Audio-gd R7HE vs Holo May vs Denafrips Terminator

[Nier]

Can anyone here share their thoughts on this?

 

[gvl]

Audio-gd is basically scam. The other 2 presumably aren't, but you can get same or better performance for less.

 

[Nier]

Audio-gd scam? Have you heard it though?

 

[Koeitje]

Audio-gd scam? Have you heard it though?

You don't need to hear it to know its bad. Audio-gd products are incompetently designed.

 

[gvl]

Audio-gd scam? Have you heard it though?

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...99577/&q=Audio-gd&c[title_only]=1&o=relevance

 

[VintageFlanker]

Audio-gd scam? Have you heard it though?

I owned quite a lot of AGD devices and I never kept any for too long. Blessed be ASR for making me understand why. Their entire lineup is full of terrible designed products with strictly no engineering basics.
@WolfX-700 measured the Holo May, I believe, with quite good results for a R2R unit. We're still waiting for the Terminator to be measured, and I do think this potential review will surely make a lot of buzz!

 

[anroj]

I own two Audio-GD products currently: R8 DAC and DI-20 Digital Interface and love them. They are extremely musical and resolving. I have owned a Mytek Brooklyn DAC (original), Topping Dx7s, iFi Pro iDSD, and Topping D10 for my desktop system, which I still use while working, and to my ears, and in my system, the R8 sounds more like music than anything else I have heard. I have not heard every DAC, and I don't base my purchases on measurements alone, but they are often a good starting point in evaluating how a component may sound, as well as the quality of components, power supply, implementation, etc. I'm sure there are a number of DACs that measure better than Audio-GD DACs, and I'm sure there are a number of DACs that sound better than Audio-GD DACs and that is fine in my book as listening impressions are very subjective, and a DAC that measures well and sounds good in one person's system might sound terrible in another person's system. For the value I perceive from my Audio-GD combo, I am a happy camper and plan to upgrade to the Audio-GD R7HE in the future after being able to evaluate it in my system. I respect the listening preferences and opinions of others on this site, and in the investments they have made in their systems, and I do appreciate the time and energy Amir puts into measuring and reviewing products and in sharing his impressions of worthwhile products, but in the end, I let my ears guide my personal audio gear selections. Cheers!

 

[q3cpma]

I own two Audio-GD products currently: R8 DAC and DI-20 Digital Interface and love them. They are extremely musical and resolving. I have owned a Mytek Brooklyn DAC (original), Topping Dx7s, iFi Pro iDSD, and Topping D10 for my desktop system, which I still use while working, and to my ears, and in my system, the R8 sounds more like music than anything else I have heard. I have not heard every DAC, and I don't base my purchases on measurements alone, but they are often a good starting point in evaluating how a component may sound, as well as the quality of components, power supply, implementation, etc. I'm sure there are a number of DACs that measure better than Audio-GD DACs, and I'm sure there are a number of DACs that sound better than Audio-GD DACs and that is fine in my book as listening impressions are very subjective, and a DAC that measures well and sounds good in one person's system might sound terrible in another person's system. For the value I perceive from my Audio-GD combo, I am a happy camper and plan to upgrade to the Audio-GD R7HE in the future after being able to evaluate it in my system. I respect the listening preferences and opinions of others on this site, and in the investments they have made in their systems, and I do appreciate the time and energy Amir puts into measuring and reviewing products and in sharing his impressions of worthwhile products, but in the end, I let my ears guide my personal audio gear selections. Cheers!

How did you even find this place?

 

[BDWoody]

They are extremely musical and resolving

Uh huh...those are some of the common descriptions used...

Ever used more of a controlled listening process? Meaning...a level matched blind test? If you haven't, give it a try...you may find the differences you clearly hear between them suddenly aren't there.

Most just don't bother, as they 'trust their ears,' but a little research into psychoacoustics will demonstrate the importance of eliminating as much conscious/unconscious bias as possible...otherwise you are more listening to your expectations than the actual pressure wave hitting your ear.

Edit: Welcome to the forum! I appreciate what @VintageFlanker is saying below...not meaning to be off-putting!

 

[VintageFlanker]

I own two Audio-GD products currently: R8 DAC and DI-20 Digital Interface and love them. They are extremely musical and resolving. I have owned a Mytek Brooklyn DAC (original), Topping Dx7s, iFi Pro iDSD, and Topping D10 for my desktop system, which I still use while working, and to my ears, and in my system, the R8 sounds more like music than anything else I have heard. I have not heard every DAC, and I don't base my purchases on measurements alone, but they are often a good starting point in evaluating how a component may sound, as well as the quality of components, power supply, implementation, etc. I'm sure there are a number of DACs that measure better than Audio-GD DACs, and I'm sure there are a number of DACs that sound better than Audio-GD DACs and that is fine in my book as listening impressions are very subjective, and a DAC that measures well and sounds good in one person's system might sound terrible in another person's system. For the value I perceive from my Audio-GD combo, I am a happy camper and plan to upgrade to the Audio-GD R7HE in the future after being able to evaluate it in my system. I respect the listening preferences and opinions of others on this site, and in the investments they have made in their systems, and I do appreciate the time and energy Amir puts into measuring and reviewing products and in sharing his impressions of worthwhile products, but in the end, I let my ears guide my personal audio gear selections. Cheers!

Hello,

That won't be "uh uh" time for me, since your first post looks kind of "diplomatic" and I respect that.

However, I beg to differ quite a bit.

First, if you're happy with your AGD DACs, I see nothing wrong about that. Your money, your choices.

But... You can't say "the R8 sounds more like music" since it's basically... not the case at all. I believe differences between DACs may be audible. I also think that if it's the case, it does mean that one DAC is too colored (so not reliable at all), once the other is simply transparent. In that case, the R8 shows terrible results once measured. Bad measurements mean nothing but wrong fidelity. This is as simple as that. Music is music. It does need fidelity (or transparency) to sound exactly as it is. A DAC full of distortion, with a messed-up linearity, can't sound like music is intended to be reproduced. It simply can't.

In the same order of idea: no, there's no DAC which pair well with a system and not with another. That is an absolute audiophile myth. A good DAC will be a good pairing with any system. A bad one won't. Period.

Thanks for your first post anyway.

 

[anroj]

How did you even find this place?

Audio Science Review?

 

[anroj]

Hello,

That won't be "uh uh" time for me, since your first post looks kind of "diplomatic" and I respect that.

However, I beg to differ quite a bit.

First, if you're happy with your AGD DACs, I see nothing wrong about that. Your money, your choices.

But... You can't say "the R8 sounds more like music" since it's basically... not the case at all. I believe differences between DACs may be audible. I also think that if it's the case, it does mean that one DAC is too colored (so not reliable at all), once the other is simply transparent. In that case, the R8 shows terrible results once measured. Bad measurements mean nothing but wrong fidelity. This is as simple as that. Music is music. It does need fidelity (or transparency) to sound exactly as it is. A DAC full of distortion, with a messed-up linearity, can't sound like music is intended to be reproduced. It simply can't.

In the same order of idea: no, there's no DAC which pair well with a system and not with another. That is an absolute audiophile myth. A good DAC will be a good pairing with any system. A bad one won't. Period.

Thanks for your first post anyway.

I definitely appreciate your response, and as I said, this is how the R8 sounds to me. I have heard the same DAC in different systems, and to my ears, there were marked differences. Rooms, speakers, amplification, can all make the same component sound different even though it will measure the same. I do respect measurements, and I refer to them in helping me to make decisions. I had not seen Amir's measurements or write up of the R8 before I was able to listen to it in my system, and eventually bought it, and I don't think that if I had seen it before purchasing the R8 that that would have 100% convinced me not to buy it.

 

[anroj]

Uh huh...those are some of the common descriptions used...

Ever used more of a controlled listening process? Meaning...a level matched blind test? If you haven't, give it a try...you may find the differences you clearly hear between them suddenly aren't there.

Most just don't bother, as they 'trust their ears,' but a little research into psychoacoustics will demonstrate the importance of eliminating as much conscious/unconscious bias as possible...otherwise you are more listening to your expectations than the actual pressure wave hitting your ear.

Edit: Welcome to the forum! I appreciate what @VintageFlanker is saying below...not meaning to be off-putting!

Thanks for the welcome.

I have not done level matched blind tests as I have not had the opportunity to audition more than one DAC at a time. I heard the R8 in a friend's setup and thought it sounded pretty good so I asked if he would loan it to me to test in my system. I was impressed enough that I bought it.

 

[VintageFlanker]

I have heard the same DAC in different systems, and to my ears, there were marked differences.

I also believe that different sytems actually sound... different.

I definitely appreciate your response, and as I said, this is how the R8 sounds to me

I have nothing to say against that. But I also suppose that you "liked" the R8 more only because of its 2,5/5V output.

 

[maarten]

I own two Audio-GD products currently: R8 DAC and DI-20 Digital Interface and love them. They are extremely musical and resolving.

"Extremely musical" audio equipment is what truly matters ! And very beneficial cost wise.

I have a 'extremely musical' amp. It's so musical that it autonomously just plays the most wonderful music. No need for DAC, pre-amp, streamer and music. My 'extremely musical' amp just does the job.

 

[anroj]

"Extremely musical" audio equipment is what truly matters ! And very beneficial cost wise.

I have a 'extremely musical' amp. It's so musical that it autonomously just plays the most wonderful music. No need for DAC, pre-amp, streamer and music. My 'extremely musical' amp just does the job.

Hi Maarten, thanks for the response. For me, enjoying my music collection (digital files or vinyl), is what it's all about.

 

[anroj]

I also believe that different sytems actually sound... different.

I have nothing to say against that. But I also suppose that you "liked" the R8 more only because of its 2,5/5V output.

That could be, although I can do a rough level match with my CD player and turntable with my iPhone SPL meter and the trim function of my McIntosh preamp.

 

[decoRyder]

Audio-gd is basically scam. The other 2 presumably aren't, but you can get same or better performance for less.

Huh? What? I just bought two Audio GD DAC's, and they're fantastic, really don't know how you would define the company or their products as a 'scam'.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Ok...

The good thing about objective datas is: there's not that much room for personal opinion:

- Opinion: You can like your Audio-GD DAC.

- Proved fact: Audio-GD products show no sign of decent engineneering, plus, do lie with their published graph and at last ask hundreds of dollars for their units

So, components for components, I'm not sure. But if you're interested in performance alone (that could matter in Audio), yes, Audio-GD is a scam.

 

[ReaderZ]

"Extremely musical" audio equipment is what truly matters ! And very beneficial cost wise.

I have a 'extremely musical' amp. It's so musical that it autonomously just plays the most wonderful music. No need for DAC, pre-amp, streamer and music. My 'extremely musical' amp just does the job.

I think you still need a pair of at least "averagely musical" speakers!