[OCC7N]

On R-1 NOS?

Yes I would recommend a good pcie card rather than optical cable.

I ordered the Pink Faun i2S Bridge so I will be comparing them all: except spdif!

Optical USB cable - > R-1 NOS
USB Card(Pink Faun). -> usb cable -> R-1 NOS
I2S Card -> I2S cable -> R-1 NOS

 

[sajunky]

Yes I would recommend a good pcie card rather than optical cable.

I ordered the Pink Faun i2S Bridge so I will be comparing them all: except spdif!

Optical USB cable - > R-1 NOS
USB Card(Pink Faun). -> usb cable -> R-1 NOS
I2S Card -> I2S cable -> R-1 NOS

Why looking for fancy PC cards? Take out USB signal from a noisy PC and clean it outside. As long as USB asynchronous transfer is not broken, it is like transfering data from the internal hard drive, no jitter. This is a main difference between USB and traditional audio interfaces.

I looked at the cheapest device, Elfidelity. It says, it provides isolated USB Bus power. But Audio GD DAC don't use bus power. It doesn't say it will isolate ground wire or data lines. It means it is useless.

If you don't have a second DI-20HE, you can try a poorman DDC from Douk Audio U2Pro. It will add some ground loops redirection when used with external power supply. It provides 3 outputs for ~$50: HDMI, coax and optical, so you can test them all. You can still use iFi Defender plugged to the PC, as it is a mandatory tool, IHMO.

For a lower jitter, order an option with ultra low noise oscilators or bring a standard board to a local cellphone repair shop and ask them to replace oscilators with Crysteks.

For the optical USB cable, I have no experience. A big question is whether it support asynchronous transfers (with a DAC clock controlling transfer speed).

 

[OCC7N]

Why looking for fancy PC cards? Take out USB signal from a noisy PC and clean it outside. As long as USB asynchronous transfer is not broken, it is like transfering data from the internal hard drive, no jitter. This is a main difference between USB and traditional audio interfaces.

I looked at the cheapest device, Elfidelity. It says, it provides isolated USB Bus power. But Audio GD DAC don't use bus power. It doesn't say it will isolate ground wire or data lines. It means it is useless.

If you don't have a second DI-20HE, you can try a poorman DDC from Douk Audio U2Pro. It will add some ground loops redirection when used with external power supply. It provides 3 outputs for ~$50: HDMI, coax and optical, so you can test them all. You can still use iFi Defender plugged to the PC, as it is a mandatory tool, IHMO.

For a lower jitter, order an option with ultra low noise oscilators or bring a standard board to a local cellphone repair shop and ask them to replace oscilators with Crysteks.

For the optical USB cable, I have no experience. A big question is whether it support asynchronous transfers (with a DAC clock controlling transfer speed).

If it does not need 5V then just pull the jumper from the jcat usb and it will isolate

All external boxes I have tried sound worse incl douk. The pci fixes all issues for a pc/server.

 

[sajunky]

If it does not need 5V then just pull the jumper from the jcat usb and it will isolate

USB power is something Kingwa take care of. Removing jumper cut 5V bus power which is not needed, good idea. However it doesn't isolate ground or data wires.

I ordered the Pink Faun i2S Bridge so I will be comparing them all: except spdif!

OK

All external boxes I have tried sound worse incl douk. The pci fixes all issues for a pc/server.

Worse comparing to Pink Faun?
I guess you didn't use iFi Defender or you used it wrong way.

 

[OCC7N]

USB power is something Kingwa take care of. Removing jumper cut 5V bus power which is not needed, good idea. However it doesn't isolate ground or data wires.

OK

Worse comparing to Pink Faun?
I guess you didn't use iFi Defender or you used it wrong way.

I actually have zero issues with noise. It has become a myth for me after upgrading my pc.

I hope to receive the pink faun card this week together with r1nos. Not tested yet

 

[gimmeheadroom]

S/PDIF optical spec is 96/24 although some setups do better, it's the worst, most limited audio interface still in use. King of jitter. Should have died in the 1980s.

My 8300CD has AES/EBU out. If your 6000 does not at least use coax...

 

[ku1185]

Regarding the left/right RCA ports, I had the same issue with my r2r-11 mk2. I guess it's an issue with the batch of RCA ports he got.

 

[OCC7N]

Got this R-1 NOS from magnahifi today!

Such a beautiful compact size.

Weekend is on full listening from USB until I get the I2S setup

Optical cable also landed

 

[OCC7N]

Im gonna give my impressions late november. My only con so far is the power inlet being too loose.

 

[gibosi]

Got this R-1 NOS from magnahifi today!

Such a beautiful compact size.

Weekend is on full listening from USB until I get the I2S setup

Optical cable also landed

Your R-1 NOS looks identical to my R2R1 that I purchased in 2018. Is yours a newer model? Or is it completely different?

 

[OCC7N]

Your R-1 NOS looks identical to my R2R1 that I purchased in 2018. Is yours a newer model? Or is it completely different?

The R-1 NOS is different.

All I can say right now it is very very source depended and is like a chameleon.

I have tried different sources/cables, and it was noticeable on each of them right away.

---

The high notes are very fatiguing* right now. The most beautiful thing is the low/sub and upper bas. Wow!

Im enjoying this DAC on comfortable listening levels, turning it up to loud is fatiguing. I guess it needs 2000hours.

*maybe my ears are adapting, I sorta get this feeling on new dacs.

However this dac has abit pressure/vacuum feel to my ear

 

[OCC7N]

Right now its just my PC through usb. Will be switching to optical soon. I also have my Audiolab 6000CDT that is extremely clean sounding.

I don´t know how Kingwa did this but the R-1 NOS is a real chameleon and changes noticeably with different cables and sources.

What I assumed before with FIBBR Alpha was not as expected, this cable on the motherboard is even better than on the JCAT USB XE card to my ears.

_
I have still not received the i2s setup

 

[OCC7N]

Update: change of thoughts, back to original

My experience with optical cable is still the same.

They sound identical en terms of resolution. I have better power in the wall outlet closer to midnight. It was this time that made me believe it was better than my pure silver connection and pcie card. It is not!

Metal alloys always wins for me…still!

 

[OCC7N]

R-1NOS....too much bass, lowend?

Try this if you feel it gets to bass/lowend on the R-1 NOS....HE400SE does not have the power to hold the lowend. Only my HE1000V2S managed to hold this sweet EQ

 

[Nayyte]

Call me a madman!

I bought a receiver today to get an initial setup for my stereo system. Naturally I have to plug in the R-1 NOS. Listening to only the headphone output with my ZMF Auteur OG. For a 25+ year old amp, this nakamichi does pretty well and I'm not missing out any detail. This really proves to me that both the DAC and the AMP mean a lot when you are making a audio chain, but also it's unltimately the DAC that controls the resolution and detail of your system. Like you said @OCC7N, the bass here is pretty serious. I don't know for sure if this amp is elevating it more than the DAC, but it's on the boomy side with a wide bass shelf increase. I will be testing with my questyle as a DAC only tomorrow and also will test the R-1 NOS with speakers!

Also something to point out with the R-1 NOS. Some recordings can lack necessary engagement to the music. Slower music is good but fast music (old recordings) can suffer. This DAC really grabs the recording and shoves the PRaT through all it's fancy circuitry. What you get is super refined, smooth, airy, and lush. Sometimes all the instruments individually sound so good that when you put them all together in the end, it can be too powerful. Some music doesn't get like this and is perfect. Music that has a lot happening, where the background has consistent volume levels between instruments is what this DAC doesn't like. Masterful recordings and masters with fluctuating volume/depth to all the instruments and vocals is where this DAC does it's magic. So I guess if the song has poor soundstage then it will be too much to listen to and get fatiguing. My example is go listen to "Depth of my Soul" by thievery corporation and then "Renegade" by TSHA. The later of the two sounding far better fatigue wise. Good in, great out and the inverse is true. London grammar is also a great example for superb performance with this DAC.