[ecapsretliab]

Are the boards possibly stacked in the R2R-1?

Correct, you can't see from above.

 

[barbas]

Educate me please.
I see two DA-8 boards at center right in both the R2R 1 and 2 DACs. These boards appear to be identical.
Are the boards possibly stacked in the R2R-1?

Indeed!

 

[FredA]

Educate me please.
I see two DA-8 boards at center right in both the R2R 1 and 2 DACs. These boards appear to be identical.
Are the boards possibly stacked in the R2R-1?

Yes, they are stacked indeed.

 

[doak]

AOK.
Now I see in this photo the stacked boards and in description of R2R1: "Built in 4 groups DA-8 R-2R modules", vs for R2R2 "Built in 2 groups DA-8 R-2R modules."
For what is nominal increase in cost this difference makes the choice of the R2R-1, IMO, a "no brainer."
Much appreciated!!

 

[BernieB]

I see little to no mention of the Audio-GD unit that's caught my interest: the DAC onlyR2R-2.
I've no use for balanced outputs and this one also better fits my pocketbook.
Would much appreciate hearing from someone with experience of this one (opinion/commentary also welcome).
Audio-GD R2R 2
http://www.audio-gd.com/R2R/R2R2/R2R2EN_Custom.htm

Hi doac, i have the R2R-2 with the usb isolator upgrade and i really like it. I use it with a tube amp and a pair of HE-560 and the match is perfect to my taste. From what i read on this forum, it shares the same characteristics as the R2R11 and R2R7, super smooth sound, yet with great details and dynamics. It already sounds great directly connected to my laptop via the provided usb cable, so i can't wait to see the improvements once i upgrade my source and transport, which i plan to do eventually. You can't go wrong with the R2R1 or R2R2 in my opinion. If you are not sure, ask Kingwa if the sound is different / better between both units.

 

[doak]

Thanks Bernie.
Great to hear from someone who’s using the R2R2.
I agree - Kingwa will steer me in the right direction.
That’s just what he did last time I purchased one of his DACs.

 

[FredA]

My stupid mac mini has developed a hiss from the internal switching supply, i will probably get this, or the allo usbridge.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/TeraDak-MAC...640749?hash=item2a46835dad:g:6J4AAOSwQJ5UT91T

 

[DACLadder]

The used R2R 7 arrived from Japan and I thank @Currawong very much for a great deal! The R2R 7 was dropped into place and making music 5 minutes after the package arrived. I assume this R2R 7 has at least 1,000 hrs of run time so no further break-in is needed other than settling in. A new unit from the factory may take months to sound its best.

What do I hear? Very good things so far. Like the M7S the R2R 7 is using the same Accurate FW, no DSP jumpers, and SIngxer SU-1 HDMI I2S on IN5. In broad strokes it initially sounds similar to the MS7 but as the R2R 7 warms and I get used to the new presentation I can hear differences that I will list briefly below....

- The R2R 7 is definitely warm sounding. And sounds OK cold but better after at least 30 minutes (and more) warmup.

- The R2R 7 is dynamic and lively. Initially felt less than the M7S but the R2R 7 has seemingly better finesse at it. Dynamic sound character is big, big plus for me. Drums, cymbals, and rhythm instruments sound right and believable. After 1 hr. warm up the R2R 7 is even more dynamic with no bloat at all. Tight bass. Live music is awesome!

- The R2R 7 is not dry with good soundstage. depth, and separation. Seems to have more a little more low-level resolution than the M7S. I can better hear old analog tape hiss, reverb/ echo tails, and fade outs which help with the illusion of space and depth.

- Good vocals. Less upper mid-range glare and grainy vocals versus the M7S. The old Master 7 had a lot of this and may just be an artifact of the PCM1704UK DAC chips used in the Master series. Very encouraging as this grain/glare was very obvious with my Hifiman headphones. Cymbals less glassy and brass horns less glaringly brassy too. So liking the smooth vocals and which seemed at first a bit suppressed but soon realized the slight glare/ grain is not present as heard with the M7S.

The R2R 7 has me tapping my toes and that is always a great sign. I have very little patience for component changes that radically alter what I am expecting. The Schiit Iggy was notorious for that affect.

With diminished PCM1704UK DAC chip stock used for the Master series products I was expecting the R2R DACs to be sideways products so Audio GD could stay in business and survive. I am though shocked and delighted the R2R 7 sounds very familiar and comforting yet seemingly improves upon nagging issues I grew to accept with the M7S. It is evolutionary in that regard. The future looks very bright for Kingwa and Audio GD.

 

[Whitigir]

I forgot what Native DSD can R2R7 do ? 2x or 4x or 8x ?

 

[Currawong]

2x -- DSD128 through USB.

 

[FredA]

I forgot what Native DSD can R2R7 do ? 2x or 4x or 8x ?

I did try dsd 256 through i2s. Worked fine.

 

[Whitigir]

I did try dsd 256 through i2s. Worked fine.

Thanks for the confirmations

 

[Chopin75]

I don’t think DSD needs or uses OVersampling at all, though should check with Kingwa

 

[aljordan]

Hello,

I am a long time user of the Reference 7, and recently picked up a second hand Master 7. I am considering buying one of the new R2R series DACs. When I first bought the Reference 7, my system maintained a balanced connection path through-out. Currently though, my favorite gear path uses a single ended preamp feeding single ended tube mono-blocks (I listen mainly to speakers, and only use headphones rarely). So I am wondering if the R2R 7 is wasted in a single ended environment and if one of the other R2R series DACs would be more appropriate; or is there still some benefit of the 7 series over other DACs in a single ended environment.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[DACLadder]

Currently though, my favorite gear path uses a single ended preamp feeding single ended tube mono-blocks (I listen mainly to speakers, and only use headphones rarely). So I am wondering if the R2R 7 is wasted in a single ended environment and if one of the other R2R series DACs would be more appropriate; or is there still some benefit of the 7 series over other DACs in a single ended environment

Like your setup my favorite tube amp is single ended. I'm using balanced now with a headphone system but Kingwa explained a long time ago that single ended outputs are summed from the balanced DAC circuits. So you get all the benefits of the dual DACs in single ended setups. This differs from a true balanced arrangement where everything is kept separate including the outputs.

I just looked at the R2R 7 output connector wiring and it looks identical to the Master 7 wiring. Single ended outputs are the same signal as the balanced output hot (+) lead.