[anroj]

Guess you mean a r-8?

Yes. Typing too quickly.

You could perhaps use the F-1 board (Xmos) instead of the Amanero. It has a slightly better clock than the Amanero. But only Magna has that option. Kingwa can do that too but you would need to ask him to order that board and you pay a little bit more than for the Amanero. Not sure if it is worth the trouble, esp if you are ordering with the upgraded XO clock.

I have a Gustard U16 that I will be using with the R8.

 

[jimmychan]

Thanks to KingWa, although I own a R2R7, my ten years old Reference 1 still got upgraded to I2S input and support up to 384, that is amazing!
Now I have to plan the big upgrade of R2R7 to R7 with Accusillcons Clock.

 

[DACLadder]

You could perhaps use the F-1 board (Xmos) instead of the Amanero. It has a slightly better clock than the Amanero. But only Magna has that option. Kingwa can do that too but you would need to ask him to order that board and you pay a little bit more than for the Amanero. Not sure if it is worth the trouble, esp if you are ordering with the upgraded XO clock.

I am playing DSD with the Singxer F1 on IN6 and using the DA7 V2 DAC modules. No operational issues and sound is very good. Excellent bass, crisp trebles, and inky black background. I don't hear "birdies" when volume is pushed up. I tried DSD64, 128, and 256 and switched between sampling rates OK. My only complaint on DSD in general, and Kingwa is addressing in future Altera firmware, are pops when the DSD sampling or data rate changes. So use the volume control between albums or tracks.

First time I really listened intently to DSD. With the "Hoff Ensemble" test files (same tune at DSD64, 128, and 256) DSD256 definitely sounds a little better. More open and extended of the three speeds.

But I did not have the DSD 'birdy' issue with the V1 boards using the F1. So I switched to the Gustard U16 and repeated testing. DSD128 does not always want to play correctly with the Gustard U16. It's not "birdies' but gross robot sounding digital noise. DSD64 and DSD256 play OK. I can get the U16 to play DSD128 OK if I start and restart the track. I have a similar U16 issue with PCM where I have to start and restart tracks.

F1 seems OK but the U16 is suspect in my system and did not play well with the V1 boards as well. So looking forward to trying the SU-6 in the near future.

 

[Chopin75]

Yes. Typing too quickly.


I have a Gustard U16 that I will be using with the R8.

Then maybe you can ask to not include the Amanero board at all to save some money, if that is an option? But u may still want the USB as backup

 

[ungawa]

It's always great to read posts in this thread.
Jan - I'm like you in that I seem to have happened on a rig that sounds fantastic and keeps making me wonder how things can sound better!
I have an ”original” R2R7 (no updates) that I am feeding with an Allo USBridge from a Mac mini using Roon - setup with help from a number of you here.
I just added the Gustard U16 with its factory firmware and having started playback with no problems (note - I don’t use DSD playback at all), it's already made a difference.
It appears to fix the instruments unlike I've heard before with clarity and dimension. Less smearing - so specific in soundstage. The top-end is a little brittle then previous, but I’ll give that the benefit of time. Seamless with sample rate changes too (so far).

I'm also set to do the DA-7 upgrade - and the oscillator upgrade - and eventually the front panel upgrade - thankyou Scott for clarifying some questions on the order of doing things, it was making my head spin with things developing so fast!

I nervously opened my old solder station kit yesterday and lots of memories of radical mods to my old Musical Fidelity gear flooded back - I can't wait to get started on the AGD - albeit with slow moves - I’m often sceptical an update can make a discernable difference, even more so with Kingwa’s gear (its great already), so I'll be taking my time to get the mods right and spend time listening - and post some updates as I go.

First up though will be getting a firmware update done.

Thanks again!

 

[Chopin75]

I am playing DSD with the Singxer F1 on IN6 and using the DA7 V2 DAC modules. No operational issues and sound is very good. Excellent bass, crisp trebles, and inky black background. I don't hear "birdies" when volume is pushed up. I tried DSD64, 128, and 256 and switched between sampling rates OK. My only complaint on DSD in general, and Kingwa is addressing in future Altera firmware, are pops when the DSD sampling or data rate changes. So use the volume control between albums or tracks.

First time I really listened intently to DSD. With the "Hoff Ensemble" test files (same tune at DSD64, 128, and 256) DSD256 definitely sounds a little better. More open and extended of the three speeds.

But I did not have the DSD 'birdy' issue with the V1 boards using the F1. So I switched to the Gustard U16 and repeated tested. DSD128 does not always want to play correctly with the Gustard U16. It's not "birdies' but gross robot sounding digital noise. DSD64 and DSD256 play OK. I can get the U16 to play DSD128 OK if I start and restart the track. I have a similar U16 issue with PCM where I have to start and restart tracks.

F1 seems OK but the U16 is suspect in my system and did not play well with the V1 boards as well. So looking forward to trying the SU-6 in the near future.

Thanks for your review! So the birdies are gone ? But still has another type of noise for he gustard U16? I presume this happens even with that DSD button one needs to switch on inside the ? Can u remind us again what your PC, OS and software playback is ?

 

[FredA]

I am playing DSD with the Singxer F1 on IN6 and using the DA7 V2 DAC modules. No operational issues and sound is very good. Excellent bass, crisp trebles, and inky black background. I don't hear "birdies" when volume is pushed up. I tried DSD64, 128, and 256 and switched between sampling rates OK. My only complaint on DSD in general, and Kingwa is addressing in future Altera firmware, are pops when the DSD sampling or data rate changes. So use the volume control between albums or tracks.

First time I really listened intently to DSD. With the "Hoff Ensemble" test files (same tune at DSD64, 128, and 256) DSD256 definitely sounds a little better. More open and extended of the three speeds.

But I did not have the DSD 'birdy' issue with the V1 boards using the F1. So I switched to the Gustard U16 and repeated testing. DSD128 does not always want to play correctly with the Gustard U16. It's not "birdies' but gross robot sounding digital noise. DSD64 and DSD256 play OK. I can get the U16 to play DSD128 OK if I start and restart the track. I have a similar U16 issue with PCM where I have to start and restart tracks.

F1 seems OK but the U16 is suspect in my system and did not play well with the V1 boards as well. So looking forward to trying the SU-6 in the near future.

The su-6? Looking forward to hearing your impressions on it. One thing bugs me about it: to have to buy a lps to recharge it to avoid using the included smps.

 

[DACLadder]

Thanks for your review! So the birdies are gone ? But still has another type of noise for he gustard U16? I presume this happens even with that DSD button one needs to switch on inside the ? Can u remind us again what your PC, OS and software playback is ?

I never had 'birdies' until I loaded a recent Xilinx 'DSD fix' firmware that Kingwa sent me to try. The new Xilinx code made the 'birdies' issue show up on my R7. Kingwa said I should go back to the older Xilinx firmware.

So I don't really know if the new Xilinx firmware actually helped customers with 'birdy' issues. It may help you. I can't really comment on that since I don't have the exact issue you are experiencing.

My system is a Windows 10 PC with JCAT USB board driving the DACs. A linear power supplies provides USB +5V since the Singxer XMOS chips are powered but USB +5V. And use Foobar 2000 as I am most familiar with its operation.

"I presume this happens even that the DSD button one needs to switch inside the ? ". If its the U16's jumper (DSD enable) it does not apply in our case. There is no place for the DSD enable signal to connect on the R7. The R7 just uses the traditional four I2S signals. The firmware detects DSD or PCM modes from the incoming data stream.

 

[DACLadder]

The su-6? Looking forward to hearing your impressions on it. One thing bugs me about it: to have to buy a lps to recharge it to avoid using the included smps.

I am hoping the supplied SU-6 external power supply is sufficient. If like the F1/SU-1 the Singxers use a lot of linear voltage regulators at the board level. So there is a lot of isolation from the power source. I'm not buying anything until I give it a smoke test!

 

[UsoppNoKami]

The su-6? Looking forward to hearing your impressions on it. One thing bugs me about it: to have to buy a lps to recharge it to avoid using the included smps.

I am hoping the supplied SU-6 external power supply is sufficient. If like the F1/SU-1 the Singxers use a lot of linear voltage regulators at the board level. So there is a lot of isolation from the power source. I'm not buying anything until I give it a smoke test!

the SU-6 capacitor is a massive battery reserve that powers the board. after unplugging the power, it still stays on for another 1-2 minutes. IMHO don't need an LPS

 

[DACLadder]

It's always great to read posts in this thread.
Jan - I'm like you in that I seem to have happened on a rig that sounds fantastic and keeps making me wonder how things can sound better!
I have an ”original” R2R7 (no updates) that I am feeding with an Allo USBridge from a Mac mini using Roon - setup with help from a number of you here.
I just added the Gustard U16 with its factory firmware and having started playback with no problems (note - I don’t use DSD playback at all), it's already made a difference.
It appears to fix the instruments unlike I've heard before with clarity and dimension. Less smearing - so specific in soundstage. The top-end is a little brittle then previous, but I’ll give that the benefit of time. Seamless with sample rate changes too (so far).

I'm also set to do the DA-7 upgrade - and the oscillator upgrade - and eventually the front panel upgrade - thankyou Scott for clarifying some questions on the order of doing things, it was making my head spin with things developing so fast!

I nervously opened my old solder station kit yesterday and lots of memories of radical mods to my old Musical Fidelity gear flooded back - I can't wait to get started on the AGD - albeit with slow moves - I’m often sceptical an update can make a discernable difference, even more so with Kingwa’s gear (its great already), so I'll be taking my time to get the mods right and spend time listening - and post some updates as I go.

First up though will be getting a firmware update done.

Thanks again!

If is really fun and interesting to do one upgrade at a time. Makes you appreciate the changes and how they affect sound. If you perform the DA7 V2 change first load up V3A firmware and get use to it before and then after the V2 change. The clarity and smoothness in the highs will be more evident using V3A.

I had good luck with TDA Asy firmware even with the standard XOs. Since you have the U16 you may want to give that a go before making changes.

 

[DACLadder]

the SU-6 capacitor is a massive battery reserve that powers the board. after unplugging the power, it still stays on for another 1-2 minutes. IMHO don't need an LPS

Thanks for that information. Is the external SU-6 power supply AC or DC output? Just curious as to how Singxer approaches power in the SU-6.

 

[JaMo]

Is the external SU-6 power supply AC or DC output?

DC. 7.5-9 V

/Jan

 

[DACLadder]

DC. 7.5-9 V

Thanks Jan. If its a cheap switching mode supply then perhaps a candidate for changing. But it sounds like the SU-6's internal power section is really beefy.

We'll see how it works as supplied from SIngxer....

 

[ItsAllInMyHead]

If is really fun and interesting to do one upgrade at a time. Makes you appreciate the changes and how they affect sound. If you perform the DA7 V2 change first load up V3A firmware and get use to it before and then after the V2 change. The clarity and smoothness in the highs will be more evident using V3A.

I had good luck with TDA Asy firmware even with the standard XOs. Since you have the U16 you may want to give that a go before making changes.

Great information. Thank you. Quick question / confirmation, please.

Currently my R-8 is "stock" with the original V1 DA-7 boards, but the upgraded TXCOs running the V3S.

I have the V2 boards and clocks on the way for the R-8. They should be here Tues, so I'm planning. Kingwa recommended not changing anything on the R1 yet. I was going to swap to the V2 boards and Accusilicon clocks all at once on both units. So, I'll wait for the DA8-V2s and clocks.

In your opinion - is there an interactive effect between the clock or board changes with the firmwares, or in general do the preferences / sonic characters of the firmware hold true between the clocks? In short, should I try to find my favorite firmware before or after installing the new boards and clocks? My original order was to install all the new hardware and then update the firmware and review.

Just curious. I've swapped between V3S and V3A a few times over the last several months, and I am still on the fence. I haven't tried the TDA/Asy yet. I seem to gravitate toward the NOS2/3 with V3A and OS4/8 on V3S.

Thanks for the time.