going up in price a little, the Audio GD R2R11 is around $350 and it’s a dac and amp, and the amp is surprisingly powerful. I can’t go past 3 o’clock on my sundaras plugged into it directly. Sounds pretty good too.
again, I’ve only been using it for a day now, so I can’t really give anything beyond a first impression - but it’s a really good first impression! figuring out how fine it is in details will need much more time. but I think I can say that it beats the other cheaper dac/amps I’ve used with ease (Zen, NuPrime)
Sorry, I totally forgot about Audio GD. They’re a love/hate thing, though. Some hi-fi reviewers got, and like (or love), Audio-GD stuff, but the Audio GD guy is definitely doing its thing his own way.
Audio Gd stuff doesn’t come close in comparison to Soekris, Schiit, or other competitors offerings in that similar price range. I previously owned some Audio Gd stuff and sold it as soon as possible.
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Just found these measurements about the Soekris 1101 headphone out, I found this on SBAF. 80dB SINAD more or less. Still, excellent line out with 100+dB SINAD.
The 1101 is the battery powered portable option.
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USB-powered actually 
yeah, I had you in mind when I got it on loan. After you commented a couple of weeks back that the Soekris pairs really well with the Lake People amps I looked for them everywhere but the only one I could afford, or almost afford, is the 1321 and it’s out of stock everywhere.
I might still go for that if I can get my hands on it and A B it with the Audio GD
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Thats why i was looking at the Schiit Modi multibit to recommend to people. The Bifrost 1 you can get for about 200$. Maybe thats better for someone looking for a R2R DAC. I have the Bifrost 2 and it sounds awesome. Especially with the RNHP. Sometimes its all a little too much lol.
I recently purchased a used Airist r2r DAC and I’ve found it to be very enjoyable. I have it paired with an Rupert Neve Designs RNHP, and it’s a solid pairing.
The Airist isn’t as ‘sweet’ as I thought it would be. It’s actually very detailed, with a more accurate presentation of the FR than I had anticipated.
Imaging is very good, and that r2r sweetness (I believe this is referring to harmonic distortion similar to a tube amp) is subtle, and most apparent in the mid to upper mid range ( easier to spot in vocals).
The usb connection is the superior of the three (usb, COAXIAL, and TOSLINK are provided) displaying better staging and clearer highs than the other two option.
Overall I’m very happy with it. It’s not overly smooth such as the Chord TT2 (FPGA DAC), but it’s a very fatigue-free listen. The dynamics are fun and lively paired with the RNHP. The only thing I find lacking with the pairing is soundstage, but that’s more of an issue with the RNHP rather than the Airist.
If you can find one around it’s MSRP I recommend trying one. I can see myself upgrading to a similar r2r/MultiBit DAC in the future. They provide a very smooth, non-fatiguing and pleasurable listening experience.
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These are still valued higher than this (specifically the multibit one). I just sold mine 2 weeks ago for $340 and I still see a few of them in the $370 range. It’s because it is still a solid DAC and it’s another jump in price for BF2. If you can find a multibit for $200, jump on it for a second setup.
Concerning R2R DACs and AMP pairings, if memory serves me well in this thread we’ve just had a couple mentions of the RNHP amp as a good one and a couple of weeks back the Violectric/ Lake People amps with the Soekris’(ii?) Does anyone want to have a go at making a list of good pairings they know of or have experienced or own or that even, for whatever reason, should theoretically pair well together?
Also another question: could the Love/Hate thing going on with Audio GD have anything to do with DAC - AMP - HEADPHONE synergy or lack thereof that makes it sound either great or awful?
No, it comes down to the fact that audio gd products are all power and lack finesse and refinement.
Their amplifiers all have serious distortion issue that are very audible, and they use sub standard parts.
That makes sense I guess from an audio engineers point of view. How would a layman discern finesse and high quality parts by looking in the internals? Let’s say if we were to compare the Soekris 1321 and the Audio GF r2r 11: are the chips manufactured by different companies, or the soldering carried out in a different way?
I suppose an experienced listener or musician (I think you said you were a musician) could distinguish that stuff from the way the sound is presented. But since you mention the quality of the actual parts used I’m really interested in knowing how to discern that stuff because one can’t go about trying everything and then returning it or keeping it after the free return period.
In my experience, the build quality was poor and quality control was completely lacking.
USB and Toslink inputs were misaligned, the rear face plate had blemishes and they were clearly blemished before the assembly. You can see the black paint anodized over the blemishes.
They also stopped using Toshiba and other reputable Japanese companies for their parts and started using non branded reverse engineered Chinese parts on most cases.
!!! That’s pretty damning stuff.
I guess this is something I can see inside? I think I’ll unscrew the lid and take a look.
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Well I unscrewed the top but couldn’t pull it off for some reason (besides my being very impractical), so I got lazy and gave up.
I’ve been listening constantly now for about a week since I’ve had it with me and up until now I think I’ve been lucky. In every genre so far, from classical to bluegrass and opera its been very enjoyable. The only thing that hasn’t convinced me yet is a recent recording of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, on Deutsch Grammaphone. Something seems off balance, I think the mids are too recessed, and I find it very disappointing. The third time I listened to the same opera however it has improved so maybe its a burn in thing, We’ll see.
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A piece of “inside information”: I may have commented on it earlier but my memory is not so sharp at the moment.
I exchanged emails with Soekris, and I was told that pretty much everything has been discontinued, BUT that’s because they are coming out with a host of new models, and I should keep my eyes open for updates soon on the Soekris website.
Pretty exciting news I think
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