New Audio-gd R-7, R-7HE R-8, R-27, R-27HE, R-28 Flagship Resistor Ladder DACs and DAC/amps

[DACLadder]

@Toni-Mang That's interesting. OS 4x sounds good with Redbook CDs but with high rez PCM I like OS 0. As an extreme example 192Khz and OS 8x sounds more hollow and distant with Asy on my system.

Before Asy I liked OS 8x best and never wavered. OS 8x with V3A is very liquid and has a lot of precision and polish.

 

[Chopin75]

@Toni-Mang WIth Asy3 I like OS 0 and NOS best. They sound most open and honest with largest stage and fuller sound.

I'll try OS 4x again.

Trying OSx0 on TDA, surely better than V3A in NOS2. I am not sure i can hear difference with NOS.

 

[remoss]

With the ASY 3 firmware i hear digital artifacts on the edges of instruments, very soft but very annoying.
So i flashed back to the old V3-SA and it's gone now. Enjoying NOS3 again

 

[Toni-Mang]

With the ASY 3 firmware i hear digital artifacts on the edges of instruments, very soft but very annoying.

@remoss Hi and sorry for the effort, could you be so kind and let me know the source, rate, the connection, cable length and Os or NOS?

 

[remoss]

@Toni-Mang , no problem at all. Music files flac: 16 bits 44.1 kHz on my NAS. Use Roon on a NUC with ROCK. Streamer is a SOtM-sMS200ultra with sPS500 power source. Also a SOtM sNH-10G switch with sCLK-EX on a iFi iPower source.
From the SOtM streamer vua Tubulus Argentus USB V2 to a Singxer SU-1 with SOtM sCLK-EX Upgrade on the sPS500 power source. Then I2S to the DAC via Tubulus Argentus I2S HDMI cable (0.75cm).
Playing on NOS mode with ASY3 firmware.

 

[Toni-Mang]

Thank you… I´m asking, because i have no issues with Flac 44,1 - DDC (U16) I2S - R8 - ASY3 (cable swap! on HDMI i2s 4) and Nos/Os...but i think you have a R7 - I2s input 4...

 

[remoss]

I think the distortion ultimately had nothing to do with the dac and / or the firmware. I removed the heavy Tubulus HDMI cable, with bulky connectors, and installed a cheap, short and lightweight Ruconnected HDMI cable and the sound is now clean. I suspect that the Tubulus has pulled the connectors too strongly, so the connection was not reliable.

 

[olivierpe]

I have experienced similar issue with a "premium" hdmi cable (from Audioquest). Replacing it by an Amazon Basic one at 7$, it has solved all issues and it brings a better result with more space and details... Difficult to understand, but, well, I will stay with it from now.

Thus, I still have a doubt about tda asy vs. V3s. I liked a lot the nos modes while I recognize that the tda asy brings a bit more with 00, meantime I like also the TDA emulation mode even with 00 (Kingwa advise to use it with x2 or x4)... Dunno....

Edit : back to v3s at the moment... I think I prefer it over tda asy at the end. Dunno exactly what it does differently with my Sigxer su-1, but it rocks.

 

[Toni-Mang]

I think the distortion ultimately had nothing to do with the dac and / or the firmware.

Thank you, my suggestion was, that ASY3 needs a cable swap internal...but you have found the issue...i also use short AQ carbon and coffee in my Setup without issues,
imho there is a difference in soundstage between hdmi cables...but as always, might be my own Placebo....

 

[remoss]

Edit : back to v3s at the moment... I think I prefer it over tda asy at the end. Dunno exactly what it does differently with my Sigxer su-1, but it rocks.

I really like V3 also, especialy the SA version! But with the cheap HDMI cable, the ASY firmware is also very nice!

...but as always, might be my own Placebo....

Placebo's can be very strong

 

[gk2013]

The U16 is annoying and you are correct the SU-6 has slightly different presentation. Both are good and boils down to simply what you prefer if you can tolerate the U16’s quirks.

All the U16 talk now is using a low jitter 10Mhz clock connected to the external clock input. The U16 has two digital PLLs that convert 10Mhz to the familiar audio clocks and bypasses the internal Accusilicon XOs. Many users claim easily noticed improvements. I have a 10Mhz OCXO on order to give that a try.

So glad I am off the generic Windows desktop and listening with the Aurender. The U16 has less issues driven by the Aurender and sounds great. Even the Off Ramp 5 DDC works well with the Aurender. OR5 sounds middle of the road these days. U16/SU-6 are slightly better and SU-1/F1 not as good.

How is your 10Mhz external master clock? Did you already receive it and already have got an impression? What external master clock did you buy?

 

[DACLadder]

@gk2013 Have to admit the 10Mhz externally clocked U16 sounds great and better than internal clocks. Everything is smooth and I hear it immediately in the vocals. Less grain, more transparency. Doesn’t make sense but is what it is.

I’m on a trip right now and have limited access but I purchased an Oscilloquartz 8663 mounted on a circuit board. Paid $49 US on Ebay. Requires a very good +12V power supply.

 

[JaMo]

How is your 10Mhz external master clock? Did you already receive it and already have got an impression? What external master clock did you buy?

Hi,
Scott bought this one. Link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/10-MHz-Dou...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I also bought one and I have the same impressions. Very good value!
/Jan

 

[anroj]

@gk2013 Have to admit the 10Mhz externally clocked U16 sounds great and better than internal clocks. Everything is smooth and I hear it immediately in the vocals. Less grain, more transparency. Doesn’t make sense but is what it is.

I’m on a trip right now and have limited access but I purchased an Oscilloquartz 8663 mounted on a circuit board. Paid $49 US on Ebay. Requires a very good +12V power supply.

I agree with you on the difference an external 10Mhz clock makes with the U16. My wife didn't like the idea of an antenna hanging out the window, so I purchased the C16. I've had it for a week and I am noticing a very analog-like presentation. I'm still waiting on a USB Blaster I purchased off eBay almost a month ago so that I can do the firmware upgrade. One issue that I have noticed for myself, and I have seen it mentioned elsewhere, is that the U16 resets itself so you have to press the left button to get the external clock reengaged.

 

[gk2013]

Thank you all for responses. I will look into this further, its for clocking my sms200 ULTRA and SU1 with SOtM clock board; need 2 10mhz outputs.
Something I wonder is whether the internal clocks are completely "disabled" when connecting a 10Mhz master clock. This is hard to believe for me, I think the accuracy is taken from the 10Mhz via a phase-locked loop (PLL) channel circuit. I am guessing; I could be wrong but it makes sense to me