[jodgey4]

Noise issues, paying for seperate chassis, much more I/O usually, ability to swap them around later, etc.
Schiit has good ideas on why they don't like doing combined units - running MHz around near the amp section is kinda madness.
I'd much rather have a NFB-3 and C-2 just for those reasons, even though it's SE. Or even better, NFB-1 + NFB-6.

 

[scizzro]

  Noise issues, paying for seperate chassis, much more I/O usually, ability to swap them around later, etc.
Schiit has good ideas on why they don't like doing combined units - running MHz around near the amp section is kinda madness.
I'd much rather have a NFB-3 and C-2 just for those reasons, even though it's SE. Or even better, NFB-1 + NFB-6.

I've experienced no noise issues at all yet. I'm not sure if the newer model improves on that at all, but it's clean and has a black background. Silent.
 
Since it has preouts and analog ins you can still swap, the only other amp I'd ever need now is maybe a tube if I want that sound occasionally. The built in solid state amp puts out more power than I could ever use.

 

[jodgey4]

That's why I'm glad Kingwa takes the issue seriously when he does updates to his units, because many companies who combine units will run into these issues. I'm glad yours is quiet! And I have more than enough I/O as is, but I love to future proof as well.

 

[Stillhart]

  Noise issues, paying for seperate chassis, much more I/O usually, ability to swap them around later, etc.
Schiit has good ideas on why they don't like doing combined units - running MHz around near the amp section is kinda madness.
I'd much rather have a NFB-3 and C-2 just for those reasons, even though it's SE. Or even better, NFB-1 + NFB-6.

 
Is it me or does the NFB-28 actually put out more power than the NFB-6?
 
I don't know, the two separate units are nearly $300 more expensive than the NFB-28 (sale price).  If the main benefit is connectivity, it hardly seems worth the price difference...

 

[conquerator2]

   
Is it me or does the NFB-28 actually put out more power than the NFB-6?
 
I don't know, the two separate units are nearly $300 more expensive than the NFB-28 (sale price).  If the main benefit is connectivity, it hardly seems worth the price difference...

That's up to you to decide... As I said, the benefits from the DAC part should be small and the benefits from the amp part should be more substantial.
I still feel a bit mixed about my experience with the NFB-7 and the Sabre chip. If the Yulong D18 was available I'd probably try that one. Seems like the best of both worlds. How the NFB-28 compares to that, I dunno.
I feel a bit burnt out with A-gd recently. The build quality and customer service is great, but I've had some issues with the software and while short term SQ was great, it got a bit tiring over time.
Anyway, to cut it short, if you plan to use warmer headphones like Audeze, the NFB-28 should be a great choice. If you are planning to use brighter cans like AKG or HiFiMAN, I'd reconsider the Sabre chip, maybe. The D18 being the lone exception and perhaps the X-Sabre as well. Those are DACs only though... I have no reservations recommending A-gd standalone amps either. Lots will also depend on the track and genres you listen to and the degree of mastering quality they received.
That's just my opinion. YMMV.

 

 

[scizzro]

  That's up to you to decide... As I said, the benefits from the DAC part should be small and the benefits from the amp part should be more substantial.

You still haven't given a reason as to why this would be true.

 

[Solude]

Basically putting them into two chassis doubles the power supplies capability while also requiring less taps from the supplies.  Just comes down to real estate.  
 
That said, in a lot of ways the Audio-GD all in ones are the DACs with a current gain stage.  Which is to say the DACs have such overkill analog stages for the asking price that all that they need to be amps is a current stage.  
 
If it was me though the 29 and 11.33 are more interesting than the 28, especially the 29.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

  Basically putting them into two chassis doubles the power supplies capability while also requiring less taps from the supplies.  Just comes down to real estate.  
 
That said, in a lot of ways the Audio-GD all in ones are the DACs with a current gain stage.  Which is to say the DACs have such overkill analog stages for the asking price that all that they need to be amps is a current stage.  
 
If it was me though the 29 and 11.33 are more interesting than the 28, especially the 29.

I am actually considering the 29 over this because I don't want to have to buy new cables for all of headphones.
 
Why do you think it is more interesting than the 28?

 

[Solude]

Do you want 2 $300 amps or a $600 one?  That's what single ended versus balanced looks like dollar for dollar.  Balanced matters in the end game or in the case of Audio-GD their full sized offerings.  They provide four channels of Audio-GD's best while the lower series are compromised because of space.  Even more so when you consider the 29 doesn't even have the DAC on the main board.  Meaning it has more board space and less channels on that extra space while not losing any power.  Win win.

 

[scizzro]

"If customer like to keep your headphone with single ended connector (6.3MM), choice the NFB-29 get better performance than the NFB-28.
 
If customer had the balance connector headphone or can modify the headphone with balance connector, choice the NFB-28."
 
Straight from the website. Maybe they're just trying to sell 28's, but it sounds like they believe it has more potential

 

[elwappo99]

   
 
What about the Bryston BDA-1?  That's the one in the $1k range I keep seeing around.

 
I've also seen that one around quite a bit. But it sits in the same category as the Mjolnir of very bright. The first time I heard that amp was a with a pair of HD800

. It was too early in the morning for my ears to have that much treble. 

 

[whatup69]

"If customer like to keep your headphone with single ended connector (6.3MM), choice the NFB-29 get better performance than the NFB-28.

 
If customer had the balance connector headphone or can modify the headphone with balance connector, choice the NFB-28."

Straight from the website. Maybe they're just trying to sell 28's, but it sounds like they believe it has more potential

What makes you inclined to think nfb28 has more potential? I feel like the nfb29 would be the lesser compromise between the two in terms of engineering

 

[scizzro]

What makes you inclined to think nfb28 has more potential? I feel like the nfb29 would be the lesser compromise between the two in terms of engineering

I said it sounds like they believe it has more potential. Because of the quote I just posted. "If you have balanced cables or are willing to make them, pick the nfb-28." Pretty clear to me. 

 

[barsailer]

Hello everybody,
I'm new in this forum, reason is I bought recently a NFB28 version 2015 to Kingwa and get lots of troubles to make it working as I intend to do.
 
I'm wondering if I could get benefits of others experiences.
 
Goal is to connect a Raspberry B+ powered by Volumio 1.5 to NFB 28 accessing music on synology NAS.
 
Solution 1: USB link between DAC and RPi:  audioGD DAC is well recognized by Volimio settings but any attempt to play file like 16bit44Khz, sound coming out is like DAC would oversamples, the music is recognizable but like played in X 10speed. not any options of Volumio setting helps. I identified in other forums other people having experienced same issue with no fix identified. I haven't been succesfull in getting support from Kingwa from audioGD.
 
If anyone has suggestions , I will be more than happy to learn about, For information same music file played using a PC powered by Daphile and connected to DAC by same USB link works very fine.
 
Solution 2: RPI B+ connected to DAC by I2S RJ45 Plug:
With home made short distance twisted pair link, I connected RPI B+ to NFB 28 with following pin wiring

-           RPI Out               I2S Input
-          SDATA                 RJ45.1
-          GND                     RJ45.2
-          LRCK                     RJ45.3
-          GND                     RJ45.4
-          BCLK                     RJ45.5
-          GND                     RJ45.6
-                                     RJ45.7 to RJ45.8 so MCLK tied to GND
 
 
SDATA, LRCLK and BCLK signal are properly generated (verified by oscilloscope with proper Amplitudes , frequency etc .... ) by the rapsberry using "hifibery" setup but despite Input 2 is selected on the NFB28, Absolutly no sound is coming out of the DAC.
 
According to Kingwa, NFB28 is supposed to operate correcly with I2S signals without MCLK master clock, and I did not get yet any support of clue why not working.
 
Is there anybody having already used the I2S/RJ45 input of the NFB28 with a raspeberry ?
Is there any trcik to make it working ?
Regards.

 

[Solude]

What makes you inclined to think nfb28 has more potential? I feel like the nfb29 would be the lesser compromise between the two in terms of engineering

 
scizzro was operating on the knowledge of the impending 2015 version which is now.... OUT!  http://audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB282015/NFB282015EN.htm
 
At the asking price Audio-GD is really giving it away.  I'm excited =)