New Audio-gd R-7, R-7HE R-8, R-27, R-27HE, R-28 Flagship Resistor Ladder DACs and DAC/amps
Sep 13, 2017 at 8:38 AM Post #317 of 11,196
If i use the Singxer SU-1 to feed HDMI i2S to R2R 7 ,do I have to modify the HDMI pin config on either the SU-1 or R2R 7 for them to talk to each other OR are they are good to go with standard config ?

No, you do not have to modify the HDMI pin config. Singxer SU-1 is compatible with A-Gd DACs on default. I have the Singxer SU-1 and 2 A-Gd DAcs with I2S HDMI and no problem via HDMI.
 
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Sep 13, 2017 at 8:52 AM Post #318 of 11,196
Sep 13, 2017 at 1:08 PM Post #320 of 11,196
I know there is a big price gap between Dave and r2r-7, but since both are using FPGA for sound processing, I would like a comparison. Then again I think the chance a person has both the dave and r2r-7 is quite small...

Dave and R2R-7 are very different built and designed.... I comparison in sound would be nice nonetheless.
 
Sep 13, 2017 at 6:48 PM Post #321 of 11,196
I'm in the market for a good DAC and everytime I turn around there's another one to "best" my list. I really like what's said here about how it makes everything sound better, even poor recordings. That's what I want. I have a big and varied collection of music and I want to enjoy all of it to the fullest.

That said, my head is spinning. On my list are:
Yggdrasil
Mytek Brooklyn
Mytek Manhattan II
Cambridge Azur 851N
PS Audio Directstream (and Jr)
And now R2R 7

Sad thing is I can't seem to audition anything here in Arizona except maybe the yggy at an upcoming meet. What to do...
 
Sep 13, 2017 at 8:12 PM Post #322 of 11,196
I'm in the market for a good DAC and everytime I turn around there's another one to "best" my list. I really like what's said here about how it makes everything sound better, even poor recordings. That's what I want. I have a big and varied collection of music and I want to enjoy all of it to the fullest.

That said, my head is spinning. On my list are:
Yggdrasil
Mytek Brooklyn
Mytek Manhattan II
Cambridge Azur 851N
PS Audio Directstream (and Jr)
And now R2R 7

Sad thing is I can't seem to audition anything here in Arizona except maybe the yggy at an upcoming meet. What to do...

I had the former Cambridge Azur flagship dac/cd player, the 850D. It was very good, even excellent for the time. But it could not compare to the Master-7. Even less so to the R2R 7. Not in the same league really although it had kind of a similar sound to the r2r 7, a bit forward and very analog. To be fair with it however, i never tried it with a fancy/modern usb converter but nonetheless, spinning cds, it was only marginally better than using the coax input.

As it is right now, i find only two disadvantages to R2R 7 compared to my old M7: it is less forgiving with bad recordings and the bass has less slam. That said, the M7 could be over the top with that regard with bassy recordings. Now these sound perfect. For old jazz records, i am not sure if i would not prefer the M7. With excellent recordings, the r2r 7 is clearly on top however.
 
Sep 14, 2017 at 12:26 AM Post #323 of 11,196
Something I've been testing with Kingwa has been changes to the DSP firmware. Kingwa told me that he had come up with settings that make the DSP output more accurate, but he wasn't sure if it would sound better. Unfortunately to update the firmware one has to download and install the full Altera firmware development suite, then someone from Audio-gd has to remote access your computer to do the update.

I suggested to Kingwa that instead of the multiple NOS settings, if one of the jumpers could set accurate mode, then people could select it if they liked it better, since switching back requires re-installing the original firmware.

The change the "accurate" firmware makes the sound more precise, but with the loss of some of that slightly harmonic richness that makes R2R DACs so pleasant. I'll write a more detailed comparison at some point with music examples. The problem is doing an A/B comparison is impossible, so I need to do something like listen to a whole album, switch the firmware, then listen to the whole thing again, or A/B against a different DAC twice.
 
Sep 14, 2017 at 1:27 AM Post #324 of 11,196
Something I've been testing with Kingwa has been changes to the DSP firmware. Kingwa told me that he had come up with settings that make the DSP output more accurate, but he wasn't sure if it would sound better. Unfortunately to update the firmware one has to download and install the full Altera firmware development suite, then someone from Audio-gd has to remote access your computer to do the update.

I suggested to Kingwa that instead of the multiple NOS settings, if one of the jumpers could set accurate mode, then people could select it if they liked it better, since switching back requires re-installing the original firmware.

The change the "accurate" firmware makes the sound more precise, but with the loss of some of that slightly harmonic richness that makes R2R DACs so pleasant. I'll write a more detailed comparison at some point with music examples. The problem is doing an A/B comparison is impossible, so I need to do something like listen to a whole album, switch the firmware, then listen to the whole thing again, or A/B against a different DAC twice.

Tonight I spent hours listening to a tube R2R and switching back to the R2R7 running "smooth" is about all the immediacy I can handle. This is plenty accurate to my ears. While I have yet to evaluate R2R7_IIS3accurate.jic, I think he made the right call in using "smooth" in his new builds.

12.1sp1_243_quartus_free_windows.exe is a 3.6gb download, but you need only install the branch that supports Cyclone4. I elected to have Qinkwa's guys apply the firmware but everything they did mirrored the photo illustrated instructions exactly. It's a pity because I've used a number of DACs that let me change filters mid playback, though they never came close to this DAC.

The next visitor will be a W4S upgraded with femto and the ess9038. To be continued...
 
Sep 14, 2017 at 2:23 AM Post #325 of 11,196
12.1sp1_243_quartus_free_windows.exe is a 3.6gb download, but you need only install the branch that supports Cyclone4. I elected to have Qinkwa's guys apply the firmware but everything they did mirrored the photo illustrated instructions exactly. It's a pity because I've used a number of DACs that let me change filters mid playback, though they never came close to this DAC.
.

You can download "programmer only", just 142MB ! Works out of the box, I use "12.1_177_programmer_windows.exe setup"
 
Sep 14, 2017 at 5:52 AM Post #327 of 11,196
Tonight I spent hours listening to a tube R2R and switching back to the R2R7 running "smooth" is about all the immediacy I can handle. This is plenty accurate to my ears. While I have yet to evaluate R2R7_IIS3accurate.jic, I think he made the right call in using "smooth" in his new builds.

12.1sp1_243_quartus_free_windows.exe is a 3.6gb download, but you need only install the branch that supports Cyclone4. I elected to have Qinkwa's guys apply the firmware but everything they did mirrored the photo illustrated instructions exactly. It's a pity because I've used a number of DACs that let me change filters mid playback, though they never came close to this DAC.

The next visitor will be a W4S upgraded with femto and the ess9038. To be continued...
Is "smooth" the original version or is it even smoother?
 
Sep 14, 2017 at 8:41 AM Post #328 of 11,196
It's the original smooth. For the most part I like it. It's a bit easier to enjoy in some ways than listening with the Yggy.
 
Sep 14, 2017 at 9:29 AM Post #329 of 11,196
Is "smooth" the original version or is it even smoother?
I asked him if you were issued new firmware and he responded ...
The early users of R2R7 all had the new firmwares , Now we had decide the R2R 7 had the smooth version as default
So it appears my unit was unique in getting the accurate filter? I can see why he did that, because I was on the fence about getting the dual 9038 and very happy with the Gustard x20, so this should have been the more familiar sound for me. I may try accurate again next year, but for now I'm happy to be hearing the same thing everyone else is. Next to a tube DAC this filter may as well be labeled accurate!

BTW supposedly the only change made in these filters is to reduce the click noise heard during sample rate changes. I didn't notice any change in the that behavior - the noise was already perfectly acceptable, maybe the quietest I've owned.

You can download "programmer only"
That would make a valuable addition to Qingwa's instruction page (unless I missed that)
 
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