[AVU]

Can you cite some reviewers on Head-fi who have compared the Maverick to these other dacs - the NuForce HDP, the Matrix Mini-i or Cube, the Apogee Duet?  I'd love to see those.
 
Given that so few people have even heard the NFB-2/3 against one of these dacs, let alone compared it to all of them, this sounds pretty much like a case of "I bought it, so it better be the best."  
 
But given that this is a NFB-2/3 forum, I'll leave it alone.  I love my Audio-Gd Sparrow A (8471) and am certainly thinking about the NFB-2/3, although i was hoping to get something with the new Sabre32 ES9018 chip, like many of the new higher end DACs are using these days...

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

Can you cite some reviewers on Head-fi who have compared the Maverick to these other dacs - the NuForce HDP, the Matrix Mini-i or Cube, the Apogee Duet?  I'd love to see those.

 
Given that so few people have even heard the NFB-2/3 against one of these dacs, let alone compared it to all of them, this sounds pretty much like a case of "I bought it, so it better be the best."  
 
But given that this is a NFB-2/3 forum, I'll leave it alone.  I love my Audio-Gd Sparrow A (8471) and am certainly thinking about the NFB-2/3, although i was hoping to get something with the new Sabre32 ES9018 chip, like many of the new higher end DACs are using these days...

 
There's no need to be cynical.  

The NFB-2 competes with (or bests) the following DACs according to the research I did before I pulled the trigger: Stagedac, Stello DA100, PS Audio DL III.  I hunted down and spoke to people who compared those DACs w/ each other or with the NFB-2 first hand.  By all reports, the Dacmagic does not even compare to the stock non-cullen-modded DL IIIs or DA100s.  In fact alot of people upgraded from the Dacmagic to one of those older DACs.

 

[Mambosenior]

Quote:

Can you cite some reviewers on Head-fi who have compared the Maverick to these other dacs - the NuForce HDP, the Matrix Mini-i or Cube, the Apogee Duet?  I'd love to see those.

 I own the Maverick D1 and the NFB-3.
 
The D1 is an good Dac for the money and also has a good headphone amp (powers my HD-600 with no problems). The NFB-3 (w/upgraded clock) is a great Dac that I much prefer, by a large margin, to the MHDT Havana and Paradisea 3, and the D1. The only Dac I have left to compare it with is the Audiomeca Enkianthus X (priced in the "silly money" range) in my speaker system. Unfortunately that one is in another state at the moment. Maybe soon I'll bring the NFB-3 with me to do a comparison. All I can say right now is that I don't miss the Audiomeca.
 
I waited 2 months for the NFB-3. Those here awaiting yours to arrive, please continue to be patient. This Dac is something very special.

 

[realmassy]

With dacs it comes down to personal preferences, imho, no easy way to say this is better than that.
Mambosenior prefers the NFB 3 to the Havana, I own the Havana and I (now, after a few tweaks) prefer it to my old Ref5.
I hated the dacmagic that eveybody seem to praise.
Also, sometimes what initially sounds good, full of detail etc etc becomes analytical and clinical, like listening to sound effects and not to the music. That's the reason I don't like blind tests.

 

[sling5s]

It's true many dacs are too clinical.  Which is why I even preferred the cheap Udac-2 to their HDP.  Same reason I like the Music Streamer over the Yulong D100.
I think the HDP and Yulong to be far superior in detail retrieval to the cheap udac-2 and music streamer II but I prefer and a musical presentation.  
I'm waiting for my NFB-3 to arrive soon and will see if it's musical in its presentation for me.
 
 

 

[pigmode]

Completely agree with the two posts above. I can easily see my impressions of the NFB3 (in my own system) falling between a complete success, failure, or a hundred points in between. I would be wasting my time if I did not already have considered other components as possible replacements. Its called putting together an audio system.

 

[attenuated 3db]

It's true many dacs are too clinical.  Which is why I even preferred the cheap Udac-2 to their HDP.  Same reason I like the Music Streamer over the Yulong D100.
I think the HDP and Yulong to be far superior in detail retrieval to the cheap udac-2 and music streamer II but I prefer and a musical presentation.  
I'm waiting for my NFB-3 to arrive soon and will see if it's musical in its presentation for me.
 
 

I'm listening to my Nuforce uDAC-2 right now on my Asus 1005HA netbook (running Ubuntu Linux 11.04) with Sirius Internet radio, and it sounds great on Etymotic MC-5 IEMs. But the NFB-3 is in a completely different league. To my ears (and limited exposure to high-end digital equipment, but a LOT of experience with super-high-end analog-only gear) it is like comparing a Steinway Grand Piano to a good midi keyboard. The uDAC-2 goes everywhere as a laptop sound-card replacement, but the NFB-3 is light years ahead of it. I'd like to listen to a really high-end DAC to see how much better it sounds to my ears (and wallet) than the NFB-3. Right now I can't imagine upgrading DACs, but that is also part of my personal finances.

 

[AVU]

boring post removed by author...

 

[middachten]

 
Quote:

Quote:

It's true many dacs are too clinical.  Which is why I even preferred the cheap Udac-2 to their HDP.  Same reason I like the Music Streamer over the Yulong D100.
I think the HDP and Yulong to be far superior in detail retrieval to the cheap udac-2 and music streamer II but I prefer and a musical presentation.  
I'm waiting for my NFB-3 to arrive soon and will see if it's musical in its presentation for me.
 
 

I guess I've never had a dac that detailed, though I worry about talk of being 'too detailed' - I understand the idea of musicality, but if you don't want detail, it seems like 'color' is relatively easy - and moreover cheap- to acheive. Given the number of established reviewers here who own and love the yulong d100, I'm surprised to hear it bested by the udac2! My own dac is the sparrow with the single 8741 chip. It's very smooth, sometimes a bit too smooth.

But I've never heard the Musical Fidelity M1, the matrix mini or cube, the yulong d100, the dacmagic, the Onix Dac25, the cEntrance DacPort, the HRT Music Streamer Pro, or the Apogee Dual2, all of which are new dacs in this price range.

I agree with you that a DAC can never be 'too detailed'. Often its a hyped mid-high or lifted top-end that gives the impression of more detail. On initial listening this sounds impressive and usually gets enthusiastic votes. But after prolonged listening this usually results in fatigue or simply unbearable reproduction of some voices and instruments (violin comes to mind). In the past (last century

) this was the classical difference between the English and American school in audio (e.g. B&W v.s. Proac). Warning: I've always been more in favor of the British audio character. 
 
I'm currently writing a more extensive review on the NFB-2. It will take a few more days to complete. I don't have a direct comparison with any of the DACs you mention. But I've tested my TC Konnekt D24 against the Apogee Duet and have tested various professional DACs such as the Apogee Ensemble and Rosetta, RME Fireface and ADI-8DS in my system. The only direct comparison I've made right now is against an Arcam CD37. My conclusion is that as a DAC I prefer the NFB-2 above all of those. It is a smooth sounding DAC (can anything be too smooth I would ask in turn?). And it provides loads of detail and precision. My only minus point would be that it might not be the best match for a system that is already to bass-heavy. But in my system its just the perfect match.
There will surely be better DACs out there. But at, and significantly beyond, this price point I doubt if there are DACs that are able to provide such an amount of detail while remaining so smooth.
 
There is only one DAC that has left a better impression: the NAIM DAC. I was not able to make a direct comparison. I heard this DAC 5 months ago. But still, it has left an impression that it is better than the NFB-2 in most areas except the bass. But then again it retails at about 6 times the price.....

 

[AVU]

Sling5s - the HRT series is supposed to have a really nice presentation.  As is the DacPort.  I'm just in a bit of shock as to how you can have these gigantic units with their huge R-core power supplies on the one hand, and then something like the DacPort or the HRT Pro which are both about 1/50 the size and weight and rely only on the meager power from the usb of a computer, and that they sound very similar.   Many reviewers have even said that the second group sounds better than many older models of the first.  How can this be?  Totally different technologies?  I don't understand.

 

[sling5s]

My point was not an extensive better or worse in terms of performance but better in sound signature that suited my needs and taste. 
I have very bight headphones so I need dacs and amps that really warm and smooth them out.  So it's really a subjective thing based on synergy with my system.
 
So please don't take it to mean that the HRT is superior to the Yulong but based on my needs and preference.
 
 

 

[sling5s]

My NFB-3 was shipped on the 8th or 11th.   Edwin gave me the tracking info. but it still does not show up on the DHL system.  It should have arrived by now.  Last time I ordered the C-2.1, it only took 6 days.
So now I'm worried it's lost.  I called DHL and they have no record of the package with the tracking information I gave.  I finally emailed King-Wa for help but he has not responded.  Edwin I think is tired of me asking for an update on the tracking because he has no clue.  What should I do?  If King-wa, you're reading this thread, please email back (David).
 
 

 

[blankdisc]

have you tried DHL's HK web site (http://www.dhl.com.hk/en.html)? last time when i got the tracking number from AGD, it didn't show up in DHL's US web site, but the HK web site.
 
Quote:

My NFB-3 was shipped on the 8th or 11th.   Edwin gave me the tracking info. but it still does not show up on the DHL system.  It should have arrived by now.  Last time I ordered the C-2.1, it only took 6 days.
So now I'm worried it's lost.  I called DHL and they have no record of the package with the tracking information I gave.  I finally emailed King-Wa for help but he has not responded.  Edwin I think is tired of me asking for an update on the tracking because he has no clue.  What should I do?  If King-wa, you're reading this thread, please email back (David).
 
 

 

 

[sling5s]

Just tried and no results it says.  Thanks though. 
 
Quote:

have you tried DHL's HK web site (http://www.dhl.com.hk/en.html)? last time when i got the tracking number from AGD, it didn't show up in DHL's US web site, but the HK web site.
 


 

 

 

[middachten]

Quote:

My point was not an extensive better or worse in terms of performance but better in sound signature that suited my needs and taste. 
I have very bight headphones so I need dacs and amps that really warm and smooth them out.  So it's really a subjective thing based on synergy with my system.
 

I'm sure you will be very pleased with the NFB-3 then! Good luck with tracing down your shipment!
BTW what do you think about the C-2.1?