Audio-gd Master 7 Singularity Review (DAC)

[don'ttrustauthority]

Tricking someone using technical terms is fraud.

Not in US law it isn't. Tricking someone is trickery. To engage in fraud you need to use trickery to obtain something of value with a false assurance that goes beyond a mere claim.

The terms used in audio are COMMONLY used terms that amount to an assertion that a company serves "the best" of something. It is to be blunt HYPERBOLE.

We have a very young readership here that thinks in very literal black and white terms.

Look around and think about how many court cases there would be if the law enforced as criminal or civil the claim of 'fraud' as you suggest. How does the court prevent fraudulent fraud claims, if every court decision based on literal exactitude.

 

[sarumbear]

Not in US law it isn't. Tricking someone is trickery. To engage in fraud you need to use trickery to obtain something of value with a false assurance that goes beyond a mere claim.

The terms used in audio are COMMONLY used terms that amount to an assertion that a company serves "the best" of something. It is to be blunt HYPERBOLE.

We have a very young readership here that thinks in very literal black and white terms.

Look around and think about how many court cases there would be if the law enforced as criminal or civil the claim of 'fraud' as you suggest. How does the court prevent fraudulent fraud claims, if every court decision based on literal exactitude.

I have news for you: there is a world outside the US.

 

[Lupin]

Not in US law it isn't. Tricking someone is trickery. To engage in fraud you need to use trickery to obtain something of value with a false assurance that goes beyond a mere claim.

The terms used in audio are COMMONLY used terms that amount to an assertion that a company serves "the best" of something. It is to be blunt HYPERBOLE.

We have a very young readership here that thinks in very literal black and white terms.

Look around and think about how many court cases there would be if the law enforced as criminal or civil the claim of 'fraud' as you suggest. How does the court prevent fraudulent fraud claims, if every court decision based on literal exactitude.

I'm not from the US but I still agree with this.

 

[rmsanger]

The general consensus with hifi crowd is that Audio-GD tends to be lackluster in technical performance. There is an inner circle of fanboys just as there is for Wells Audio and Yulong but the wider community will look down upon AGD gear.

 

[NTomokawa]

A complete and utter de(con)struction by Amir, as expected.

What a waste of components.

Meanwhile I wanted to find out more about that

“First Prize Winner” of the National Semiconductor (USA) Audio Design Contest

blurb as found on Audio-GD's front page. All I could find was this: https://rockgrotto.proboards.com/thread/6614

Image source: screenshot from link above

So as it turns out, this was a competition held in mainland China, and not in the USA as I understood.
This raises questions, as any connections between National Semiconductor and this "design competition" appear tenuous at best. National Semiconductor appears to have opened a fab in China back in 2004, which was subsequently closed in 2009. [source: Wikipedia article on National Semiconductor] Was the competition hosted by NS? Or was it merely "sponsored" by NS? Regardless, I can't dig up more info than that on the (English) Internet. Perhaps one of our Chinese members would know more? @WolfX-700 do you know anything about this "design contest"?

Bonus information: The gentleman at the left of the picture above appears to be Mr. Gary Adrig.

 

[NTomokawa]

You got to hand it to the Chinese to make some incomprehensible manual

Oh I've seen worse.

This is from the official installation manual of a shipborne radar system manufactured by JRC.
The funny part (to me) is that since I speak some Japanese, I can sort of elucidate how these phrases were originally written, and I just know that JRC used some sort of machine translation...

 

[Jcno1700]

Hi, I have an Audio gd master7 and I think it sounds very good even for its price range. I've compared it with much more expensive dacs and the difference wasn't big, and I also have access to equipment superior to mine. I think this Review was made with uncalibrated measuring equipment or there is prejudice towards the Chinese brand. This in no way reflects the device I have here at home along with my Pass Labs, and MBL loudspeakers. Here I use the xlr output and the coaxial input of the Dac. Thanks.
José Carlos

 

[Doodski]

I think this Review was made with uncalibrated measuring equipment

The gear self calibrates before every test if memory serves me correct.

there is prejudice towards the Chinese brand.

No prejudice here at ASR in fact Chinese DACs are renowned here for being rated as good. It just so happens this Audio GD model tested poorly.

 

[BlackTalon]

Welcome.

There is a difference between liking the sound, and the device being transparent. DAC differences are subtle, and often not detectable by listening, so it usually comes down to if the component was worth the price compared to competing products.

 

[JSmith]

I think this Review was made with uncalibrated measuring equipment or there is prejudice towards the Chinese brand.

Sorry... what on Earth are you talking about?


JSmith

 

[milosz]

Hi, I have an Audio gd master7 and I think it sounds very good even for its price range. I've compared it with much more expensive dacs and the difference wasn't big, and I also have access to equipment superior to mine. I think this Review was made with uncalibrated measuring equipment or there is prejudice towards the Chinese brand. This in no way reflects the device I have here at home along with my Pass Labs, and MBL loudspeakers. Here I use the xlr output and the coaxial input of the Dac. Thanks.
José Carlos

Did you measure your DAC? Or are you just basing your judgement on how it sounds to you? DACs that measure quite poorly often can sound quite OK to most (if not all) listeners. The human ear + listener's brain is not an object, accurate or precise measurement instrument.

 

[aj625]

Hi, I have an Audio gd master7 and I think it sounds very good even for its price range. I've compared it with much more expensive dacs and the difference wasn't big, and I also have access to equipment superior to mine. I think this Review was made with uncalibrated measuring equipment or there is prejudice towards the Chinese brand. This in no way reflects the device I have here at home along with my Pass Labs, and MBL loudspeakers. Here I use the xlr output and the coaxial input of the Dac. Thanks.
José Carlothis r2

Hi, I have an Audio gd master7 and I think it sounds very good even for its price range. I've compared it with much more expensive dacs and the difference wasn't big, and I also have access to equipment superior to mine. I think this Review was made with uncalibrated measuring equipment or there is prejudice towards the Chinese brand. This in no way reflects the device I have here at home along with my Pass Labs, and MBL loudspeakers. Here I use the xlr output and the coaxial input of the Dac. Thanks.
José Carlos

The myth that R2r sound is more natural despite poor measurements, is so deeply engraved in the memory of audiophiles that they can go to any extent to defend that myth. If poor measurements is responsible for that natural sound then more the distortion, more natural the dac should sound, isn't it ? Why not then add tubes to r2r output to get more distortion or even use dsp to add more and more distortion or use tube amplifier to tube r2r dac along with dsp to add loads of distortion ? Or add a tube pre and tube power to r2r tube dac along with distortion dsp ? Or you wan't more distortion ? Then better use am radio as source and then tube pre and tube power ! Seriously it will sound more natural than even nature in heaven !

 

[VintageFlanker]

Sorry... what on Earth are you talking about?

In a ideal world, people should know when they have (absolutely) no clue what they are talking about.

 

[Lupin]

Hi, I have an Audio gd master7 and I think it sounds very good even for its price range. I've compared it with much more expensive dacs and the difference wasn't big, and I also have access to equipment superior to mine. I think this Review was made with uncalibrated measuring equipment or there is prejudice towards the Chinese brand. This in no way reflects the device I have here at home along with my Pass Labs, and MBL loudspeakers. Here I use the xlr output and the coaxial input of the Dac. Thanks.
José Carlos

What got the price to do with anything?
Sadly a strong audiophile believe that more expensive automatically equals better performance.

 

[VintageFlanker]

What got the price to do with anything?

Pretty simple: Positional good. Looks like expensive gears give you golden ears, for some reason...

It seems very important for him to specify he has a high-end system as an argument for his listening skills. No doubt Amir's AP is doing it wrong!

 

[filo97s]

Hi, I have an Audio gd master7 and I think it sounds very good even for its price range. I've compared it with much more expensive dacs and the difference wasn't big, and I also have access to equipment superior to mine. I think this Review was made with uncalibrated measuring equipment or there is prejudice towards the Chinese brand. This in no way reflects the device I have here at home along with my Pass Labs, and MBL loudspeakers. Here I use the xlr output and the coaxial input of the Dac. Thanks.
José Carlos

It sounds good because by our ears, it's difficult to detect a distortion even if the distortion is at 0.2%. I think that everything under 1% is hard to detect, using a musical programme.
But this is still a broken project, no doubt, and if our ears can't detect it, well, this tells us a lot on how human ears are reliable in reviewing audio equipment. If you can't spot such a distortion like this, think about how much someone can be trustworthy in reviewing cables lmao.

 

[YSC]

What got the price to do with anything?
Sadly a strong audiophile believe that more expensive automatically equals better performance.

To be fair this is a common concept for all goods more expensive usually tends to guarantee at least not inferior performance and with a lot more added value like style or comfort.. you can see this law goes well in cars, cameras, watches or so. But in audio somehow it’s all among the space where really trash products with correct marketing can be priced like a flat