[Jerry O]

Quote:

Hi Jerry,
 
I am more than happy running the HE-6 from the NFB-10 with one caveat - the stock earpads, either of them sounded too bright and treble forward - IMO this amp is neutral (in my completely unguided opinion) meaning that it will not smooth the transients or colour the frequency response.  This is though because of the HE-6 and not the amp IMO.
 
With STAX 007 mkii pads though, I find the sound perfectly balanced.  The amplifier has plenty of gain in high gain and plenty of power as well.  Bass is well defined, taught and has good impact when called for it.  Midrange is very detailed, treble well extended and soundstage is also excellent, as is imaging.  IMO it is excellent value for the price - however others have tried the Schiit Lyr and preferred that, but I have not been so lucky, but I intend to compare these later.  If you search the thread back a couple of months there was discussion of the Lyr vs the NFB-10 driving the LCD-2.
 
Unfortunately though I cannot compare NFB-10 to Lyr driving the HE-6 as I think that would be the real question here.  I will also have another amplifier in a few weeks to compare HE-6 with so hopefully I can speak with greater authority then.  To sum up, I find the combo with stock pads bright, but very good with 007 mkii earpads, and have not listened to much other gear so cannot say if there is anything else that is better or not.  Good luck with your decision!
 
 
EDIT: More caveats - I am usig the NFB-10 with John Kenny mk3 USB transport, as well as the optional DIR9001 digitial input receiver, which I also recommend.

 
 
Drez, thank you for your advice. I didnt realized earpads impact sound so big  and now I have more concept what its like to paire -10SE with HE6. I am thinking that if HE6 is bright itself, maybe a tube amp is more suitable. I need to revisit related threads in order to understand more.
 
ANyway, thanks a lot for all your inputs, including the DIR9001 thing, I will consider it seriouely.
 
 
 

 
 

 

[HD595]

Anyone has any comments on the new TE8802 USB (async) implementation?
http://audio-gd.com/Pro/dac/TE8802/TE8802EN.htm
I am wondering whether to upgrade my 10SE with the TE8802 kit in the end of May.
One piece of warning Audio-gd posts is that high bit rate TE8802 requires a beefy computer in the first place. Isn't that the job of the TE8802 to provide higher processing load rather than hinging on host computer's CPU?

 

[drez]

Quote:

Anyone has any comments on the new TE8802 USB (async) implementation?
http://audio-gd.com/Pro/dac/TE8802/TE8802EN.htm
I am wondering whether to upgrade my 10SE with the TE8802 kit in the end of May.
One piece of warning Audio-gd posts is that high bit rate TE8802 requires a beefy computer in the first place. Isn't that the job of the TE8802 to provide higher processing load rather than hinging on host computer's CPU?

The audio stream still has to go through the CPU, and hopefully the driver and/or the OS processor scheduling do their part to ensure very low latency for the stream.  Ideally the TE8802 would have a large enough buffer to iron out any latency spikes, but if your system is very slow then often latency spikes in the audio stream will outstrip the buffer, and this can happen with any transport (used to happen with my HiFace too.)  Personally if find that not only processor matters, but also memory latency and amount, as well as the playback software you are using, what is running in the background, bitperfect streaming method etc.
 
I think I will upgrade my NFB-10 SE also, will probably be worth it IMO as asynch will reduce the variable of the USB clock.  Would be interesting to see if it can perform better than my JK mk3 HiFace.

 

[Ssang]

Hi there,
 
I didnt read so much stuff on the Musical Fidelity M1 HPA here, but the few impressions i read about it were quite good.
 
I can have the HPA for the exact same price as the NFB-10SE. Both units will be used as a headphone amp and build-in DAC through my computer USB. (Or maybe just as an headphone amp because i have an Asus STX soundcard, which migh be a better alternative as a DAC, i will figure out by myself). On the paper, the NFB-10 have a signifcant lead with the asyncrhonous USB mode. But as i said, it might be useless if i use my STX as a DAC with coax.
 
Anyways, did you guy had the chance to do some comparisons between the M1HPA and the NFB-10SE ? I will be using them with a Denon D5000 and maybe, in the near future, with beyerdynamic T1 (or LCD2, still wondering
 
I could think about the burson HA-160DS too, as it is only 200€ more, but i read here and there that it was not as versatile as the M1.
 

 

[Thran]

I would honestly pick the NFB over either of those just because of the actual documentation to what is INSIDE of it. A few major things that should be told to you tho is that if you are going for something with an external dac USE THAT over anything that is put inside of your PC that alone will have leaps and bounds of SQ improvement because of noise floor.
 
That m1hpa looks suspicious to me just for the fact it does not even talk about the dac that it uses just about the headphone amp. There are no real reviews from non bias sources (that I could find).
 
The choice is yours tho but just make sure not to purchase one of these units and then use your soundcard that is in your PC case.

 

[HD595]

Quote:

Hi there,
 
I didnt read so much stuff on the Musical Fidelity M1 HPA here, but the few impressions i read about it were quite good.
 
I can have the HPA for the exact same price as the NFB-10SE. Both units will be used as a headphone amp and build-in DAC through my computer USB. (Or maybe just as an headphone amp because i have an Asus STX soundcard, which migh be a better alternative as a DAC, i will figure out by myself). On the paper, the NFB-10 have a signifcant lead with the asyncrhonous USB mode. But as i said, it might be useless if i use my STX as a DAC with coax.
 
Anyways, did you guy had the chance to do some comparisons between the M1HPA and the NFB-10SE ? I will be using them with a Denon D5000 and maybe, in the near future, with beyerdynamic T1 (or LCD2, still wondering
 
I could think about the burson HA-160DS too, as it is only 200€ more, but i read here and there that it was not as versatile as the M1.
 

Unfortunately you cannot bypass NFB-10's DAC and use it as a standalone amp. Secondly NFB-10 gives you more input choices. I would try fiber or coaxial after I upgrade my old computer who has USB digital out only. And NFB-10 gives you true balanced output which is what I am listening through. I can't blame you if you are not going with these extra features during your practical usage. Shouldn't you compare M1 with NFB-5? 
 
 

 

[HD595]

Quote:

The audio stream still has to go through the CPU, and hopefully the driver and/or the OS processor scheduling do their part to ensure very low latency for the stream.  Ideally the TE8802 would have a large enough buffer to iron out any latency spikes, but if your system is very slow then often latency spikes in the audio stream will outstrip the buffer, and this can happen with any transport (used to happen with my HiFace too.)  Personally if find that not only processor matters, but also memory latency and amount, as well as the playback software you are using, what is running in the background, bitperfect streaming method etc.
 
I think I will upgrade my NFB-10 SE also, will probably be worth it IMO as asynch will reduce the variable of the USB clock.  Would be interesting to see if it can perform better than my JK mk3 HiFace.

Good education here. Thanks.
I just wish Audio-gd be more specific about the computer specs. How would I know whether my computer could be too slow to use TE8802 before buying it? That warning note definitely saves their butts which I can't really blame them. The last thing I want *FOR NOW* is to start a "chain reaction" such that I would need a new computer after getting TE8802... I would definitely equip the new computer with fiber or coaxial digital out which defeats the purpose of TE8802 upgrade.
Your MK3 USB spec looks golden, i.e. 32/384 Async. It would be hard to AB them, wouldn't it?

 
 

 

[painter]

I am afraid to order the TE8802 USB (async) implementation until I at least see a windows driver distributed,   anyone else feel the same?   
 
I've been waiting on a non upsampled (ie non- DAcMagic Plus) Wm8741 24/192 asynch usb DAC with selectable filters for a while.   Audiogd claims they have the technology now but the lack of a windows driver has me concerned,  no response to email. 
 
Anyone in the know about the TE8802 firmware?  I know there is a means to get a windows UAC2 driver to work by hacking the Theyscon but I'd prefer not to do that (also it was debugged around an Xmos.)  I really hope this works out because my limited experience with asynch usb is that the earlier TE chips  handle the clock better (and subjectively sound better.)  One thing for sure Kingwa has good ears so I was excited to see he picked the TE8802.

 

[HD595]

Quote:

I am afraid to order the TE8802 USB (async) implementation until I at least see a windows driver distributed,   anyone else feel the same?   

http://www.audio-gd.com/AudiogdUSBdriversforwin.zip

 

[tme110]

I thought I remembered there being pictures on the AGD site about how to load the driver...
 
Quote:

http://www.audio-gd.com/AudiogdUSBdriversforwin.zip

 

 

[painter]

Quote:

I thought I remembered there being pictures on the AGD site about how to load the driver...
 


 

Thanyou, thankyou  this is awesome, audio-gd asynch usb.
 
I am upgrading from a NFB-12.   I have to ask as this is a chunk of change,  but my complaint with the NFB12 is the bass is a tad mushy.  I assume the bass guitar and bass drum reproduction is an uprage with the 10SE ?   
 

 

[tim3320070]

10SE is a rather nice upgrade from the 12 (I did this change). If you're planning on using IEM's with it, consider the lower gain version.
 
The improvements are that everything seems to "open up". Just more fidelity and nuance in the sound.

 

[steve2151]

Tim, I see that you have a Master 6 and Reference 8 as well. In your opinion, is the dac or amp in the NFB-10 better? I'm thinking of picking up an amplifier upgrade and was wondering if I should sell the NFB-10 or hang on to it and use it as a dac. 

 

[DarknightDK]

Quote:

Tim, I see that you have a Master 6 and Reference 8 as well. In your opinion, is the dac or amp in the NFB-10 better? I'm thinking of picking up an amplifier upgrade and was wondering if I should sell the NFB-10 or hang on to it and use it as a dac. 

i do not think the 10SE would be better than the Master 6 or Ref 8 in anyway. Kingwa designs and prices his products accordingly, from low, medium and high end range.

 

[tim3320070]

Quote:

Tim, I see that you have a Master 6 and Reference 8 as well. In your opinion, is the dac or amp in the NFB-10 better? I'm thinking of picking up an amplifier upgrade and was wondering if I should sell the NFB-10 or hang on to it and use it as a dac. 

Probably the DAC but both are great IMO. If you are doing away with the amp section, personally I would sell the 10SE and get the NFB-17.