[Wynnytsky]

On the left with the silver face is a 200watt HDPlex powering an iFi iUSB3.0 and a computer that's in a black SilverStone SST-VT01B case.
I stacked my computer on the Tanly which is currently out of the chain -- forgot to remove before filming.
In the computer I used an STX AsRock mobo with a 35watt i5-7600T cpu (low profile stock cooler).

Mobos with DC input (100/200 series thin mini-ITX and STX) put the M.2 SSD in very close proximity to the northbridge and easily overheats in a fanless case.
So I had to choose between having an M.2 NVMe boot drive with active cooling (splashing air on SSD), or a 2.5" SSD boot drive with passive cooling (which I've done twice before using HDPlex's case).
Turns out Intel's stock cooler runs VERY quiet when cooling a 35watt CPU (especially with the quiet setting in the BIOS) so I have no regrets.
I also have a 7th gen i3 NUC (15watt) and that's way quieter than the 4th gen equivalent. I recommend using a NUC until the skies clear up for the Intel scene (10nm cannonlake, optane, etc). What a mess.

 

[remoss]

Finaly i had a change to listen to the HE version of the Audio GD R2R DAC
A friend translated it to English: https://www.audioenzo.nl/audio-gd-r2r-7he-en/

 

[mocenigo]

It was mostly with ES9018-based DACs that use the inbuilt filters on the chip, which are pretty bad. I've played around with up-sampling with the R2R 7 and in the end, I've been listening to it without using upsampling in Audirvana Plus.

My experience with the Soekris dac1541 and the Gustard x20 as well. The Gustard x20 sounds better if I upsample in the computer, the Soekris dac1541 sounds better if I do not upsample.

Roberto

 

[FredA]

On the left with the silver face is a 200watt HDPlex powering an iFi iUSB3.0 and a computer that's in a black SilverStone SST-VT01B case.
I stacked my computer on the Tanly which is currently out of the chain -- forgot to remove before filming.
In the computer I used an STX AsRock mobo with a 35watt i5-7600T cpu (low profile stock cooler).

Mobos with DC input (100/200 series thin mini-ITX and STX) put the M.2 SSD in very close proximity to the northbridge and easily overheats in a fanless case.
So I had to choose between having an M.2 NVMe boot drive with active cooling (splashing air on SSD), or a 2.5" SSD boot drive with passive cooling (which I've done twice before using HDPlex's case).
Turns out Intel's stock cooler runs VERY quiet when cooling a 35watt CPU (especially with the quiet setting in the BIOS) so I have no regrets.
I also have a 7th gen i3 NUC (15watt) and that's way quieter than the 4th gen equivalent. I recommend using a NUC until the skies clear up for the Intel scene (10nm cannonlake, optane, etc). What a mess.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[gk2013]

Finaly i had a change to listen to the HE version of the Audio GD R2R DAC
A friend translated it to English: https://www.audioenzo.nl/audio-gd-r2r-7he-en/

Nice, thanks for sharing!

 

[D2Girls]

Is this better or worse sounding then the schiit yggrisdal?

 

[Fatdoi]

Is this better or worse sounding then the schiit yggrisdal?

well waiting on Currawong to do this comparo

 

[drez]

.

 

[Wynnytsky]

.

I interpret Drez's empty msg as a drum request

 

[D2Girls]

well waiting on Currawong to do this comparo

I don't trust him

 

[HoloSpice]

I don't trust him

Lol.... Hes not that bad.

 

[HoloSpice]

I want to see a comparison between r2r7 vs Denafrips venus and Pontus dac

 

[Wynnytsky]

Pontus dac

It was the r2r7 or Pontus for me, but in July I didn't see any paypal support on vinshineaudio (it's there now)
So, that made my choice easy.

R2R7 is $1000 more, twice the power consumption, twice the weight
So that right there tells me the R2R7 is gonna have a richer, warmer sound, with more weight behind it
(but I've been wrong before)

 

[FredA]

It was the r2r7 or Pontus for me, but in July I didn't see any paypal support on vinshineaudio (it's there now)
So, that made my choice easy.

R2R7 is $1000 more, twice the power consumption, twice the weight
So that right there tells me the R2R7 is gonna have a richer, warmer sound, with more weight behind it
(but I've been wrong before)

I would be inclined to say you need at least the Venus to have a competition. The r2r 2 is probably a better match for the pontus. On paper at least (less Thd+noise), the r2r 7 even beats the Terminator.

 

[HoloSpice]

"R2R 7 beats the terminator."

Lol