[martook]

Quote:

What balanced DAC would you guys recommend for a Phoenix + LCD-2 v2 setup?
I don't really want to go over $1000, so I guess NFB-1 is basically my only choice, but is the Sabre chip a better idea than a DAC with dual Wolfsons with the LCD2?

If I decide to stretch my budget, should I go for NFB-7 or NFB-8?
 
How much better (not sure how to quantify that, but maybe you can than NFB-1 is NFB-8 with the Phoenix as amp?

 

[Currawong]

No manual. There are, I think, available for download on audio-gd.com.
 
99% of the function is self-explanitary though. Just a tip: if you aren't getting sound, make sure you haven't accidentally pushed the pre-amp button.

 

[nigeljames]

Quote:

If I decide to stretch my budget, should I go for NFB-7 or NFB-8?
 
How much better (not sure how to quantify that, but maybe you can than NFB-1 is NFB-8 with the Phoenix as amp?

I have had the NFB-7 for about 2 weeks and running it balanced into the ROC.
I read all the opinions/reviews etc of the the Sabre32 chip and how it is supposed to sound but it sounds different than I expected although still burning in so that might change.
I find it a lot warmer and more full bodied than I expected with excellent and realistic tone and timbre.
The bass is deep, fast and as tight as I expected but is much more full bodied and robust.
The treble is very smooth and well defined and never harsh. I haven't yet come across a disk that sounds bright just natural.
Very detailed but the detail is never forced on you and I find it extremely involving and engageing
 
I am glad I made my desision to go with the 7 as I got the strenghts of the Sabre but without any of the supposed weaknesses.
I certainly would not want a warmer sounding DAC. I have also read that the Phoenix is warmer sounding that the Roc.
 
Just my 2 cents worth

 

[martook]

Quote:

I have had the NFB-7 for about 2 weeks and running it balanced into the ROC.
I read all the opinions/reviews etc of the the Sabre32 chip and how it is supposed to sound but it sounds different than I expected although still burning in so that might change.
I find it a lot warmer and more full bodied than I expected with excellent and realistic tone and timbre.
The bass is deep, fast and as tight as I expected but is much more full bodied and robust.
The treble is very smooth and well defined and never harsh. I haven't yet come across a disk that sounds bright just natural.
Very detailed but the detail is never forced on you and I find it extremely involving and engageing
 
I am glad I made my desision to go with the 7 as I got the strenghts of the Sabre but without any of the supposed weaknesses.
I certainly would not want a warmer sounding DAC. I have also read that the Phoenix is warmer sounding that the Roc.
 
Just my 2 cents worth

 
Yeah, it's one thing reading reviews about how equipment sounds, but to be honest, I don't think
I have good enough ears to hear all the little nuances people speak of, and the descriptions are
a bit weird (creamy sound... what?) so it's quite difficult to know what one really wants / needs.
Also, one really important thing is synergy, and with the amp and HP chosen, the part in the
chain that I can change is the DAC, so I really want what's best for my setup
 
Phoenix is supposed to be a bit dark (according to Skylab and others) and he didn't think it
would work well with LCD2, but I guess that was about rev 1. Will rev 2 work better? Also, how
much of a difference is the DAC chip going to do (in my case, should I go for NFB-7 or 8)?
 
Anyway, thanks for replying, I'll read a bit more about the NFB-7 I suppose.
Perhaps someone else has opinions that could help me as well
 

 

[martook]

Quote:

Thanks, this is my first desktop so I ain't got a clue what everything is.

Edit, thanks for that last comment, I thought that button needed to be on and now I know why I ain't been able to get it to work since I received it yesterday.

Can't find a manual on their site and what's that preamp button for anyway.

 
A preamp is a device that you connect to a poweramp to get power to your speakers.
If you have an integrated amplifier, the preamp and poweramp is in the same box.
 
Phoenix is both a headphone amp and a great preamp, so if you have speakers,
you could get a poweramp (like this one: http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/amp/C-10N/C10NEN.htm )
and use your Phoenix to control the sound for the speakers as well.
 
 
So, in short: the preamp button turns off the headphone part and turns on the preamp part.
 

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

 
Phoenix is supposed to be a bit dark (according to Skylab and others) and he didn't think it
would work well with LCD2, but I guess that was about rev 1. Will rev 2 work better? Also, how
much of a difference is the DAC chip going to do (in my case, should I go for NFB-7 or 8)?
 
Anyway, thanks for replying, I'll read a bit more about the NFB-7 I suppose.
Perhaps someone else has opinions that could help me as well
 

 
The Phoenix is EXCELLENT with the LCD-2s.  The "bit dark" comment I can understand -- it is tonally dead neutral. However, as it doesn't have the same distortion through the treble other amps (I've tried) have and has a "black" background, where notes seem to jump out of nowhere at all, it can give the impression of not being as bright. An extreme example would be comparing music out of a radio with music out of a high-end system. The former presents the instruments all mushed together in a blob, whereas the high-end system presents each of the instruments individually, with space around them. We aren't used to that "space" and, even if we are, we get used to a slight distortion in the treble, as a lot of gear is set up to sound high-end by being tuned to sound bright. When you actually experience listening through equipment designed to have excellent linear performance as well as very low distortion, it can be something of a surprise.
 
 

 

[tme110]

It's basically a single RCA interconnect but 75ohm.  Blue jeans makes a nice cable cheap. (http://bluejeanscable.com/store/digital-audio/index.htm)  You can connect it to your laptop if it has a coax connection on it.  The problem is that most computers don't advertise or list in their specs if they have an optical or coax connection and this is made more fun because they are hidden in mini-connector (the same connector as the headphone jack) and need an adapter to be used.  I had my laptop for a year before I realized it had a hidden optical jack on it.
 
Quote:

Could you please tell me which cable I need for this or if you have a link for the cable and is it possible to go coax from my laptop.
If I knew what cable I need I could make one up.
Thanks

 

 

[tme110]

There really isn't much to it.  Even as hi-end as the pheonix your only real options are to pick an input, pick an output and change volume.
 
As far as power amps go, I do wish Audio-GD would make another power amp that it is a ROC sized case.  He did have one a few years ago but I don't know if it just didn't sell well enough to keep doing or what.
 
Quote:

 
A preamp is a device that you connect to a poweramp to get power to your speakers.
If you have an integrated amplifier, the preamp and poweramp is in the same box.
 
Phoenix is both a headphone amp and a great preamp, so if you have speakers,
you could get a poweramp (like this one: http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/amp/C-10N/C10NEN.htm )
and use your Phoenix to control the sound for the speakers as well.
 
 
So, in short: the preamp button turns off the headphone part and turns on the preamp part.
 

 

 

[tme110]

You know, even the NFB-1 is an extreamly high-end DAC, in fact, if it wasn't for the fact that you have a pheonix you would probably be happy with the nfb-2 (but since you do, I wouldn't recommend the -2).  Between the -7 and the -8, that one is probably up to you.  These are a little different in that the -8 is the more colored, musical version so it's a personal preference (and I have never heard the -8) - so it's more of a change than other components where you can pick between sabre or wolfson.  I think it is best to stay with a neutral DAC personally (and use other components for any desired coloration) but since you do have a pretty neutral amp...but I think that's a decision only for you.  Though I'd look into the -1.
 
 
oh, maybe scratch that.  I just went to AGD and read the -8 page.  I was positive the -8 was an outlier DAC in that it was colored but I don't see that listed in the write up now.  I'm confused now so ignore me.
Quote:

 
Yeah, it's one thing reading reviews about how equipment sounds, but to be honest, I don't think
I have good enough ears to hear all the little nuances people speak of, and the descriptions are
a bit weird (creamy sound... what?) so it's quite difficult to know what one really wants / needs.
Also, one really important thing is synergy, and with the amp and HP chosen, the part in the
chain that I can change is the DAC, so I really want what's best for my setup
 
Phoenix is supposed to be a bit dark (according to Skylab and others) and he didn't think it
would work well with LCD2, but I guess that was about rev 1. Will rev 2 work better? Also, how
much of a difference is the DAC chip going to do (in my case, should I go for NFB-7 or 8)?
 
Anyway, thanks for replying, I'll read a bit more about the NFB-7 I suppose.
Perhaps someone else has opinions that could help me as well
 

 

 

[tim3320070]

None of the AGD dac's are colored unless you add the filters which the higher end ones do not have. Wolfson or Sabre dac will sound very neutral, never colored. We are talking DAC's not analog, the differences in sound are minor and too much is made of it IMO.

 

[martook]

Quote:

You know, even the NFB-1 is an extreamly high-end DAC, in fact, if it wasn't for the fact that you have a pheonix you would probably be happy with the nfb-2 (but since you do, I wouldn't recommend the -2).  Between the -7 and the -8, that one is probably up to you.  These are a little different in that the -8 is the more colored, musical version so it's a personal preference (and I have never heard the -8) - so it's more of a change than other components where you can pick between sabre or wolfson.  I think it is best to stay with a neutral DAC personally (and use other components for any desired coloration) but since you do have a pretty neutral amp...but I think that's a decision only for you.  Though I'd look into the -1.
 
 
oh, maybe scratch that.  I just went to AGD and read the -8 page.  I was positive the -8 was an outlier DAC in that it was colored but I don't see that listed in the write up now.  I'm confused now so ignore me.


 

Thanks... I think.
 
I would probably be happy with the NFB-1 as well - are my ears even good enough to hear any difference between the -1 and the -8? Who knows...
I wish I could get them on loan from a store and just keep the one that I want, but that's not an option unfortunately.
The biggest problem with getting the -1 is that I will keep wondering how much better it would have been with a -7 or a -8... and then one has to upgrade again!
I should send Kingwa some emails and see what he thinks about it I guess.
 
 
 

Quote:

As far as power amps go, I do wish Audio-GD would make another power amp that it is a ROC sized case.  He did have one a few years ago but I don't know if it just didn't sell well enough to keep doing or what.
 

I wish he would be generous and sell me a C-10SE for $900 or so, but I guess that's not going to happen!
Oh well, Emotiva XPA-2 will have to suffice I guess... at some point in the future anyway. I'm pretty sure that my neighbours think my Rotel amp is powerful enough for the apartment I live in right now.
 
 

 

[tim3320070]

I had the XPA-2 and it's good but not in the class of the C-10SE (which I own) IMO.

 

[Subsequence]

Just ordered one and should have it in a couple of weeks 

Was considering a tube setup as well but when i weighed the pro's and con's the Phoenix won out so i can't wait to hear it!
 
What do you guys use for balanced connector's gold plated neutrik or are those expensive Furutech preferred?

 

[martook]

Quote:

I had the XPA-2 and it's good but not in the class of the C-10SE (which I own) IMO.

Well... if you get the XPA-2 when they are on sale, the C-10SE is almost twice the price - I would expect it to be in another class really.
I have this mental barrier at $1000 that I don't want to cross when I buy stuff. Not sure how I ended up with a Phoenix
 
I would love to hear your opinions on the two of them, although I guess this really isn't the best place for it

 

[tim3320070]

The C10 just sounds more real, there's that wow factor I didn't get as much with the Emotiva amp. It's hard to explain but some of you probably know what I mean. It's like going from a decent head amp to the Phoenix, everything is more 3D and real sounding.