Audio-gd dacs

mikeeastman · « **on:** 30 Mar 2016, 03:13 am »

I'm looking at the audio-gd master 7 dac and wanted to know if anyone is familiar with it or with the audio-gd company?
I use a Mac mini with Jriver MC if that matters.

tabrink · « **Reply #1 on:** 30 Mar 2016, 03:27 am »

Hi Mike,
I was kind of working my way through the Audio GD products until I got an opportunity to review the MATRIX X-SABRE 32bit/384kHz DSD DXD and was awestruck. This Sabre DAC is similar to the Sabre DAC in my Oppo 105D times ten.
I guess I realized that at some point in audio life one gets a product that is really so good why chase my tail. So I fell off the Audio GD merry go round and am not in buying mode anymore.

abernardi · « **Reply #2 on:** 30 Mar 2016, 04:51 am »

Mike,
I've heard many Audio-gd DACs and have owned three myself over the years and I hold them in high regard. The best of my collection was the Reference 7.1 which is the predecessor to the Master 7. I've listened to many many DACs and find generally speaking I prefer the ladder or R-2R type DAC to the Delta-Sigmas. R-2R DACs seem to be making a come back these days and the Master 7 is an excellent choice in my opinion. I'm currently using a Schiit Yggrasil which is also R-2R... very different and I think I'm liking it a little better, seems more precise. I think the Lampizator is also a ladder dac. I found the Reference 7.1 to produce a huge soundstage which was very seductive.

Early B. · « **Reply #3 on:** 30 Mar 2016, 12:32 pm »

Audio GD represents incredible bang for buck and a great choice. I use their SA-2 DAC along with the Master 1 preamp and SA-300SE amp. The company doesn't seem to be well known beyond the head-fi community, but they have been highly regarded for several years.

stereocilia · « **Reply #4 on:** 30 Mar 2016, 12:54 pm »

I haven't heard Audio-gd, but I just connected an Aune s16, and I'm really impressed so far.

Nocturne79 · « **Reply #5 on:** 30 Mar 2016, 02:49 pm »

Hey thought I would chime in..I have bought a few different dacs from Audio GD and i have never had an issue and they all sounded great. Audio Gd dacs are built like a tank..lol I just bought their new audio gd DAC19 last month and love it. I am using it my desktop setup and the sound is really good.

mikeeastman · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 Mar 2016, 02:49 pm »

Thanks guys for the response, looked at the Schiit Yggrasil but it won't work for me for two reasons, 1- I have lots of hires music ( almost 2TB of DSD ) and 2- I just started to use Jriver and am up sampling to 352.8 and 384 and my system never sounded so good and the new Master 7 will do up to 768. If the up sampling to 384 sounds that good, I can only imagined how good 768 will sound.

BiBi WET · « **Reply #7 on:** 22 Jul 2017, 04:42 pm »

Sorry for the late answer but it could help a new visitor interested by audio-gd DACs.

I own a HE7 from audio-gd. This is the high-end model that include main conditioning not present ina Master 7. The sound is incredible for this level of price!
But be careful with the internal settings. You have many options to choose from and you have to find the best setting to perfectly match your system. For my part the default setting is the best with my Merlin TSM and Manley Stingray amp. But I know many other users that successfully changed for no oversampling setting (NOS).

Hope all this will help.