[svmusa]

I have been reading different AGD AIO options, seems like all the 3 of the R-27 MK2/RE/HE provides ability to adjust XLR/RCA Fixed Lineout ranging from 2 to 5 Volts which will allow me to get some better control over my pre/integrated volume turns and also allows to boost the EQ range from 6DB to 12 DB without clipping on my Art EQ355 hardware EQ.

Curious if you all have had any experience in using lower fixed lineout option and most importantly does it degrade the signal quality?

 

[Jandu]

I ......

Curious if you all have had any experience in using lower fixed lineout option and most importantly does it degrade the signal quality?

In my R28, the lineout, for RCA or XLR connections, cannot be changed using the setting. The setting only refers to the headphone output. The change in the headphone output setting, for my headphones, which are mostly higher efficiency ones, do not change the sound quality.

 

[vincentvuu]

Hi HeadFiers

First post, long time reader.

I bought a R7HE3 recently, it arrived 2 days ago, and unfortunately I am thinking that something is seriously wrong with my unit.

The problem is significant distortion, crackling, muddiness in the sound output. My findings are that the unit performs better with quiet instrumental music - like solo violin, piano etc - but as soon as something more complicated gets thrown at the dac it seems to struggle and muddle things up. For example, just listening to a standard pop album like a Taylor Swift album with heavy bass tracks and mixed loud - things start to break down pretty quick and the sound becomes quite unpleasant to listen to. Same goes for rock, large scale orchestra stuff and so on.

So my trouble shooting:
- the problem appears on all oversampling modes, including the N0 and N1 functions.
- The problem is the same on both USB and AES inputs.
- Phono simulation is off.
- there is no external clock plugged in.
- I am using the supplied power cable, and XLR outputs.
- I tested all the inputs, cables and so on with another DAC I have on site and they work fine.

My ideas:
- Is this going to be fixed with break-in?? Should I just leave it on for a week or so?
- Is this... the Audio-GD house sound? Surely this is not how it is supposed to sound.
- Are there any other things I can do to try and fix this?

Any suggestions very welcome - thanks.

Has anyone experienced something like this?

 

[Lickumms]

Hi HeadFiers

First post, long time reader.

I bought a R7HE3 recently, it arrived 2 days ago, and unfortunately I am thinking that something is seriously wrong with my unit.

The problem is significant distortion, crackling, muddiness in the sound output. My findings are that the unit performs better with quiet instrumental music - like solo violin, piano etc - but as soon as something more complicated gets thrown at the dac it seems to struggle and muddle things up. For example, just listening to a standard pop album like a Taylor Swift album with heavy bass tracks and mixed loud - things start to break down pretty quick and the sound becomes quite unpleasant to listen to. Same goes for rock, large scale orchestra stuff and so on.

So my trouble shooting:
- the problem appears on all oversampling modes, including the N0 and N1 functions.
- The problem is the same on both USB and AES inputs.
- Phono simulation is off.
- there is no external clock plugged in.
- I am using the supplied power cable, and XLR outputs.
- I tested all the inputs, cables and so on with another DAC I have on site and they work fine.

My ideas:
- Is this going to be fixed with break-in?? Should I just leave it on for a week or so?
- Is this... the Audio-GD house sound? Surely this is not how it is supposed to sound.
- Are there any other things I can do to try and fix this?

Any suggestions very welcome - thanks.

Has anyone experienced something like this?

That doesn't sound good. I never had those problems with my R8MK2. I would send a message to Kingwa right away.

 

[Lickumms]

Does the problem occur with the oversampling off?

 

[Lickumms]

I doubt it is a burn in problem since everything they sell is burnt in for 300 hours before it leaves there store.

 

[OCC7N]

Hi HeadFiers

First post, long time reader.

I bought a R7HE3 recently, it arrived 2 days ago, and unfortunately I am thinking that something is seriously wrong with my unit.

The problem is significant distortion, crackling, muddiness in the sound output. My findings are that the unit performs better with quiet instrumental music - like solo violin, piano etc - but as soon as something more complicated gets thrown at the dac it seems to struggle and muddle things up. For example, just listening to a standard pop album like a Taylor Swift album with heavy bass tracks and mixed loud - things start to break down pretty quick and the sound becomes quite unpleasant to listen to. Same goes for rock, large scale orchestra stuff and so on.

So my trouble shooting:
- the problem appears on all oversampling modes, including the N0 and N1 functions.
- The problem is the same on both USB and AES inputs.
- Phono simulation is off.
- there is no external clock plugged in.
- I am using the supplied power cable, and XLR outputs.
- I tested all the inputs, cables and so on with another DAC I have on site and they work fine.

My ideas:
- Is this going to be fixed with break-in?? Should I just leave it on for a week or so?
- Is this... the Audio-GD house sound? Surely this is not how it is supposed to sound.
- Are there any other things I can do to try and fix this?

Any suggestions very welcome - thanks.

Has anyone experienced something like this?

I would recommend try different sources before starting return process. It will be waste of time and effort if the source is the problem

 

[OCC7N]

Dayum! You joined in 2008 and these are your first posts

What DAC did you have before ordering the R7HEMK3?

 

[vincentvuu]

Hello all - I am using a Bluesound Node X as a streamer via USB. I am also using a Shanling ET3 cd transport by AES. The problem is the same with both sources.

Both these sources sound fine into a Matrix DAC that I have (the DAC I had before this).

I think based on these responses this is not supposed to happen and I will send it back for review,

 

[FredA]

Hi HeadFiers

First post, long time reader.

I bought a R7HE3 recently, it arrived 2 days ago, and unfortunately I am thinking that something is seriously wrong with my unit.

The problem is significant distortion, crackling, muddiness in the sound output. My findings are that the unit performs better with quiet instrumental music - like solo violin, piano etc - but as soon as something more complicated gets thrown at the dac it seems to struggle and muddle things up. For example, just listening to a standard pop album like a Taylor Swift album with heavy bass tracks and mixed loud - things start to break down pretty quick and the sound becomes quite unpleasant to listen to. Same goes for rock, large scale orchestra stuff and so on.

So my trouble shooting:
- the problem appears on all oversampling modes, including the N0 and N1 functions.
- The problem is the same on both USB and AES inputs.
- Phono simulation is off.
- there is no external clock plugged in.
- I am using the supplied power cable, and XLR outputs.
- I tested all the inputs, cables and so on with another DAC I have on site and they work fine.

My ideas:
- Is this going to be fixed with break-in?? Should I just leave it on for a week or so?
- Is this... the Audio-GD house sound? Surely this is not how it is supposed to sound.
- Are there any other things I can do to try and fix this?

Any suggestions very welcome - thanks.

Has anyone experienced something like this?

Could be normal when new. Run it 24/7 for 2 weeks, it should be OK afterwards. Also, make sure you software outputs the sound at full volume.

 

[FredA]

Hi HeadFiers

First post, long time reader.

I bought a R7HE3 recently, it arrived 2 days ago, and unfortunately I am thinking that something is seriously wrong with my unit.

The problem is significant distortion, crackling, muddiness in the sound output. My findings are that the unit performs better with quiet instrumental music - like solo violin, piano etc - but as soon as something more complicated gets thrown at the dac it seems to struggle and muddle things up. For example, just listening to a standard pop album like a Taylor Swift album with heavy bass tracks and mixed loud - things start to break down pretty quick and the sound becomes quite unpleasant to listen to. Same goes for rock, large scale orchestra stuff and so on.

So my trouble shooting:
- the problem appears on all oversampling modes, including the N0 and N1 functions.
- The problem is the same on both USB and AES inputs.
- Phono simulation is off.
- there is no external clock plugged in.
- I am using the supplied power cable, and XLR outputs.
- I tested all the inputs, cables and so on with another DAC I have on site and they work fine.

My ideas:
- Is this going to be fixed with break-in?? Should I just leave it on for a week or so?
- Is this... the Audio-GD house sound? Surely this is not how it is supposed to sound.
- Are there any other things I can do to try and fix this?

Any suggestions very welcome - thanks.

Has anyone experienced something like this?

Also, try a regular pc if you have one.

A possibility is your unit could have been shipped without the usual 300h of burn-in by mistake. Another is a compatibility issue with the streamers you mentioned. I doubt it.

Worst case scenario is there is a power supply issue.

Make sure also that the power cord is properly inserted.

 

[Jandu]

Also, try a regular pc if you have one.

....

I second this suggestion using ASIO. Or if you have a RPi4B, you can use that as well. Just feed it a source file on repeat and leave it on for at least a week or two with feed signal at full strength. Come back in about 10 days and see if it changes.

AGD R2R dac is known to have not too great sound before it is fully broken in. The fact that the simple instrument plays OK, it is likely just needs some time to get burn in. The DAC burn in process is really long. So be patient.

 

[vincentvuu]

Thanks for all your responses. I will try feeding it some files and waiting for a week or two.

I do see a basis for investigating different sources. The BluSound app says that the Node X recognises the Amanero USB interface on the R7HE3, but it behaves differently to the Matrix. For example, options like clock trim, fixed volume etc do not appear (like they do for the Matrix). Instead there is a volume limiter, and the Node X doesn't even recognise that there's a fixed volume out to the DAC.

The AES connection from the CD transport seems to have similar issues, but I don't have access to the same tracks on CD as I have on Roon (which is what I am using the Node X for).

It's been a long journey since I registered for this site way back in 2008 (as @OCC7N mentioned above). Back then I scoured this site and bought a Benchmark DAC and an AKG 701. The dac went years ago as I got into portable audio, but I have kept the headphone - which my kids now use at times plugged into a pre-amp/headphone amp that is part of my current set up. This year I bought a Yamaha system that I've been working towards for a few years - it includes a Yamaha speaker, amp and pre-amp set that until the arrival of this R7HE3 was mostly used to play vinyl. Broken sound or not, my daughter is still listening to Taylor Swift and she's happy.

 

[OCC7N]

Spoiler: Quote

Thanks for all your responses. I will try feeding it some files and waiting for a week or two.

I do see a basis for investigating different sources. The BluSound app says that the Node X recognises the Amanero USB interface on the R7HE3, but it behaves differently to the Matrix. For example, options like clock trim, fixed volume etc do not appear (like they do for the Matrix). Instead there is a volume limiter, and the Node X doesn't even recognise that there's a fixed volume out to the DAC.

The AES connection from the CD transport seems to have similar issues, but I don't have access to the same tracks on CD as I have on Roon (which is what I am using the Node X for).

It's been a long journey since I registered for this site way back in 2008 (as @OCC7N mentioned above). Back then I scoured this site and bought a Benchmark DAC and an AKG 701. The dac went years ago as I got into portable audio, but I have kept the headphone - which my kids now use at times plugged into a pre-amp/headphone amp that is part of my current set up. This year I bought a Yamaha system that I've been working towards for a few years - it includes a Yamaha speaker, amp and pre-amp set that until the arrival of this R7HE3 was mostly used to play vinyl. Broken sound or not, my daughter is still listening to Taylor Swift and she's happy.

Are you using some form of balanced power conditioner?

I know the DI20HE does not likes this and makes weird noises.

 

[vincentvuu]

I checked all sorts of digital inputs today (USB/AES/Optical) - all have the same issue. With AES/Optical I was able to use the fixed output setting on both the streamer and the Node X streamer so I've ruled that out sources as an issue. Only thing to do now is to burn it in and see what happens. Confident given the issue if I sent it back to Audio-GD they would fix it or give me a replacement - but it's Christmas, and I will be patient. Hope everyone has a great holiday.

Edit: No I am not using any power conditioner. I thought at first that it could be a current issue - as in not enough power? But then I put everything else on a powerboard, and the DAC straight into the wall but that hasn't changed anything.

Further Edit: I have tried changing powercables. I was using the upgraded power cable that I bought from Audio-GD. I used the standard one that also came with the DAC and there was no change.

Thanks for all the ideas for troubleshooting, I'm quite confident I've tried everything now and it is not user error.