought on the FS section coming in this week.  Very excited get it!  Is it true the usb version uses the ROC chasis?   Anyone know if this has an optical in just like the current NFB-10ES?   I plan to ditch the usb and get a usb adapter via optical cable.
 
I'm also glad that this thing pairs very well with the HE-6 as they will definitely be my next cans

 

[MrQ]

Quote:

I have a NFB-10ES (usb version) that I bought on the FS section coming in this week.  Very excited get it!  Is it true the usb version uses the ROC chasis?   Anyone know if this has an optical in just like the current NFB-10ES?   I plan to ditch the usb and get a usb adapter via optical cable.
 
I'm also glad that this thing pairs very well with the HE-6 as they will definitely be my next cans

 
Optical in yes... Number 3. 

 
Like the current one?... From the web site still number 3

 

[MrQ]

How will you link the HE6 with the NFB10?

 

[sphinxvc]

Some differences between WM version and ES version according to Kingwa (from a reply to an email query of mine):
 
On brightness:  "The NFB10ES is brighter than FUN and NFB10WM. But some NFB10ES users consider it dose not bright.  I think NFB10ES sound bright while with bright cans, like the D2000 and SR80 which is I own."
 
On fatigue:  "the fatigue is more than NFB10WM version.  NFB10WM can long time listen than NFB10ES in my mind."
 
On soundstage:  "From I listen, the NFB10WM is more soundstage than NFB10ES while use a bright cans."
 
On difference between NFB-10WM's dual WM8741 and FUN's single WM8741:  "There is a bit different. The NFB10WM is detail and powerful than FUN."

 

[ohhgourami]

Quote:

How will you link the HE6 with the NFB10?

4 pin XLR?

 

[ulyses]

I received an e-mail from Edwin today. He says TXCO will upgrade in NFB10 and if I want that upgrade, shipment will delay 15 days. Othervise they can send me immidately. I agreed that delay. Actualy I don't have any idea TXCO in NFB10. I heard that kind of upgrade for digital interface but obviously NFB10 does too.