Audio-gd NFB-28 Review (w/ Jot+Modi Multibit comparison)

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by k4rstar, Dec 18, 2016.

  1. mrflibble

    mrflibble Friend

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    did a little more listening today, to add to (and confirm) my earlier impressions.

    To begin:

    Miss Kitten - Blue Grass: http://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/electronic-music-thread.36/ . The NFB has more echo and soundstage depth compared to the Jot. The Jot sounds a bit thin compared to the NFB.

    Kiesza - Hideaway (YouTube): This track has a lot of echo on Kiesza's voice and this is much more obvious with the NFB. There are lots of "wooshes" in this track, and again they are much more pronounced with the NFB.

    Metallica - Master of Puppets (Spotify): With the NFB the opening guitar of the first 30 seconds seems a bit recessed / muffled compared to the Jot. It also seems to change the sound of the guitar, it does not sound right. The vocals are recessed with the NFB and forward (where I think they should be) with the Jot.

    Megadeth - Hanger 18 (Spotify - Rust in Peace): This is similar to Master of Puppets, with the NFB the lead guitar does not seem as forward as it should be. Cymbals are brought out of the mix and are more spatially prominent compared to the Jot. This track sounds really great on the Jot. I think my earlier thoughts about Megadeth not sounding how I remembered was because I was listening to the remastered version of Youthanasia instead of the original.

    Rage Against the Machine - Take The Power Back (Spotify): With the NFB the opening kick drum is quite thick, on the NFB it is punchier. Again vocals seem recessed slightly and the opening guitar sounds a bit loose on the NFB. The Jot is tighter with more "twang" on the guitar and vocals are more forward. The NFB has wider soundstage width as well.

    Final thoughts: I feel like the soundstage on the NFB is exaggerated whereas the Jot has very little soundstage depth. The NFB does not seem neutral to me, it colours the sound. I would say the Jot is closer to neutral, despite its shortcomings. I can remember what my old DAC / AMP (the Audiolab MDAC) sounds like and the Jot is closer to this than the NFB. Sometimes, the altered soundstage really enhances a song (Hey Mama) but for other tracks it seems a detriment (heavy metal).

    I have changed my mind about with amp I am keeping. I am keeping the Jot and returning the NFB, I will eat the restocking fee :) I've found that I can tolerate the Jot more if I use the single ended output instead of the balanced output (it takes a bit of the edge off).

    I've bought the RATM album off of ebay - I used to listen to it all the time when I was at sixth form (college) :) Probably get Rust in Peace as well.

    @landroni : Thank you for the suggestion It is definitely something I will consider. I usually prefer to have as few boxes as possible though. It does not seem the best engineering solution to have another box just to fix the negative characteristics of the Jot. However, at some point in the future I will probably get back into speakers, the Freya would be useful then with one output to the headphone amp and the other to the power amp.

    Many thanks
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2021
  2. borrego

    borrego Incessant Audio-GD #1 Fan Boy

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    Perhaps you can the Mjolnir 2, which shall pair well with the Gungnir Multibit by design and can have tubes rolling option altering the sound?
     
  3. djchup

    djchup New

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    [First post]
    I just upgraded (from an old NFB-12) to a similar setup to @mrflibble. I received my NFB-1AMP last week, and my Modi Multibit two days ago. I've been listening to my HD650 with this pairing since Monday (motherboard on-board optical -> Modi Multibit -> SE RCA to NFB-1AMP -> SE to HD650), although only with single-ended as my balanced cable won't arrive until Friday. I'm not an experienced listener, and my only basis for comparison is the NFB-12 so my opinion doesn't say much. That being said, I'm absolutely in love with the setup so far. The soundstage and separation I'm hearing are amazing.

    tbh I probably would have bought the jotunheim over the NFB for the 'made-in-usa factor' and more convenient warranty service, but I needed all of the extra preamp functionality on the NFB-1AMP. With my DJ mixer going into my NFB-1AMP via XLR, and my KRK powered monitors out via XLR: I can use it to pass-through my mixers signal when I'm mixing, or set it to headphone out when I want to kick back and listen to vinyl with my HD650s. I might even use one of the extra RCA ins for a bluetooth receiver so friends can easily play music from their phones on my monitors. I couldn't be happier at the moment, it really is a full desktop control center for me.

    The Jot came close to being what I need, but theres no way I could have dealt with lack of headphone/preamp out switching as I flip back and forth between my monitors and headphones a LOT during music production sessions. With the Jot I would have had to buy a second preamp. Just thought I'd make an account to share my experience. Sorry I can't give a better perspective about the NFBs sound in comparison to its competitors.
     
  4. Elnrik

    Elnrik Super Friendly

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    Just wanted to say thanks all for a very informative thread. I've been running a Bifrost Multibit+Saga+Jot stack for a few months now, and was considering the NFB28 to put to bed a debate I've had with someone on AudioGD vs Schiit. After reading this, I think I'll just stick to my Schiit and leave the anime to others.

    [​IMG]
     
  5. ohhgourami

    ohhgourami Friend

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    You got part #'s for the adapters you are using? I bought some that are too big...
     
  6. borrego

    borrego Incessant Audio-GD #1 Fan Boy

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    Mine are just some random adapters PCB I bought from taobao.
     
  7. zeissiez

    zeissiez Turn that Schiit down - acquaintance

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    Not taking servicing and maintenance into consideration, my conclusion with a variety of Schiit and AGD gear, for the same money (considering local prices in the countries which they are produced) : DAC performance, Schiit>AGD. AMP performance, AGD>Schiit. But let's be real, we can't ignore warranty and maintenance issues. So the debate AGD vs Schiit doesn't matter.
     
  8. Erikdayo

    Erikdayo Friend

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    I appreciate comparison between the amp I am currently using and one I was recommended as an upgrade.

    Could you elaborate on the '(good luck running HD800 on the Jot)'? That's a headphone I was considering revisiting, but you're not the first to mention that it's probably not a great match for my current amp. Is it simply too aggressive sounding and to pair with the HD800 sound signature? Too much treble? Thanks again.
     
  9. landroni

    landroni Friend

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    ^ This. Some believe that the stock HD800 treble can be weaponized. Couple this to the Jotunheim, and start drilling your eardrums...
     
  10. k4rstar

    k4rstar Britney fan club president

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    Tonal mismatch, under all but the most ideal conditions (good DAC and source, clean power, warm-up time) the Jotunheim exhibits treble glare as well as super sharp transients. Pair this with the HD800 and modern recordings (read: most albums produced past 1990 or produced in the 80s on coke) and you'll want to end yourself.

    I could actually see someone living with it tonally with some heavy HD800 modding but the biggest sin the Jotunheim commits is the weird compressed soundstage that robs the HD800 of one of it's greatest strengths. See here for more Jot hate: http://superbestaudiofriends.org/in...otunheim-impressions.2700/page-55#post-108273

    Feel free to mention a budget for an upgrade and what cans you plan on using for better advice.
     
  11. Erikdayo

    Erikdayo Friend

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    Makes sense. Currently I'm using the Elear with the Jot which I am quite happy with, but I am interested in hearing how it'd sound with a little less edge on the treble. As for budget I would say under $1000 is preferred for the DAC + amp. Willing to consider up to $1500. Thank you for the help. Much appreciated.

    The NFB-28, while perhaps not the best choice, seemed like a candidate that would potentially provide a more pleasing treble sound for my ears.
     
  12. Chris Cables

    Chris Cables MOT: Chris Cables

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    Holy thread revival batman!

    Well, I did a quick search here for 'Audio GD' and this thread seemed the most comprehensive and interesting.

    Great reviews and impressions by @kr4star.
    The NFB28 is my workhorse bench DAC/headphone amp that also feeds a multitude of other switches, SS and tube amps and an NFB10 doubles up for redundancy and other chores including cable testing etc.
    Many DAC/amps have come and gone. Violectric, Woo Audio, Schiit, Naim, Sennheiser, Questyle but I've always come back to the AGD.
    Call it over-familiarity maybe but it just seems to do and sound like I want a DAC amp to function like.
    Yes, they can be a bit quirky and drivers sometimes refuse to get out of bed, but as suggested earlier in this thread my NFB28 never gets switched off. The only time it gets switched off is when I start farting about and testing different power cables.

    Both have had the Amanero/TCXO USB upgrade and can play anything I throw at them via Foobar and sound absolutely magnificent.
    I mainly use the balanced headphone output with my LCD2 Fazors, HD600's and 650's and find that efficient (30 ohm or less) headphones via SE can suffer from a slight soupson of background noise at low volumes. I suspect that's actually more to do with my dubious signal paths and some unshielded cables than any deficiencies with the amp however.

    Rear panel I/O connectivity has everything you could possibly need and the build quality of both the chassis, internals and connectors far superior to many other devices costing much more!

    I also love how the black paint has faded to reveal the copper/brass coloured chassis which now gives them a somewhat 'antiqued' look. I assume the single coat of paint was water-based and I'm actually now toying with the idea of stripping the rest of the black paint from the rest of the chassis as it looks infinitely better in this metallic autumnal hue. Thankfully the white silkscreened lettering is intact on the front faces.

    Have read other reviews elsewhere to suggest the NFB28/NFB10 aren't as refined or quiet as other similar-tier DAC/amps but if they deliver the performance on a personal level and fulfil your own end-user requirements why bother upgrading/changing?
    In any case, I'll probably keep using these two old bruisers until they (or I) fail, as I see no immediate reason to swap or upgrade anytime soon.


    The 28 is just little more 'antiqued' than the 10. But both seem a nice match for the bamboo wood of my LCD2's lol
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     

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