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Audio-GD R7 (2020 Version) Review - R2R Done Right
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- čas přidán 1. 08. 2024
- My written review can be found here: bit.ly/2W7LACs
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Desktop headphones I’m using:
🎧 Audeze LCD-4: bit.ly/35LFYAK
🎧 Quad ERA-1: bit.ly/3fE50pV
🎧 Hifiman Arya: amzn.to/3eQEsS6
🎧 Erzetich Phobos: amzn.to/2SbbMcQ
Portable headphones I’m using:
🎧 Meze 99 Classics: bit.ly/3bjTqwX
🎧 Sennheiser Momentum 3: amzn.to/2SrzzWf
🎧 Sony WH1000XM3: amzn.to/35b9pfa
IEMs I’m using:
👂 FiiO FH7: amzn.to/2VDw0xU
👂 Moondrop Starfield: bit.ly/2Ah3wlv
Loudspeakers I’m using:
🔊 KEF LS50W: amzn.to/2y3IPIP
🔊 Buchardt S400: bit.ly/2xTOCkt
Integrated/Power Amps I’m using:
💪 Hegel H190: bit.ly/2yQboK8
💪 KECES S125: bit.ly/2W5mMJZ
Best DACs I have tried:
🥇 Matrix Audio Element X: bit.ly/2xU6hbC
🥇 Gustard A22: bit.ly/2WExwPK
🥇 Topping D90 MQA: bit.ly/2zHWSo2
🥇 Audio-GD R7 (2020 Version): bit.ly/3fpNUfl
🥇 Denafrips Venus: amzn.to/35kgHh7
Best Mid-Fi DACs:
🥈 Topping DX7 PRO: bit.ly/2Lh5S67
🥈 SMSL M500: bit.ly/2WlPbwC
🥈 Mytek Brooklyn DAC+: amzn.to/3aHGuAw
🥈 Benchmark DAC3B: amzn.to/2KC5saf
🥈 Chord Hugo2: amzn.to/2Y88T05
Best Entry-Level DACs:
🥉 Topping E30: bit.ly/35OWW1p
🥉 SMSL Sanskrit 10th MKII: amzn.to/3cSe1tC
🥉 Loxjie D20: amzn.to/3cSaqM1
Best DAC + Headphone Amp combos:
🎶 Flux Lab Acoustics FCN-10: bit.ly/2Y74daK
🎶 Burson Audio Conductor 3: amzn.to/2xcfSKx
🎶 Audio-GD D.28 Full: bit.ly/359E6S5
Best Headphone amps:
💣Benchmark HPA4: bit.ly/2xb6hn5
💣Sparkos Labs Aries: bit.ly/2xcOps1
💣Kinki Studio THR-1: bit.ly/2y2fVZL
Best DAPs:
🎵 FiiO M15: amzn.to/2SdxxIX
🎵 FiiO M11 PRO: amzn.to/2Y8n31i
🎵 Shanling M6: amzn.to/3eXG8Jq
My Video/Photo Gear:
📷 / 🎥 amzn.to/2VHeNnf
🔍 amzn.to/3eTCsZp
🔍 amzn.to/2yPR6A5
🔭 amzn.to/2zAuGn1
💡 amzn.to/2VEDC3l
☂️ amzn.to/2VETyT6
🎤 amzn.to/3aLjYXv
These are my honest opinions in different categories. Some of them are affiliated links that help me manage this CZcams channel at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
#AudioGD #R7 #Review
Great review/article...so detailed! Without being able to demo, your reviews help a lot!
Subscribed for really great reviews. I'm on another DAC search and am addicted to R2R DACs.
Holly Zeus, look at the size of that thing! 3 Transformers...this is truly THE TERMINATOR! IT'S OVERKILL allover the board. I can only try to imagine the feeling you got when you coupled this Beast with the Flux!😁 Much respect for Audio Gd and Mister He Qinghua for this unique jewelry. You can customise your sound, add different flavours... you're a kid inside a candy shop! If people 200 years from now will keep inside a museum a DAC from this age just to show the technology we had in 2020...I'M 100% positive that would be an Audio Gd gadget. Great quality build, great review, a pleasure to watch!
I love your reviews
Great review! I have lot of similar music tastes like Old Genesis and Gentle Giant…even though they weren’t the best recordings.
Hello Great review👍 they make a R7-HE model with all class A and power regeneration for around $3800 dollars that I am told noticeable better still ,Maybe you can do that review ,or the new R8 mk2 which is cheaper again Very exceptional review,PJ.
Hi, I have the R7 (2021) and it's a very good dac. Combined with a Nuprime CDT-8 drive in XLR it's magical, I’ve never heard my CDs like that.
Great review. I have the little brother R-1 with DI-20 USB interface. Bass is already great with R-1 so i can imagine how good R-7 is. I kinda avoided enabling PLL because i felt having to use OSx4 beats the purpose of having a NOS dac but i will give it a try.
Give it a try, it worked great with bad mastered music but kills a bit of punch/slam with modern music.
A lovely review Sandu. I'm surprised you didn't ask the R27. But I can see why you went for the R7.
I actually wanted to loan the R27, but they insisted on R7 and after hearing it, I understood why
@@Soundnews so why? Could you tell more about it..
I had an Audio-gd DAC19 that sadly had a tragic drinking accident a few months back. If it hadn't died, I'd still be using it even after 4 years of. I got a Denafrips Ares II, it did not compare whatsoever in terms of clarity and timbre. Then I got an RME ADI-2 DAC FS - this opened my ears to what was possible with Delta Sigma DACs at that price point and I must say it is an excellent performing DAC with gobs of clarity and detail, while still staying smooth. It punches way above its weight in terms of performance - actual lightweightedness and plastic be damned.
I still missed that expressive and organic Audio-gd R2R sound though. Despite the options, I chose to go back to Audio-gd and have just plugged in my new R7, feeding an Audio-gd amp and Harbeths. Even out of the box it sounds exquisite - such finesse, refinement and clarity, on top of that Audio-gd R2R house sound that I love and know so well. Should've just stuck with Audio-gd....
Congrats mate!! R7 is still the one that wasn't outperformed by anything at any price in terms of scale and slam. Ares is nowhere near that organic and thick sound of the R7, I already miss the loaner unit.
@@Soundnews Thanks mate! Oh yes, the scale and weight - I didn't take that for granted, I did miss it too in the end. That's also part of the Audio-gd vocabulary. Visceral.
I would've gone for an R-1 but given how resolving the speakers are it would've led me up the DAC ladder (pun intended) anyway.
@@Soundnews It has slam alright, it has a mid bass hump. If you are into club music where you want to hear bomp bomp bomp, then this is the dac for you. If you want a liquid, natural sounding, analogue sound and sound stage of a r2r dac, this thing is a horrible choice. Alot of people in this hobby do their damnest to get away from artificially boosted bass, artificially boosted anything, and this thing is a bass cannon. Worst audio purchase I have ever made. Be careful if you are thinking of purchasing this thing, it is good for a specific type of listener only.
@@infn It makes everything sound visceral, and if you are looking for that, this is an answer. Not all music is mean to be visceral, with every slight touch of a bass guitar rumbling through your music in chest shaking fashion. This dac will suck for a lot of people, and that should be told because there is no way to return it if you don't like it. You will have to sell it for a huge loss..
@@jeffsykes1195 Not my experience whatsoever. You want to pull your speakers away from the wall and if that doesn't work, get some bass traps.
I have the R8 but I think that R7HE is the best DAC. Good review.
How do dsd sound , which r2r dac does it better.
Hello. You can talk about the superiority of Audio
GD R-7 MK2 over Audio GD Master 7 ? Thank You.
Fantastic review thanks! I just wish they put more effort in their chassis as it looks like a kit you can buy and assemble yourself from Aliexpress. If they could match the assembly quality of Questyle which is also a Chinese company, they would be taken much more seriously
Golden words, I feel the same.
Agree the lack of simple things like countersunk screws/bolts and anodized buttons cheapen the look especially as it's enormous and will dominate any hifi rack and draw attention to itself.
This would look quite nice on top of my Audio Gd master 9 amp
Sandu this was an excellent review. Your linkage of the massive power supplies to the sonic characteristics of the DAC was illuminating. I have been following Audio-Gd products on the web for a couple of years and would love to own one. But there is no US distributor afaik and I am hesitant to make such a commitment without local support. Is there any word on whether they will appoint a US distributor? Stay safe and thanks again.
Thanks for your kind words. I will ask and will come back with an answer.
They have 10-year warranty on their products, there are local distributors in Europe, but their local distributors don't offer 10-year warranty. So it might be better to buy from Audio-gd directly.
sounds like an item to really save up for...
intro music rocks
Damn, that's HUGE!
I was an wounded audiophile after carrying it for two days in the office and living :D Way too big to be moved often
Great review and much appreciated.
Would you consider this to be an 'end-game" R2R DAC?
Definitely an end-game R2R DAC if you didn't win the lottery.
End game is like $20000 and yes it sounds like it.
@@Audfile End game is different for everyone... Just because there's better (or rathee, more expensive) stuff out there, doesn't mean you need/want it. After a point diminishing returns kick in very hard.
I read the written review, and you said there there is no remote included. My question is: does it have an IR receiver, to pair another remote to it, like a Logitech Harmony?
There is no IR receiver installed by default. You could customer order this option from us!
When can we expect to see the Gustard DAC review?
It's NEXT!
Please who best Audio-GD R7 (2020 Version) or Denafrips Venus or Holo Audio Spring II? Thx
I will ask about the Spring II, maybe I can loan one, meanwhile you can read my detailed comparison between R7 and Venus right here (chapter VII): soundnews.net/sources/dacs/audio-gd-r7-2020-version-review-r2r-done-right/
Not exactly what you wanted, but the R7HE (regenerative model of the R7) is more or less on the same level as the Denafrips Terminator DSP v2. So I wouldn't be surprised the R7 to be better than the Venus.
Waiting for that gustard a22 review definitely compare it to the x saber pro 2x es9038pro & element x...
I did, hope you checked that one
Hello, Bro whats your recomended dac for THX AAA 789 from DROP. I allready have focursite Clarett interface, do you think i could use it as DAC or u recomended buying someting more? Thanks alot!
particularly with 789 from Drop I would stay away from cheap ESS Sabre designs, could be too bright with THX amps. Affordable AKM design are working much better with any THX amp in my humble opinion. If you want an amazing DAC for your 789, go with Topping D90
@@Soundnews you mean that Focusrite Clarett using ESS SABRE ? I heard that Clarett works really well as DAC, but to be honest i cant found any clear review. Thanks for answer!
@@soundsilove6123 I don't know anything about the Focusrite Clarett, just in general AKM based DACs are working better with THX amps compared to ESS based DACs, that is all. If you don't have any other source, use the Clarett for now and see if you like that combo.
@@Soundnews Thank you for for help, I checked and Clarett using AKM CHIP so its good information! :)
@@Soundnews btw. what do you think about S.M.S.L Sanskrit 10th and SMSL M300 DAC?
Would paring this with a RME Adi pro fs make degrade the sound. I'd like to pair this with a he1000se.
I think maybe you're after a headphone amp? This is a DAC.
It would be awesome if you could get your hands on the Holo Audio May or the Spring II. Really appreciate your reviews and thank you for doing what you do. Cheers!
I've ordered the May L2 and can hardly wait! My current DAC is an SMSL M8A so I'm guessing I'm in for a treat...
@@martindepoorest did you get May L2 ? How does it sound ?
@@HariPrasad9999 Yes I've had it now for several months. It sounded wonderful from the moment I installed it. It was so good I posted recommendations on the seller's website which I never do! When the seller told me it would sound 50% better after 500 hours I was very doubtful. Well I have to say it has exceeded all expectations and is my endgame. I love it and spend many lockdown hours not wanting to go out hahaha. Dealer was fantastic to deal with to. Really upfront, knowledgeable and with superb after sales service. Hope this helps mate.
@@martindepoorest many thanks
What are the dimensions of this DAC?
From the website : "W430 X L430 X H93 (MM, Fully aluminium )" and "Approximately 15KG".
So... Next DAC review could be the Holo Audio May Kitsune ??? I'm very interested on it...
Can't promise anything, but I'll try
Excellent review as always. Please review their D/S DACs and their amps to find out how well-rounded this manufacturer really is.
Just one question if I may. In previous videos you suggested to someone to stay away from Audio g-d products, and you replied to another by saying that you don't like their long signal path. Why the sudden change of heart?
Can you point me out to any of my comments regarding A-GD. I only owned the Master-9 from them long time ago, while it was an amazing pairing with HD800, it wasn't that great with Audeze LCD-4, that was the only reason I sold it. On paper, a shorter signal path should sound clearer, with R-2Rs it is not possible having a shorter signal path - they still need hundreds of resistors and a complicated FPGA code. A shorter path is doable only with D/S DACs
@@Soundnews I can't find the comment about their long signal path, but check your Denafrips Ares video 7 months ago for your suggestion to avoid their products. you were replying to a gentleman by the name of Gilbert. BTW I'm not trying to put you on the Spot. I'ts just that I read everything you write several times and cross check info from one review to the other to develop an informed opinion. Thank you for everything.
I know this has nothing to do with this video but I'd love to see a review of Tekton OB Sigma speakers, there's no video reviews of this speaker and I think they're a very interesting design and apparently sound fantastic
I still didn't finish my acoustic treatment, those are open baffle speakers and they need serious acoustic treatment before I go nuts with adjectives
@@Soundnews
Not sure if they need any more room treatments than any other speaker, they may in fact need less
How would you compare to the topping d90?
They are not same level
People on ASR will say this measures poorly, but I wonder how it compares to something they rate highly like a topping D90. Powersupply is quite important would be nice to see how the r7he version compares
measurements don’t really matter, and don’t really show how a dac sounds
Topping have good specs, much better marketing but their product sounds too bad compare to Audio gd. R2R DAC shouldn't have good measures too
Problem is, measurements do not tell you how a product sounds. And yes, ASR guys will surely have their biases.
can you do a review of the violectric 281 vs hpa4?
Violectric didn't wanted to loan that one to me...I'm sad. But who knows, I will keep pushing. More great hp amps still coming on this channel
@@Soundnews I would really appreciate it if Vioelectric sent you the V281. I have an HD800S and people say that this is one of the best SS Amps out there that match.
What power amplifier you use?
KECES S125 for now, but thinking of replacing it with a Benchmark AHB2 later on
@@Soundnews are you still gonna keep your hpa4?
@@DJJEZ Of course. It is still the best Preamp and one of the best (if not the best) headphone amp, I use it daily.
@@Soundnews you should ask for the Audio-gd Master 9 preamp and Headphone amp. Connected with the R7 with Audio-gd ACSS connection its incredible!
How is it vs venus ?
Chapter VII here: soundnews.net/sources/dacs/audio-gd-r7-2020-version-review-r2r-done-right/
Does the r8 he sound as good or better than the r7? Which one is their flagship?
R7-HE is their flagship R2R DAC, followed by R7 and RE-8HE which are more or less the same, R8 is their mid-range R2R DAC
Out of all th r2r which one you like the most? You seem to look for the same sound signature as me. I wanna make a decison soon audio gd r7 he is tempting.
The vanilla R8 is at about the same level as a Holo Spring 3 / KTE, and according to Kingwa the R8-HE is twice as good. R7 is more for people who already have a power regenerator.
So the r7 he would be in the same league as audiobyte hydravox ?
@@planchernewfinish They should be on the same level. I bought the review unit of the Hydravox and I'm looking forward to HydraHub to further improve it...Buuut R7 is not that far away performance wise. Pretty close actually.
Привет. А Вы не из России или бывшего СНГ. Хочется кое что узнать про данный ЦАП без помощи Google Translate
Нет, он румын по происхождению и по русски не говорит.
Where do I buy it? It’s not at Amazon
lol, copied again? r u sales?
Like👍
Hey, I listened to "Hey Sailor" on your channel first, great song, loved it, so I used it as intro in here
2:17 :))))))
Denafrips terminator is #1
This one can beat T1
Thats what i call "audioporn"
I'm just plain sick of dac comparisons.
Let me get this straight you listen through that system behind you to come up with your opinions,give me a break,please do something else with your time and stop wasting mine and everyone else