[Wynnytsky]

Thanks for your thoughts though. Anyword on coherency and bass response while I still have your ear?

check, check, check, and yet the listening sessions were shorter. I recall that getting the USB port to pair/handshake being an ordeal (perhaps testament to it operating with lower tolerances and higher performance), and it was impossible to pair through an Intona. This wasn't a 1 off issue because we had 2 of those units at one time. I think it used 32bit Thesycon drivers. And while that USB port was very good (way better than the one I heard on the PSAudio Directstream), the tinkering audiophile will want something with more inputs (ideally with i2s). For the record, I only asses through rullrange speakers and have no idea how it applies to cans.

I sold a FirstWatt J2 last week that was a disaster for my speakers and the guy said he was going to use it as a replacement for the 5watt amp driving his Hifiman HE-6. I thought that was wild (the J2 draws 200watt @idle)

I would add that it's more telling if the sale/sold listings pile up in the same year a product is released. So not as incriminating for the QB9 as was the Denafrips Ares which went through a purge last year.

 

[Stanley chin]

Thinking sell my ifi micro idsd and buy this...is it worth?In the r2r 11 inside have a jumper to adjust the sound characteristics right?can select neutral or warm,does anyone here tried it?does their warm really have warm sound like tube or a pure class a amplifier?

 

[FredA]

The r2r 7 is a very coherent dac. Bass is vey clean. With the multiples settings availble on the r-7, you will find ones that suit your setup. The new faceplate is very convenient for that purpose. I recommend the accurate fw, which is the brightest, if you are like me and @Wynnytsky and you like a vey accurate treble. I had to select 4x oversamping to tame it down a bit with the v3 firmware. It was either that or acoustic treatment. Or the nos2 mode was also fine with less accurate treble however.

As a reference, i also have a very transparent setup. I use an audio-gd master-1 pre, nc500 monoblocks with class-a buffer stage and as transport, i have a rpi going to wyrd to intona to singxer f-1 connected through rj45 i2s. My speakers are Osborn Eclipses with upgraded tweeters and crossovers. All very transparent equipment, so my r-7 has nowhere to hide. Using a usb transport, you need a silent computer. Bits can be lost through the usb audio link as it is not a protocal with error correction. And the r-7 will be merciless, you will hear evey error. So you need a very good or excellent transport.


My monoblocks are so small compared to Wynnystky’s. I feel like a looser.

 

[FredA]

Thinking sell my ifi micro idsd and buy this...is it worth?In the r2r 11 inside have a jumper to adjust the sound characteristics right?can select neutral or warm,does anyone here tried it?does their warm really have warm sound like tube or a pure class a amplifier?

The warm setting is not very good according to most people who have tried it, but the r2r-11 is quite warm by itself. The dac section is remarkable at this price point.

 

[gLer]

Thinking sell my ifi micro idsd and buy this...is it worth?In the r2r 11 inside have a jumper to adjust the sound characteristics right?can select neutral or warm,does anyone here tried it?does their warm really have warm sound like tube or a pure class a amplifier?

I upgraded my ifi Micro iDSD to the R2R-11. The R2R was definitely ‘preferable’ to me - more analogue sounding, punchy and warm of neutral. Like @FredA says, it’s one of the best - if not the best - dacs you can get at this price (as long as you don’t need to play DSD). The warm setting simply makes it more warm - rolls off the treble. I wouldn’t recommend it. And no, it doesn’t make it sound like a tube amp or a pure Class A amp, but the R2R-11 amp is better than the ifi iDSD amp I’m my opinion.

 

[Stanley chin]

The warm setting is not very good according to most people who have tried it, but the r2r-11 is quite warm by itself. The dac section is remarkable at this price point.

Yes,it is really worth especially from a high end audio company.Gotta try them later but have to drive for few hours.

 

[Stanley chin]

I upgraded my ifi Micro iDSD to the R2R-11. The R2R was definitely ‘preferable’ to me - more analogue sounding, punchy and warm of neutral. Like @FredA says, it’s one of the best - if not the best - dacs you can get at this price (as long as you don’t need to play DSD). The warm setting simply makes it more warm - rolls off the treble. I wouldn’t recommend it. And no, it doesn’t make it sound like a tube amp or a pure Class A amp, but the R2R-11 amp is better than the ifi iDSD amp I’m my opinion.

Most important for me is the dac section,using jvc ha sw 02 now,not a power hungry headphone,the ifi itself have a really really powerful headphone amp,but i don't really need it,still can use a external headphone amp if upgrade to a power hungry headphones.What do you mean by have a more natural and analogue sounding,is it mean more like a vinyl?

 

[gLer]

Most important for me is the dac section,using jvc ha sw 02 now,not a power hungry headphone,the ifi itself have a really really powerful headphone amp,but i don't really need it,still can use a external headphone amp if upgrade to a power hungry headphones.What do you mean by have a more natural and analogue sounding,is it mean more like a vinyl?

I mean more natural, less digital. Perhaps a little like vinyl. I found the iDSD is also an excellent dac and amp and is of course more portable. The R2R-11 is desktop only.

 

[Stanley chin]

I mean more natural, less digital. Perhaps a little like vinyl. I found the iDSD is also an excellent dac and amp and is of course more portable. The R2R-11 is desktop only.

One of the reason why i want to change is because i just have a new hifi rack and not really need portable dac anymore because nowadays a smartphone also have better sound quakity than older model.And i can try to upgrade those caps in a dekstop system that a portable cannot do.

 

[Chopin75]

Do you know if dithering is an option on the R-28? I don’t see it as an option. Is it built in or left out?

Not sure, does the audio-gd web show instruction for dither jumper?

 

[Chopin75]

Thinking sell my ifi micro idsd and buy this...is it worth?In the r2r 11 inside have a jumper to adjust the sound characteristics right?can select neutral or warm,does anyone here tried it?does their warm really have warm sound like tube or a pure class a amplifier?

I personally feel a DAC should be as neutral as possible, should not give “too much color”. The Audio gd R2Rs are quite neutral it seems. Certain modes like NOS3 can give a warmer tone but not excessive. I think if u prefer tube-like sound then a tube preamp and tube amp should be more than adequate. The audio gds do not add any more digitalis/shrill etc to the music unless your source (including the recording) has it. They don’t sugar coat bad sources or recordings. Perhaps fhe Medtrum NOS DAC swould give warmer tone as their characteristics, though I never heard them personally.

 

[FredA]

I personally feel a DAC should be as neutral as possible, should not give “too much color”. The Audio gd R2Rs are quite neutral it seems. Certain modes like NOS3 can give a warmer tone but not excessive. I think if u prefer tube-like sound then a tube preamp and tube amp should be more than adequate. The audio gds do not add any more digitalis/shrill etc to the music unless your source (including the recording) has it. They don’t sugar coat bad sources or recordings. Perhaps fhe Medtrum NOS DAC swould give warmer tone as their characteristics, though I never heard them personally.

Give os4 a try with v3a.

 

[Chopin75]

Give os4 a try with v3a.

Yah, now it is time to get my USB blaster to change to V3 to test all my NOSes and OS too

 

[ItsAllInMyHead]

Thinking sell my ifi micro idsd and buy this...is it worth?In the r2r 11 inside have a jumper to adjust the sound characteristics right?can select neutral or warm,does anyone here tried it?does their warm really have warm sound like tube or a pure class a amplifier?

I have tried the jumper. Personally, I prefer the neutral. I can't answer your question re: sounding like tube or Class A. I have a tube amp (Continuity), and I have a few SS amps (Class A and Class A/B), but all of them are in their own way... different. The jumper on warm, just seems to roll off the treble a bit. I don't have golden ears though, nor do I know the change in the circuitry. Your preference will probably come down to what headphones you use.

If it helps with your decision, I have a Micro iDAC2 and the Micro iDSD BL. I think they are good products. However, I personally wish I had found Audio-GD sooner. I probably would have still gotten the BL (I use it while traveling), and I'm going to keep it. However, my mini-rack of iGalvanic => Micro iUSB 3 => Micro iDAC2 => Micro iTube2 => iCAN SE was replaced by the R2R-11. If you don't need a battery powered portable, then I don't see how you could go wrong. The R2R-11 does support DSD if that is important to you. Not sure if that was clear from previous posts.

Note - I have not had a ton of time with my Audio-GD equipment, so as with anything YMMV, but I hope it helps.

 

[Stanley chin]

Thanks for the help guys,i personally think that a dac section is most important for me,and i don't travel alot,and in car i only use bluetooth connection because for the ease of use,no need any wire.