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

[Daniel4IEM]

I just ordered the R-28 NOS!
Huge thanks to all of you for your input and especially OCC7N for the help and guidance.

 

[OCC7N]

I just ordered the R-28 NOS!
Huge thanks to all of you for your input and especially OCC7N for the help and guidance.

Your welcome! I was inspired by @sajunky on this one. He emphasized on this before, atleast a couple of times, R28 NOS is great value for money, but also his predictions about DI20HE regarding improvement on entry vs highend Audio-gd dac. I can honestly confirm how great of an value the DI gives to the R1N vs R8H2. The same way I assume DI will lift the performance of the R28. Very good steps you are taking here.

 

[Daniel4IEM]

Thoughts on where to put the R-28 NOS?
Option include top shelf of cabinet (but no air flow), on top of cabinet (but exposed to wild boys (ages 10, 8, 7), or on sit/stand desk under monitor (assuming I can find a rack/stand that fits)

 

[Daniel4IEM]

Photo

 

[Nayyte]

Photo

Big audio gear looks best when its front and center. If you can test run it on top of your side table that would be nice. You could also add a shelf on top of your side table and stick the R28 under it. Best squeeze it to the left of your keyboard for now.

 

[Daniel4IEM]

Any concerns with movement from sit/ stand desk?

 

[ChJL]

How much space in your rack do you leave above R7HE mk3 or R8HE mk3 DACs? above HE9 mk3 or LE? In other words how hot do those with regenerative power supply vs those without get?

 

[Crypt Keeper]

How much space in your rack do you leave above R7HE mk3 or R8HE mk3 DACs? above HE9 mk3 or LE? In other words how hot do those with regenerative power supply vs those without get?

The tube pre in the new chassis gets really hot in the regen area (it's 90W) ... The R7 (60 W) is only warm .. not really hot "hot" ...

 

[mrjayviper]

any thoughts on the NOS 11?

saw someone local selling 1

http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/NOS/NOS11/NOS11EN.htm

 

[OCC7N]

How much space in your rack do you leave above R7HE mk3 or R8HE mk3 DACs? above HE9 mk3 or LE? In other words how hot do those with regenerative power supply vs those without get?

The new R8 mk3 series have better heatsink than the old mk2.

The R8H2 gets hot underneath(REG PSU). I have a fan, which seems to work fine keeping it luke warm.


keep them open-air shelfs.

R1NOS is the coldest
DI20HE luke warm
HE-9 LE cold to luke warm.

 

[Currawong]

any thoughts on the NOS 11?

saw someone local selling 1

http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/NOS/NOS11/NOS11EN.htm

PCM1704-based DACs have somewhat of a bloom to the bass, especially in NOS mode. Some people like it, and some people don't.
That unit uses the older RJ45 I2S port, so if you plan to use a separate DDC and want to send more than 192k, you'd need an adaptor. Though, with a PCM1704-based DAC and HQPlayer, even at 192k you can get very good results.
Anything that large from Audio-gd is going to have very good headphone drive, though being a combo unit, a bit behind the dedicated Master 9 of that era and later.

 

[FredA]

any thoughts on the NOS 11?

saw someone local selling 1

http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/NOS/NOS11/NOS11EN.htm

Feed it with a di20he and you will have something very special.

 

[FredA]

PCM1704-based DACs have somewhat of a bloom to the bass, especially in NOS mode. Some people like it, and some people don't.
That unit uses the older RJ45 I2S port, so if you plan to use a separate DDC and want to send more than 192k, you'd need an adaptor. Though, with a PCM1704-based DAC and HQPlayer, even at 192k you can get very good results.
Anything that large from Audio-gd is going to have very good headphone drive, though being a combo unit, a bit behind the dedicated Master 9 of that era and later.

An hdmi i2s can be swapped in (in replacement of the rj45) such that you can play pcm up to 384. You'll need some basic skills. While doing so, best thing is to unplug the usb interface, it shares psu with the eventual hdmi i2s module. And it sounds nowhere near as good as a high end ddc like the di20he.

 

[MaxPowerOne]

PCM1704-based DACs have somewhat of a bloom to the bass, especially in NOS mode. Some people like it, and some people don't.
That unit uses the older RJ45 I2S port, so if you plan to use a separate DDC and want to send more than 192k, you'd need an adaptor. Though, with a PCM1704-based DAC and HQPlayer, even at 192k you can get very good results.
Anything that large from Audio-gd is going to have very good headphone drive, though being a combo unit, a bit behind the dedicated Master 9 of that era and later.

TY for an opinion but have you heard HE-7 MKII or HE-7, master-7 with the oscillator upgrade? Accusilicon 98/90 is plenty enough to delete the bloatness of the bass. My HE-7s started with bass as you described but after a firmware and oscillator update it is a whole new sound without any problems in bass region.

 

[FredA]

TY for an opinion but have you heard HE-7 MKII or HE-7, master-7 with the oscillator upgrade? Accusilicon 98/90 is plenty enough to delete the bloatness of the bass. My HE-7s started with bass as you described but after a firmware and oscillator update it is a whole new sound without any problems in bass region.

Indeed. When jitter goes down, bass becomes really clean. And the pcm1704k has also excellent mids and treble.