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Review and Measurements of Audio-GD R8

Mnyb

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I think there's a lesson here. Even with these significantly poor measurements, I wonder how many listeners could hear the problems. We need a companion project "Listening Science Review" to do some scientific listener studies.

I'm not suggesting that technical performance doesn't matter; but I think audio hobbyists overestimate how acute their listening skills are.

It's human nature , most males also think they are better drivers than the average driver .

And i also realised that a lifetime of hifi interest does not actually build any listening skills (or very weak ones ) .
Or my lifetime as an audiophile ( with at least 15 years on the dark side, yes people can change but it can take a long time ).

The usual pattern is that you have one set of good speakers at the time or one set of good headphones at the time and then over time get used to its sound (due to how your brain works ) and you don't have any real reference to how "it should sound" at all ?

Being an audiophile is a freefall right trough the circle of confusion .
 

sumpao

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Do you have the R7 or R7 he? Now that you have the Qutest, are you planning on selling it?

I have Audio GD R28 it sound very good but when I try IFI Zen dac oh man it sound very close to it.
I will never consider buy dac from audio gd again.
 

Koeitje

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I think there's a lesson here. Even with these significantly poor measurements, I wonder how many listeners could hear the problems. We need a companion project "Listening Science Review" to do some scientific listener studies.

I'm not suggesting that technical performance doesn't matter; but I think audio hobbyists overestimate how acute their listening skills are.
I don't like overpaying. I cannot drive a Ferrari on its limit, because I'm not a racing car driver. But I do want to know the performance is there and there is not some timing issue in the engine or some other software problem with the ECU.
 

filo97s

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I have Audio GD R28 it sound very good but when I try IFI Zen dac oh man it sound very close to it.
I will never consider buy dac from audio gd again.
I think that subjectively speaking, every dac sound more or less the same. We're not analyzers, apart from crazy broken designs, almost everything should be acoustically transparent.
At least, I'm not able to discern two dacs from each others. Still, I want good measured performance for money.
 

sumpao

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I think that subjectively speaking, every dac sound more or less the same. We're not analyzers, apart from crazy broken designs, almost everything should be acoustically transparent.
At least, I'm not able to discern two dacs from each others. Still, I want good measured performance for money.

Agree don't consider buy Audio gd dac there are more problem than the measure.

When i switch from DSD and PCM play back there also a pop noise which is quite annoy for me.

even new FW don't solve it all. The dac also sound good but I heard there are many good sound dac that also measure well.

So stayaway guy
 

Dallas2122

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For the record,I have heard most every dac under $10 k out there with the many audiophiles close by in New England U.S I just recently ordered the New
Audio GD R8 MK2 it is noticeably better in many areas then those earlier models.
It’s power supplies are more substantial then anything under $2500 3 very
Low noise R core transformers totallyisolsted the chassis is 5 mm thick aluminum
Running 2 R core transformers In pure class A , and the digital section total improved running much cooler witha Dac servo controlled , it also has a upgrade port for the FPGA processors now That can be software upgraded more future upgrades available . Compared to my friendsDenafrips Pontus 2 I thought it was
Built more rebudt and weighs 26 pounds .every good day sounds a bit different
What really stands out and several excellent setting s such as a vinyl setting
Actually very warm and easy, thestock setting I like best , and it has over sampling
Which is a bit faster all depends on your other gear.. it’s best suit is its image depth
And soundstaging with dynamic swings much more real a very involving dac .
The Pontus 2 is very detailed musical but there R8 mk2 just has more realism which I am sure the bigger capacitors power supplies has something to do with it,
For under $2k well worth the money.
 

THW

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Ah yes, very 'transparent' :p:facepalm:

i don’t understand these people coming in to tell about how their measurably broken products are actually really good and are SOTA.

like whatever, it’s your money, you spend it however you want, more power to you. me, i’ll just stick to my DX3 Pro V1 and NX4 DSD…
 

dmac6419

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i don’t understand these people coming in to tell about how their measurably broken products are actually really good and are SOTA.

like whatever, it’s your money, you spend it however you want, more power to you. me, i’ll just stick to my DX3 Pro V1 and NX4 DSD…
They might say the same about you.
 

Dallas2122

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I am just telling you It does not matter if it specs are the best you can’t hear
this ,it’s Waay out of Your hearing frequency band,
and a great example was long ago they were saying get rid of all vacuum tube gear
it measures far worse then solid state lots of distortion , but guess what it’s still hear in force
because it’s sonic harmonic distortions are easy on the ears and just sound natural.
your Ears in your setup is all that counts.
 

SIY

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I am just telling you It does not matter if it specs are the best you can’t hear
this ,it’s Waay out of Your hearing frequency band,
and a great example was long ago they were saying get rid of all vacuum tube gear
it measures far worse then solid state lots of distortion , but guess what it’s still hear in force
because it’s sonic harmonic distortions are easy on the ears and just sound natural.
your Ears in your setup is all that counts.
Uh huh.
 

SIY

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For the record,I have heard most every dac under $10 k out there with the many audiophiles close by in New England U.S I just recently ordered the New
Audio GD R8 MK2 it is noticeably better in many areas then those earlier models.
It’s power supplies are more substantial then anything under $2500 3 very
Low noise R core transformers totallyisolsted the chassis is 5 mm thick aluminum
Running 2 R core transformers In pure class A , and the digital section total improved running much cooler witha Dac servo controlled , it also has a upgrade port for the FPGA processors now That can be software upgraded more future upgrades available . Compared to my friendsDenafrips Pontus 2 I thought it was
Built more rebudt and weighs 26 pounds .every good day sounds a bit different
What really stands out and several excellent setting s such as a vinyl setting
Actually very warm and easy, thestock setting I like best , and it has over sampling
Which is a bit faster all depends on your other gear.. it’s best suit is its image depth
And soundstaging with dynamic swings much more real a very involving dac .
The Pontus 2 is very detailed musical but there R8 mk2 just has more realism which I am sure the bigger capacitors power supplies has something to do with it,
For under $2k well worth the money.
Uh huh.
 

VintageFlanker

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I guess just about every post would deserve this.
For the record,I have heard most every dac under $10 k
Nope. You clearly did not. We are talking about hundreds and hundreds of different products.

And whatever it would be true or not, your hearing memory along with so many different systems/rooms would put this kind of comparaison to the highest level of irrelevancy.

I am just telling you It does not matter if it specs are the best you can’t hear

this ,it’s Waay out of Your hearing frequency band,

I stand corrected: At least you got something right.:cool:
 

YSC

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I am just telling you It does not matter if it specs are the best you can’t hear
this ,it’s Waay out of Your hearing frequency band,
and a great example was long ago they were saying get rid of all vacuum tube gear
it measures far worse then solid state lots of distortion , but guess what it’s still hear in force
because it’s sonic harmonic distortions are easy on the ears and just sound natural.
your Ears in your setup is all that counts.
I am ok to any idea if that distortion is what was intended and when the manufacturer are HONEST about that!

I will be more forgiving to Audiogd (I actually owned the NFB1 for 2 years without hearing those massive distortion as annoying but since changing to Holo spring 2 I did hear more details though). but audiogd claimed their dacs are with least distortion and very transparent... if the harmonics are what sought after, like tubes, he should just disclose that, and not claiming being very transparent and in actual product do the opposite
 

milosz

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I am just telling you It does not matter if it specs are the best you can’t hear
this ,it’s Waay out of Your hearing frequency band,
and a great example was long ago they were saying get rid of all vacuum tube gear
it measures far worse then solid state lots of distortion , but guess what it’s still hear in force
because it’s sonic harmonic distortions are easy on the ears and just sound natural.
your Ears in your setup is all that counts.

So I assume you have done some double-blind listening tests to prove you are actually hearing these things and not just imagining them?
 

Dallas2122

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One of our audio group brought the Pontus 2 the other had the audio gdR8 mk2
there was 6 of us , the pontus hsd a bit more micro detail , but the R8 mk2 has several very good adjustments to change the sonic character ,and have a much more substantial power supplies the dynamics and power control was very apparent the units had pangea power cords , and med priced AQ carbon usb cables the units had only 3 hour warm up in the morning but a solid 4 hours was used with exactly the same songs of all types . I don’t know where you live
but I would gladly invite others to come over in Aug - Sept to hear my dac once I get it and run It in.
 

SIY

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One of our audio group brought the Pontus 2 the other had the audio gdR8 mk2
there was 6 of us , the pontus hsd a bit more micro detail , but the R8 mk2 has several very good adjustments to change the sonic character ,and have a much more substantial power supplies the dynamics and power control was very apparent the units had pangea power cords , and med priced AQ carbon usb cables the units had only 3 hour warm up in the morning but a solid 4 hours was used with exactly the same songs of all types . I don’t know where you live
but I would gladly invite others to come over in Aug - Sept to hear my dac once I get it and run It in.

Uh huh.
 

Dallas2122

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Jun 6, 2021
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yes Uh hah ,it’s a forum you are not the judge or-the jury, just a person with
nothing positive to contribute. What digital do you have that is so spectacular ?
 
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