[sumpao]

I buy R28 from start what is situation on Firmware right now it so confuse for me

 

[Heavyboxer]

I buy R28 from start what is situation on Firmware right now it so confuse for me

Think you need a USB blaster and Kingwa to send you an updated firmware. I have yet to play with jumpers cause I am already satisfied with what I hear.

 

[ctaxxxx]

Yes I do, only balanced. The R-28 balanced output is much better than the SE output.

What's the volume level you have for the Focals? I've been considering the SE R2R stack lately, since my headphones are very easy to drive and I've never gone past 50% low gain on the R2R 11. I don't think I need all the power that balanced gives, but then again, I love going balanced from my DAP.

 

[gLer]

What's the volume level you have for the Focals? I've been considering the SE R2R stack lately, since my headphones are very easy to drive and I've never gone past 50% low gain on the R2R 11. I don't think I need all the power that balanced gives, but then again, I love going balanced from my DAP.

I normally listen on 35-40 (out of 99) on high gain. The R-28 has an exponential volume scale, so 35-40 is less than 5% power! At that level it’s fairly loud for most people, though not excessive. Sometimes I’ll tirn older high dynamic recordings up to 50, but no higher. That’s still less than 10% power. I find Audio-gd amps sound better in high gain, and it’s not about having more power but how much control and transparency the amp has over the likes of the R2R/NFB-11. It’s also more resolving.

 

[thebkt]

What's the volume level you have for the Focals? I've been considering the SE R2R stack lately, since my headphones are very easy to drive and I've never gone past 50% low gain on the R2R 11. I don't think I need all the power that balanced gives, but then again, I love going balanced from my DAP.

On my NFB-1 I generally don't go ever go over 25 on low gain with my Clears. I guess I listen at lower volume than some? My LCD is usually at about 17-25 on low (SE, waiting on a balanced cable), and my Ether C's are about 20-30 on high gain.

 

[gLer]

I guess I listen at lower volume than some?

You can say that again! At those levels I wouldn’t be able to hear much, if anything. It’s like buying a Ferrari and leaving it in first gear

 

[JaMo]

So,
Some week or two ago I got a new version of firmware for the R-28 from Kingwa for testing. The file was named "R28v3firmware.rar" and contained two files with the names V3A (accurate) and V3S (smooth).

I have been running my R-28 on V2S in OSx8 mode since I got it. Earlier I have felt the NOS-modes to be a bit muddy in the V2 in my setup. When Kingwa sent me the V3 fws he mentioned that he had worked on the NOS modes in particular. I usually rush into doing these kind of testings but this time I had to wait for time without distractions. When I first got the files I did an initial try to flash on the V3 fw's and I thought it sounded thin and without "much body".... But this try was interrupted and I had to pause to have a better testsituation later on.

There are we now.

I have flashed the versions 3A, 3S and 2S forth and back many times and been llstening on a few reference tracks where one of them is "Fend for Yourself" by The Pineapple Thiefs (Flac 16-44.1). It is a very good track for this testing. Try it.

Well, as I said my preferences has been OS modes and most in x8 and I usually listen through my speaker rig via Master 1 -> Master 2's/3 -> Quad ESL + Gradient subs. Not so often in headphones. So I had to adjust my listening to both NOS and more with headphones for this testing.
Headphones used are HE-6 and HE-500, direct connected to the R-28. I have the R-28 without upgraded volume boards but it can deliver power enough to let the HE-6 to sing at a sufficient level. If I only had the HE-6 or similar I should get the +6dB Volume board-upgrade.

I had to limit my testing a bit so I focused on NOS3 which I find the absolut best of them.
I started by putting a jumper into S1 to get the NOS3 setting on the present V2S fw. Nice but not the definitions I get with the OS(x8). I then flashed on the V3A (still NOS3) and was immediatly struck by its crisp clear picture, tons of microdetails, dynamics. I just couldn't believe it. I flashed back to V2S just to get the feeling back from "where I started"...Nice but "a bit choked" was the word I can say. Then I tried the V3S (still NOS3) and it is a clear step up from the V2S.The V3S has all the good things from V3A, just a notch softer. After many flashings forth and back between the V2, V3A and V3S I find the V3A as a favorite. It is as good that it can compete with the OS8. In fact, a few steps better in some areas than the OSx8....

I have to admit that the new V3A in NOS3 ended up to be my new favourite.. in total(!). Kingwa has clearly been working hard on studying in this digital processing area and with these V3 fws's he has been successful in achieving an even more refined timing. Pushing the limits further to higher grounds. The whole scenarie/room is well defined and the dynamics are excellent. Wow! Fantastic work! I admire Kingwa for many things and I am greatful to be a part of this journey.

I will leave my R-28 on the V3A NOS 3 mode and I strongly recommend You, present and new R-28 owners to get Your units ugraded to the V3 fw. It turns them to a higher performing piece of gear.

Of course, there are alot more to explore in these new firmwares. I will do that, but first I want to get more familiar with my "new R28" (I am still in a light chock of its performance)


A very good thing in all this is the fact that Kingwa continues to learn in the subject and he refines the firmwares in general, for all the gears.....


Thank You.

/Jan

 

[gLer]

Hi Jan

Thanks for your impressions above. I have also been using and testing the v3 fw for a week or so, but only with headphones (Elex and LCD-3).

Initially I found v3 S NOS a touch too ‘diffuse’, although it was only a brief listen. Switching to v3 Accurate immediately brought things into focus with superb microdetails.

So I thought I’d found my ideal sound...except I started finding the Accurate sound just *too* accurate. For example, the high frequency guitar plucks in Nils Lofgren’s superbly mastered live version of ‘Keith Don’t Go’ was just over the line of ‘too sharp’ and actually detracted from the music.

So yesterday I switched back to my previous favourite (v2 Smooth NOS 3) and the gorgeously organic R2R sound was back with plenty of detail. I must say though that I’ve recently added an Ideon 3R Renaissance reclocker to my chain, which has ramped uo the detail level and dropped the noise floor by at least 20-25% over naked usb direct to dac.

All that said, I’ll give NOS 3 v3 Smooth another go, but with headphones at least, v3 NOS 3 Accurate was just pushing my treble sensitivity over the edge, and OS 8x would likely be even worse.

And of course, with all that said, we’re still talking class leading sound here. It’s incredible how versatile the R-28 can be, and how resolving it is when fed the proper signal!

 

[FredA]

Darn, i have got to give v3 a try on the r-7....

 

[gLer]

So I had a chance to spend some proper time going back and forth between fw v2 and v3 smooth (NOS 3), and ultimately decided to stay with v2.

V3 seems to smooth out the sound a tad too much. Easiest way to hear it is in the ‘bite’ of piano keys. V3 makes pianos sound more closed in, not as sharp, more laid back and ‘heavy’. Same for the edge on female vocals. V2 may seem a smidge less refined/smooth by comparison but also more natural and earthy.

The LCD was just too warm and thick with v3. YMMV but just thought I’d share that here. Didn’t test any other NOS or OS modes, and have already shared my impressions of the accurate fw above.

 

[sumpao]

I finaly upgrade to V3A seem so hard at first when I put usb to dac.
Which is a tiny area there

 

[JaMo]

So I had a chance to spend some proper time going back and forth between fw v2 and v3 smooth (NOS 3), and ultimately decided to stay with v2.

V3 seems to smooth out the sound a tad too much. Easiest way to hear it is in the ‘bite’ of piano keys. V3 makes pianos sound more closed in, not as sharp, more laid back and ‘heavy’. Same for the edge on female vocals. V2 may seem a smidge less refined/smooth by comparison but also more natural and earthy.

The LCD was just too warm and thick with v3. YMMV but just thought I’d share that here. Didn’t test any other NOS or OS modes, and have already shared my impressions of the accurate fw above.

@gLer: You must give the V3A a chance in NOS 3... before final verdicts.

/Jan

 

[FredA]

@gLer: You must give the V3A a chance in NOS 3... before final verdicts.

/Jan

+1

 

[gLer]

@gLer: You must give the V3A a chance in NOS 3... before final verdicts.

/Jan

Gents, I actually switched to accurate fw 3 when I first heard how over-smooth the smooth version was. Problem is, while accurate was certainly much sharper and more detailed, with super-resolving headphones like the Elex it was actually too sharp, if that makes sense. Vocals - especially some female vocals (Sarah Maclachlan ‘Fallen’ unplugged comes to mind) sounded ever so thin and edgy. It’s like a sharpening filter applied to a portrait photo that brings out too many pores in the skin - great if you’re after every single detail, but it leaves nothing to the imagination and borders on harsh. This probably is far less of an issue with speakers that diffuse the sound around the room, but with headphones up close and personal, it just occasionally became fatiguing. Some of Nils Lofgren’s guitar work in Acoustic Live - a superbly mastered recording - became positively razor sharp (and not in a good way) with accurate fw. Switching back to smooth v2 didn’t make all the details go away, but they just fell back a little and made more sense musically.

It’s great that Kingwa continues to give us options to tweak the sound of the R-28, but it doesn’t mean that newer is always better.

 

[FredA]

Gents, I actually switched to accurate fw 3 when I first heard how over-smooth the smooth version was. Problem is, while accurate was certainly much sharper and more detailed, with super-resolving headphones like the Elex it was actually too sharp, if that makes sense. Vocals - especially some female vocals (Sarah Maclachlan ‘Fallen’ unplugged comes to mind) sounded ever so thin and edgy. It’s like a sharpening filter applied to a portrait photo that brings out too many pores in the skin - great if you’re after every single detail, but it leaves nothing to the imagination and borders on harsh. This probably is far less of an issue with speakers that diffuse the sound around the room, but with headphones up close and personal, it just occasionally became fatiguing. Some of Nils Lofgren’s guitar work in Acoustic Live - a superbly mastered recording - became positively razor sharp (and not in a good way) with accurate fw. Switching back to smooth v2 didn’t make all the details go away, but they just fell back a little and made more sense musically.

It’s great that Kingwa continues to give us options to tweak the sound of the R-28, but it doesn’t mean that newer is always better.

Whatever works. Synergy is key.