[LarsHP]

I would recommend the Master 9 with your R2R-7. (I have a Master 6, a previous model in this series.) The top-of-the-line products from Audio-gd have a reputation for value-for-money in the high end segment while the cheaper models have been getting more mixed reviews.

 

[Whitigir]

Well, comparing the Ref7.1 here with R2R7. The R2R7 is obviously a category above. So, I am not sure how the lower AGD tier fair, but the top of the line is certainly amazing

 

[FredA]

I would recommend the Master 9 with your R2R-7. (I have a Master 6, a previous model in this series.) The top-of-the-line products from Audio-gd have a reputation for value-for-money in the high end segment while the cheaper models have been getting more mixed reviews.

I second this. The nfb-1amp is very good but you need the master-9 to extract the very last bits of info. That said, as a pre, the difference is very small between my 2014 master-1 and my 2017 nfb-1amp. You get better imaging mostly.

Plus the master-9 is a huge bargain given its costly architecture and performance. Never had a chance to audition it but it gets consistently raving feedbacks and reviews.

Plus using a quality acss cable, you will get a very transparent link with you dac. I have been using the same acss cable for the last 4 years and i think it is good enough that i will never have to upgrade it.

 

[Chopin75]

I second this. The nfb-1amp is very good but you need the master-9 to extract the very last bits of info. That said, as a pre, the difference is very small between my 2014 master-1 and my 2017 nfb-1amp. You get better imaging mostly.

Plus the master-9 is a huge bargain given its costly architecture and performance. Never had a chance to audition it but it gets consistently raving feedbacks and reviews.

Plus using a quality acss cable, you will get a very transparent link with you dac. I have been using the same acss cable for the last 4 years and i think it is good enough that i will never have to upgrade it.

Certainly the Master 9 seems like a great preamp, with 3 Rcore transformers! Sure it seems like a great pre-amp, but probably overkill for me. The NFB-1 fits my budget right now and the fully balanced feature may work well with other gear too like my SACD player. Not many fully balanced pre-amp at this price range!

 

[FredA]

Well, comparing the Ref7.1 here with R2R7. The R2R7 is obviously a category above. So, I am not sure how the lower AGD tier fair, but the top of the line is certainly amazing

The da-7 boards produce significantly better highs. They are much faster devices and can produce more accurate timing IMO. In additon, the top end is smoother. This is not a small thing as the pcm1704k are very well regarded chips. All this is very obvious listening the very hard to reproduce sound of the accordion's top notes, which is so well done with the r2r 7. With the opamps swap in my pre, i have now more lower end extension and the sound i get has little to complain about. Some edginess with very old jazz records which i see as normal, but overall the balance is way better with the new accurate fw and a smaller number of records are hard to listen to. The sound of the accordion is really convincing, and i much appreciate the improved sense of depth with the new fw.

I am about to receive new loudspeakers, within a couple of weeks, directly from Australia. It is never the end of the journey for me.

 

[FredA]

Certainly the Master 9 seems like a great preamp, with 3 Rcore transformers! Sure it seems like a great pre-amp, but probably overkill for me. The NFB-1 fits my budget right now and the fully balanced feature may work well with other gear too like my SACD player. Not many fully balanced pre-amp at this price range!

If i were you, i would wait and gather some money. I doubt you will ever regret buying a m9.

 

[Wynnytsky]

The iFi may be slightly more colored which probably works better with a weaker source

Yes I came to the same conclusion. You can say the same about a tube buffer, a tube dampener, many wires, and also this W4S Recovery to some extent. Anything that behaves like a filter will have some collateral damage (ex: the atmospheric detail of the recording venue, or just the oerall dynamics)

I've owned & sold iFi's tube buffer, iUSB2, iUSB3, iGalvanic, iPower, Mercury, Genesis.

 

[FredA]

Yes I came to the same conclusion. You can say the same about a tube buffer, a tube dampener, many wires, and also this W4S Recovery to some extent. Anything that behaves like a filter will have some collateral damage (ex: the atmospheric detail of the recording venue, or just the oerall dynamics)

I've owned & sold iFi's tube buffer, iUSB2, iUSB3, iGalvanic, iPower, Mercury, Genesis.

Never bought a product that brought so little improvment if any as the ifi ac power. It's well made, solid, but i did nothing for my setup.

 

[Chopin75]

Never bought a product that brought so little improvment if any as the ifi iPower. It's well made, solid, but i did nothing for my setup.

Perhaps your setup is already very good. It only likely will beat a cheap Walmart DC adapter. I think mine did but I have not compared carefully.

 

[FredA]

Perhaps your setup is already very good. It only likely will beat a cheap Walmart DC adapter. I think mine did but I have not compared carefully.

Lent it to two friends. It did nothing for their setups either. Quite disappointing piece of equipement as far as i am concerned.

I made a mistake in my post, i was really referring to the ac power filter, not the dc swithing supply. Sorry for this.

 

[Chopin75]

I am debating if I should get a Schiit tube headphone pre-amp lie this:

http://www.schiit.com/products/valhalla-2

Seems great value though probably still light years from Audi-gd’s hardcore R core transformer/balanced output.
Audio-gd is probably more transparent and neutral.

It is true tube buffer and reduce details though a good one usually effect is negligible. I tend to match tube preamp with my solid power amps. For a poor source like mine from MacBook, perhaps a tube headphone amp will work better for now. The audio-gd may be too transparent and “naked” for now? Besides I don’t even have a balanced headphone. so maybe I will wait a bit later for the Master 1 or 9 depending on if I still need headphone then.

 

[Chopin75]

Lent it to two friends. It did nothing for their setups either. Quite disappointing piece of equipement as far as i am concerned.

I made a mistake in my post, i was really referring to the ac power filter, not the dc swithing supply. Sorry for this.

I see, there are too many ifi products with complex names!

 

[FredA]

I am debating if I should get a Schiit tube headphone pre-amp lie this:

http://www.schiit.com/products/valhalla-2

Seems great value though probably still light years from Audi-gd’s hardcore R core transformer/balanced output.
Audio-gd is probably more transparent and neutral.

It is true tube buffer and reduce details though a good one usually effect is negligible. I tend to match tube preamp with my solid power amps. For a poor source like mine from MacBook, perhaps a tube headphone amp will work better for now. The audio-gd may be too transparent and “naked” for now? Besides I don’t even have a balanced headphone. so maybe I will wait a bit later for the Master 1 or 9 depending on if I still need headphone then.

Perhaps. The audio-gd is not your typical solid state amp as it is a non feedback design, which makes it very smooth. But it won't remove so much harshness as some tube design would do.

 

[FredA]

Non feedback gives a natural sound, which is one of the main raisons for which i enjoy audio-gd so much. Their amps are just never harsh by themselves and are reveiling nonetheless.

 

[FredA]

I see, there are too many ifi products with complex names!

It's crazy the number of products they have out there. There seems to be redundancies within the product line.