[Telin]

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Diagnosis:
Power off a DAC and unplug power cord. Unplug USB cable. Use a multimeter and measure resistance between body of USB connector and a chassis (screw heads). If resistance is 0, and it is stable (pushing a socket body all sides do not break connection), then it doesn't need further attention. No contact or intermittent contact is probably giving all trouble.

Measured my unit and I get a good solid connection between the body of the USB connector and the chassis (also measured directly to the ground pin of the PSU) with a resistance of about 22 mΩ.
Therefor I don't have high hopes the fix will do anything for my problem but I might pull out my solder iron nonetheless eventually when I have some spare time.

 

[Telin]

Thank you and appreciate the link and explanation. if it's as simple like inserting a SSD into its holding slot, I would think it's an upgrade i can try on my 11.38 first before getting the R2R11.

Can't tell from the Magna Hifi or Audiophonics product page if the Amanero board comes with the ribbon/interface cable soldered on.
It is a simple unscrew 2 screws and detach the cable connector from your Audio-GD unit and replace it with the new board if the Amanero board comes indeed with the cable, shouldn't take more than 5 minutes.

If they sell just the bare Amanero board... well then you're in for a bit of a challenge.
In my unit at least (see picture below) the cable is soldered and glued to the Amanero board. I have not tried, and i will not try, but that glue might be quite the pain in the **** to remove when desoldering the ribbon/interface cable. Without the glue desoldering the cable and resoldering it to the new board is still a bit more involving but nothing really complicated or difficult (mind the orientation though).

I would shoot Rob from Magna Hifi a message with the question if the Amanero boards they sell comes with the interface cable or not. Rob is a nice guy and usually replies pretty fast to questions. You might even get them to pre-solder the interface cable on the Amanero board if it doesn't come with it by default.
Else it will depend on your skills with the soldering iron and how much you really want to replace the Amanero board.

 

[sajunky]

Can't tell from the Magna Hifi or Audiophonics product page if the Amanero board comes with the ribbon/interface cable soldered on.
It is a simple unscrew 2 screws and detach the cable connector from your Audio-GD unit and replace it with the new board if the Amanero board comes indeed with the cable, shouldn't take more than 5 minutes.

If they sell just the bare Amanero board... well then you're in for a bit of a challenge.
In my unit at least (see picture below) the cable is soldered and glued to the Amanero board. I have not tried, and i will not try, but that glue might be quite the pain in the **** to remove when desoldering the ribbon/interface cable. Without the glue desoldering the cable and resoldering it to the new board is still a bit more involving but nothing really complicated or difficult (mind the orientation though).

I would shoot Rob from Magna Hifi a message with the question if the Amanero boards they sell comes with the interface cable or not. Rob is a nice guy and usually replies pretty fast to questions. You might even get them to pre-solder the interface cable on the Amanero board if it doesn't come with it by default.
Else it will depend on your skills with the soldering iron and how much you really want to replace the Amanero board.

^^^This.

When you speak to a Magna HiFi, don't forget to point out for which DAC model is a replacement. On the other thread @FredA wrote that for different DACs pinout of the connector can be different.

 

[Dailydrive]

they sell just the bare Amanero board... well then you're in for a bit of a challenge.
In my unit at least (see picture below) the cable is soldered and glued to the Amanero board. I have not tried, and i will not try, but that glue might be quite the pain in the **** to remove when desoldering the ribbon/interface cable. Without the glue desoldering the cable and resoldering it to the new board is still a bit more involving but nothing really complicated or difficult (mind the orientation though).
...
.... else it will depend on your skills with the soldering iron and how much you really want to replace the Amanero board.

Hope it's not too complicate. Foolish me to think it's just a plug & play.
If it's just a marginal improvement with this new board, maybe I'll just make do with orignal. Lazy me.
maybe I'll look at other used NOS R2R DAC Preamp like Metrum Jade. The preloved R11 I'm eyeing pass thru a few ownerships (it's serial no gives the game away) which I have concerns. Maybe just bite the bullet & get new, although not sure if R2r11 is something I will like, as I read NOS is an acquired taste to appreciate the musicality it brings.

 

[sajunky]

Hope it's not too complicate. Foolish me to think it's just a plug & play.
If it's just a marginal improvement with this new board, maybe I'll just make do with orignal. Lazy me.
maybe I'll look at other used NOS R2R DAC Preamp like Metrum Jade. The preloved R11 I'm eyeing pass thru a few ownerships (it's serial no gives the game away) which I have concerns. Maybe just bite the bullet & get new, although not sure if R2r11 is something I will like, as I read NOS is an acquired taste to appreciate the musicality it brings.

A ribbon cable is soldered and glued around wires on the Amanero module, but on the other side there is a socket which just plugs into a motherboard. It is why it is plug & play. Photo attached by the @Telin confirm it (a white 6-contact socket). Here is a photo inside of my R2R-11, you will notice a 5-contact socket, which means a replacement is only plug & play when ordered for your DAC model. To unplug you have to release latches on both sides of the socket frame (pulling out from inside in a place a frame opens). A second photo shows location of the two latches, it is not obvious when looking at a mated parts.

If you look carefully at a photo of my socket (it is early model), you will notice a yellow glue around a socket, You need to use a workshop knife to cut a glue first, otherwise it won't unplug easy. It is why you heard complains about glued sockets.

 

[Dailydrive]

Should I get new from AGD, my instructions to kingwa would be : "do not glue the socket to the motherboard"

 

[sajunky]

Should I get new from AGD, my instructions to kingwa would be : "do not glue the socket to the motherboard"

Funny, but:
1. Socket is always glued (soldered) to a motherboard. It is a plug that shouldn't.
2. Only early models come with glued plugs and (worse) jumpers. The one on the @Telin motherboard is not glued (check on the photo).

 

[Dailydrive]

May I know the sonic differences, if any, between the 2 Amanero boards?

 

[Telin]

So I had a little chat with Rob from Magna Hifi..

First of all @Dailydrive according to Rob the Amanero board @sajunky linked to is the same that comes with the NFB-11.38 / R2R11 by default. So no point in buying the Amanero board just to replace it with the same one. Upgrade path might be to purchase the isolator add-on combination but then the board won't fit into the chassis of the NFB-11.38 / R2R11 anymore.

That being said Rob did say that it is no problem to pre-solder the interface cable to the Amanero board on request when supplied with clear picture of the motherboard connector so they can solder the interface cable in the correct pin lay-out, which seems to differ per model.

 

[Dailydrive]

Thank you Telin and appreciate your check with MagnaHifi. I had the impression that the link Sajunky provide was for Amanero module with Crystek CCHD-575 clock (maybe I misread him again), while AGD Amanero 384 module on R11 (& NFB 11.38? ) is applied with C33xx clocks....perhaps R2R11 as a pure NOS design DAC is not sensitivity to the jitter, and while upgrading the clocks on the Amanero should improve on sound but the different is not large as OS DAC, as I understood from Mr Kingwa.

 

[Telin]

Thank you Telin and appreciate your check with MagnaHifi. I had the impression that the link Sajunky provide was for Amanero module with Crystek CCHD-575 clock (maybe I misread him again), while AGD Amanero 384 module on R11 (& NFB 11.38? ) is applied with C33xx clocks....perhaps R2R11 as a pure NOS design DAC is not sensitivity to the jitter, and while upgrading the clocks on the Amanero should improve on sound but the different is not large as OS DAC, as I understood from Mr Kingwa.

I honestly don't know, I'm just the messenger here that passes through what Rob said to me.

You might want to contact then directly yourself if you want to clear things up.

 

[sajunky]

Thank you Telin and appreciate your check with MagnaHifi. I had the impression that the link Sajunky provide was for Amanero module with Crystek CCHD-575 clock (maybe I misread him again), while AGD Amanero 384 module on R11 (& NFB 11.38? ) is applied with C33xx clocks....perhaps R2R11 as a pure NOS design DAC is not sensitivity to the jitter, and while upgrading the clocks on the Amanero should improve on sound but the different is not large as OS DAC, as I understood from Mr Kingwa.

C33 series is not low phase noise type, website says "2 Low Phase Noise Crystek 24.5760Mhz & 22.5792Mhz". I don't know other low phase noise Crystek HCMOS in the 7x5mm package. On the other side a photo shows a standard type from SCTF, similar are found on my Amanero board. It is conflicting.

A photo Telin posted shows one Accusilicon oscilator in DIP-14 package on the main board, it could be a low phase version Kingwa use in a higher priced DACs. Oscilators on the Amanero board cannot be identified due to the reflection. @Telin, can you post a photo of oscilators? It can be true that DS DACs are supplied with low phase noise oscilators.

It looks like that we have to enquire individually for our DAC model. I didn't do, as I am not ready to place an order yet.

 

[Dailydrive]

Er..., not self depreciating but that's too technical to a simpleton me which I'll not bug Mr Kingwa with because I don't even understand the question itself to put across to him.

 

[Dailydrive]

I honestly don't know, I'm just the messenger here that passes through what Rob said to me.

You might want to contact then directly yourself if you want to clear things up.

Roger that although I have not decide but keep open mind, including other makes of NOS R2R, or juz help those affected by commie virus.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Well, nearly 2 weeks after my 1st email to Audio GD re price to ship a new R2 11, and a follow up email 3 days ago -- no reply.

I can only guess they no longer have stock and are ignoring emails like mine...? If that's the issue, it's not great customer service, particularly as I told them I own or owned 4 AGD products & am a believer in their gear.