[517269]

Quick update on the M3:

After over 3 month and 700 or 800 hours of burn in, macrodynamics have much improved and are now satisfying all the time (plus i added a gauge 10 power cord to feed it today after trying other power cords, which improved things, read bigger is better). It is all i want from an amp. Except small. But it does not get much hotter than 30C.

It organic and smooth, while being neutral and transparent. As i read in a review, it is on the warm side of neutral. It can output harshness if fed with it, as it should. I am experimenting with an ocxo hooked up to my u16 with a badly put together bnc cable, which can make the r7he sound a little harsh at times. The m3 will play it through.

So i recommend the m3 without any reservation. The highs are really exceptional, the mids, splendid, the bass, tight and deep. You get attached to it with time, after the initial impression of having you living room invaded by it. Cheers to Kingwa and his team! Sometimes, bigger is better.

Sounds like a great amp.
This AC Power whitepaper is well worth the read.

http://www.msbtechnology.com/faq/how-to-wire-your-house-for-good-power/

I had my Krell mono blocks set up to run on 240V and there was a big jump in SQ.
After reading this whitepaper, I upgraded my 60' power feeds from 10AWG to 6AWG and everything got better - I would scale it at 50% more relaxed and detailed and 20% better imaging.
Depending on the distance to the panel and the AWG, it may be well worth the upgrade. In this case, bigger IS in fact better!
Thanks for the shares on your AGD path.

Rich

 

[jimmychan]

I have a Aurender N10 before I changed to RPi USB to U16 i2s > R7.
The i2s in of R7 is better than the N10 USB to R7.
I finally sold the N10.

 

[Tango Sierra]

@jimmychan
Before I ask some questions please understand I do not understand how many of the possibilities available to us in the digital music playback world work.
Why could you not have connected the N10 to the U16? Or did you do so and not care for the sound?
What is the purpose of the RPI between your dCS Network Bridge and U16?

 

[DACLadder]

i had good luck with an Allo Usbridge USB connected to the U16 versus the PC. So expect the Aurender will be at least as good or better. USB has traditionally sounded best on Audio GD DACs through a qualIty I2S converter box. Amanero USB just always falls short a half step.

The Aurender N10 looks like a nice streamer. OCXO clock among the listed features. Hefty $8K price. But if something else sounds better I would sell it ASAP.

 

[jimmychan]

i had good luck with an Allo Usbridge USB connected to the U16 versus the PC. So expect the Aurender will be at least as good or better. USB has traditionally sounded best on Audio GD DACs through a qualIty I2S converter box. Amanero USB just always falls short a half step.

The Aurender N10 looks like a nice streamer. OCXO clock among the listed features. Hefty $8K price. But if something else sounds better I would sell it ASAP.

I found the Rpi + U16 i2s > R7 has better performance than N10 USB in. I sold the N10 immediately.
Before I sold the N10, I bought dCS network bridge and the coaxial in for R7 also beat N10.
It may not be N10 no good, it just the R7 is better with i2s in.
Now I just bought the C16, it makes the U16 even better.

 

[Toni-Mang]

Now I just bought the C16, it makes the U16 even better.

please be so kind and share your experiences with the c16 in the u16 thread, i am very interested in your thoughts...

 

[DACLadder]

DSD512 plays OK with the upgraded R7, Asy3, and the Su-6 I2S as source. Foobar2000 choked on this file speed but JRiver MC 20 worked fine.

 

[comzee]

The 2.5v it outputs via RCA is too hot for one of my headphone amps. Not that it's overloading the amp, I just have barely any volume control. I get around 15° of turn within my comfortable listening range.

Has anybody modded their Master 7 to have volume control with a potentiometer? If you have PM me I'd love to do that mod for mine.
I know another alternative is an inline passive preamp, all I have for that right now is a Schiit Sys, which I dislike. It ruins SQ.
I'd take suggestions for a good passive rca preamp too.

 

[motberg]

The 2.5v it outputs via RCA is too hot for one of my headphone amps. Not that it's overloading the amp, I just have barely any volume control. I get around 15° of turn within my comfortable listening range.

Has anybody modded their Master 7 to have volume control with a potentiometer? If you have PM me I'd love to do that mod for mine.
I know another alternative is an inline passive preamp, all I have for that right now is a Schiit Sys, which I dislike. It ruins SQ.
I'd take suggestions for a good passive rca preamp too.

I just put a Lightspeed Attenuator between my NOS7 and Master 3...
Wow - super clear, great soundstage (probably realistic, but not quite as deep a stage as my tube stuff), Good dynamics but not as jumpy as my amplifying preamps
this pre will be end-game for me for my non-tube path to the amp.
What you may need to be careful of is how a passive will work at low levels - I have 2 other passives but I need maybe 60-75% DAC output for normal listening levels.
I suggest you contact to George and tell him your specs for sending and receiving gear and he will check if his piece is a possible solution.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~georgehifi/

 

[guzz46]

The 2.5v it outputs via RCA is too hot for one of my headphone amps. Not that it's overloading the amp, I just have barely any volume control. I get around 15° of turn within my comfortable listening range.

Has anybody modded their Master 7 to have volume control with a potentiometer? If you have PM me I'd love to do that mod for mine.
I know another alternative is an inline passive preamp, all I have for that right now is a Schiit Sys, which I dislike. It ruins SQ.
I'd take suggestions for a good passive rca preamp too.

I've got a Khozmo passive preamp in my system https://khozmo.com/ I e-mailed him and gave him the specs of my system and he custom made one for me, I got a 10k relay based ladder with remote and 64 steps of adjustment, but there are many different options, before I brought the R8 I used to run my Cambridge Audio 752BD universal player direct into my amps and use the software volume control, and when I first put the Khozmo into the chain I couldn't even tell that it was there, but it did bring more dynamics once I raised the software volume to 100%.

 

[Chopin75]

Is it true the TDA FW has only 1 NOS mode? I left it as NOS1 but it would not really matter right? It would not play DSD with my R2R7 properly, lots of noise! Probably needs the V2 board?

 

[DACLadder]

@Chopin75 Well at least you gave it a shot. Now gives you some more incentive to upgrade.

Yes, TDA has one analog filter NOS mode. Same for all three front panel settings.

 

[Chopin75]

@Chopin75 Well at least you gave it a shot. Now gives you some more incentive to upgrade.

Yes, TDA has one analog filter NOS mode. Same for all three front panel settings.

Yup, upgrade is the way to go! I will send my R2R7 back to Magna next week for magnafied V2 board, Accus clock, front panel, F1 DSD 512 upgrade.

So far TDA is sounding fine, perhaps more lean and more resolution, perhaps better instrument separation/localization, more air/space between notes, but I have no time/energy to do A/B comparison, just not practical to switch FW and then wait for the DAC to warm up again, takes too long. I am not sure if TDA is loosing a bit of warmth. V3S perhaps a bit fuller/fatter/less clarity ? too early to tell at this time.- is there an accurate as well as smooth version? I am not sure what mine is.
I think Kingwa has too many FWs, wish he would slow down and work on something else.

Next need to test V3A once done with TDA.

 

[UsoppNoKami]

Yup, upgrade is the way to go! I will send my R2R7 back to Magna next week for magnafied V2 board, Accus clock, front panel, F1 DSD 512 upgrade.

So far TDA is sounding fine, perhaps more lean and more resolution, perhaps better instrument separation/localization, more air/space between notes, but I have no time/energy to do A/B comparison, just not practical to switch FW and then wait for the DAC to warm up again, takes too long. I am not sure if TDA is loosing a bit of warmth. V3S perhaps a bit fuller/fatter/less clarity ? too early to tell at this time.- is there an accurate as well as smooth version? I am not sure what mine is.
I think Kingwa has too many FWs, wish he would slow down and work on something else.

Next need to test V3A once done with TDA.

TDA Async is the 'accurate' equivalent , TDA Sync is the 'smooth' variant

 

[olivierpe]

Edit.