[haloxt]

What makes Ref 7 so expensive is it has to have doubled analog circuitry for balanced operation, just compare ref 8 and ref 9 prices. Maybe Kingwa will make a SE neutral dac at the same price point as the ref 9, but I think if you're going SE you might as well go with their "slightly" more musical line, because imo neutral benefits especially from good technical ability and I think balanced adds a good amount to that.

 

[insatiable]

Received my REF-9 today! Surprisingly earlier than I expected!
 
The case work is remarkable...much better than I expected...very sturdy!
 
Was using Benchmark DAC1 Pre, Larvy DA11, EC ECD-1...All have some sort of problems not satisfying me quickly...no matter what powercord, interconnect and cones/spikes rolling
 
Listening to the first half hour...Larger feeling of ambience, deeper and 3D sound stage...and seems no irritating sibilance (yet) ... which I am severely sensitive to and can get ear-ache and headache from them..
all the "sssss" and "shhh" are naturally presented in all my testing recordings
Compared with my friend's TP Buffalo II ESS9018 DAC.. seems not as analytical...but the sound is more involving ...warmer and much smoother...i like this sound!
 
Hopefully irritating sibilance will not appear after burn-in the unit, which had been the case when i newly bought some cables or components...the sibilance (which i hate) came out after burning in....
 
Will report after some time!

 

[oqvist]

Nice with more owners!
 
The DAC19 DSP was always soft to my ears so I don´t have much fear about sibilance on this even though it´s perhaps not quite as soft. More oomph so to speak. ... as for sibilance I have listened to KD Lang, Hayley Westenra, Celine Dion and many other female vocalists. Not sure if I have listened to REM yet I often use their crappy mastered CDs for sibilance testing. LCD-2 is not the best headphone to try out sibilance with though.
 
I have been getting some time with the ED 8 the last two days and I haven´t encountered much issues yet. I think my ears are quite sensitive to sibilance. Or I am just a cry baby

Currently listening to the Leona Lewis Spirit album which is quite aggressively mastered. Definiatly more sibilance here then I preferr on the ED 8 which is far from the most treble happy headphone I have owned. Not to the point of ear pain though.
 
As for ED 8 it sound as beautiful as ever out of the Ref9. Like with the LCD-2 I feel the soundstaging has improved over the DAC19 in term of depth.
 
                                                                                  

 

[setamp]

This dac is on my short list.  Could you comment on the upper mids / lower treble?  This is where I am sensitive (negatively).  Do you note any glare/grain/hardness in this area?

Also, do you find there to be good instrument separation with air around individual instruments?

Thanks.

 

[tim3320070]

Well I own the Ref-8 (formerly the Ref-1) and there is no glare, harshness or anything fatiguing at all. This has been stated about most every AGD DAC from the get-go. I am sibilance sensitive as well.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Well I own the Ref-8 (formerly the Ref-1) and there is no glare, harshness or anything fatiguing at all. This has been stated about most every AGD DAC from the get-go. I am sibilance sensitive as well.

The Ref-7 was formerly the Ref-1.  The Ref-8 is a different model because it doesn't use ACSS.

 

[dura]

Quote:

Well I own the Ref-8 (formerly the Ref-1) and there is no glare, harshness or anything fatiguing at all. This has been stated about most every AGD DAC from the get-go. I am sibilance sensitive as well.

I'm sibilance sensitive too; although my Ref5 is not rolled off at all I hear no sibilance; I'm starting to wonder if it is really some hi-freq distortion commonly caused by many (probably not all) delta-sigma DAC distortion.
Very glad I found out about Audio-GD, I used to prefer rolled-off to sibilant but this is better!

 

[tim3320070]

Quote:

The Ref-7 was formerly the Ref-1.  The Ref-8 is a different model because it doesn't use ACSS.

ACSS or not, they are all similar in sound signature, as in no harshness in the highs.
 

 

[oqvist]

I have had sources that has less sibilance and sources that got more than the DAC19 and Ref9. If the Audio GD dacs are sibilant or not depends on where you come from as always. They are very detailed afterall so there is sure a lot of more forgiving sources out there. A bit contrary to what I expected the DAC19 is the softer DAC then the Ref 9
 
Having the Ref9 on 24/7 since I got it it hasn´t changed much at all. I do feel this has more of a "digital modern sound" then the DAC19. What I mean is that they decay is a bit shorter, the attack is harder and there is more pure blackness between notes. Imaging and soundstaging is what has improved the most over my DSP 3 fitted DAC19. Very important for the LCD-2 since the lack of depth have really bugged me! The sound is perhaps not quite as organic as on the DAC19 with it´s crazy amount of ambients. One thing I haven´t really figured out yet but the Ref9 make my ears feel more "busy". Maybe it´s just the better imaging that make my brain more busy with locating instruments in the larger soundstage or I need even more time with it.
 

 

[Orangecrush]

Quote:

Those that are considering the Ref9 should really spend the extra for the ref8.  If you look at the circuit diagrams on the webpage you can see that the ref 8 has its diamond stage transistors hand matched in order to forgo the need for an opamp servo.  When you factor in shipping the ref8 it is not that much more than the ref9 but you are getting possible the last flagship audiogd,  none others have the hand matched transistors.
 
As far as Ref1 vs 3SE ,  I prefer the Re1 as the Re1 has better Prat,  more organic.   But the 3SE is no slouch and is an excellent value,   some may prefer the 3SE as it probably is a little more tonally accurate.  Its all a matter of taste.

 

Regal, I asked Kingwa and he replied: "RE9 has DC serve to keep the DC offset. But it also built by exact match transistors, the DC serve can cancel don't has trouble for most gears.
The RE9 is non-balance version of the RE8 but RE8 is slight new design."
 
What does that mean?
 
Thanks for your help, I am still trying to decide if it is better to splurge on the Reference 8 even though I will using it SE. 

 

[tim3320070]

Getting the Ref-8 gives you options to go balanced someday.

 

[oqvist]

Focused the entire afternoon on the Oppo BD83se and the Ref9. Among other recordings running Scorpions Acoustica DVD and John Mayer where the light is bluray concert.
 
The Ref9 is a bit harsh on my speaker system. The Oppo BD83se is smoother and softer and more pleasant to listen to with better soundstaging on top of it. Even when equalizing away some sub bass on the Ref9. My room are not perfectly suitable for my 10" sub.
 
Running with my LCD-2 it´s just a matter of taste really. the LCD-2 is really smooth and you have to look hard for distortion. The slightly harder attack (the differences are slim) of the Ref9 doesn´t hurt the output of the LCD-2 at all quite the opposite.  Also the little bit of extra juice in the lowest of the registers is not a problem. No room resonances to take care of. LCD-2 have no problem handling the bass.  The Oppo is again a bit softer and have less listening fatigue in the long run. If you feel your system is to aggressive I would really recommend it over the Ref9. Of course the 83se being a bluray player doesn´t offer any digital inputs sadly.  
Now don´t read this as Ref9 being harsh just that everything is relative.
 
For my taste and in my system I do preferr the Ref9 for the LCD-2 since I have felt it being a bit to polite at times on the DAC19. Which except for the typical areas where speakers do better is my reference system.

 

[realmassy]

Thanks for your impressions oqvist.
I'm a bit surprised by your description of the Ref.9 sound. One would expect a softer presentation from the musical line, but it seems almost the other way around, with the DAC19 having a smoother signature

 

[oqvist]

Quote:

Thanks for your impressions oqvist.
I'm a bit surprised by your description of the Ref.9 sound. One would expect a softer presentation from the musical line, but it seems almost the other way around, with the DAC19 having a smoother signature

It surprised me a bit positively too. It will be interesting to switch DSP modules on them and see what happens. As I understand it it´s just plug and play. No need to play with jumpers or anything?

 

[Audio Bling]

 
Quote:

[..] The sound is perhaps not quite as organic as on the DAC19 with it´s crazy amount of ambients. One thing I haven´t really figured out yet but the Ref9 make my ears feel more "busy". Maybe it´s just the better imaging that make my brain more busy with locating instruments in the larger soundstage or I need even more time with it.
 

 
[size=medium][size=10pt]Not a good report for the Ref9, IMO.. [/size][/size]
[size=medium] [/size]
[size=medium][size=10pt]One would expect the Ref9 to comfortably eclipse the DAC-19 and that you would be delighted by it in all respects. If not then there is likely something amiss that would not be “solved” by, for example, spending more money for the Ref8.. [/size][/size]

 
Quote:

Regal, I asked Kingwa and he replied: "RE9 has DC serve to keep the DC offset. But it also built by exact match transistors, the DC serve can cancel don't has trouble for most gears.
The RE9 is non-balance version of the RE8 but RE8 is slight new design."
 
What does that mean?

[size=10pt]Sorry, I am not Regal.. But it seems clear to me that Kingwa is saying that the Ref9 is the equal of the Ref8 in SE mode and that any differences are marginal. [/size]