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

[FredA]

I see the MK2 does RAM buffering to reduce jitter. My HE21 has also FIFO which is similar to me. Just better english ?

Yeah. It is part of the fw, and the 2021 works the same way. The differences are:

1. the layout of the digital board has been revised
2. the output connectors are now on the pcbs except the acss out and the toslink input.
3. The power supplies of the digital board have been improved (except those feeding the clocks)
4. The output stages have been improved a little.

 

[XavierP56]

Thanks. Marginal changes, not sure I would hear the difference. May be point 2 (I'm using RCA).

 

[FredA]

The biggest is the new power supplies used in the digital section IMO. It brought a small improvment according to Kingwa. The hdmi isolator is a bigger improvment i would assume, and you have it.

 

[sajunky]

I see the MK2 does RAM buffering to reduce jitter. My HE21 has also FIFO which is similar to me. Just better english ?

Not. There are a large FIFO chips, a small package with a minimal number of terminals. RAM means Random Access Memory, it implies use of addressing lines to access any memory cell (or a group) on a request. I think it is a mistake in terminology. FIFO means First In First Out, a proper implementation will use FIFO in this case.

MK2 for a specific synchronisation method must use a larger FIFO, probably FIFO had been moved from FPGA to the external FIFO chip. I see @FredA response, but it actually doesn't deal directly with a question.

 

[FredA]

Not. There are a large FIFO chips, a small package with a minimal number of terminals. RAM means Random Access Memory, it implies use of addressing lines to access any memory cell (or a group) on a request. I think it is a mistake in terminology. FIFO means First In First Out, a proper implementation will use FIFO in this case.

MK2 for a specific synchronisation method must use a larger FIFO, probably FIFO had been moved from FPGA to the external FIFO chip. I see @FredA response, but it actually doesn't deal directly with a question.

Where do you see this FIFO chip? I don't see it.

 

[sajunky]

Where do you see this FIFO chip? I don't see it.

Be respectful to older people, they can teach you some lessons.

 

[FredA]

Be respectful to older people, they can teach you some lessons.

Always.

 

[DACLadder]

All inputs sound better and more consistent with the R-7HE MK2 compared to the 2017 vintage R7. When driven by the DI20HE AES/EBU is very good. Internal synchronous USB is much better as well. I still favor I2S input but its just a matter of choice and flavor. Switching inputs was fun during break-in as each input sounded better than previous listen.

So much less grain with the MK2 compared to the old R7. More depth/ resolution and much less veil. But took several months of burn-in to get final depth of sound. A lot of hours but was prepared for the extended time as the V2 DA7 DAC boards took many months to shine in the old R7. I can easily hear cable changes now. Amazing resolution.

The R7HE MK2 has clear advantages over some competitors and even gives more expensive DACs a run for the money. External 10M clocking and ACSS output are the prime advantage. Other changes as well like HE power, "battery like" local board regulators, isolated inputs add positively.

After burn-in, powering/ warm up time is quick. I do not even think about it.

 

[XavierP56]

My 2 weeks old R-7HE2021 still in burning. Usb input using Daphile as streamer. Works also great. Warming time is also quick and that's good thing because it heats so much that I turn it off the night. I guess the Mk2 heats less (61 Watt vs 73 Watt).

 

[DACLadder]

I told Kingwa my biggest MK2 complaint was loud pops on DSD to PCM transitions when using my Linux server. Kingwa sent me R7 2021 compatible Altera firmware that is coordinated with the Amanero Linux firmware and is very effective in eliminated pops. Playing back DSD-PCM-DSD-PCM... is no problem

These 'fixes' are temporary and only recommended for Linux systems. You can find all the special Linux band-aid fixes below. R1, R8, R27 2021 and even the DI 20 as well.

I just loaded the R7 2021 Altera and Amanero firmware. I did not load the DI20 Linux fix (still using 3.933). Use at your own risk/ pleasure.

https://onedrive.live.com/?id=636DC4E8060D66A1!533&cid=636DC4E8060D66A1

 

[XavierP56]

Are the Altera R7 2021 firmware only for the R-7HEMk2 or can they work with my R-7HE2021 ? Thanks.

 

[FredA]

Are the Altera R7 2021 firmware only for the R-7HEMk2 or can they work with my R-7HE2021 ? Thanks.

I think it works with both but you would have to confirm with Kingwa.

 

[XavierP56]

I will ask. When flashing, can I use Quartus v20 (latest) or should I use v16 ? Thanks !
Kingwa's page refer to your Blaster checks but there is no link ? Can you provide some details ? Thanks !

 

[FredA]

I will ask. When flashing, can I use Quartus v20 (latest) or should I use v16 ? Thanks !
Kingwa's page refer to your Blaster checks but there is no link ? Can you provide some details ? Thanks !

Baster checks? Not sure what you mean.

The bigger issue with the update process is to get the usb blasfer to be recognized, but if you got your blaster from Kingwa, it should be quite easy to install. Use the driver manual installation procedure to install the driver found in the altera distribution (altera files path being designated as the location of the driver) . I use the 12 version on a Windows 10 mini pc.

@DACLadder has poster a link to download just the qprogrammer, i think it's version 16. You don't need the whole Quartus package.

 

[Il Cuffiotto]

I told Kingwa my biggest MK2 complaint was loud pops on DSD to PCM transitions when using my Linux server. Kingwa sent me R7 2021 compatible Altera firmware that is coordinated with the Amanero Linux firmware and is very effective in eliminated pops. Playing back DSD-PCM-DSD-PCM... is no problem

These 'fixes' are temporary and only recommended for Linux systems. You can find all the special Linux band-aid fixes below. R1, R8, R27 2021 and even the DI 20 as well.

I just loaded the R7 2021 Altera and Amanero firmware. I did not load the DI20 Linux fix (still using 3.933). Use at your own risk/ pleasure.

https://onedrive.live.com/?id=636DC4E8060D66A1!533&cid=636DC4E8060D66A1

Dear DACLadder
Thank you for your usual patient work in "bridging" between us and Kingwa.
I installed Amanero fix immediately after its release on my DI-20HE. The tool to install it is quite uninformative, so we do not know which version we are downloading and installing, as you know. This make me hope/suspect that in the meanwhile some update could have be done since the beginning. Do you know something more?
Actually, with this temporary fix, mixed with 4.075_linux on DI-20, pops are significantly reduced, but still far from totally fixed.
I didn't install yet Amanero fix on my R7HE 2020 as I never use its usb in.
OH! Any news about updated fw for my "old" R7HE 2020? You are the only one that can have some whistleblow about that...lol!
Again, I appreciate your job.