[Jandu]

Quick question about USB drivers for Audio-GD DACs. .....

Depends on your transport. If it is sourced from PC, you do need the driver.

 

[sajunky]

Quick question about USB drivers for Audio-GD DACs. I just bought a R-28 2018 version used and am waiting for it to arrive. Do the Amanero drivers need to be installed for basic audio playback via or are they just for DSD playback?

Amanero board is USB Audio Class 2.0 compatible. It means that modern operating systems like Linux or Android work instantly without a need of installing vendor specific drivers. Windows 10 came late on the board with the Creators revision, initially buggy, now working properly. For DSD playback you will have to configure both player and OS for bit-perfect transfers (bypassing the OS mixer). It is good to do it anyway (for a maximum SQ), but for you it will be an ultimate test when playing DSD files.

Installing Amanero drivers brings ASIO support, it is easier to configure than Windows WASAPI Exclusive mode. ASIO allows for a native transfer of DSD data stream, while Windows driver support is limited to the DoP transfers. What to use, you will decide. Native transfer may produce less jitter, while DoP is more flexible, i.e. it allows to detect communication errors.

For older version of Windows you have to install Amanero drivers.

 

[Mizicke5273]

Thanks, for the response. Yeah, I am on Windows 10 and forgot to mention that in my post. I don't have any DSD Files, so no need for that. Figure it is good to know if the Drivers are required, so I knew where to start if it was not recognized.

 

[sajunky]

@Mizicke5273.

I see you did not understand my main point. Yes, Windows 10 (the latest revisions) will recognise your great DAC (I can only dream off) and it will play instantly. However in order to feed a DAC with the original (unaltered) sound, you need to do extra work. If you don't do that, Windows mixer will resample the source with a built-in poor quality routines. R28 will reward you if you do it correctly. Here is a guide you should follow: https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/digital/pc-software/foobar-2000-for-dummies/

For testing a proper bit-perfect setup you can download free DSD64 samples from this site: http://www.2l.no/hires/

If you get a noise, it means that Foobar or Windows WASAPI Exclusive mode is not configured properly. DSD files are good for testing, as any alternation to the volume or sample rate will result in a noise.

 

[Mizicke5273]

Hey @sajunky, yeah I picked up on the fact the Drivers are needed for the best SQ. And I just meant I had no interest in DSD playback, since I don't have any.

 

[Christophe999s]

Hi, I just got an R1 and successfully upgrade the Amanero board, but I also wanted to update to the latest R1tda_Asy_P_dop1.1 firmware.
I downloaded it from http://www.audio-gd.com/Firmwaredownload.htm and had no problems flashing it (or so i think). According to the manual, there is only one NOS mode, but in the menu I'm still able to select N1,2 and 3. Is this working as intended, or did the firmware flash somehow fail?
Is there a way to check what firmware is installed on the device?

 

[maellen]

Hi, I just got an R1 and successfully upgrade the Amanero board, but I also wanted to update to the latest R1tda_Asy_P_dop1.1 firmware.
I downloaded it from http://www.audio-gd.com/Firmwaredownload.htm and had no problems flashing it (or so i think). According to the manual, there is only one NOS mode, but in the menu I'm still able to select N1,2 and 3. Is this working as intended, or did the firmware flash somehow fail?
Is there a way to check what firmware is installed on the device?

I think you can email AGD directly, provide your R1 serial number, I believe they can give straight answer on the firmware version of your R1

 

[maellen]

Been using R2R1 (then converted to R1) for more than 3 years now but I haven't seen much reviews about it on youtube/audio review sites. I wonder why. Sales not so good? I wonder why.

Really happy with my unit though.

 

[Jandu]

A lot of the reviews are done by middle man who may see some benefits from promoting the equipment. Whereas Audio GD is mainly a direct purchase., so, almost no middle man who wants to promote. One of the reasons why the price/performance ratio can be much higher than some of the other hi-end products.

If you go to forums like this, and go thru the topics, you will find most everything one needs to know for lesser known brands such as AGD.

I do believe sales of the R2R dac from AGD is still quite strong. For music lovers, the R2R dac is the way to go.

Enjoy while we can, before some big brand name comes and buy up the company and start changing the pricing structure.!

 

[Jandu]

Hi, I just got an R1 and successfully upgrade the Amanero board, but I also wanted to update to the latest R1tda_Asy_P_dop1.1 firmware.
I downloaded it from http://www.audio-gd.com/Firmwaredownload.htm and had no problems flashing it (or so i think). According to the manual, there is only one NOS mode, but in the menu I'm still able to select N1,2 and 3. Is this working as intended, or did the firmware flash somehow fail?
Is there a way to check what firmware is installed on the device?

While operating under NOS, you can still sample the data using different algorithms, the different mode numbers refer to the sampling metholody. The folloiwing is posted from the AGD website:
----------------------------------------------------------
While OS setting on "N" mean the DAC working under NOS mode, different modes offer different sound features, usually mode 3 is most users favorite. Or depend on your sense .
Mode 1 : Simplest data process .
Mode 2 : Data fifo.
Mode 3 : Fastest data process.
--------------------------------------------------------------

 

[sajunky]

While operating under NOS, you can still sample the data using different algorithms, the different mode numbers refer to the sampling metholody. The folloiwing is posted from the AGD website:
----------------------------------------------------------
While OS setting on "N" mean the DAC working under NOS mode, different modes offer different sound features, usually mode 3 is most users favorite. Or depend on your sense .
Mode 1 : Simplest data process .
Mode 2 : Data fifo.
Mode 3 : Fastest data process.
--------------------------------------------------------------

The same about PLL option and synchronisation method for I2S input. Strange thing that these options are only available in NOS mode, while there are completely independent to the oversampling process. All of them should be available in both NOS/OS modes. I don't care, as I don't need OS mode, but it is a bit confusing, so I am not surprised that people keep asking. It would be more clear if all clock synchronisation options were grouped together.

As for the above options my understanding is that in the Mode 2 (Data FIFO) ladder switches are driven directly by the internal clock. It means the optimum condition for a lowest possible jitter. A downside is a high latency, not good things for watching movies or gaming.

I don't really understand a difference between Mode 1 and 3. Simplest means the shortest path (meaning the lowest latency too - fastest)? In a human language it is.

Some clue provide the fact that while USB interface has a source clock synchronisation transfer mode that allows to drive ladder switches directly by the internal clock (without help of FIFO) and PLL can only make things worse, there is no such handshaking mechanism for S/PDIF, AES and I2S. But what do exactly the A-GD "simplest/fasters" mean?

 

[squadgazzz]

Hi guys. I'm looking to buy either the Denafrips Ares II or R-1 soon. Has anyone used both and can give me some feedback on both?

Did you find any comparisons?

 

[joespride]

Hate like hell to ask this here but maybe someone will have an answer. I have an AGD R1 2021 version. On 3 different PC (Win 10, Mac mini OS 10.7.1(Older one) and a new linux) I can not get the USB to be recognized. On the Win 10 I downloaded the drivers and no luck. When I look up connected devices I get a USB device connected If I unplug the usb from the DAC that disappears but I can not select it or get it recognized as a DAC. What gives ? 20 years ago I bought an AGD product that had the same style of issues . I thought surely Kingwa was past all this BS.

The DAC plays great via all the other inputs using a Singxer SU-2 DDC

 

[gimmeheadroom]

If you wipe the Amanero by mistake this would be a symptom

 

[joespride]

If you wipe the Amanero by mistake this would be a symptom

By wipe the Amenaro, do you mean on the DAC itself or on the PC ? To my knowledge no one has connected the Blaster to the port on the rear of the unit. I would have to think that would be the only way to "Wipe Amenaro" on the DAC. Also the warranty sticker is still intact so no one has been inside the unit. There is no red switch (talked about on the AGD sit., on the rear of the unit) As Far as on the PC Amenaro was installed via the link on AGD, It was Uninstalled and re-installed just to check incase a bad install............I also tried down loading the drivers for windows found on AGD's site