[noinimod]

Quote:

Any comparisons between Ref. 5 and DAC9Mk3? This would be very VERY interesting. They're pretty much in the same price class.

According to Kingwa, the 9mk3 has a softer, more musical sound. Greater dynamics, wider sound stage and a darker background. He told me that even with the DSP, the ref 5 is still not as good as the 9mk3. I nearly wanted to get the 9mk3 but decided on the ref 5 DF instead due to budget constraints.

 

[tim3320070]

Quote:

Any comparisons between Ref. 5 and DAC9Mk3? This would be very VERY interesting. They're pretty much in the same price class.

I would think the extra power regulation of the DAC9 would be a real improvement to soundstage.

 

[Nada]

Quote:

I've been using the Reference 5 connected to my laptop with Foobar and Asio through USB during the week end.
Man, that sounds good! I think it sounds better than my CD player :-O 

 
 
What's your CD player?

 

[sk3383]

Any plain generic CD player with a half decent digital output should out perform the USB input on the DAC-19.

 

[realmassy]

Quote:

What's your CD player?

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/482452/audio-gd-reference-5-coming-soon/105#post_6609106
 
Mine wasn't a proper test, as I simply plugged the analog output of the CD player into the Roc, so I wasn't using the player as transport.

 

[realmassy]

Quote:

I would think the extra power regulation of the DAC9 would be a real improvement to soundstage.

That's reasonable. Though the DAC9 has no USB and optical input and I don't know how it works with lower end transports.
Having said that If I had the money I'd have chosen the Ref.7

 

[Patu]

Quote:

Patu, I have a Ref 5 on the way...we should have a mini-meet.

Interesting. Are you coming to Helsinki anytime soon?

 
Quote:

According to Kingwa, the 9mk3 has a softer, more musical sound. Greater dynamics, wider sound stage and a darker background. He told me that even with the DSP, the ref 5 is still not as good as the 9mk3. I nearly wanted to get the 9mk3 but decided on the ref 5 DF instead due to budget constraints.

 
Ok. I'm not sure if I want any softer sound but DAC9Mk3 surely interests me now. How do you select inputs on the DAC9Mk3 when there's no switch on the front panel? Also I wonder if it's possible to get more inputs there. RCA + BNC isn't enough.
 

 

[tim3320070]

Quote:

That's reasonable. Though the DAC9 has no USB and optical input and I don't know how it works with lower end transports.
Having said that If I had the money I'd have chosen the Ref.7

You can add those in (definitley the optical, not sure if Kingwa will add USB but you could get a HiFace for that).
Ask Kingwa if he thinks the 19 with DSP would be better than the 9 w/o it.

 

[realmassy]

I'm (very) happy with the Reference 5. No upgrades in my near future

 

[JulioCat2]

Hello Patu
 
I have a 9Mk3 with PDM100 DF, and it sound marvelous i have a DAC19MK3 for my office rig and the 9Mk3 is much more analog sounding, i prefer it to LP's, it has a darker background and sound really impressive with HDCD.
 
In the 9MK3 the BNC input has priority over RCA

 

[TigzStudio]

Yey! both my blue dragon'ed dt-880s and my Ref 5 DF have shipped today!  I will post my impressions once I get em next week

 

[realmassy]

Cool!
Keep us posted.

 

[TigzStudio]

Reference 5 DF arrived today!!!! YEY!  I am not listening to it until I let it run for 48 hours+  I will post first impressions at that time, including comparing ACSS cables to the XLR. The cans I will be using are Beyer dt880's (600 ohm) rewired/balanced with blue dragon cable.  For the heck of it I will throw in my impressions of the 7506's also.  

 

[Patu]

Quote:

Hello Patu
 
I have a 9Mk3 with PDM100 DF, and it sound marvelous i have a DAC19MK3 for my office rig and the 9Mk3 is much more analog sounding, i prefer it to LP's, it has a darker background and sound really impressive with HDCD.
 
In the 9MK3 the BNC input has priority over RCA

Any more thorough impressions? Sounds very interesting.
 
How do you keep both inputs connected? Or does it activate BNC only when there's active signal? 
 
Thanks

 

[JulioCat2]

Quote:

Any more thorough impressions? Sounds very interesting.
 
How do you keep both inputs connected? Or does it activate BNC only when there's active signal? 
 
Thanks

 
BNC has priority, unfortunally i have to shutdown the component connected to BNC in order activate RCA.
 
The DAC9Mk3 it's a wonderful sounding DAC, lots of details, huge stage and darker background, it's very analog sounding, it's like LP's without the clicks and pops. I can hear it for hours (even days) whitout fatigue.