[Chris Kaoss]

@vegan @sajunky

Thank you for sharing.

 

[rodionov]

Hello. I am the author of a Russian-language review (clubaudio ru). 2-3 years ago for the first time I listened to the Audio-GD while visiting a friend from the Russian forum. I didn’t like the sound, disappointed. More than a year ago I compared Audio-GD R-28 to Audio-GD D27-38. I liked the DAC on R2R R28. In August I listened to R27 at the official distributor in Moscow and wrote a review. 2 weeks ago became the owner Audio-GD R-27 2020 Full Upgrade and headphones Fostex TH900 mk2.

It is difficult for me to write on the subject of audio in English, since I do not know the language well, and I do not know the audio termini at all (((, but I will be corrected. It was not possible to upload photos to the forum.

I used to dislike Cayin players. I really like the last generation since N8. Chinese machinery has grown significantly in quality over the past couple of years.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Do anyone consider the R27 as an audible upgrade to the R28 fully loaded?


I ask for a friend.

 

[sajunky]

Welcome on the forum @rodionov and also welcome in the Гада club. I like comparison to the Hugo TT 2. I think it touches the main attribute of the Гада house of sound - musical character and ability to reproduce the most complex sound.

 

[vegan]

Rodionov - Thanks for joining the conversation in English I appreciated being able to google translate your review - especially comparisons with the Hugo TT2 (that I have never heard). I have the previous generation R-27 with the older firmware and Magna upgrades (including the latest clocks, silver rewiring and Singxer F-1 USB board). The sound of the different NOS and OS settings has certainly changed since I first got it some months back. With the old firmware, the four NOS are indeed different. Initially, I preferred the NOS modes as they had more harmonics, so much more engaging to listen to - especially on vocals. OS was dry and boring (by comparison. But was generally more resolving (better separation of the instruments). However, now the OS modes have that same harmonic texture, but are smoother on piano and spiky female voices. So I’ve now switched to OS8 and enjoying it. I’ve read that each NOS/OS settings may need to be warmed up over some days. I’m not getting that impression. Changes seem to be more due to burning in the R-27 as a whole. Has anyone had a similar experience?

 

[sahmen]

I have and use a Reference 5.32 (with the Amanero Combo installed) and an NFB1amp in a near-field desktop rig, and they still perform quite flawlessly, and have been doing so for more than 4 years now, although they've not necessarily cured my upgrade itch. I recently asked Kingwa to recommend an upgrade path, since I have been looking for a little more performance out of my Hifiman Susvara and He6SE, as well as my LCD-4, although they all perform decently well on my present Ref 5.32 + NFB1Amp rig. Kingwa recommended the R-27 which looks quite impressive on paper, but I wanted to ask here whether anyone had experience with the R-27 driving any of the cans I have just listed and can give me some useful impressions.

One more matter of concern is that I would like to unload the Ref 5.32 and the NFB1amp on the used market, if I am to get the R-27, and I wonder how well they do on the used market. If anyone can provide a reasonably fair idea of how they might perform, I'd be very grateful. I really love these two units and would keep them if I could, but I would really need to find a new home for them if I should get the R-27.

 

[vegan]

I don’t have any of those high end cans you have. But can say I am very happy with the sound of the r-27 through my HE-560s.

I get plenty of power - great dynamics, verve and control. On the high setting, I would rarely push 60% on the volume. I only get some hiss on volume over 80% or so (no music playing, obviously).

But I’m more of a speakers kind of guy, so no doubt others with more experience will chime in.
Good luck!

 

[rodionov]

I own R27 more than two months.
My choice is R27 because in August I listened to this unit with headphones TH909 and Kennerton Thror and I really liked the sound. But at home something went wrong. The sound turned out to be distant, not dynamic. There was an impression that the sound was far from the open headphones that the other person was listening to. There were three reasons: 1. faulty Beyerdynaic T1-2 black edition; 2. cold Audio-GD R27; 3. silver/copper power cable.

To replace the Beyerdynaic T1-2 black buy Fostex TH900 mk II, warmed up R27 and changed the power cable to copper. Dynamics, fat, emotions appeared. Connecting the player Cayin N6-2 to the R27 via i2s became a big step forward in sound quality! After that, I heard a better sound than in August. And now I'm more than happy with my purchase. HD800 connected by balance are gorgeous, but Focal Utopia better. Focal Utopia really like with R27. Abyss my Audio-GD R27 does not pull (((

There is a technique that I like the sound more than the Audio-GD, but it is more expensive than my budget. The R27 is the best all-in-one device for its price. A system of separate components, which will be higher in class than R27, will also cost twice as much. I like a lot of details, 3D space. Unlike R28, R27 has more weight, richer timbres, more natural sound.

I urgently need to learn English

 

[sajunky]

There were three reasons: 1. faulty Beyerdynaic T1-2 black edition; 2. cold Audio-GD R27; 3. silver/copper power cable.

It did help only a little, so I think could be a different reason. What was a digital source before switching to the Cayin, laptop? N6-2 is a battery powered device, even it was powered there is a long distance from a switching power supply. Power cables are tricky not always helping, putting a single ferrite clamp on both a laptop charger mains cable and R-27 power cable (and keeping these cables running close in parallel) may work better, but portable device is free of ground loops. If it sounds much bettter, perhaps you should look at breaking ground loops.

 

[ListenThis]

I own R27 more than two months.
My choice is R27 because in August I listened to this unit with headphones TH909 and Kennerton Thror and I really liked the sound. But at home something went wrong. The sound turned out to be distant, not dynamic. There was an impression that the sound was far from the open headphones that the other person was listening to. There were three reasons: 1. faulty Beyerdynaic T1-2 black edition; 2. cold Audio-GD R27; 3. silver/copper power cable.

To replace the Beyerdynaic T1-2 black buy Fostex TH900 mk II, warmed up R27 and changed the power cable to copper. Dynamics, fat, emotions appeared. Connecting the player Cayin N6-2 to the R27 via i2s became a big step forward in sound quality! After that, I heard a better sound than in August. And now I'm more than happy with my purchase. HD800 connected by balance are gorgeous, but Focal Utopia better. Focal Utopia really like with R27. Abyss my Audio-GD R27 does not pull (((

There is a technique that I like the sound more than the Audio-GD, but it is more expensive than my budget. The R27 is the best all-in-one device for its price. A system of separate components, which will be higher in class than R27, will also cost twice as much. I like a lot of details, 3D space. Unlike R28, R27 has more weight, richer timbres, more natural sound.

I urgently need to learn English

Hey mate
Thanks for the info shared. I have a mate who owns this and says he can’t go beyond vol 12-13 for his Empyrean as it get very loud .
I was assuming at that sort of amp gain it will be able to pull Abyss 1266 phi tc ..
Any idea why it didn’t pull Abyss ?
(He has the latest ver)

 

[ocramida]

I don't have the vocabulary to give a respectable review like so many around here do. I just know I have reached an endpoint as far as my headphone/desktop system. It sounds glorious and to make any improvement would require a huge investment. Definitely hit the wall of diminishing returns on investment. I am satisfied where I am now. Now as far as headphones go... even at a dozen pairs I don't feel I am yet done.

Hi, looking at newest R28 2021. I understand that your older R28 was not 2021. But did you have the Empyrean at the time.
I also have Empyrean and wondering how they matched up. Thanks

 

[Dan_D]

Hi...

I’m planning to get R28 2021 but not sure with “hi-gain mod” offered in their web. Has any of R28 owners here tried that mod?

My current headphone is quad era-1 but planning to get 800s/Focal Clear or Sony Z1R in the future.

 

[audionewbi]

I was on the fence on Yulong DA-1, but R-27 seems so much better.

 

[rodionov]

Yesterday I listened to another interesting combine - Flux Lab FCN-10, about which I hope I will write a separate review, as the device is worthy of it. And here I can give a comparison with the Audio-GD R27, well, and summarize a little on the headphone combines. I have not heard the older Flux Lab Atlas, Bartok and maybe some other not cheap ones, but at more reasonable prices I listened to different equipment for headphones and on this basis I personally summed up some results for my pet R27.

The main complaint about the R27 and the reason for all further comparisons concerns my taste preferences and the lack of an assembled hard blow for my taste, a more aggressive attack on heavy music. Yesterday at Flux Lab FCN-10 I heard exactly what I was missing. Flux has amazing attack, microdynamics. Fostex TH900 give out the most luxurious drive on heavy metal, speed, composure, percussive bass. Flux is cool at high and medium frequencies, brightening a little on some recordings with a steel tinge of highs. Flux Lab has better delineation of individual sounds, emphasizing more micro-details.

Returning home, I listened with pleasure to some tracks, especially with vocals, on the Audio-GD R27 - this is the soulfulness of the voice, beauty, melodiousness of sound, fullness and warmth of timbres, this is a magic magic. R27 is still higher in overall resolution, stage construction and the ability to separate musical parts from each other in space, while maintaining the fusion of the general perception of the work. On classical music, the large scale of large orchestras and the presentation is more analogous and natural, closer to the real sound in a live concert hall. In addition, Audio Gad builds large musical images on a wide and deep imaginary space. It's like buying a Note20 ultra tablet or Samsung Fold 3 with a fold-out screen after a standard-sized smartphone and watching old photos with about the same quality, but on a larger screen.

In terms of stage scale, NONE of the headphones I've listened to ever beat the Audio-GD R27. After R27, the scene on all other combines seems to be compact, or moderate in volume.

I think that in order to solve my complaints about the R27, it is worth going in the direction that was recommended to me above: try to expel the dregs from it with good quality silver or silver wires, high-quality digital transport. But this requires a decent investment, comparable, probably, to the price of a combine, so not everything will be at once, but the direction is set.

Ideally, it would be great to have two setups: R27 for soulful sweet music. (After all the comparisons, I realized that it would be extremely difficult to part with the soulfulness and atmosphere of the Audio-GD R27 and then not get bored of it). And the second setup for evil metal with a drive like Flux Lab. Or I'll try cables.

Audio-GD R27 is definitely the leader in its price. It is extremely difficult to knock it out of the saddle, except to look at the equipment with a higher price and class, or a bundle of separate DACs and an amplifier + wires, which is also not cheaper at a price, but rather more expensive than a ready-made R27 combine.

(google translate)

 

[sajunky]

Thanks @rodionov and one point to Google translate.
It explains why Flux is so popular. Sound properties less in my favour. It can be achieved with THX789 and similar nested loopback amps.