[Mambosenior]

Hey, thank you folks for the opinions on the various digital interfaces. You've given me a lot to ponder. An observation on the Kenny M2tech: it does not appear that it has a USB-b connector for a pricey USB cable I currently own. How does it fit a MacBook Pro, for instance? USB-a/a cable necessary?
 
Have also appreciated comments on the NFB-2 and 3. I am presently enjoying the #3 tremendously. Quite magical with the LF 339 and HD-800. More about the former in its dedicated thread.

 

[deltaspirit]

Been looking to purchase one of these. What is the conclusion? is the NFB-2 worth $150 more then the NFB-3? I plan to use it with a 332S tube amp and hd650's connected via coxail.

 

[Aegir]

Quote:

Congratz to all with tracking numbers.  You will be rockin' a little NFB love in no time......

 

Have you finally broken your vow of...er.... audio silence??  Audio GD is shipping; I did take delivery finally on the NFB-2, however, haven't really had time to post pics & impressions yet; I do intend to, later!  All I can say is - with my brief  listening thus far - it's everything I hoped it would be, and much much more.
 
I'm using spdif direct from the MacBook with a Lifatec cable....My first impression was the even wider, spatial soundstage as compared to my excellent Pico Dac; the NFB-2's predecessor.  More on this & pics later (when work slows down...)
 
Don't be a Denialist any longer, HeatFan12 - plug in that Dac & soak up the blissful, liquid sonics.

 

 

[nick77]

This is how i recievered my WM8805 on my NFB-2 because it wasnt screwed down and came loose in travel.
 
I have been waiting over 3 weeks and now they wont even return my latest emails, the sevice has been very questionable.
 
I was told they will ship "soon" is his normal, any advise??????
 
Fustrated
 
 
 
 

 

[Ultrainferno]

I just got another confirmation my nfb will ship this month. That's within 8 days, I wonder if they can pull that off.
 
 

 

[haloxt]

Quote:

Been looking to purchase one of these. What is the conclusion? is the NFB-2 worth $150 more then the NFB-3? I plan to use it with a 332S tube amp and hd650's connected via coxail.

Kingwa said the NFB-3 is a better buy than the NFB-2, but with NFB-3 you are getting more expensive components.
 
nick77, be sure to try Kingwa's hotmail address as well. It's there in case audio-gd's normal customer service isn't working right. They've had a bad case of disappearing emails for the last half a year or so, but that is not to say they don't sometimes skip emails, or at least appear to do so.

 

[attenuated 3db]

This is how i recievered my WM8805 on my NFB-2 because it wasnt screwed down and came loose in travel.
 
I have been waiting over 3 weeks and now they wont even return my latest emails, the sevice has been very questionable.
 
I was told they will ship "soon" is his normal, any advise??????
 
Fustrated
 
 
 
 

Well, of course your entitled to a new WM8805 receiver module from Audio-gd ASAP, plus consideration from them for your in-transit damage due to faulty assembly, and I know that Kingwa will "make you whole" as the legal saying goes, but if you just need a Wolfson WM8805 receiver board in your mailbox ASAP, I have a brand new one that I had shipped to me along with my NFB-3 with the DIR9001 module installed.

You can see it sitting on my kitchen counter to the right of my NFB-3 in my unboxing photos earlier in this thread. The pins are fine, and since I have no 192khz music files, I honestly doubt I'll ever pop the hood on my unit to swap it for the DIR9001. Don't know where you are (central U.S. for me), but I could UPS overnight it to you if there are communications delays with Audio-gd.

Money is not really important; I didn't really want two receiver boards anyway; it had to do with a misunderstanding with Edwin. PM me if you are interested in working out details. Maybe you can get Kingwa to send you a DIR9001 instead, and you can have two receiver boards instead of me.

Or, you could just send it back to me when you get your own new WM8805 board from China. The only thing I ask is my one-way shipping cost, but the thing is tiny, feather-light, and I have a perfect box for it that an eBay vendor sent me a single vacuum tube in. And you could pay me my shipping cost when you return it. I just want you to be able to enjoy your NFB-2 ASAP, whatever it takes.

 

[nick77]

3db, man that is really nice of you, i really appriciate the offer.  But i have the spare DIR9001 i purchased also, but it drops the signal after approx 20-30min, so i am limping along with reboots. So i am actually awaiting replacement delevery of both modules but at least i have music. I just tried emailing Kingwa seperately.
 
Great forum effort, thank you! 
 
Quote:

Quote:

This is how i recievered my WM8805 on my NFB-2 because it wasnt screwed down and came loose in travel.
 
I have been waiting over 3 weeks and now they wont even return my latest emails, the sevice has been very questionable.
 
I was told they will ship "soon" is his normal, any advise??????
 
Fustrated
 
 
 
 

Well, of course your entitled to a new WM8805 receiver module from Audio-gd ASAP, plus consideration from them for your in-transit damage due to faulty assembly, and I know that Kingwa will "make you whole" as the legal saying goes, but if you just need a Wolfson WM8805 receiver board in your mailbox ASAP, I have a brand new one that I had shipped to me along with my NFB-3 with the DIR9001 module installed.

You can see it sitting on my kitchen counter to the right of my NFB-3 in my unboxing photos earlier in this thread. The pins are fine, and since I have no 192khz music files, I honestly doubt I'll ever pop the hood on my unit to swap it for the DIR9001. Don't know where you are (central U.S. for me), but I could UPS overnight it to you if there are communications delays with Audio-gd.

Money is not really important; I didn't really want two receiver boards anyway; it had to do with a misunderstanding with Edwin. PM me if you are interested in working out details. Maybe you can get Kingwa to send you a DIR9001 instead, and you can have two receiver boards instead of me.

Or, you could just send it back to me when you get your own new WM8805 board from China. The only thing I ask is my one-way shipping cost, but the thing is tiny, feather-light, and I have a perfect box for it that an eBay vendor sent me a single vacuum tube in. And you could pay me my shipping cost when you return it. I just want you to be able to enjoy your NFB-2 ASAP, whatever it takes.

 

 

[deltaspirit]

Quote:

Kingwa said the NFB-3 is a better buy than the NFB-2, but with NFB-3 you are getting more expensive components.
 
nick77, be sure to try Kingwa's hotmail address as well. It's there in case audio-gd's normal customer service isn't working right. They've had a bad case of disappearing emails for the last half a year or so, but that is not to say they don't sometimes skip emails, or at least appear to do so.

Interesting, I will look into this. Did you mean with the NFB-2 you are getting more expensive components? that seems strange as the NFB-3 is cheaper.
 

 

[attenuated 3db]

Interesting, I will look into this. Did you mean with the NFB-2 you are getting more expensive components? that seems strange as the NFB-3 is cheaper.
 

Yes, that is what haloxt meant to type: the NFB-2 has more expensive components; Wima rather than Evox capacitors, R-core instead of torroidal power transformer.

The bigger circuit-design difference is the NFB-2 has more discretely-regulated power supply stages than the NFB-3, where more regulation is performed by IC chips in five stages. Can you hear the difference? Probably, with very dynamic well-recorded music with only other top-notch components in your reproduction chain.

I'm saving the $150 that the NFB-2 would have cost me toward a C-2.1 headamp and some ACSS cables to connect them.

 

[middachten]

Quote:

I'm saving the $150 that the NFB-2 would have cost me toward a C-2.1 headamp and some ACSS cables to connect them.

 
On the other hand, when the upgraditis starts to creep in.... The NFB-2 is conceptually on the same level as an NFB-1 for single ended applications.  I would love to make a direct comparison with an NFB-3, but personally I'm pretty sure that the better power supply makes a serious difference.
Within the Audio GD range you need to make the step to an NFB-8 to improve on the NFB-2. I would personally regret not having spend the $150 difference.
Which I don't have to regret, since I'm the proud owner of an NFB-2!

 
 

 

[attenuated 3db]

 
On the other hand, when the upgraditis starts to creep in.... The NFB-2 is conceptually on the same level as an NFB-1 for single ended applications.  I would love to make a direct comparison with an NFB-3, but personally I'm pretty sure that the better power supply makes a serious difference.
Within the Audio GD range you need to make the step to an NFB-8 to improve on the NFB-2. I would personally regret not having spend the $150 difference.
Which I don't have to regret, since I'm the proud owner of an NFB-2!

 
 

I don't disagree with you (alternate construction for saying I "do agree"). To be quite honest, I didn't have the extra $150 for the NFB-2. I was hoping I might get an honorarium for my 57th birthday on February 12th while my order was in process and I could send Edwin an extra $150 via PayPal, but I got "stiffed" by my family. So, I'll live with the NFB-3's power supply limitations (right now, Jackson Browne's "Lives in the Balance" is sounding pretty good, and it is very dynamic) and save toward the C-2.1.

My Maverick D1 is for sale (hint, hint) and as soon as the first of the month rolls around, I may be able to place a C-2.1 order and put my Maverick A1 up for sale to cover part of the cost. I am doing some minor circuit design so I can use my 30-year-old custom-assembled Hafler DH220 power amp as a headphone amplifier for interim purposes. Oh, Bruce Springsteen's "Darkness on the Edge of Town" just shuffled into my Foobar playlist.

NFB-3 sounds good to me!

 

[deltaspirit]

 
Quote:

Quote:

Interesting, I will look into this. Did you mean with the NFB-2 you are getting more expensive components? that seems strange as the NFB-3 is cheaper.
 

Yes, that is what haloxt meant to type: the NFB-2 has more expensive components; Wima rather than Evox capacitors, R-core instead of torroidal power transformer.

The bigger circuit-design difference is the NFB-2 has more discretely-regulated power supply stages than the NFB-3, where more regulation is performed by IC chips in five stages. Can you hear the difference? Probably, with very dynamic well-recorded music with only other top-notch components in your reproduction chain.

I'm saving the $150 that the NFB-2 would have cost me toward a C-2.1 headamp and some ACSS cables to connect them.

I've also read that the wolfson chip is more musical as apposed to neutral. I would think that the wolfson would compliment my hd650's more. But would it be fair to say that the NFB-3 is the best dac available for around $300?

 

[sling5s]

The HD650 is already warm, maybe you should get a more neutral to bright Dac.  I know the Nuforce HDP really has good synergy with the HD600/650 for those reasons (bright amp and dac).
 
Quote:

 



I've also read that the wolfson chip is more musical as apposed to neutral. I would think that the wolfson would compliment my hd650's more. But would it be fair to say that the NFB-3 is the best dac available for around $300?

 

 

[attenuated 3db]

The HD650 is already warm, maybe you should get a more neutral to bright Dac.  I know the Nuforce HDP really has good synergy with the HD600/650 for those reasons (bright amp and dac).
 

I use HD650s, but I wouldn't try to pick any discrete DAC on the basis of how it "matches" or "compliments" a certain pair of headphones. That would depend much more on the specific amplifier (and pre-amp gain circuit) in question much more than a stand-alone DAC.

Standard disclaimers for expressions of opinion apply: IMHO, YMMV, Call your doctor for any ringing in your ears that lasts longer than four hours....