[jimmychan]

Seems like a defected switch which is easy to be replaced.

 

[HK_sends]

Having a difficult time figurign out what is different between 2021 and 2022. Only these two are listed as "New", but #2 was on 2021. Kingwa used the same comparison to say that it was similar to last gen with DI20HE.


1, Digital input signal sampling display and simulate vinyl record sound flavor .(New Feature)
2, USB transmit the IIS signal to the FPGA processor and receive the clock signal from the FPGA processor, the USB interface without on board data clocks, the signal transmit is much exact, the sound quality get the much improve , close to the last generative R-28 combine with DI-20 (But not DI-20HE) level. (New Feature)

One not-so-good (lack of) feature is the 2022 version does not have unbalanced RCA inputs for using the R28's amp from an external DAC, just XLR. Walter filled me in on that one...
Cheers!
-HK sends

 

[HK_sends]

Just ordered the 2022 R28 from Underwood HiFi. A big thanks to Walter for letting me interrupt his lunch to ask questions and place the order. My goal is to see how well it pairs with the Audeze LCD-5 since the Burson Conductor isn't supposed to be a good match.
This will be my first Audio-GD product and first true R2R DAC. Looking forward to it.
Cheers and All the Best!
-HK sends

 

[sajunky]

One not-so-good (lack of) feature is the 2022 version does not have unbalanced RCA inputs for using the R28's amp from an external DAC, just XLR. Walter filled me in on that one...
Cheers!
-HK sends

Good point, I didn't notice. IN5 (RCA) and IN6 (XLR) are replaced with IN5 (XLR), there is no IN6 anymore.
Underwood HiFi does a good job. Enjoy a new R-28.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

One not-so-good (lack of) feature is the 2022 version does not have unbalanced RCA inputs for using the R28's amp from an external DAC, just XLR. Walter filled me in on that one...
Cheers!
-HK sends

Oh.
That's a bad move, imo.
Like to add the Mojo to the R-28 for a different flavour, which wouldn't be possible without the RCA input.

Anyways, have fun with the R-28.
Enjoy it right now with the FiiO FD5 unbalanced.

 

[HK_sends]

Oh.
That's a bad move, imo.
Like to add the Mojo to the R-28 for a different flavour, which wouldn't be possible without the RCA input.

Anyways, have fun with the R-28.
Enjoy it right now with the FiiO FD5 unbalanced.

Walter said you can get RCA to 3-pin XLR adapters which would work but it still doesn't address the basic problem. The 2022 version only allows one analog input when the 2021 version provided for two. Let's hope Audio-gd sees the error of their ways and addresses this soon.
Cheers and All the Best!
-HK sends

 

[HK_sends]

Just got my 2022 in and have maybe 20 minutes on it listening with DCA Aeon 2 just to get circuits warmed up and start the burn-in (Audio-GD suggests 400 additional hours to their 100 hours). However, it sounds pretty good out-the-gate but will give it a while to settle down and will try my Empyreans (and LCD-5 when it finally comes in).
Cheers and All the Best!
-HK sends

 

[Red_Devil_24]

Just got my 2022 in and have maybe 20 minutes on it listening with DCA Aeon 2 just to get circuits warmed up and start the burn-in (Audio-GD suggests 400 additional hours to their 100 hours). However, it sounds pretty good out-the-gate but will give it a while to settle down and will try my Empyreans (and LCD-5 when it finally comes in).
Cheers and All the Best!
-HK sends

Looking forward to your impression, mine is on it's way.

 

[Zack W]

I've read a lot and posted a little. After continuing to enjoy and rediscover the signature of my old NFB-10SE, I decided to take the plunge. Since I have other equipment to mix and match, I decided to stay discrete and went with an R1 DAC and Master 19 amp.

I got the amp last Friday and the DAC came Monday, so I've been about a week with it now. I am blown away by both units.

At first both units had a super intense, deep, dynamic signature, if somewhat forced, in a way I can't really explain. With time, the sound has mellowed out a little. It is still powerful and dynamic, but also more free and open. Easier to just sit and listen to.

Sound stage is quite deep and impressively 3D. In fact, I think the Master 19's stage is deeper than my Audiovalve tube amp. I never expected to say this about a solid state amp! Each sound permiates its space, but without trampling over any other sounds. The tube amp still permiates its stage even more fully, but that's what tubes do. Vocals are front row center, as they should be, but again, do not obscure anything behind them. At first, the sound stage almost felt like the music was playing in a long hallway. With some burn in, the stage has filled out more normally and is very coherent from side to side.

Bass and mid-range heft are very good, without giving up detail or sounding bloated. The bass on both units is strong all the way down. There is a lushnes that you just don't get without going class A. Bass response and a feeling of heft are very important to me and I haven't much to say here. It's very good and that's that!

Upper mids and highs are very clean, clear and natural. With so much going on in the lower half of the spectrum, I can sometimes feel that it is a little bottom heavy. But then, I do listen to a lot of rock and metal with grungy, heavy guitar riffs and such. When highs are more prominent, they seem perfectly balanced. Notably, there is no glare on any vocal highs, in places that I have experienced it with my other gear. This is big relief to me.

Tonality, especially in the vocals where it matters most, is dead neutral and natural to my ear. Perhaps a tad warm, but I think that's more the full body and inviting weight of the sound. The tone itself seems perfectly natural to me. My Denafrips Venus has a slightly sweet, very slightly warm tilt to its tone. I would like this more, (sometimes I do like it more) but it is conspicuous and therefore less natural to me.

I realize I am kind of saying all the same things about both units. This is because they both have the Audio-gd house sound. They will each bring this energy to other equipment individually and they complement each other perfectly.

I expect that the R28 has the same signature and within a couple % of the total performance. In Kingwa's words when I was trying to decide, "Without the AB, R28 is enough good." I believe him. I have heard no other new Audio-gd gear though. I can say that comparing to my NFB-10SE, using its DAC out, the Master 19 is plainly a superior amp, but not night and day. The NFB-10SE is also 10 years old and a less expensive all in one. I expect the NFB-1 and D/R28s are even closer. For $650 less, I think R28 is absolutely the right choice for a one and done solution. I wish I had just bought one before going down the rabbit hole with all this other stuff. I simply didn't know.

As for my other gear, the $2800 Venus will be put up for sale soon. It is a wonderful DAC with a very pleasant and slightly more relaxed presentation. It will make someone very happy. For my ears, it is over priced and I flat out prefer the R1. My Audiovalve Solaris will stay. It is splitting hairs between the Master 19, but still has a slightly more live, organic feel. The Master 19 is more like I would imagine sitting in the studio with the engineer. Both are thrilling experiences. That said, if someone broke into my house and took my Solaris, but left me the money for it, I would absolutely go buy a pair of SB3000 subwoofers for the living room and not look for another tube amp.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

I've read a lot and posted a little. After continuing to enjoy and rediscover the signature of my old NFB-10SE, I decided to take the plunge. Since I have other equipment to mix and match, I decided to stay discrete and went with an R1 DAC and Master 19 amp.

I got the amp last Friday and the DAC came Monday, so I've been about a week with it now. I am blown away by both units.

At first both units had a super intense, deep, dynamic signature, if somewhat forced, in a way I can't really explain. With time, the sound has mellowed out a little. It is still powerful and dynamic, but also more free and open. Easier to just sit and listen to.

Sound stage is quite deep and impressively 3D. In fact, I think the Master 19's stage is deeper than my Audiovalve tube amp. I never expected to say this about a solid state amp! Each sound permiates its space, but without trampling over any other sounds. The tube amp still permiates its stage even more fully, but that's what tubes do. Vocals are front row center, as they should be, but again, do not obscure anything behind them. At first, the sound stage almost felt like the music was playing in a long hallway. With some burn in, the stage has filled out more normally and is very coherent from side to side.

Bass and mid-range heft are very good, without giving up detail or sounding bloated. The bass on both units is strong all the way down. There is a lushnes that you just don't get without going class A. Bass response and a feeling of heft are very important to me and I haven't much to say here. It's very good and that's that!

Upper mids and highs are very clean, clear and natural. With so much going on in the lower half of the spectrum, I can sometimes feel that it is a little bottom heavy. But then, I do listen to a lot of rock and metal with grungy, heavy guitar riffs and such. When highs are more prominent, they seem perfectly balanced. Notably, there is no glare on any vocal highs, in places that I have experienced it with my other gear. This is big relief to me.

Tonality, especially in the vocals where it matters most, is dead neutral and natural to my ear. Perhaps a tad warm, but I think that's more the full body and inviting weight of the sound. The tone itself seems perfectly natural to me. My Denafrips Venus has a slightly sweet, very slightly warm tilt to its tone. I would like this more, (sometimes I do like it more) but it is conspicuous and therefore less natural to me.

I realize I am kind of saying all the same things about both units. This is because they both have the Audio-gd house sound. They will each bring this energy to other equipment individually and they complement each other perfectly.

I expect that the R28 has the same signature and within a couple % of the total performance. In Kingwa's words when I was trying to decide, "Without the AB, R28 is enough good." I believe him. I have heard no other new Audio-gd gear though. I can say that comparing to my NFB-10SE, using its DAC out, the Master 19 is plainly a superior amp, but not night and day. The NFB-10SE is also 10 years old and a less expensive all in one. I expect the NFB-1 and D/R28s are even closer. For $650 less, I think R28 is absolutely the right choice for a one and done solution. I wish I had just bought one before going down the rabbit hole with all this other stuff. I simply didn't know.

As for my other gear, the $2800 Venus will be put up for sale soon. It is a wonderful DAC with a very pleasant and slightly more relaxed presentation. It will make someone very happy. For my ears, it is over priced and I flat out prefer the R1. My Audiovalve Solaris will stay. It is splitting hairs between the Master 19, but still has a slightly more live, organic feel. The Master 19 is more like I would imagine sitting in the studio with the engineer. Both are thrilling experiences. That said, if someone broke into my house and took my Solaris, but left me the money for it, I would absolutely go buy a pair of SB3000 subwoofers for the living room and not look for another tube amp.

Welcome to the tech side of pleasant sound.
The Audio GD stuff isn't for folks who are looking for "nice to watch/ looking at" gear.
They convince with their performance.

Here, one sentence become very true :
Never judge a book by its cover.

Nice write up.
Glad to have you here with us.

 

[Zack W]

Welcome to the tech side of pleasant sound.
The Audio GD stuff isn't for folks who are looking for "nice to watch/ looking at" gear.
They convince with their performance.

Here, one sentence become very true :
Never judge a book by its cover.

Nice write up.
Glad to have you here with us.

Thanks Chris!

The only thing I can say wrong about this gear's looks is the blue LCD displays. They are so bright! They would only make sense if you planned to use a generator and closed phones and listen on the beach in broad daylight.

I think it was only Tuesday when I cut the seals and opened the lids. I inserted some dark photo gel sheets between the displays and the glass. Now they are about perfect.

 

[jimmychan]

You could set the display to off but only a dash.

" Left 5th. display : Display
Active (1) the display auto dark, the display will become dark in around 10 seconds after stop operate any buttons . Disable (0) the display auto dark, the display light always."

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Thanks Chris!

The only thing I can say wrong about this gear's looks is the blue LCD displays. They are so bright! They would only make sense if you planned to use a generator and closed phones and listen on the beach in broad daylight.

I think it was only Tuesday when I cut the seals and opened the lids. I inserted some dark photo gel sheets between the displays and the glass. Now they are about perfect.

Yes.
But it depends on the model.

The 10.33 i've had has a brighter light blue display, while the R28 has dark blue one, which you can set to auto off.

Even in a dark room it isn't an issue with.

 

[SalvaRossi]

Hi guys,
on my R28-2021v2 I encountered the following issues:
1) The display auto-dark does not work;
2) The settings (NOS / oversampling modes and OUT) are not saved after switching off/on;
3) Apparently the sound does not change in the various NOS/oversampling settings;
4) the rotator switch isn't working for increase the volume.

For these issues, with the support of MagnaHifi, I will replace the MCU (behind the display) and hope to solve ...

Question: what is the function/use of the jumpers included in the R28-2021v2 package? The product page, on the Audio-gd website, is continuously updated and the specs/use manual of my R28-2021v2 can no longer be found..

Thanks in advance

Salvatore

 

[ocramida]

Hi guys,
on my R28-2021v2 I encountered the following issues:
1) The display auto-dark does not work;
2) The settings (NOS / oversampling modes and OUT) are not saved after switching off/on;
3) Apparently the sound does not change in the various NOS/oversampling settings;
4) the rotator switch isn't working for increase the volume.

For these issues, with the support of MagnaHifi, I will replace the MCU (behind the display) and hope to solve ...

Question: what is the function/use of the jumpers included in the R28-2021v2 package? The product page, on the Audio-gd website, is continuously updated and the specs/use manual of my R28-2021v2 can no longer be found..

Thanks in advance

Salvatore

I have the 2021 and the jumpers are not used since all options can be access through the screen.

But you have a defective unit, so you will have access to options once it is repaired.