[stephennic]

Hi,
Has anyone else tried this mod on the 15.32, was it hard to get the plug off and did it have any affect sonically? Thanks
Cheers
Steve.

 

[spurxiii]

Quote:

Hi,
Has anyone else tried this mod on the 15.32, was it hard to get the plug off and did it have any affect sonically? Thanks
Cheers
Steve.

Did the mod, I didn't noticed a big sonic difference, but sounded slightly more detailed however it could just be placebo (expecting a change). I spent less than 5 minutes ABing. The mod was easy although there was a silicone like glue holding the optical power pin, anyhow i was easy to pull out and just left there hanging. Sorry this is the first DAC I've ever used so not much experience.

 

[doublea71]

  Did the mod, I didn't noticed a big sonic difference, but sounded slightly more detailed however it could just be placebo (expecting a change). I spent less than 5 minutes ABing. The mod was easy although there was a silicone like glue holding the optical power pin, anyhow i was easy to pull out and just left there hanging. Sorry this is the first DAC I've ever used so not much experience.

 It's a shame this thread has died down...guess everybody is too busy enjoying their gear.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Considering swapping out my Essence STX (AD797BRs) for the NFB 15.32, wondering if anyone else here has done the swap and noticed an improvement in audio quality?
(I will use my old Xonar DX with an optical connection to the Audio_GD)

 

[genclaymore]

When I originally swapped from the Xonar STX to a NFB12.0 I did notice improvement and was glad,But I don't recall which op-amps I was using in the Xonar STX.at the time. The good thing about it, i could enjoy music again without going on a op-amp rolling Frenzy.

 

[SaLX]

  When I originally swapped from the Xonar STX to a NFB12.0 I did notice improvement and was glad,But I don't recall which op-amps I was using in the Xonar STX.at the time. The good thing about it, i could enjoy music again without going on a op-amp rolling Frenzy.

genclaymore - could you please qualify that: what exactly is the difference in sound quality from the Essence ST(X) to the Audio-GD? I too pondered getting a digital only Dac/Amp connected to a soundcard (Dac/Amp being the NFB 12 or 15 series; roughly the same but using different DAC's).
 
I've read anecdotal comments  - that the soundcard is better than the Audio-GD, and vice versa. Confusing. if we're talking about 5% better SQ either way then......... mmmmmm

 

[PurpleAngel]

  genclaymore - could you please quantify that: what exactly is the difference in sound quality from the Essence ST(X) to the Audio-GD? I too pondered getting a digital only Dac/Amp connected to a sound card (Dac/Amp being the NFB 12 or 15 series; roughly the same but using different DAC's).
 
I've read anecdotal comments  - that the sound card is better than the Audio-GD, and vice versa. Confusing. if we're talking about 5% better SQ either way then......... mmmmmm

As one of the others looking at getting the Audio-GD NFB-15.32, I'm fairly sure the 15.32 will sound better then my Essence STX,
I'm guessing Audio-GD had the option of using the STX/ST DAC chip (PCM1792A DAC chip) instead of the dual WM8741s and would have used whichever sounds better (dual WM8741).
Also the 15.32 does not have to deal with any internal electrical noise that might be inside the computer case.

 

[genclaymore]

I couldn't say exactly how much as it was years ago when I left the STX for the NFB 12.0, but I still recall that I was glad that I switched to it. Beside it stopping my op-amp  rolling madness I had.

 

[SaLX]

It's so difficult to pin down people and get them to commit to a real comparison.
 
I'll quote a great guy Nassq8 from Kuwait (whom I had a private convo with - very helpful and kind - and he knows his stuff). This is what he posted here in Head-Fi publicly so I hope you don't mind me reproducing this here:

Classic, vocal, Arabic string instruments, Hanz Zimmer made soundtracks (flacs) > Xonar Essence STX > HP line out> Hi-Fi Mode, 2 channels > HE-500 = indescribable sensations

Games > Xonar Essence STX HP line out> Dolby HP mode 6 channels > HE-500 = never ending fun.

PS: I have NFB-15.32 and E09. Barely use them when having Xonar Essence STX. High quality sound card. Nothing's better IMHO, and for HE-500, it is like sticking speakers over your ears, incredible HP.

He's since gone on to the top end Burson and LCD3's; also he backed up further what he thought of the STX v NFB.
 
Again, If people can please at least supply some relative comparisons that would be superb.

 

[genclaymore]

I don't have a STX on hand to do a direct comparison to my NFB 15.32 with my DT880 premium 600 while building up the collection of op-amps again, I was going on based on memory, Other wise I would use it again to comment better. I do know I didn't like it sound signature of the JRC's in the i/V's When I had a AKG 702 which I always changed to LT1364 or the DT880 pro-250 which I changed to OPA2111AM.  The thing which he does not mention is if he changed the op-amp from the JRC's to a different op-amp. That info is very important. If he still around might wanna ask him if he changed the op-amps,so you have all of the info. But then people ears are different, it might sound like that to him if hes using the stock op-amps, but to some one else it might sound totally different, including with different pair of headphones because of their sound signature as the results may varies based on the headphones that are used with the stock op-amps,If the stock op-amps was used.  The thing you can send Dolby headphone thru out Optical/Coa into a external dac amp, so you can keep the features of the sound card, while getting the functions of the external dac amp.
 
 
Now I not good with explaining how every thing sounds my DT880 premiums 600 are not burned in yet since I got them 3 days ago, but the NFB 15.32 with my DT880 premium 600ohm's Sound clean you can hear every thing cleanly and hear alot of details, The mid sounds good to me and the bass is accurate and tight, there is no muddy or any thing. The highs does not hurt my ears I don't really know how to explain the highs that well or the mids. The sound stage is very nice and I glad my DT880 premium 600ohm is working very nicely with my NFB 15.32.  I am using  The Digital Filter settings Whch are Os 8 and Filter 2 which  is 8x Oversampling,Minimum Phase Apodising filter, and I using High amp gain. When I had the A900X connected I used the Default filtering settings. THe only thing i remember about the A900x's with it is that the bass hit hard while being accurate and not boomy or muddy. it didn't bleed into the sound and it had a some what big sound stage for a closed back headphone, it did a good job for songs that had a lot of singing in it.
 
 
I can't realy explain how it sound while gaming to sum it up its very amazing, Totally different then how it was with the A900X's this was without any virtual headphone, I have use Razer surround software with my NFB15.32 and the software does a very good job, when the software is working correctly, I do have a sound card pluged into the Coaxial on my NFB15.32 but for recording reasons as in working ASIO. The Razer software works better then the Xear gear surround that comes with the sound card at-least.  I do know how good Dolby headphone works, back with the STX and Dobly headphone, when I was using the AKG 702 with different op-amps, and DH does a great job when config correctly.

 

[SaLX]

Gen.. any chance you could say which one is better: Stock STX or the NFB-15? Great post by the way and thank you.

 

[genclaymore]

The NFB 15.32 would be the better of the Two.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Anyone ever regret buying the Audio-GD NFB-15.32?
Maybe felt they they were not getting their money's worth?

 

[genclaymore]

I don't regret it at all, I very much glad that i bought it as I enjoying mine. I would had regret getting something else, but Not the NFB 15.32. I know I getting my money worth and even more. It's usb input having full blu ray audio is a big plus for me since I watch blu rays on my computer thru my blu ray drive.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  I don't regret it at all, I very much glad that i bought it as I enjoying mine. I would had regret getting something else, but Not the NFB 15.32. I know I getting my money worth and even more. It's usb input having full Blu ray audio is a big plus for me since I watch Blu-rays on my computer thru my Blu ray drive.

Are you getting Headphone Surround Sound thru the USB? if so, how?