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jrhymeammo
02-23-2011, 06:22 PM
What's your status on the Audio gd NFB-12?
Below is the email I've received from PV.



Dear Customer:

Thank you for waiting so patiently for your Audio gd product.

It looks like we have good news! Bearing no unforeseen circumstances, your item is expected to ship from Chicago, IL on March 8, 2011, and arriving at your residence approximately one week later. If yo have any questions, please feel free to respond to this email.

Best Regards,
The Pacific Valve & Electric Company
www.pacificvalve.us
Serving the Audiophile Since 2003


JRA

Poultrygeist
02-24-2011, 02:42 PM
That's great news. Mine was due Feb.15 but it's looking like early March as well according to the posts on Headfi.

jrhymeammo
02-24-2011, 06:48 PM
Sweet! I can't wait to break it in and see how it sounds.
If it's good enough, I may sell my Marantz and buy a different laptop dedicated for my digital playback.

Poultrygeist
02-25-2011, 06:06 PM
Received an email from Edwin at Audio GD saying it was shipped yesterday ( 2/24 ).

jrhymeammo
02-27-2011, 06:35 PM
That's a great news. Sounds like we got the same batch. Hope it's a good one.

JRA

Poultrygeist
03-03-2011, 04:49 AM
The NFB-12 arrived yesterday but I've been so busy building the horns I haven't even opened the box.

jrhymeammo
03-05-2011, 07:04 AM
Hey PoultryG,

You should at least get it burning before you finish your horns.
No telling where my unit is... I wonder if we'll get the same power supply.

Poultrygeist
03-05-2011, 02:04 PM
Opened the package and it's bigger and better looking than I expected ( cigar box sized ). Unlike the pictures it has a handsome black faceplate with a large silver volume control. AGD included nice optical and USB cables but alas no owner's manual. Over the headphone jack there was a small tag with my name and usa.

Before going any further I've got to add some stick on feet. It's too bad something this nice comes footless.

jrhymeammo
03-05-2011, 02:26 PM
Before going any further I've got to add some stick on feet. It's too bad something this nice comes footless.

:eek6: My chinese made Aune headphone usb dac didn't come with any feet either.
Thanks for the heads up.

Poultrygeist
03-06-2011, 05:53 PM
Ok, I put some feet on the NFB-12 today and fired her up. Tried the NFB-12 internal amp on internet radio with my Grado SR125i and it bettered the HP output in any of my other amps but went to another sonic level when using the phones with a CDP playing through the Miniwatt. Had to use the high gain without the MW with the easy to drive Grados. Haven't tried any music files yet. Next I tried the USB streaming to the NFB-12 and on to my Miniwatt amp. With the high gain setting I picked up some nice extra headroom. Next up was the optical out on my MHZS tubed CDP to the NFB-12 DAC and to my MW. Now the MW only makes 2.5w for the Zu's but the high gain of the NFB-12 made a huge difference in headroom and going past 12 o'clock was painful. I like the natural sound of the NFB preamp section. The NFB DAC is not quite as good at this point as the DAC in my MHZS 66F so I lose some tubiness and bass detail from the Telefunkins when going through the optical out but the extra gain is loads of fun. Should I have tried the NFB-12 DAC with a lesser CDP I expect the results would have been different. Haven't determined what the difference between fixed and variable output is as they both seem to do the same thing. Anyone know?

Overall the NFB-12 is a quality buy for under $250 ( looks like a thousand with it's gorgeous face plate and silver knob ) and as others have noted it tends to open up with break-in.

jrhymeammo
03-06-2011, 06:28 PM
Sounds great Poultry. How about some pics?
I can't wait to get it burning. It should be here later this week.

Poultrygeist
03-07-2011, 04:22 AM
The NFB-12 is my first DAC so I'm still learning but what a great new music source to play with. I've been listening to a play list from my files and it's very close to CD quality.
The only negative so far is an annoying crackle when switching inputs.

I was using an X-Fi to stream wirelessly from my PC to other amps in the house but the sound from the NFB beats it by a country mile. I retired the X-Fi to my wife's office. I'll try and post some pics. BTW this thing runs cool to the touch.

Feanor
03-07-2011, 04:54 AM
:eek6: My chinese made Aune headphone usb dac didn't come with any feet either.
Thanks for the heads up.
You're proably better off without feet of the standard variety. Try a set ot sorbothane feet from Vibration Solutions: see HERE (http://www.vibrationsolution.com/sorbothane/34sorbothanehemispherebumpernon-skidfeet-16pack.htm).

Poultrygeist
03-07-2011, 12:57 PM
I used the Home Depot version of sorbothane feet which are clear. Now that I think of it perhaps they left off the feet so it could be mounted on it's side.

jrhymeammo
03-07-2011, 05:55 PM
You're proably better off without feet of the standard variety. Try a set ot sorbothane feet from Vibration Solutions: see HERE (http://www.vibrationsolution.com/sorbothane/34sorbothanehemispherebumpernon-skidfeet-16pack.htm).

Hey Feanor,

Thanks for the link.
If EMI/RFI isolation is needed then I would consider something, but since the DAC is non-tubed and has no moving parts, I'm not too worried about it.
If my speakers could produce deep bass, then I would consider something like this though.

Thanks again,
JRA

Poultrygeist
03-09-2011, 10:45 AM
I just posted a picture of the NFB-12 in my gallery but couldn't get it to post here.

jrhymeammo
03-09-2011, 07:17 PM
Overall the NFB-12 is a quality buy for under $250 ( looks like a thousand with it's gorgeous face plate and silver knob ) and as others have noted it tends to open up with break-in.

I agree with you. I just got mine today, and the build quality look superb for the price.
It'll be very interesting to know how this unit evolves after a proper burn in.
But for now, headphone Low gain setting sounds alot better than the Hi setting.

I think the amp is well suited for low impedance cans than a high impedance headphones. My Audio Technica ATH-AD1000 (40 ohm) sounds very nice but has a hint of glare, while my Beyerdynamic DT880 (600 ohm) sounds a bit conjested.

It's too early to say so I think I'll keep it running straight until next week.

JRA

bobsticks
03-11-2011, 05:37 AM
(Sorry to to go OT)

Your folks okay, brothamang?

If'n you need anything, even just to talk zap me a line, my friend. Your family is in our prayers...

jrhymeammo
03-14-2011, 12:04 PM
(Sorry to to go OT)

Your folks okay, brothamang?

If'n you need anything, even just to talk zap me a line, my friend. Your family is in our prayers...

Thanks man.
My parents live in Cincinnati so they are safe. Grandmother lives 30 miles south of Tokyo so she still got hit pretty hard with numerous earthquakes but she is free of an injury.
I believe people are buying every food they can get their hands on. So I'm a bit concerned about that, but she'll self sufficient and one of her sons live 3 minutes away so we are relieved in that aspect. Living with nature and its danger is something they accept and used to, but nothing of this magnetude.

Thanks for your kind words.
JRA

bobsticks
03-14-2011, 03:00 PM
Thanks man.
My parents live in Cincinnati so they are safe. Grandmother lives 30 miles south of Tokyo so she still got hit pretty hard with numerous earthquakes but she is free of an injury.
I believe people are buying every food they can get their hands on. So I'm a bit concerned about that, but she'll self sufficient and one of her sons live 3 minutes away so we are relieved in that aspect. Living with nature and its danger is something they accept and used to, but nothing of this magnetude.

Thanks for your kind words.
JRA

Good good...I knew you had peeps that were in harms way though I didn't know your folks had settled in Cinci...no Maplethorpe for them, eh. Anyhow, good to read that all is well...

...and, again, sorry for the O.T....I try and contain my O.T. rants to Rave Recordings but y'know...y'all may continue with regularly scheduled DACage...