[dmac03]

These new units were supposed to start shipping on the 15th. Does anyone have a unit ordered and on the way. When in the ETA?

 

[Turn&cough]

I've been looking at the EE and some of Audio-GD's models for a while. I agree that GD models are much better on paper but everyone seems to have a different opinion on which model is best for this, that and the other thing - I'm finding it increasingly difficult to make up my mind.
On the other hand the EE seems to be getting almost unanimous praise with tube rolling being the only variable. As I mentioned in another forum - I would like to see them drop the preamp section, SS output and replace them with a better PS, better stock tube and possibly better USB chip(for those who need it) 
What keeps bringing me back to GD is the PCM1704. I've heard it in the $4000 Naim DAC and know what it's capable of whereas I've never had a chance to listen to an ESS based DAC.
 
One more thing about design - As much as it killed me I ended up selling a beautifully built Paradisea with torroidal transformer, Bendix 6385 tube and $125 Shunyata power cord after listening to a lowly $149 Beresford Mark 4 with cheap swithching PS.

 

[FauDrei]

One more thing about design - As much as it killed me I ended up selling a beautifully built Paradisea with torroidal transformer, Bendix 6385 tube and $125 Shunyata power cord after listening to a lowly $149 Beresford Mark 4 with cheap swithching PS.

Had similar experience.
 
Paradisea was my first "serious" DAC source. Then, I got new ThinkPad and it's 24/96 audio out bettered in clarity and dynamics my Paradisea... and this made me reconsider my sonic preferences: no NOS, no tubes. After "diametrically opposite" DacMagic I've further learned that I dislike "metallic harshnes" of majority ΣΔ DACs that I've heard.
 
Finally, I've "found myself" in oversampled R2R DACs.
 
Still, I'm interested in latest ΣΔ developments as Sabre chips & similar and will, sooner or later, try them. One more reason for it is that R2Rs are, sadly, on extinction route.
 
As for Massy... Mate, I suspect you are NOS & tube kind of person... as you alone pointed out there is no doubt in Valab's technical inferiority vs RE-5, but your sonic preferences are the main thing you should follow. Second hand Havana or Paradisea may be good starting point. In any case, enjoy your "ride".

 

[realmassy]

Quote:

As for Massy... Mate, I suspect you are NOS & tube kind of person... as you alone pointed out there is no doubt in Valab's technical inferiority vs RE-5, but your sonic preferences are the main thing you should follow. Second hand Havana or Paradisea may be good starting point. In any case, enjoy your "ride".

Last week I had a demo of this:
http://www.audionote.co.uk/products/digital/dac_2.1x_01.shtml
with a speaker setup, no headphones...but man, WOW
 

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Still, I'm interested in latest ΣΔ developments as Sabre chips & similar and will, sooner or later, try them. One more reason for it is that R2Rs are, sadly, on extinction route.

For Kingwa anyway, this is true.  He says he is almost out of PCM1704UK chips and cannot get any more, so he probably won't be making R2R DACs much longer.  I've mentioned to him that around 1000 chips are still available online from Digikey and Mouser but he says they cost more than he's paying, and I also mentioned that you can order them custom in lots of 1600 chips for even less.  He doesn't seem to want to pursue this, even though I think people would pay extra for the DACs with those chips.

 

[Epoch]

So this means that if I want to upgrade to a higher end Audio-GD DACs at a later date the R2R options will probably be gone?  I guess this means that I should start paying attention to how well the ESS based designs fare.

 

[IPodPJ]

Yes, he says they will be gone in a few months.

 

[macrog]

Or just buy the products you would most like now.

 

 

[Epoch]

Hopefully the NFB series turns out well, I was hoping that later on I could upgrade to a balanced rig with something in the Reference line.
 
Even if its very good though, I still liked having more choices, though with any luck he will be able to produce more R2R DACs in the future.

 

[sokolov91]

I am still debating the Ref-7 vs the NFB-7
 
Too bad there isn't much objective info an why R2R may be better. Simply having people say so is really of no use at all.
 
Kingwa did say the DACs sound extremely similar, so it is probably just as so many things are in audio -implementation over all.
 
The NFB-7 is already significantly less than the Ref-7... but the Ref-7 is apparently a dying breed. Not really a tragedy if the NFB-7 is on par, which it supposedly is, or better.
 
If the psychological weight of not having R2R DAC will get in the way of enjoying your music, you will have an issue. If you are a little more practical and objective, you should be happy with either choice.

 

[Epoch]

I agree that implementation does matter, and is the most important influence in the final result.  I just like choice, and due to my upgrade from a Xonar Essence STX to a DAC19DSP, I also like the idea of being able to get a better implementation of what I have sitting next to me.
 
I don't know if it is a valid concern, I trust that Kingwa wouldn't produce these new products if they were truly inferior, its just that they are different.  I don't know if different is better, worse, or just different.  I am okay with it being better, I am okay with it being different, I just regret that it might be slightly worse.
That is why I want to see how the new products fare, it might impact my buying decisions, I also happen to find it interesting.

 

[haloxt]

Price aside, if you lean more to the description of the es9018 than to the pcm1704, just get the es9018 dac. You may wonder what is so good about the pcm1704, but if you don't like the sound signature descriptions for it then why bother? Sure maybe the pcm1704 dac's might become expensive vintage gear in 5-10 years, but if it's not the sound signature for you then it's not worth it.
 
Btw my friend I asked to help me translate this is still traveling and I can't contact him, but I have bothered a few people on IRC who could read both languages and they told me my computer translator translation is good enough.

 

[borrego]

I ordered a NFB1 + DI and cables from Audio-gd and is waiting for its delivery.
 
3 weeks ago I was deciding wthether I should buy the Ref-5 or NFB1. I nealy read through all internet forums about the different implementations of the PCM1704 and ES9018, muiti-bits and sigma-delta DAC, wrote to Kingwa and received very helpful opinion from fellow head-fi member vrln. At 1 point I was about the buy the Ref-7S (it is the best sounding Ref-7 btw for those who want to choose the Ref-7...). At the end I bought the NFB1 because of  (1) better price/performance ratio, (2) the rest of my gears probably won't take advantage of the better sound stage offered by the Ref-7. vrln chose the Ref-7S because he got better gears to take advantage of the Ref-7S and got more money to spend.
 
Remember if you are buying the Ref-7 from Audio-gd, you are not only buying the PCM1704 R2R advantage but also the DSP1 developments Kingwa has put in. The current version of DSP1 is in its final revision and is playing a "major" part in the Ref-7's sound stage and bass response. How do I know? I am Chinese and I read the Audio-gd Chinese forum.
 
The following is the conclusion I drew (for my own purchase decision only) after the research I have done.
 
1. Audio-gd PCM1704 +DSP1 implementation will have slight advantage in soundstage over the Audio-gd ES9018 implementation. The remaining attributes like bass/treble/dynamic response are of different "flavours" and one cannot call which is better.
2. Audio-gd ES9018 implementation will have "clear" advantage over the Audio-gd PCM1704+DF1704 implementation (I was comparing Ref-5 DF and NFB1)
 
In my opinion, NFB1 (especially at its introduction price) has the highest price/performance ratio out of all Audio-gd DAC.
 
 
 

 

[Currawong]

What strikes me as possibly the key to the Sabre's success is that it does away with the need for the complexities of a circuit dedicated to the S/PDIF input.  Likely, being that the DAC itself handles this very well, people are discovering what those of us who bought low-jitter USB to coax digital converters, or played with the digital input chips in the Fun have, which is that the quality of the transport is important.  It may not be such a big revelation for Audio-gd, as Kingwa already implemented the Altera DSP, which has much the same advantage.

 

[SilverCans]

 
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by borrego 
 
2. Audio-gd ES9018 implementation will have "clear" advantage over the Audio-gd PCM1704+DF1704 implementation (I was comparing Ref-5 DF and NFB1)
 
In my opinion, NFB1 (especially at its introduction price) has the highest price/performance ratio out of all Audio-gd DAC

 
 
What do you mean by point 2? "clear advantage" as in it is technically superior or as in sounds more clear?