[Currawong]

The Ref 1 was discontinued after he released the Ref 7S, which is essentially the same DAC as the Ref 1 with the Ref 7 boards and R-Core transformers.

 

[NapalmV5]

before i order ref7 you guys think kingwa will release one last final reference dac with i2s input ?

 

[vrln]

Ask him... If you get no reply, it´s a maybe. If there really are no plans for a PCM1704UK DAC with i2s he´ll probably tell you so. Even if he updates products often, he seems honest about these things. At least he told me in a mail that the CD7FV is really "final", and that currently he does not know how to make a better amp than the Phoenix.

 

[les_garten]

Quote:

Ask him... If you get no reply, it´s a maybe. If there really are no plans for a PCM1704UK DAC with i2s he´ll probably tell you so. Even if he updates products often, he seems honest about these things. At least he told me in a mail that the CD7FV is really "final", and that currently he does not know how to make a better amp than the Phoenix.

I wish we could get him to do a Reference quality Electrostatic Amp!  I think there is not enough market maybe?

 

[NapalmV5]

Quote:

Ask him... If you get no reply, it´s a maybe. If there really are no plans for a PCM1704UK DAC with i2s he´ll probably tell you so. Even if he updates products often, he seems honest about these things. At least he told me in a mail that the CD7FV is really "final", and that currently he does not know how to make a better amp than the Phoenix.

lol
 
just sent my wish list to kingwa

 
- ref 7 i2s input dac
[size=small]- i2s output di (digital interface) with multi inputs (optical/bnc/aes/rca/usb/i2s)[/size]
 
too much to ask of[size=small] "multi inputs (optical/bnc/aes/rca/usb/i2s)" ?

[/size]

 

[SoupRKnowva]

he should probably just go all out and put out an 8 chip ESS 9018 DAC using all of them in mono mode

just imagine what the specs would be like on that beast...but i guess that would take alot of work in the digital realm, since he wouldnt be able to use the digital section of the dac chip like he is now. would the DSP-1 be able to do that?
 
im just wondering since a couple pages back in the nfb1 thread someone who seemed to have a pretty high knowledge of the ESS chips, said that kingwa is using the chips in what amounts to the most most basic mode possible since he isnt using any sort of control chip. which excites me since that means there is quite a bit of potential for improvements with the nfb series to be had.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

iPodPJ: I think you're underestimating Kingwa's ability to make a good DAC, or that he doesn't know what he's doing.
 
The Sabre is multi-channel, you don't need a dual-mono one as such, from what I understand of the technology.  Someone posted something Kingwa said about the way the PCM1704UK works such that the way the Reference series are set up, with the digital an analogue sections together is what TI recommends and what works best. With the ES9018 the situation is different.
 

I think you know very well I don't underestimate his ability to make a good DAC.  Would I keep buying them if I did?
 
I think many people here including myself have biases towards dual mono, and would prefer (if we were given a choice) to have our channels completely separate on the digital input as well as the analog output.  I have no idea how the ESS Sabre handles 8 channels in one chip and still gets the performance it does, but ESS has specified that it can be run in dual-mono.  However I think this can only be done in I2S.  This is why Kingwa has not done it yet.  He would have to build an S/PDIF to I2S converter module that would extract both channels separately.  While it supposedly can be done, it would certainly take some creative engineering and time for him to come up with it.

 

[Epoch]

Quote:

I think many people here including myself have biases towards dual mono, and would prefer (if we were given a choice) to have our channels completely separate on the digital input as well as the analog output.  I have no idea how the ESS Sabre handles 8 channels in one chip and still gets the performance it does, but ESS has specified that it can be run in dual-mono.  However I think this can only be done in I2S.  This is why Kingwa has not done it yet.  He would have to build an S/PDIF to I2S converter module that would extract both channels separately.  While it supposedly can be done, it would certainly take some creative engineering and time for him to come up with it.

Why would he have to build a S/PDIF to I2S converter to extract both channels?  Isn't this already done with the PCM1704UK based DACs with the DSP1 since they run as dual mono units?  I mean, aside from performing other functions as well, it has to take the I2S input from the DIR9001 and split it into left and right channel digital data to send to the PCM1704UK chips.

 

[Audio Bling]

[size=medium][size=medium][size=11pt]Lately, I have been able to extract better performance from my DAC-19DSP using good quality power cords and power conditioners. This has enabled me to “tune” the sound (more or less) to my taste. Curious to know if the Ref7 displays the same characteristic i.e. does its sound “change” with different power cords etc?[/size][/size][/size]

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

I wish we could get him to do a Reference quality Electrostatic Amp!  I think there is not enough market maybe?

THAT would be nice. The market isn't lacking for high-end tube powered stat amps, but other than the DIY KGSS-HV, there's essentially nothing happening with solid state.

 

[NapalmV5]

anyone here owns ref7usb with the usb input converted to i2s 3.3v 96khz input ?
 
i may just go with this if ill ever need usb there are plenty of options

 

[lmswjm]

Quote:

 
How about a comparison using the same outputs, XLR out on the Ref1 and HEDD to compare. That would be interesting. I have a hard time imagining a Sigma-Delta dac being more dynamic then a R2R.
 

Okay, so I compared the XLR outputs of both DAC's and still preferred the HEDD 192. Then I made up some silver ACSS cables to compare also. Along with the materials ordered for the cables, I also had partsconnexion make up a 5' Furutech FX-Alpha-Ag BNC cable that Prickley Peete recommended.
 
Now here was the surprise: With the Furutech in place, the Reference 1 kicked the HEDD to the curb readily. My previous BNC was an 18' Blue Jeans Belden. What I believe happened was that the HEDD was at it's full potential with the Belden, but the Belden was stifiling the Ref 1. I did not extract any extra performance out of the HEDD with the Furutech, but the Furutech allowed the Ref 1 to open up and blossom. I just sat and listened completely amazed to about 4 hours of music over the last 2 nights since the switch which is something I don't usually do. The big jump in performance was 3D imaging. It made the HEDD sound 2 dimensional comparitively. The sound is just so completely real and natural it is still blowing me away. And to think I contemplated selling my Ref 1. Shame on me.
 
On another note, I wound up preferring the XLR over the ACSS outputs. Another surprise for me. The sound is a little bigger and warmer without giving up a stitch of detail. Maybe I'm a "musical flavors" guy after all.
 
Lastly, if you are using Shark ACSS and Canare BNC cables, you cannot imagine what you are missing. Do yourself a favor and thow them in the garbage.

 

[vrln]

Thanks for the comments lmswjm, looks like I´ll hold on to my Wireworld Eclipse XLR cables then. I ordered the Shark ACSS with my Phoenix, looks like I might prefer the XLR ones after all. Will be interesting to test them... Also recently got a Wireworld Gold Starlight BNC cable so I´ll be able to do some comparisons against the included Canare BNC.

 

[IPodPJ]

lmswjm,
 
Try making a passive I/V cable -- ACSS to XLR.

 

[haloxt]

Quote:

Lastly, if you are using Shark ACSS and Canare BNC cables, you cannot imagine what you are missing. Do yourself a favor and thow them in the garbage.

The pink sharkwire SP18122G  and canare L-5CFB are both very decent spec cables. I admit they may have a tonality the majority dislike, but they are still a big step up from stock cables.