[Nickol]

Has anyone had the opportunity to compare R-28 and Denafrips Ares with each other?
Which is better, what are your impressions?

 

[aumont00]

I would be curious to see that comparison too.
I know however that there is a complete comparison of the flagship models of each company: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/new...tor-ladder-dacs.853902/page-383#post-15397134

 

[DecentLevi]

Hey guys I'm in the market for a good R2R DAC for under $800. So far the best that was recommended was the Bifrost 2. Would anyone know of a comparison between the R-1 or other Audio-GD DAC within this price range vs. the Bifrost 2? Doesn't the R28 have the R-1 DAC in it? Thanks!

 

[aumont00]

Hey guys I'm in the market for a good R2R DAC for under $800. So far the best that was recommended was the Bifrost 2. Would anyone know of a comparison between the R-1 or other Audio-GD DAC within this price range vs. the Bifrost 2? Doesn't the R28 have the R-1 DAC in it? Thanks!

Yes, the R28 has the equivalent of the R-1 dac and it is a good dac. Most of the people would tell you that the audio gd is more musical, while the schiit bifrost 2 is somewhere between a reference sound and a musical one. The usb input of the schiit might be better. I personnaly have an R-28 with a ddc, using the hmdi i2s input and it sounds so great!!

 

[DecentLevi]

That's helpful, thanks. So the R-1 is said to sound more musical than the Bifrost 2, and as well on other regards such as detail, soundstage, dynamics, etc. perhaps? Or any thoughts on how it compares to the Yggy 2 for reference? (the new Bifrost is said to be similar)
I have the Singxer SU-1 as a DDC and it has HDMI as well as RCA coax out so I guess I could try both and see which gels better with the R-1 if I get it. Is it recommended to have an audible difference depending on quality of HDMI cable, or will any do as well?

I also like this idea because it handles DSD - does anyone have any words on its' performance with DSD? (.DSF files)

But then about shipping. Does anyone know if Audio GD charges a lot from China to the US, and if the outbreak has been effecting shipping from there?

 

[JoeDoe]

But then about shipping. Does anyone know if Audio GD charges a lot from China to the US, and if the outbreak has been effecting shipping from there?

I placed an order for the newest R28 in January and it was slated to ship the first week of this month. An email toKingwa however revealed that shipping has been delayed because of the outbreak. He told me it’d go out 2.22 at the earliest.

 

[aumont00]

@DecentLevi It is always tricky to say that a specific device will be better than another one for everybody. Schiit makes good dacs, and out of the box it performs well. If you use an R-1 out of the box, with no ddc plugged directly in the usb input, it will perform ok, musical, but not super detailed. However, using a good ddc, yes the details and stereo image will improve a lot and it will still be super musical. I think it may outperform the bifrost 2, would have to compare to be sure...
I use a Gustard U-16 in front of my R-28, along with an external clock, and it is really really impressive. I had a schiit gungnir before, which is better than the bifrost, and I think my current setup beats it.
Now for the output from your singxer, the recommended cable is really the blue jeans hdmi FE-bonded because it performs so well for the price, it is ridiculous (you can confirm reading numerous comments of headfiers on the thread about the new audio gd DI-20). The cable is available in different lengths, here is an example:
https://www.amazon.com/Bonded-Pair-High-Speed-Cable-Ethernet-Black/dp/B0026NX3Z8

 

[DecentLevi]

Hey guys thanks for your tips especially about that cable deal. When you say it's musical, do you mean it's colored / euphonic or lush? I'm hoping for very minimal coloration to the sound as I prefer a neutral / clean / transparent true to life sound since aside from listening I also do sound design so I need it to sound very true to life and not colored, unless in a very subtly way.

Also does anyone have any comments on this DAC's handling of PRaT? Along with rock and jazz I listen to a lot of rhythmic focused electronic and pop music and am interested to know how if it seems to give a cohesive rhythm presentation.

The R-1 is definitely at the top of my list for now...

 

[Chris Kaoss]

As the R1 is equal to my R28s dac, you can change the sound by switching through the different modes of NOS or OS.
It's like going from musical close to reference, i guess. Whatever reference means, bc it is very subjective, imo.

To me, musical is a lifelike presentation of the reproduced sound. Which means, it sound natural in comparison of my experience of perceiving sounds.
The Audio GD is capable to deliver.

If your speakers/ headphones aren't really poor assembled, there'll be no problem with such things like "prat", i guess.
Afaik, PRaT is a really subjective perception.
May someone shed a light on me.

At the end, the R1 is a great dac and you've to take a listen to, imo.

Happy listening and have a great day.
Chris

Edit:
Apologies, if it sounds a bit harsh, english isn't my native language.

 

[ToddRaymond]

@DecentLevi, I used to own the Gungnir Multibit, then the Bifrost Multibit due to needing the funds, and later the Yggdrasil A1. The original Bifrost MB, in my opinion, was very much overrated – despite being a fine enough DAC for any sane person. The Gungnir Multibit was much more impressive. The Yggdrasil A1 was very nice indeed. Attempted to buy a home, so sold it, along with the Master 9. I wish I could comment on the Bifrost 2. I also found the original Ragnarok to be nothing special, considering the level of hype out there for Schiit in general. (I previously had heard the upper-level Schiit DACs through an Ayre preamp and power amp, where they performed far, far, far better to these ears.)

With the R-28 through my speakers, I don’t find I miss the Yggdrasil. I’m using the Singxer SU-6, with the Wireworld Platinum Starlight HDMI (probably overkill, but I got a very nice discount on one). Headphone listenin’-wise, there are definitely times that I miss the Master 9 (and I look forward to one day owning the HE-9), but the R-28 still does a fine job.

I am still on the previous firmware, and the accurate version thereof: V3A. I still need to install Windows on my Mac in order to update to the latest (‘DOP’) firmware. I also use 8X oversampling. I don’t have a super bright tweeter in these older KEF Reference monitors, but I’m also probably less sensitive to treble than the average biped.

 

[DecentLevi]

Awesome guys, thanks for your input. That's another thing I like about this DAC is the ability to toggle on the fly between 4 different OS modes. In my experience this has a way of effecting the rhythm (at least perceived) it so could be quite handy in this regard.

And @ToddRaymond that's quite the accolade that this DAC is comparable to the Yggy even the analog 1 version, which must mean it's comparable to the Bifrost 2 as well. For the firmware were you referring to the R28 DAC?

And I'm curious does anyone have any words on the treble presentation of the R-1 DAC such as texture / quality and especially smoothness?

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Testet on R28 with Pioneer Monitor 5 connected to se-out and

- Gioachino Rossini - Sonata No. 2 in A Major - I.Allegro (Chamber Orchestra Kremlin - Misha Rachlevsky)
- Arnesen - Magnificat 4. Et misericordia
- Jan Gunnar Hoff - Living
- Jan Gunnar Hoff - The elder
- Rondo' Veneziano - Concerto Vivaldi (1990) - Track 02 Inverno
- Rondo' Veneziano - Concerto Vivaldi (1990) - Track 06 Primavera
- Ola Gjeilo - North country II
- Joseph Haydn - String Quartett in D, Op.76 No.5 Finale-Presto
- Frederic Chopin - Nocture in B flat minor, Op.9
and many more.
All stationary stored in flac with the MS Surface connected via usb.

It was such a great experience with the Monitor 5, which is known for very accurate and clean reproduction.
Non-fatiquing, very enjoyable listening at volume 70 out of 99, which means 10% power output with OS 8 mode.
But i can speak for the R28 only.

And i know the Quad Era-1 will top the Monitor 5 in terms of musicality and headstage.
At least in my opinion.

 

[Nickol]

It was such a great experience with the Monitor 5, which is known for very accurate and clean reproduction.
Non-fatiquing, very enjoyable listening at volume 70 out of 99, which means 10% power output with OS 8 mode.

Did you listen to it on the High gain or Low ?

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Did you listen to it on the High gain or Low ?

I always listen in h-gain.
The same with my connected Elac Air-X 407.

 

[ToddRaymond]

@DecentLevi: I often have difficulty being thorough in my explanations without being long-winded, so I should probably attempt to be more clear on a couple of things with regards to R-28/R-1 vs. Yggy A1.

For one thing, I was using the USB Gen 5 input on the Yggy, whereas almost from the start I've been using the SU-6 with my R-28. Given the very apparent jump from the built-in Amanero USB board to the SU-6, I can imagine the Yggy would deliver more goods with the new Unison USB board, or perhaps especially with a really fine digital-to-digital converter. It seems a number of individuals on the DI-20 thread have found the DI-20 to be better still than the U16 or SU-6.

I have also been using different power amps since my progression through the Schiit DACs to my current setup. On top of that, there's the whole audio memory being unreliable thing. However, the one constant in place would be the fact that I've been using flagship Ocharaku earphones the entire time, which are very revealing and borderline* sibilant (*give or take, depending on the upstream gear and recording). A Schiit DAC out of the box with their current best USB board may be a more convenient "set it and forget it" solution overall than the little bit of extra fiddling and tweaking that may (or may not) be necessary with an Audio-gd DAC. From my own experience, and for own ears, I would say the current Audio-gd R2R DACs are undoubtedly greater bang-for-buck components than the Schiit multibit DACs – at least without factoring in extras like a USB to I2s converter, better cabling (which seems perhaps more "necessary" with this gear), and über clean power if possible. Not everybody's going to want to be bothered with the (optional of course) FPGA firmware upgrades. Mind you, with the firmware revisions available for several years after the original release of the product, you really have the option to sort of upgrade your DAC to a new and improved product, without having to ship it anywhere.

I know the term "musical" is a tricky one to employ, but to me, the Gungnir Multibit A1 had that slightly more pleasant wamth that was very much enjoyable, while the Yggy A1 brought with it additional focus and overall resolution, possibly at the expense of some of that musicality. It sounded a wee bit thinner. I would say the R-28 sits somewhere in between the two, at least with the V3A firmware with 8X oversampling. I'm sure the V3S (smooth) using one of the NOS modes would sound quite a bit more euphonic than even the Gungnir Multibit A1, but at the expense of resolution (based on what I've read on the various threads on this site; and I've read a number of entire threads). I'm chronically chasing that perfect and probably impossible balance between ultimate resolution/transparency/neutrality/clarity/whatnot, and pleasantness/naturalness/realism/beautiful tone and timbre. Or perhaps it's all one thing. The R-28 in my system seems to get pretty darn close to that. I may have gotten better definition in the lower registers, perhaps a hair more separation of instruments, and 2% better overall resolution with the Yggy A1, but it's been a while now. So, grain of salt here.

If I don't include the cost of the SU-6 though (or the upgrades I did like the MUSES8920, and the upgraded internal wiring and connectors I did), my entire DAC, preamp, headphone amp, and power amp setup from Audio-gd (including shipping) costed less than what an Yggdrasil A2 alone does.

If you do go the Audio-gd route, I highly recommend getting the Accusilicon clocks. For me, they brought more focus/clarity to the musical picture.