[Zenvota]

I tried to maximise the USB potential with the following chain:

Matrix X-Fi PCIe USB card powered by iFi iPower external power plugged into my Furutech eTP-80 power board -> iFi Mercury 3.0 cable -> iFi Nano Galvanic 3.0 -> Furutech GT2 USB cable -> AGD Amanero USB. Sounded pretty clean, no ground loop, no more AC noise through my tube amps. I have a dedicated power pull from the DB for my audio stuff, switch-less Furutech NCF-50 wall socket, NCF filters on Furutech power cables and the abovementioned power board.

Then I went and bought the Singxer SU-6 and hooked up my Master-11 Singularity via RJ45 I2S and my R2R-R1 via HDMI I2S. I left the USB chain feeding the Singxer the same. Cables: The Chord Company C-Stream CAT7 cable (0.75m), and Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 HDMI cable (0.6m).

With the change to I2S, audio background is darker than my maxed USB setup, the sound dynamics have more heft and punch to them, very clean and lovely smooth sound from both DACs.

Would heartily recommend everyone interested in this to switch to I2S if you are able to.

I'll try sharing this here just in case it gives anyone some ideas xD

I use the Uptone ISO Regen before the Amanero USB, the Amanero board has the i2s isolator but without the builtin psu, so its usb powered. I use the Uptone Ultracap LPS to supply power to both the iso regen and the amanero board. Then the dac and amp are on a topaz line noise isolator. So the usb to i2s stage is completely isolated from the pc and ac mains, and the dac and amp are isolated from the usb stage and the ac mains. I can't think of a better way to set up at this point and I'm really happy with the sound. Impossibly clean, detailed, and non fatiguing.

 

[Toni-Mang]

First time i read about the gustard u16 thing...i use the ps audio pwt with i2s feeding the r8, and jriver via laptop to the usb amareno (isolated). The pwt i2s sound is far better than the usb connection. More bass, better airiness and better, more precise soundstage. Would the u16 better the usb sound, if i connect the u16 via xlr aes to the r8? Also i am still unsure/ uninformed, if the analog filter is sufficient with Nos...i am afraid to get out band noise in the m1, amps and speakers...

 

[barbas]

First time i read about the gustard u16 thing...i use the audio gd pwt with i2s feeding the r8, and jriver via laptop to the usb amareno (isolated). The pwt i2s sound is far better than the usb connection. More bass, better airiness and better, more precise soundstage. Would the u16 better the usb sound, if i connect the u16 via xlr aes to the r8? Also i am still unsure/ uninformed, if the analog filter is sufficient with Nos...i am afraid to get out band noise in the m1, amps and speakers...

What is an Audio-gd PWT?

 

[Toni-Mang]

Too much audio...edit to ps audio pwt...thank you...

 

[Chopin75]

What is an Audio-gd PWT?

It is a Chinese pirated Perfect Wave CD transport that can output DSD as well to the Audio-gd DACs!

 

[Zenvota]

First time i read about the gustard u16 thing...i use the ps audio pwt with i2s feeding the r8, and jriver via laptop to the usb amareno (isolated). The pwt i2s sound is far better than the usb connection. More bass, better airiness and better, more precise soundstage. Would the u16 better the usb sound, if i connect the u16 via xlr aes to the r8?

The amanero board is good but GIGO. Laptops are noisy and the usb signal integrity to the amanero board is poor. The isolator on the amanero board can also be usb powered from the laptop if it didnt get the built in psu upgrade If you want to use the laptop I'd recommend an uptone iso regen, isolation from the computer, great signal integrity, and the amanero will be powered by w.e powers the iso regen if the isolator amanero upgrade didnt have the built in psu.

The U16 has no isolation, but it is a better conversion than the amanero, better clocks less jitter. still need sisolation from the laptop.

Then you have to decide if you want isolation after the usb receiver or in between the i2s transmitter/receiver. Or none, in which case I'd recommend keeping the u16 and dac and anything electrically connected plugged into a filterless power strip/distribution.

 

[Chopin75]

The amanero board is good but GIGO. Laptops are noisy and the usb signal integrity to the amanero board is poor. The isolator on the amanero board can also be

I'll try sharing this here just in case it gives anyone some ideas xD

I use the Uptone ISO Regen before the Amanero USB, the Amanero board has the i2s isolator but without the builtin psu, so its usb powered. I use the Uptone Ultracap LPS to supply power to both the iso regen and the amanero board. Then the dac and amp are on a topaz line noise isolator. So the usb to i2s stage is completely isolated from the pc and ac mains, and the dac and amp are isolated from the usb stage and the ac mains. I can't think of a better way to set up at this point and I'm really happy with the sound. Impossibly clean, detailed, and non fatiguing.

The other way to improve is of course to upgrade the computer source - using silent PC and good audio OS like euphony Audio, use an audio grade USB bridge with its own clock to feed directly into the R2R DAC, + all LPS to the PC and audio bridge(s). Then you actually may not need isoregen or other galvanic isolator or USB conditioner as I took them all out of my chain. I am surprised that the galvanic isolation makes the sound worse, but the sound does get a bit less forgiving. Like when you have an inferior recording it sounds quite significantly worse than the best recordings, which now sound so good.

 

[Chopin75]

Sorry something went wrong with the previous quote, (got swallowed into it)

The other way to improve is of course to upgrade the computer source - using silent PC and good audio OS like euphony Audio, use an audio grade USB bridge with its own clock to feed directly into the R2R DAC, + all LPS to the PC and audio bridge(s). You actually may not need galvanic isolation or other USB conditioner as I took them out of my chain. I am surprised that the galvanic isolation makes the sound worse, but the sound does get a bit less forgiving. Like when you have an inferior recording it sounds quite significantly worse than the best recordings, which now sound so good. You can immediately hear the weak link may be the recording itself.

 

[motberg]

First time i read about the gustard u16 thing...i use the ps audio pwt with i2s feeding the r8, and jriver via laptop to the usb amareno (isolated). The pwt i2s sound is far better than the usb connection. More bass, better airiness and better, more precise soundstage. Would the u16 better the usb sound, if i connect the u16 via xlr aes to the r8? Also i am still unsure/ uninformed, if the analog filter is sufficient with Nos...i am afraid to get out band noise in the m1, amps and speakers...

I am not sure if the U16 i2s has been proven to work at all sample rates with the R8 yet.
U16 i2s with my NOS7 = OK
U16 i2s with my R1 = only ok at 384KHz PCM and some 96 KHz files.

You have a valid concern worrying about damaging noise emitted with the U16 i2s in case of a sample rate incompatibility problem.
Depending on the source file, I can see possible speaker damage if my amp volume would be up to normal listening levels and trying some of the 16/44.1 song files I have tested with the R1.
I am not sure if it is out of band noise, but it certainly is not the kind of hash you want to be sending through your speakers or headphones.

 

[Toni-Mang]

Thank you very much for your Feedback, and your tips. i have ordered the u16. It is expensive enough for "testing" pupose.
A complete Isolation, maybe with the optical out of the u16 is not an option for redbook? I understand the differences and the advantages of i2s, but talking about redbook,
optical out might be an option imho.

 

[Chopin75]

Thank you very much for your Feedback, and your tips. i have ordered the u16. It is expensive enough for "testing" pupose.
A complete Isolation, maybe with the optical out of the u16 is not an option for redbook? I understand the differences and the advantages of i2s, but talking about redbook,
optical out might be an option imho.

The optical input of the R2R7 works great with the optical output with my sony exoteric CD transport. The toslink from the U-16 has to be well done, but I am not sure it can given its low price. Toslink can sound as good as RCA SPDIF or better with my CP transport. It has better clarity/transparency and a bit faster, more accurate.

 

[Zenvota]

Have any of your tried binaural convolution(Smyth Realiser or OOYH) with the R7/8? I've been using a NFB7(2013) and am curious if the r2r dac would be a better upgrade. Kingwa says better detail, transparency, staging/imaging, and more analog so reason to believe it would work better.

https://fongaudio.com

The programs free to try but it's recommended to flatten out the headphone response due to double HRTF.
Here's an example of the EQs I use on a couple of my headphones.

Spoiler: EQ

Would love to hear some opinions on using OOYH with the r2r dacs.

 

[motberg]

Thank you very much for your Feedback, and your tips. i have ordered the u16. It is expensive enough for "testing" pupose.
A complete Isolation, maybe with the optical out of the u16 is not an option for redbook? I understand the differences and the advantages of i2s, but talking about redbook,
optical out might be an option imho.

Very much looking forward to your impressions, U16 with the R8.. good luck !

 

[Chopin75]

The R2R7 proves to be a very "honest" DAC. It does not attempt to sweeten anything that is fed into it. Feeding poorer recording in using NOS mode will show its flaws. I am using HDPLEX PC without any galvanic isolation, very transparent, but most recordings < than 24/192 tends to show its weakness, except for few excellent recordings. So now I am upsampling to at least 24/177 in most cases, depending on the recording. Native DXD/DSD as usual are excellent and their superior quality is now much more obvious. Feeding my state of the art belt drive CEC CD player into R2R7 gives such superb realistic/analogue sound that one can momentarily forget all about Hi-Res, DSD and even vinyl! CD players were originally designed using R2R chips and now I can relive those antique times again. I am still using V2 firmware, will try V3 soon. And still waiting for an upgrade on my AC isolation conditioner that may do the trick to improve the PC sound.

 

[PLGA]

Hello guys,
I would like to tell you my experience as I think some will find it useful.
I have the R8 DAC (with V3A firmware) connected vía ACSS to the Audio-gd Master 1 preamp.
My Power amp and speakers are quite good and revealing, so every change I make on my system is easily detected.
I listen to all of my music streaming Tidal with my Windows 10 Notebook.
First Ive connected the Wyred4sound USB Reclocker (RUR) alone, between the Notebook and the Amanero port (isolated) of the R8. The RUR proved to be a marked improvement over the USB cable alone.
Then I add a Linear Power Supply to the RUR, honestly with out any expectactions whatsoever. Well, I was wrong, the LPS made another good difference in sound quality.
Then I add the Gustard U16 to the chain, with a cheap chinese 2.1 protocol HDMI cable (0.5m).
Well, right out of the box the U16 easily proved to better the RUR with LPS. But, after about 20 hs of use, the improvement is outstanding. I cannot believe the sound I get from my system, eventhough I still use the U16 with a cheap power cable, wich I will upgrade soon of course.
Eventhough, with the R8 on PCM format, the U16 seems to work flawlessly only at 88.2 kHz, and Ive tried two different firmwares, the improvement it brings to the R8 is TOTALLY worthwile!!
I cannot recomend it enough.

Note: to get 88.2 kHz with Redbook on Tidal, I use Audinirvana + (also a nice upgrade in sound, but not big) upsampling x2.