[Pharmaboy]

My new R2R-11 MK2 is still burning in. After reading @FredA's very helpful review, I should note that:

• I'm presently burning in this unit w/USB straight in. That's purely for sake of convenience
• But when using this unit in either the main desktop system (headphones, speakers, sub) or side-system (headphones only) in my home office, I will not be using it with USB straight in:
  • In the side system it will receive coax input via my old Musical Fidelity V-Link 192/24 + Billy Jeans coax cable
  • And in the main system it will receive coax input via my relative new DDC, a Matrix Audio x-spdif 2 + high-quality silver coax cable (Oyaide DR-510). This DDC immediately improved subtle sonic qualities of the system as soon as I installed it

Net/Net: USB won't even matter in either system I'll use the R2R-11 in. I saw in @FredA's review that this unit sounds even better when getting its signal from SPDIF connections...heartening to read that.

BTW, I'm kind of an Audio GD fanboy at this point. My first NOS DAC was their NOS-19, which really changed my relationship with digital for the better after years of problematic sound from various delta-sigma DACs. Then I got the 10th Anniversary DAC-19, a very solid multi-bit (I'll likely sell that once the R2R-11 is in the office). I've also had a couple AGD amps, including the SA-31SE that I sometimes use as a preamp. I do appreciate the affordable sonic excellence offered by this brand.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

AES/EBUberalles

BTW, I'm kind of an Audio GD fanboy at this point.

That goes for me and probably anybody else who ever used a piece of Kingwa's gear.

It's like 60s and 70s garage fi taken up, up, up and away. Industrial, tank-like build, music-lover sound, amazing amount of thought and common sense goes into everything.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Hello all

How well did these age I wonder. In the last few pages I saw someone compared r2r11 to holo may and denafrips ares which piqued my interest. I saw a guy selling a 2019 version for a decent price. Now seeing mkii is out but the price is also multiplied. I'm rather new and never heard an r2r dac so I'm just curious.

 

[FredA]

Hello all

How well did these age I wonder. In the last few pages I saw someone compared r2r11 to holo may and denafrips ares which piqued my interest. I saw a guy selling a 2019 version for a decent price. Now seeing mkii is out but the price is also multiplied. I'm rather new and never heard an r2r dac so I'm just curious.

They are not in the same category. The r2r 11 is entry-level, the May is high-end. For the money, the r2r 11 is great but can’t be compared to the May. The R2r 11 mkii is worth the extra money though and is better than the original.

 

[PopZeus]

If you've never heard an R-2R DAC before though, the 11 is a good place to start. You get the AIO convenience, plus the option to try out better amps for some scalability. The analog sweetness might be too much for some coming from D-S chips, but you'll know pretty quickly from the R2R-11 if it's generally your thing or not.

 

[sajunky]

Hello all

How well did these age I wonder. In the last few pages I saw someone compared r2r11 to holo may and denafrips ares which piqued my interest. I saw a guy selling a 2019 version for a decent price. Now seeing mkii is out but the price is also multiplied. I'm rather new and never heard an r2r dac so I'm just curious.

Holo DAC is not NOS. It is not oversampling (one of requirements is met), but there is a lot of data scrambling to hide ladder defects and digital filtering is in place. It doesn't sound like NOS, more similar to Delta-Sigma devices. It is very good as a transition from Delta-Sigma to a ladder DAC. It means it will satisfy taste of majority. Some say it is different, but not neccessary better (from the high-end perspective).

As for R2R-11, it is an entry level R2R pure NOS DAC. A high end sound comes from this little device, less refined, but if you like NOS sound, it is the best device you can get for the price.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Tested out Denafrips Ares II vs R11 and Holo Spring Level 3 Kitsune DAC recently....

They are not in the same category.

my bad, I thought I read holo may in the post above. Sorry. Though finding r2r11 and holo spring similar is quite curious.

I wouldn't jump to the kilobuck category blindly, Maybe I will dip my toes with r2r11. Before I thought R2R11 was like a middle schooler's science project, some guy put together some parts through trial and error. (I'm blaming the Infamous ASR review) I mean no offense, I was just misinformed. What I understand is, earlier USB implementation had defects which are remedied with amanero upgrade. And mkii is a much more improved device from the same roots.

Thanks to the good people here I'm set straight

If you've never heard an R-2R DAC before though, the 11 is a good place to start. You get the AIO convenience, plus the option to try out better amps for some scalability. The analog sweetness might be too much for some coming from D-S chips, but you'll know pretty quickly from the R2R-11 if it's generally your thing or not.

Also thanks. Maybe my less educated ears wouldn't hear a difference at first but I'm determined to educate them.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Before I thought R2R11 was like a middle schooler's science project, some guy put together some parts through trial and error.

When @sajunky got me interested in Audio-gd and I talked here with some other guys about it, I was convinced to give it a try. I went to the website and it looked like some high-school scam. I figured for 350 USD I could take a chance given what the guys on here told me.

The gear is amazing in many ways. It sounds great of course or there would be nothing to talk about. But when you use it you see how much thought went into it, how the switches operate in the most sensible way, how everything makes sense. That the build is so solid. This is the R2R DAC most of us got started with. And we loved it enough to spend more on Kingwa's gear.

I don't know many shops that have an owner/engineer who actually likes to talk to his customers. You write an email with questions, you get answers from a guy who loves music, loves hifi, and wants his customers to have the best experience. I had a bug in firmware and I got new firmware in a week. To me that's incredible.

(I'm blaming the Infamous ASR review)

The guy is a known flake and looks like a shill for Topping. Basically it wouldn't be a bad idea to do the opposite of whatever he says

What I understand is, earlier USB implementation had defects which are remedied with amanero upgrade. And mkii is a much more improved device from the same roots.

Kingwa didn't write the driver for Amanero. And if you think the Audio-gd site is a nightmare, the Amanero site takes it up a notch. But everything works if you can get past the 1940s web design.

Thanks to the good people here I'm set straight

Thanks to @DACLadder @sajunky @FredA and the other guys this is one of the best threads on the forums.

Maybe my less educated ears wouldn't hear a difference at first but I'm determined to educate them.

The great thing about NOS R2R is that it sounds like music.

 

[FredA]

I wouldn't jump to the kilobuck category blindly, Maybe I will dip my toes with r2r11. Before I thought R2R11 was like a middle schooler's science project,

This device looks like diy, it is artisanal to some extent, but it's more sturdy than your average product. And a lot of R&D went into it. As said, it is a great intro to NOS and r2r. It plays music, that's for sure.

 

[FredA]

I would add, if you like it and want more without spending so much, the mkiii with all the upgrades is great at the price point, it basically has no competiton as far as r2r dac/amps go.

 

[Jarlaxle]

I would add, if you like it and want more without spending so much, the mkiii with all the upgrades is great at the price point, it basically has no competiton as far as r2r dac/amps go.

we will see, thanks

 

[Pharmaboy]

The great thing about NOS R2R is that it sounds like music.

Measurement obsessives & ASR orthodoxy notwithstanding...this is all that matters.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I would add, if you like it and want more without spending so much, the mkiii with all the upgrades is great at the price point, it basically has no competiton as far as r2r dac/amps go.

I haven't heard my R2R-11 MK2 in either of my office systems...at the moment it's still burning in with a relatively inferior system outside the office. I've heard it along the way with my Fidelio X2 headphones, beloved for relaxing musicality but not the last word in resolution. So take this comment with a grain of salt:

I'm very impressed by this MK2 device, not just because it already sounds good (ie, like music, not digital bits going through a food processor)--but the design is fiendishly clever in Kingwa's idiosyncratic style, namely:

• There are controls here that to the best of my knowledge don't exist together in many (maybe any) other devices, including:
  1. Specify HP output or Preamp output (for me it will always be Preamp output)
  2. Specify Low vs High gain, choice of which remains in-line & audible when used as Preamp via certain other settings below
  3. For Preamp output, specify full volume out vs volume mediated by the (very clever & transparent) relay volume control
  4. Volume control is controllable via toy remote (I won't need it, but in case I do, it's there)
  5. The very bright azure blue LED lights can be (largely) shut off (I tried it but prefer them on)
  6. And my favorite novelty setting, actually is the key to my use of this device for either HP or Preamp output: set the volume to "Recall" (so when you turn the unit on/off, it restores to the volume that was on before shutting it down. This one is magic for me. It totally works every time...
  7. Did I mention that I paid reasonable $$ to have a 2nd RCA output added?
• My use pattern is probably unique, yet perfectly facilitated by this design:
  • I'll use this unit as a DAC/Preamp in either/both of my office systems. The big system has 2 HP amps/preamps + electronic crossover + class D amp + speakers + sub; the side-system is headphones only and also has 2 amps. So whichever system I use it in, I can run 2 amps simultaneously
  • In either/both systems, I'll fine-tune the output voltage of the DAC via the volume pot set to be adjustable in Preamp output mode
  • That will redress my longstanding issue w/too much gain in the main system. I'll adjust the R2R-11 MK2's volume pot until that big 128-stepped volume pot of V281 (my main system's primary HP amp & preamp) remains between ~10AM and 2:30 PM on the dial, rather than ~8AM to 10:30AM on the dial, where it currently is
  • And in my side-system, I'll adjust the R2R-11 MK2's volume pot until the volume pot of Monoprice Liquid Gold X is in an adjustable range comfortably above its very finicky volume jump above ~10AM on its volume pot. Until now, I've never managed to hear the LGX above 10AM on its because it has so much gain. Now I can do that with ease

So to summarize this wonky narrative: I'll use the R2R-11 MK2 as a DAC only in either/both of 2 systems.

So what about the DACs currently in use in those systems?

• The main system's DAC is the very good sounding MHDT Labs Orchid (with dual RCA output pairs). I'll try the R2R-11 MK2 in place of it, but don't expect the Orchid to be bested sonically
• The side system is more likely where the R2R-11 MK2 will live. The current DAC there is the very nice Audio GD DAC-19 with dual RCA outputs. I expect the R2R-11 MK2 to best that DAC both in sound and operational flexibility. If that happens, I'll sell the DAC-19, which has very low hours and has served me splendidly well

What are the negatives I encounter with the R2R-11 MK2? Just a couple, and neither is a deal-breaker:

1. Maybe its me & my fingers, but I find it exceedingly difficult to unseat a 1/4" jack inserted in the single-ended headphone output receptacle on the front panel. Sure, I press the red collar/key on the housing to "release" the inserted jack...but I have to press painfully hard to actually release the jack. This inflexible jack housing is and a potential failure point. But I don't care as I will rarely if ever use the amp section (I have 7 other amps)
2. And those azure blue LEDs really are bright as hell. They'll probably light the entire room with all the other lights off. But I don't care, because I happen to love azure blue to begin with--it's my favorite of the colors already present in the 2 strings of Christmas lights I switch on every night in this office, year round.

I plan to start critical listening on the R2R-11 MK2 next weekend.

(that's it for now!)

 

[gimmeheadroom]

[*]Maybe its me & my fingers, but I find it exceedingly difficult to unseat a 1/4" jack inserted in the single-ended headphone output receptacle on the front panel. Sure, I press the red collar/key on the housing to "release" the inserted jack...but I have to press painfully hard to actually release the jack.

@FredA has been telling anyone who would listen that you need at least 200 hours on the jack and 500 is probably better

 

[Pharmaboy]

@FredA has been telling anyone who would listen that you need at least 200 hours on the jack and 500 is probably better

I somehow missed that....thanks!