[tim3320070]

Something new from Kingwa. Looks like a Fun replacement maybe with filter switching right on the front?
 
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB5/NFB5EN.htm

 

[Pricklely Peete]

Cool concept.
 
Peete.

 

[gevorg]

Flavor/Selector? After all these years of excellent products and growth, Audio-gd still ignores their lack of English competency.

 

[tim3320070]

Flavor (in terms of sound preference), is a term used a lot in the US, no? But not the most elegant agreed.

 

[Currawong]

Interesting that the circuit board picture says "Audio-gd Fun (2011)".

 

[gevorg]

Quote:

Flavor (in terms of sound preference), is a term used a lot in the US, no? But not the most elegant agreed.

Of course it is, but you would expect to see it in the product description/marketing rather than device itself.
 
IMHO, "Filter" would be more appropriate than "Flavor", and "Source" or "Input" would be more appropriate than "Selector". No comment on product description page.

 

[isao2k8]

Now the site says it's 330USD.

 

[tim3320070]

Quote:

Of course it is, but you would expect to see it in the product description/marketing rather than device itself.
 
IMHO, "Filter" would be more appropriate than "Flavor", and "Source" or "Input" would be more appropriate than "Selector". No comment on product description page.

I agree. But it's par for the course with AGD. Lots of bang for the buck but not lots of flash. I wish he would consult someone about the english used on their site and on their devices. It needs an overhaul.
 
 

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

Interesting that the circuit board picture says "Audio-gd Fun (2011)".

Unsettling.  
 
An otherwise interesting product.  

 

[sphinxvc]

And they seem to have tried to photoshop it out in this pic:
 
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB5/NFB56.JPG

 

[.Sup]

Is that a digital volume control?

 

[gyrodec]

I doubt its a digtal volume as this is an ACSS product and volume control is part of that circuitry in other Audio-GD products.

 

[tim3320070]

Quote:

And they seem to have tried to photoshop it out in this pic:
 
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB5/NFB56.JPG

What makes anyone think they don't use the same circuitry as the very similar (if not identical) Fun? Many of their components are shared, they aren't reinventing it every time I can't imagine.
 

 

[moodyrn]

It reminds me of what the guy at pacific valve told me. When i called and asked about one of the audio-gd products he told me that all of these new products are just reboxed versions of old gear. He said they take one product, put it in a new case, and call it something else. At the time I just thought he was saying that out of spite and thought there might be some issues between the two companies. But as time goes by, his statements look more true by the minute.

 

[Currawong]

Yes and no. The basic building blocks of Kingwa's designs are the same from what I can see, but if you look at the Fun and the NFB-5 specs, you'll see the latter has a better S/N ratio and the TOTL DACs have what appear to be measurable improvements over time. He has, since the Compass, primarily improved the digital section including the DAC (AD1852 vs. dual WM8741), input receiver, USB receiver and (I hope in this) the receiver clock.  I'd take a bet that the headphone amp built in wont be much different, if at all, from the Fun, Sparrow or NFB-12's.