[Jerda]

Cause I asked audio GD about nfb11.28 some times ago and they say that with the nfb iOS isn't supported while android is supported until android 5.0 but non officially

 

[CJG888]

I'll try my iPhone with it when I get back to Europe.

 

[jaxz]

How the R2R 11 will compare against Mody Multibit? (DAC only)

 

[BWV656]

Forget what I said before. Definitely keeping it. I'll post my impressions soon.

 

[CJG888]

This thing is made for Grados.

 

[conquerator2]

Oh I am sure it sounds fabulous with most stuff

 

[CJG888]

I mean there is a quite special synergy there. Oh, and I am also almost preferring to use it as an all-in-one unit rather than using the fixed line out into my SA-31SE. It's almost as if there is a certain amount of "frequency response tailoring" at the amp end to compensate for nonlinearities in the DAC. FeedIng the SA-31, there is a certain bass-heaviness and slowness which is absent through the R2R's own headphone stage (which, by the way, seems particularly "agile"). As there is no analogue input, such "response shaping" is feasible. Anyway, it works! Compared with the SA-31 there is, however, a little treble grain, and the soundstage is clearly narrower.

We'll see how it develops as it burns in (so far, it's only had about 50 hours). Sources have been my trusty old iBasso DX50 and the Shinrico D3S (with Custom Hifi Cables DC2 linear PSU), and headphones tested have been:

Hifiman HE400i
Beyerdynamic DT880/600
Beyerdynamic DT150
Custom Grado woodies (SR225i with Cocobolo cups by Yew Woodworks).

The best result so far has been with the Shinrico as source and the custom Grados.

 

[CJG888]

For anyone looking at an integrated solution at a sensible price, I would have no hesitation in recommending the R2R-11. It really is quite a bargain at the current price.

 

[CJG888]

Itching to try this with the DT48E (but they're already packed up for the house move). Now, which packing case are they in???

 

[conquerator2]

FYI, I had the SA31SE before and I think it stretches the soundstage wider than most any other amp. The R2R11 isn't too shabby though I actually find the treble smoother overall than the SA31 but mileage does vary it seems.

 

[CJG888]

With the SA-31, for scale:

 

[TheEldestBoy]

I too am wondering how this compares to the iFi DSD Black Label.

I understand that the Black Label is more transportable. I'm wondering more how the sound compares. I'll be driving the HD 600/650's.

Can anyone comment?

And I'm wondering if one is better than the other at listening levels?

 

[TheEldestBoy]

I'm also wondering how this would compare to a Schiit stack (Magni 3 / Modi 2) ?

 

[unclebrudy]

I'm also wondering how this would compare to a Schiit stack (Magni 3 / Modi 2) ?

I can't give feedback on the iDSD Black Label (though believe me, it's on my radar and I will re-reply to this post when I do), but I can give my opinion compared to the Schiit Stack, albeit the Magni 2 Uber with the Modi 2 Uber and not the Magni 3 as you asked.

I bought a Sescom switch a while back to compare my Stack with other setups. I have a soft spot for my Stack because it was my first serious DAC/amp setup when I got into the hobby, and through countless DAC/amp auditions I've always kept it around. Frankly, I was 50/50 on selling it when I got my NFB-11, and now it's 100% going to be passed on to someone after testing it against the R2R 11.

The Stack came in handy for me as a reference point, as I found it fairly neutral with just a tad of brightness to it. In my opinion the Fulla 2 is more neutral, but it couldn't push some of my headphones so I used the Magni/Modi 2U when baselining other things. Then I got the NFB-11 and that to me was my new neutral, to a fault because I sometimes find it boring for casual listening. When doing nothing but listening to music though, it is peerless against my other gear, as it's revealing as hell.

The R2R 11, for lack of a better term, just sounds real. Honestly, I'm too new in the hobby to have the diction to properly describe it to you, but when starting my day listening to the Stack it sounds as good to me as it always has. However, if after extended listening on the R2R 11 I switch back to the Stack, it sounds cold and artificial - the word I said to myself once was it sounded digital. The R2R 11 is more enjoyable for me to listen to than both the Stack and the NFB-11, as it makes everything sound more natural and pleasant. From cymbals to vocals to guitar strums, bass drums and keyboards and everything in between, I get a sense that I'm actually listening to someone singing or playing said instrument versus listening to a really well-recorded version of it. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the R2R 11 does any better at separation/staging/resolution than the Stack, but it just sounds cleaner, more natural, and more real to me.

I'd highly recommend you check it out if you can. Sorry if my ramblings didn't make sense. =)

 

[CJG888]

The more hours I put on this thing, the better it performs as a standalone DAC (into the SA-31). It has tightened up considerably, especially in the bass.