[Aegir]

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Very nice Aegir. 

        We can never lose the faith....How are they shipping nowadays?  EMS?

They're recommending DHL - so, that's what I went with.  BTW - it finally shipped.  I don't know what to expect, as I've never dealt with DHL before.  I really am looking forward to getting this Dac!

 

[Ultrainferno]

Just a question. Are Audio GD products CE laballed for the European market? I already ordered one but I forgot about this.
I'd appreciate a european customer checking the box/device. thanks!
 

 

[EduxTM]

I've been using NFB-3 since February and I noticed that it sounds better through USB instead of Coaxial. It seems like the DAC recieves a saturated signal over coax and results in a poor quality. For that reason I purchased this RF Atenuator http://www.minicircuits.com/pdfs/HAT-10+.pdf and the only thing that I can say is...WOW

It makes a REAL difference and now the music sounds clear using Coax; it's the first time that I can see the true potencial of the NFB-3. Now I'm wondering if Digital Interface could improve even more the signal quality or with this DAC doesn't improve so much.

Regards

 

[ninjikiran]

I would suggest looking at all the digital interfaces before going with the DI.  The AGD DI Thread has a ton to read, best read from right to left.  Seems to be a concensus that upsample mode is the best mode which may not be your thing if transparency till it reaches the dac is your game.
 
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I've been using NFB-3 since February and I noticed that it sounds better through USB instead of Coaxial. It seems like the DAC recieves a saturated signal over coax and results in a poor quality. For that reason I purchased this RF Atenuator http://www.minicircuits.com/pdfs/HAT-10+.pdf and the only thing that I can say is...WOW

It makes a REAL difference and now the music sounds clear using Coax; it's the first time that I can see the true potencial of the NFB-3. Now I'm wondering if Digital Interface could improve even more the signal quality or with this DAC doesn't improve so much.

Regards

 

 

[tubesound]

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I've been using NFB-3 since February and I noticed that it sounds better through USB instead of Coaxial.

 
Well, my experience is totally the opposite. I've ordered a Musical Fidelity V-Link to replace my Creative Live! external USB sound card. I'll report back how V-Link performs.

 

[attenuated 3db]

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Well, my experience is totally the opposite. I've ordered a Musical Fidelity V-Link to replace my Creative Live! external USB sound card. I'll report back how V-Link performs.

 
I have no experience yet, but after e-mailing Kingwa yesterday when he posted here in this thread, I got a reply from Edwin that my NFB-3 should be shipping today.  I will await a DHL tracking number to see that it is really "in the pipeline," but if so, my Maverick Audio D-1 and A-1 both got here from Shanghai in four days via DHL, so no reason to expect something from A-gd would take more than five days.   It all depends on getting to DHL's East China sorting facility.
 
Anyway, HeatFan said that USB was his "go-to" input on his NFB-2, which encouraged me.  I have a Teralink X2 USB-S/PDIF converter with a Tenor chip and 1 ppm TXCO clock that did wonders for the SQ of my Maverick when I went to the 75-ohm coax input instead of its substandard USB receiver.  But Kingwa convinced me not to buy a Digital Interface with my NFB-3, saying it would not save much on shipping, and suggested I try the NFB-3 without the Teralink X2 first. 
 
I guess I will, but it is hard to imagine that having the Teralink in the signal path would hurt, since it re-clocks.  I also have the Circuits @ Home AduM 4160 USB galvanic isolator dongle, and that did incremental wonders to the SQ when I put it in between my Win7 Sony laptop and the Maverick D1 before the Teralink arrived from a Hong Kong eBay dealer.
 
We'll see.  First comes the DHL tracking number...
 
 
 

 

[tubesound]

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I have a Teralink X2 USB-S/PDIF converter with a Tenor chip and 1 ppm TXCO clock that did wonders for the SQ of my Maverick when I went to the 75-ohm coax input instead of its substandard USB receiver. 

 
Tenor is not asynchronous while V-Link is. So far, it seems asynchronous mode is superior when transferring audio data through USB.

 

[nick77]

I recieved my NFB-2 on 3-7 and as soon as DHL handed me the package i could hear something loose inside and sliding around. The package wasnt dented or damaged so i accepted it. I unpacked the unit and could hear what sounded like the WM8805 sliding around inside. I removed the cover and sure enough the reciever was never screwed down and had slide around the whole trip and was badly damaged.
I ordered the extra DIR9001 so i placed that in the DAC and it fired right up but would stop working after 30-40 minutes and powering off and on would play for another 30-40 minutes consistantly. I informed Kingwa and he asked if i could repair the WM8805 to see if its a faulty DIR9001. I was able to bend the pins close enough to reinstall and no more drop outs so it looks like I have a faulty DIR9001 and was able to prevent shipping the unit back.
 
I am suppose to recieve 2 new modules "soon" but no word on shipping yet.
 
 
 

 

 

[EduxTM]

In fact, I'm between moded HiFace and Digital Interface. Basically, HiFace uses Async transfer, supports up to 192 and have a BNC plug, which is essential for using the RF attenuator. I've been reading the A-GD DI thread but it's a little confuse, some people reports problems with the clock and the external PS, while others are saying that it works fine. Anyway, DI doesn't support 88.2 nor 192Khz; upsampling it's a very good point but I'd rather prefer 24/96-192 native material.

I would like to know if any of you are using NFB-3 with DI or this combo is useless and I won't be able to improve the signal quality. When I say "improve sound quality" I mean that I'm using the coax output of my Auzentech X-FI Prelude soundcard and maybe there are better (or cleaner) ways to send data to DAC.
 
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I would suggest looking at all the digital interfaces before going with the DI.  The AGD DI Thread has a ton to read, best read from right to left.  Seems to be a concensus that upsample mode is the best mode which may not be your thing if transparency till it reaches the dac is your game.
 


 

 

[dblazer]

For those interested, I received a DHL tracking number last night.  The NFB-3 is in Hong Kong at the moment.
 
-Derek 

 

[attenuated 3db]

For those interested, I received a DHL tracking number last night.  The NFB-3 is in Hong Kong at the moment.
 
-Derek 

Janet (anybody else correspond with her yet?) told me that my NFB-3 was turned over to DHL on Tuesday, China-time, and Edwin confirmed that. Still waiting for them to relay me the DHL tracking number when DHL gives it to them.

I had a very positive experience with DHL delivering three boxes from Maverick Audio, located in the uber-metropolis of Shanghai, in a matter of three-to-four days right before Christmas, so I might actually get my unit before I get the tracking number.

DHL is a German company whose motto (or at least one of them) is: "Nobody knows China like we do."

 

[middachten]

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For those interested, I received a DHL tracking number last night.  The NFB-3 is in Hong Kong at the moment.
 
-Derek 

Janet (anybody else correspond with her yet?) told me that my NFB-3 was turned over to DHL on Tuesday, China-time, and Edwin confirmed that. Still waiting for them to relay me the DHL tracking number when DHL gives it to them.

 
I received the DHL tracking number yesterday and the day before my NFB-2 was on the Consignment list of AGD. I just checked and the package arrived in Germany (Leipzig) So, I guess I might even be receiving it this weekend!
The end of the waiting has begun

 
 

 

[ninjikiran]

After so much negatives w/ the hiface I decided against it almost immediately.  The A-GD DI had my eye for a long time but end of the day I settled with a Halide Bridge.  If I want to I can add its own power supply with an adum adapter.
 
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In fact, I'm between moded HiFace and Digital Interface. Basically, HiFace uses Async transfer, supports up to 192 and have a BNC plug, which is essential for using the RF attenuator. I've been reading the A-GD DI thread but it's a little confuse, some people reports problems with the clock and the external PS, while others are saying that it works fine. Anyway, DI doesn't support 88.2 nor 192Khz; upsampling it's a very good point but I'd rather prefer 24/96-192 native material.

I would like to know if any of you are using NFB-3 with DI or this combo is useless and I won't be able to improve the signal quality. When I say "improve sound quality" I mean that I'm using the coax output of my Auzentech X-FI Prelude soundcard and maybe there are better (or cleaner) ways to send data to DAC.
 

 

 

[EduxTM]

¿Wich are the advantages over DI?
 
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The A-GD DI had my eye for a long time but end of the day I settled with a Halide Bridge.

 

[ninjikiran]

Better USB receiver(HD Tracks 88.2khz is more prominant than 96khz) with support for all common sample rates between 44.1 and 96.  Two clocks, elegant design(its basically just a wire if you were to see it from the outside eye).  If I were to add a power supply it would still be much more compact.  No need to use any resampling to bring out its best(less variables involved).  (Vs the DI)
 
Its Asynchronous without the need of a driver(vs the HiFace). Doesn't require a separate power supply(Jkeny mods) to function well.  Does not have the risk of getting a dud unit(vs the HiFace).
 
Cons: Its more expensive, by a large margin.  But price did not really factor into my decision, I also got it used  at a substantial discount imo.
 
That is the base algorithm I used in considering my purchase.
 
 
A-GD vs HiFace,  The DI was the definite winner imo in both price and performance based on the months of reading I have invested.  I have had my eye on this thread since page 1
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