[middachten]

The english that Audio-GD uses is kinda cute...... "Handle with careful" 

 

[EduxTM]

Quote:

HeatFan, would appreciate if you could point out to me what you have written (if anything) concerning the NFB-3 in tandem with the Audio-gd “DI.” I'll either go with the latter or the M2Tech “Evo.” Thank you.

 
That's exactly the same thing that I wanna figure out. Right now, I think A-GD DI is the digital converter which have the best price/performance ratio (IMHO) but I still don't know how it performs attached to a NFB-3. Many people is telling that DI works better with "poor" DAC and doesn't improve so much if you already have a good PC soundcard or even a good PSU.

Even so DI remains a great upsampler, but if you're not going to use that feature "the little box" loses some (or so much) of its attractive.

I supose the most suitable person to answer that question is Kingwa, who knows their products better than anyone, although it would be great if someone could tell us their experience with NFB-3 + DI (if any).

Regards
 

 

[attenuated 3db]

 
That's exactly the same thing that I wanna figure out. Right now, I think A-GD DI is the digital converter which have the best price/performance ratio (IMHO) but I still don't know how it performs attached to a NFB-3. Many people is telling that DI works better with "poor" DAC and doesn't improve so much if you already have a good PC soundcard or even a good PSU.

Even so DI remains a great upsampler, but if you're not going to use that feature "the little box" loses some (or so much) of its attractive.

I supose the most suitable person to answer that question is Kingwa, who knows their products better than anyone, although it would be great if someone could tell us their experience with NFB-3 + DI (if any).

Regards
 

Well, I just relocated my NFB-3 to a truly "undisclosed location" (having blown my previous "cover") and hooked it up to my Win7 Sony core i7 machine, going through my AduM 4160 USB isolator ($40) and my Teralink X2 USB-S/PDIF converter ($80), and going into the NFB-3's coaxial input.

It's cleaner and more detailed than it was on my HP-Linux machine using USB input. I attribute it to the isolator and the Teralink X2's 1 ppm TCXO clock. If you don't want to spend as much as an A-gd DI or HiFace costs, this is a pretty good budget alternative, particularly for a Windows machine where you can use the Teradak device driver and get some software working for you to smooth out the data stream from your computer's USB port. IMHO, YMMV, of course.

 

[Mambosenior]

Currently, I am using the original M2Tech “hiFace” USB, going out from a MacBook Pro, through coaxial, to the NFB-3. Most folks who have heard both the EVO and hiFace seem to think the EVO is a substantial upgrade.
 
Has anyone spied threads here that compare the DI and EVO? Anything elsewhere? Thank you.
 
(Oh, yes, the NFB-3, so far, gets an early “Wow” from me as well.)

 

[EduxTM]

 
Quote:

Currently, I am using the original M2Tech “hiFace” USB, going out from a MacBook Pro, through coaxial, to the NFB-3. Most folks who have heard both the EVO and hiFace seem to think the EVO is a substantial upgrade.
 
Has anyone spied threads here that compare the DI and EVO? Anything elsewhere? Thank you.
 
(Oh, yes, the NFB-3, so far, gets an early “Wow” from me as well.)

 
The question is if EVO is better than Jkenny's HiFace MK2; if you're going to use it through Coaxial and don't need AES/EBU or RJ45 it's not worth to pay 70€ more.
 
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by attenuated 3db/img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Well, I just relocated my NFB-3 to a truly "undisclosed location" (having blown my previous "cover") and hooked it up to my Win7 Sony core i7 machine, going through my AduM 4160 USB isolator ($40) and my Teralink X2 USB-S/PDIF converter ($80), and going into the NFB-3's coaxial input.
 
It's cleaner and more detailed than it was on my HP-Linux machine using USB input.

 
Thanks for your report, very useful. That's exactly my thought, DI won't make a big difference in Signal Quality terms, a small gain if any. The bad thing about converters is that are affected by many external factors, so that turns into a "buy it and good luck".

 

[haloxt]

Quote:

 
That's exactly the same thing that I wanna figure out. Right now, I think A-GD DI is the digital converter which have the best price/performance ratio (IMHO) but I still don't know how it performs attached to a NFB-3. Many people is telling that DI works better with "poor" DAC and doesn't improve so much if you already have a good PC soundcard or even a good PSU.

I don't recall people saying DI works better with "poor" dac, or doesn't improve so much if you already have a good PC soundcard, or if you have a good PSU.
 
Audio-gd suggests the DI with their most expensive dac's, so I wouldn't worry about the NFB-3 not pairing well with the DI. I think you're confusing "good PC soundcard" with high end transports, I doubt there's more than a handful of consumer/prosumer grade computer sound cards that have less jitter than the DI.
 
And the good psu part, I think you misunderstood when people said the DI's external psu upgrade not being significant as meaning if you have a good PSU you don't need the DI, which is something I haven't heard people say yet.

 

[lazerboyz]

hi, im currently considering a NFB-2 or a second hand DAC-19 DSP. any of you guys have heard both and can give me some input on how each sound like, or which is better than the other?
they cost about the same, due to the dac-19 being second hand.

 

[attenuated 3db]

Currently, I am using the original M2Tech “hiFace” USB, going out from a MacBook Pro, through coaxial, to the NFB-3. Most folks who have heard both the EVO and hiFace seem to think the EVO is a substantial upgrade.
 
Has anyone spied threads here that compare the DI and EVO? Anything elsewhere? Thank you.
 
(Oh, yes, the NFB-3, so far, gets an early “Wow” from me as well.)

"slim.a" is a Head-Fi-er who has his own audio review website, Tweak-Fi, and he does an extensive comparison of the USB audio transports under discussion in this thread here:

http://www.tweak-fi.com/apps/blog/show/5029064-the-usb-to-spdif-shoot-out-review-part-2-teralink-x2-vs-jkeny-s-modified-hiface-vs-audio-gd-digital-interface


(Here is the first part of that comparison.)

 

[HeatFan12]

Hi guys...
 
Great to see some deliveries and happy customers.  I guess I'll be getting some NFB love today after a little hiatus and giving my iPod a break....

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
In reference to the converters-  The converter debate is a never ending story and that's the beauty of it.  There are no right or wrong answers, just preferences.  With all the hardware, software, OSs, settings etc. inside PCs, there could always be something interfering with the signal or not.  I jumped on the converter bandwagon long ago and currently own five humble ones.  My initial reason for purchase was when using usb input on a couple of my dacs when connected to tube amps, would give me annoying hum.  The converters took care of that and all has been quiet.  I have also used a couple of my dacs as usb to spdif converters (Matrix Mini-i, DacMagic, uDac) connected to other dacs, to try different things out.
 
There is always some drama about converters in one way, shape or form-  Is it bit-perfect, does it do this or that etc...
 
For those that have been here for a while, who can forget about the M2Tech hi-face "clock" drama".  Some had bigger clocks, some had smaller ones.  Some clocks were programmed in Eastern time zones where others were in Pacific....etc....etc....It went on for a good while and lots of hostility in that thread as well as members getting banned etc.....No fun at all....After reading that thread for several days, I had nightmares for a week...The dream was always the same-  it was Flavor Flav with his big @ss clock around his neck at the airport waiting for an arriving flight.  He had a big sign that read "M2Tech This Way, M2Tech This Way.....crazy I tell you....lol
 
If you want to purchase a converter to try different things out, more power to you.  If you don't want to, more power to you as well.  You can't go wrong with purchasing one, because if not today then several years from now, you can put it to use anyways with other DACs.  That's why I'll always stress, try the DAC as is first then take it from there.  My DI is currently being used with my FUN(A), since it does not have the Tenor chip.  It sounds damn good...In two weeks, I might unplug it and use it with another dac...Again, no right or wrong answers.
 
Just remember when using converters, your settings on your media player might need to be changed.  My DI when used with Foobar, the buffer length must be brought way down or if not you get dropouts.    With other ones, I don't have to...Different settings, different tweaks...all is good...
 
Good times..
 

 

[attenuated 3db]

Nice looking rig, HeatFan12. Every time I see you post, I think of your Head-Fi profile and this video, which sounds great through the NFB-3, regardless of the bit rate and depth it was encoded with:

 

[HeatFan12]

Quote:

Nice looking rig, HeatFan12. Every time I see you post, I think of your Head-Fi profile and this video, which sounds great through the NFB-3, regardless of the bit rate and depth it was encoded with:

 

lol......Thanks 3db.......Great montage....Was that an addition to the Jan Hammer opening?....Sounds damn good indeed...
 

 

 

[Aris488]

 
Quote:

You cloud also peek trough the holes in the top lid and check if you see white or red capacitors or the copper foil of the C-core transformer

.
 
"Red and copper is what I see, a NFB-2 it must be!"
 
You see the NFB-2 is even stimulating my lyrical qualities

 

 
 

Thanks for your advice, an your poetry middachten.
 
So Red and Copper are the clues.

 
 

 

[EduxTM]

Yeah, maybe I've misunderstood some concepts and thoughts in the Digital Interface post. There are two main improvements, IMHO,  that a converter could/should achieve (upsampling capability apart): Provide a "clean" signal and reduce the jitter to the lowest possible level

When I was talking about PSU quality I was refering those people who has tested Digital Interface with a notebook (MAC or PC, nevermind) compared with a desktop PC. I think some people was reporting there is a difference between them, even using the batteries or plug it directly to AC.

As HeatFan12 says, the best thing you can do is test by yourself but I supose no one wants to spend money and get disappointed with the result

 

[Subsequence]

Personally i have experienced quite a difference upgrading from a Xonar D2X to a DI+psu, the highs really became allot smoother and more detailed. The low end became quite a bit tighter as well but it's important that whatever you're listening through can let you hear those improvments, be it speakers, headphones, amps or even your ears...

 

[dblazer]

So after missing delivery yesterday, I got my NFB-3 today.  Only have a few songs through it, but so far I really like what I am hearing.  Also, I know people have said it before, but this thing is bigger than I expected.
 
-Derek