[Nada]

Quote:

The reason I feel there was improvement in micro-detail is because I have certain tracks that I am intimately familiar with and have listened to countless times on every DAC I've owned. Certain tiny details have been revealed more with each DAC upgrade that I didn't notice previously.

 
Thats a smart way to judge micro-detail. I think I might have heard the same but I only trust my mind and ears with direct comparisons.
 
I do hope you get the chance to line up your 7.1 versus a 7 and share your direct A-B-A experiences for us. I wonder if that could be done at a meet with users noting their finding and the results pooled at the end of the day? I wish!

Quote:

it's taking on certain characteristics of Sigma-Delta DACs, and losing certain characteristics of R-2R; I say that because cymbals sound slightly splashier, but pianos have slightly less natural timbre; I hope these traits reverse as more days and weeks are put on the 7.1.

My Ref7 seemed to go through all sorts of weird phases as it bedded in and settled down. In the end it just got smoother and smoother.  May I ask what amp and transducers your listening through?

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Quote:
My Ref7 seemed to go through all sorts of weird phases as it bedded in and settled down. In the end it just got smoother and smoother.  May I ask what amp and transducers your listening through?

Dual chassis balanced Beta22 and HD800.  There's a link to my gear in my signature.
 

 

[IPodPJ]

Listened for about 6 hours last night and all day today thusfar.  The leading and trailing edges of notes are more delineated on the 7.1.  This is evident on songs like Steely Dan's Time Out Of Mind where you can really hear the attack and decay of cymbals and guitar plucking.  Music sounds more live and in-person than it did on the 7, and now I have a much better understanding of some of the faults people found with the 7.  Those same people will hopefully have a chance to hear the 7.1 and share similar analysis.
 
Recordings that have sibilance are not masked with the 7.1.  The 7 had a tendency to pleasingly smooth out more sibilant recordings but you won't find that to be the case here.  You can probably use certain cables and power cords to mask that, but by doing so you will be sacrificing the overall detail.
 
Very much enjoying my time with this DAC.  I don't remember the last time in the past 2 years I've spent this long just listening to music - period.  But when I was listening for shorter periods of time I was usually trying to analyze the reproduction and pick it apart, which is something I'm not doing at all now.
 
Oddly enough, I found the pair of XLR interconnects that best synergize between my amp and the 7.1 to be the old Sharkwire XLR that Audio-gd used to sell.  I have 5 pairs of XLR cables here ranging in price from very cheap to very expensive (and price means absolutely nothing when it comes to how a cable will sound) and the Sharkwires have the most open, transparent, and full sound.
 
For reference, I've been using my Mac Mini (previous generation with the brick power supply) via a cheap 8 foot mini TOSlink to TOSlink optical cable, with the latest build of Audirvana, best quality setting, upsampling with SRC turned on and set to 96kHz max).  It will probably be another 2 weeks before I get my Transporter back, and that should only improve things.

 

[Nada]

Thats great your enjoying your music again with the 7.1
Thanks for posting the regular updates of the 7.1 sound signature and I look forward to following your journey over the coming days, weeks and perhaps months if the signature keeps maturing?
I can feel an upgrade itch coming on...no...must ..resist....

 

[IPodPJ]

Well we know there have definitely been changes to the circuitry other than just the output stage.  Since there are no more mechanical relays, input selection and signal lock is being done by another method.  Kingwa must have thought this was a better solution.
 
I also wonder if he got rid of the analog filter or took it down a notch.
 
I forgot to mention... as you know they give you your choice of digital cable, either RCA-RCA, BNC-BNC, or RCA-BNC (they won't give you an AES/EBU XLR cable although I'm not sure why)... but they also included a TOSlink cable which they have never done before.  They didn't ask me if I needed one, so it was nice to find that extra in there.
 
The DAC appears to draw 45 watts.

 

[IPodPJ]

So is there anyone else here who has purchased and received their 7.1 and wants to share impressions?  I've already heard from one of you via PM.

 

[LarsHP]

Another positive review I just discovered:
 
http://www.headfonia.com/the-flagship-audio-gd-pcm1704-based-ref-7-1/

 

[Pricklely Peete]

Interesting impressions Phil. Glad you are finally discovering the joys of burn in (perceived or otherwise)

.....I wish I could my greasy mitts on a 7.1 myself but the chip gods, my wallet and the soon to be ex-wife said no. That being said I'd still love to pit the RE1 MAX against Kingy's latest and late flagship just to see where things stand. I have a feeling 10 years from now these (DACs...the RE1/7/7.1) will be highly sought after in the used market. I know one thing, I ain't selling mine no matter what.
 
Enjoy the tunes....everything else is BS.
 
Peete.

 

[LarsHP]

Quote:

Another positive review I just discovered:
 
http://www.headfonia.com/the-flagship-audio-gd-pcm1704-based-ref-7-1/

Well - when I said another, it was because I thought this review already was posted:
http://www.digitalaudioreview.net.au/index.php/audio-reviews/digital-source-reviews/item/202-audio-gd-reference-71-dac-8-x-pcm1704uk
 
 
 

 

[AcousticMatter]

I have made a quick and impulsive decision after reading this thread and seeing that Audio-GD now have a new batch of Ref 7.1 up for sale. I am driving my K1000 and HE5LE from an old modded Audio Note Kit One using a Lyngdorf CD1 and Little Dot Dac-1 as sources. For some time now I have felt that especially my Little Dot dac is the weak link, and I am looking really forward to see the improvements to my system made by the new Audio-GD box. Audio-Gd has confirmed 2-3 weeks of shipping time...Now...I just have to wait.

 

[Audio-Omega]

Is 7.1 the best dac from Audio-gd ?

 

[LarsHP]

Is 7.1 the best dac from Audio-gd ?

Yes, that's what Kingwa himself said on the web page.
He discontinued the Reference series DACs when he ran out of PCM1704UK chips and said he couldn't find a replacement for it and thus no more Ref dacs until now.

 

[shamu144]

I finally received my unit 2 days ago. Still burning in. Please bear in mind I have very few comparison reference point at this price level. I have been using for the last 2 years the Lavry DA11 and before that a Sony SCD555ES.

Despite this, I can easily say from the start that the level of resolution and detail is just far superior to what I have come used to. There is much more depth to the soundstage and imaging is nothing short of amazing. However, I am not convinced yet by its ability to respect the timing of the original signal. The Lavry offered a more relaxed presentation and better flow to the notes, giving it a very organic sound, especially in the high frequencies.

Those are only early impressions of course and I look forward to enjoy the Ref7.1 once fully burnt in.

EDIT: does anyone have tried disabling completely the DSP1 ? It seems to me the AP2 does not really need jitter correction and I feel tempted to disable it. Would that still work without damaging anything ? I see there is also a NOS setting that may improve timing and flow but at the expense of separation and clarity.

 

[tim3320070]

Give it more time- another week of full time running then come back to us.

 

[datura647]

So I've been hearing great things about this DAC, and today I placed my order.  Do you think it will be a nice upgrade from my Beresford?

 
I'm now eagerly awaiting the arrival.  Audio-gd says 2-3 weeks...