[gimmeheadroom]

Yeah, i am getting one!

Awesome! I can't justify stacking one on top of my gen 1 R2R-11 but man this looks nice. I'm not clear from the pics if it has a sample rate display or not.

Is it old jazz you are suggesting?

I do like classic jazz and that is mostly what I listen to. But there are a few kind of transcendental groups, the Crusaders are one of them. Some people might call it fusion but it kinda defies classification further than jazz. They started out in the 1960s and unfortunately I think almost all the members have passed away, some recently. Free as the Wind is another great album, but Images just works so well on Audio-gd gear. Definite must-listen for Audio-gd owners. And by the way, if you have headphones that slam like TH900s or Audeze, some of the cuts on Images will rock....the ...house!

P.S. I'm sure I don't need to tell you what Art Blakey's Caravan sounds like on this gear. Mercy!

 

[FredA]

Awesome! I can't justify stacking one on top of my gen 1 R2R-11 but man this looks nice. I'm not clear from the pics if it has a sample rate display or not.

I do like classic jazz and that is mostly what I listen to. But there are a few kind of transcendental groups, the Crusaders are one of them. Some people might call it fusion but it kinda defies classification further than jazz. They started out in the 1960s and unfortunately I think almost all the members have passed away, some recently. Free as the Wind is another great album, but Images just works so well on Audio-gd gear. Definite must-listen for Audio-gd owners. And by the way, if you have headphones that slam like TH900s or Audeze, some of the cuts on Images will rock....the ...house!

P.S. I'm sure I don't need to tell you what Art Blakey's Caravan sounds like on this gear. Mercy!

Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't listened to Art Blakey much, but i have it in my queue.

Can't justify the R11 mkii either but i will sell something afterward, probably my mint NFB-5.

I don't think it has the rate indicator, but who knows.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't listened to Art Blakey much, but i have it in my queue.

Can't justify the R11 mkii either but i will sell something afterward, probably my mint NFB-5.

I don't think it has the rate indicator, but who knows.

Oh man. Caravan is the mother of all gear test albums. The opening drum solo is legend. And it's a wonderful album. If that grabs you, A Night in Tunisia should be on deck.

Lettuce know how you like the R11 MK2. I'm so glad to see this come back, but the price of the upgrade version is just about 2X the R2R-11 gen 1 price. The R2R-11 was the gateway drug to Audio-gd nirvana and I'm afraid this decision takes that away from a lot of potential customers. I get it that component prices are out of control and the R2R-11 was already underpriced, but this is gonna be a tough-sell.

 

[FredA]

Oh man. Caravan is the mother of all gear test albums. The opening drum solo is legend. And it's a wonderful album. If that grabs you, A Night in Tunisia should be on deck.

Lettuce know how you like the R11 MK2. I'm so glad to see this come back, but the price of the upgrade version is just about 2X the R2R-11 gen 1 price. The R2R-11 was the gateway drug to Audio-gd nirvana and I'm afraid this decision takes that away from a lot of potential customers. I get it that component prices are out of control and the R2R-11 was already underpriced, but this is gonna be a tough-sell.

I don't know. There is a remote control and a display added. So it can be used in a speaker setup. A built-in isolator. And the next cheapest in the line-up, the r-28, is 1250. So this unit makes sense IMO. There will be a quite significant sound quality upgrade from the original. Even the output stage seems improved. I use an intona in my office setup. With the built-in isolator, it won't be needed anymore.

 

[tumpux]

I think the price increase is justified with the update. Look at that power transformer. Looks like it aimed at the original R2R-11 owners that want to upgrade. They can sell the original unit and get this unit.

I like it.

 

[tumpux]

I also find the enthusiasm shown here on the R2R-11 update is interesting. Most of us have the TOTL of AGD dac, but still excited with the lower tier product such as this.

 

[FredA]

I also find the enthusiasm shown here on the R2R-11 update is interesting. Most of us have the TOTL of AGD dac, but still excited with the lower tier product such as this.

Yes, the original was a big success. A combo with much personality, sonically speaking. I never stopped listening to mine. It still shoots way above its price point. It's a classic.

 

[DACLadder]

Anyone compare the R7HE to the Holo May? A well broken in R7HE....

I have update 3 DACs with PLL_N f/w and they all sound better. I'm even running the M7S updated to 2020 with the Oscilloquartz 10M OCXO and it sounds good. And Linux server USB performance has been much improved on all updated DACs.

I even like internal USB on the mk2 DACs. The crisper highs can be balanced with cable changes.

The next frontier for me is power and power distribution. I think my weak 120V/15A wall plug is holding back better sounds.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I don't know. There is a remote control and a display added. So it can be used in a speaker setup. A built-in isolator. And the next cheapest in the line-up, the r-28, is 1250. So this unit makes sense IMO. There will be a quite significant sound quality upgrade from the original. Even the output stage seems improved. I use an intona in my office setup. With the built-in isolator, it won't be needed anymore.

I think the price increase is justified with the update. Look at that power transformer. Looks like it aimed at the original R2R-11 owners that want to upgrade. They can sell the original unit and get this unit.

I like it.

My point is that at 350 USD, the R2R-11 was something people who didn't know about Audio-gd would take a chance on. @sajunky turned a lot of us on to Audio-gd by suggesting that unit. I thought to myself, I don't know anything about this company and their website looks like a cross between a scam and something running on a 1970s-era BBS. But $350? I can take a chance.

And then I saw how Kingwa writes to his customers, the incredible level of service, friendless, helpfulness. Then I took the R2R-11 out of the box, then I liked the solid feeling. Then I started to see how much thought and attention and engineering genius went into every detail, the switchgear makes sense, everything is like it should be. And then I heard it, man oh man. And then I bought 3 other pieces of Kingwa's gear.

At 350 a lot of guys who would buy brand X junk off Aliexpress could be tempted to take a chance on this instead. At almost 700 USD and with the unfair, scurrilous bashing the gear gets from the audio scientologists, I think this is gonna be a hard sell.

The R2R-11 is worth about 1000 bucks in my opinion. I'm sure the R11 MK2 is worth at least twice the price. I'm just pointing out that we know that. New guys won't know it and I don't know if they'll take a chance to find out for themselves.

 

[tumpux]

As I have mentioned, new guys will take a chance from the second hand R2R-11 that will be available on the market since their original owners are upgrading to the mk2s.

It will be easier to get them from second hand market locally, where they can audition the product, than ordering it blind from agd website.
We have to acknowledge that outside of this bubble, agd brand is not as strong as denafrips or holo audio.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

As I have mentioned, new guys will take a chance from the second hand R2R-11 that will be available on the market since their original owners are upgrading to the mk2s.

No they won't. Nobody is dumb enough to part with an R2R-11

It will be easier to get them from second hand market locally, where they can audition the product, than ordering it blind from agd website.
We have to acknowledge that outside of this bubble, agd brand is not as strong as denafrips or holo audio.

That's the point, it needs to be easy to get started. After that, we're all willing to pay money.

 

[FredA]

My point is that at 350 USD, the R2R-11 was something people who didn't know about Audio-gd would take a chance on. @sajunky turned a lot of us on to Audio-gd by suggesting that unit. I thought to myself, I don't know anything about this company and their website looks like a cross between a scam and something running on a 1970s-era BBS. But $350? I can take a chance.

And then I saw how Kingwa writes to his customers, the incredible level of service, friendless, helpfulness. Then I took the R2R-11 out of the box, then I liked the solid feeling. Then I started to see how much thought and attention and engineering genius went into every detail, the switchgear makes sense, everything is like it should be. And then I heard it, man oh man. And then I bought 3 other pieces of Kingwa's gear.

At 350 a lot of guys who would buy brand X junk off Aliexpress could be tempted to take a chance on this instead. At almost 700 USD and with the unfair, scurrilous bashing the gear gets from the audio scientologists, I think this is gonna be a hard sell.

The R2R-11 is worth about 1000 bucks in my opinion. I'm sure the R11 MK2 is worth at least twice the price. I'm just pointing out that we know that. New guys won't know it and I don't know if they'll take a chance to find out for themselves.

I know. I invite people over and recommend Audio-gd without reserve. 6 friends of mine bought audio-gd gears because of me, and they are sold.

Kingwa wants to keep his business as is. He targets passionate customers like us. Looking at the design and layout, reading the description, i bought an NFB-8 DAC, to eventually replace a W4S dac 2. Within 30s of listening, i was sold. Laughing of joy with the beautiful music coming out of the speakers, i had never heard such wonderful microdynamics. And i got the M7 a couple of years later. I was so blown away! I then knew i was an r2r guy.

 

[tumpux]

Anyway, Kingwa mentioned a lot about the ‘expensive made in USA DAC’ in his product descriptions.
Any idea which DAC that he’s talking about?

I always think that AGD products, aside from using tubes, are kind of taking after Audio Research’s.

 

[XavierP56]

Kingwa is a true genius, his products work so well - even entry models - and his prices are really fair.
I would like to see Kingwa make loudspeakers again.

 

[FredA]

Anyway, Kingwa mentioned a lot about the ‘expensive made in USA DAC’ in his product descriptions.
Any idea which DAC that he’s talking about?

I always think that AGD products, aside from using tubes, are kind of taking after Audio Research’s.

Probably PSAudio.