Naim Prototype DAC at Bristol

Guys,

Did anyone who went to the Bristol Show get to hear the new Naim DAC?

If so, what were your impressions.

No, I avoid the Naim Forum at all costs. No sense of humour over there.

 

Yes, but all I can say is that it appears to work well and sounds fine.

I don't think anyone should expect that in 2009 someone is going to produce a DAC that can sound radically better than the competition. At best it will sound a little different to competing models and those differences are swamped at a hi-fi show with high ambient noise and unfamiliar surroundings.

So, yes it was there and yes it 'works' but to form any meaningful opinion you need a personal demo.

 

Fair enough.

I don't know if you have had the chance to hear the Naim CD players or not, but if you have, did the system with the Naim DAC have that "Naim" sound? I've heard the HDX and liked it, but I've already ripped 1,900 CDs onto external drives and I like using iTunes, so I'm looking for something to use with either my iPod/Wadia itransport or with an iBook. My Audio Note DAC is now close to 8 years old and I'd like to try something different.

 

I really like the Weiss dacs, the DACII with a firewire connection straight into macs, a very simple, elegant solution, allows you to lsten to anyhing up to 192 and not expensive.

 

The Minerva?

I've heard the Medea (I think I am calling it the right name) and liked it, but the price was far too expensive.

Are you talking about the Minerva firewire DAC?

I have a Wavelength Brick USB DAC which is excellent, but moved it to the office system many months ago.

I'm looking for something under $3,500 that is substantially better than my Audio Note. It needs a slightly warm tonal balance to work with my Harbeths.

Cheers.

 

What bit rate have you encoded everything at?

Unless it's lossless or high bit rate (320kbit/sec) I'd argue spending much more than a few hundred on a DAC was a waste given the quality of the source.

A polished turd is still a turd!

 

Frank Hi, yes the Minerva or DACII they are the same ( except for the case and the price ), it makes one of the nicest digital noises I have heard, you might find it rather diffeent to the Audio Note UK dacs that I heard though, Keith.

 

Everything, with the exception of about 190 iTunes downloads was ripped as Apple Lossless or AIFF.

It sounds good, but I'd like to hear it a step beyond.

 

Considering that my digital reference is the cd555, I'll be looking closely at this

any1 got more info?

 

What is that "Naim" sound, exactly? I am currently using a Linn CD12 CD player which on temporary loan from a chum, and I'm blowed if I can hear any significant difference between it & my own Naim CDS2.

 

You need a new preamp.

Perhaps your chum could loan you a current Kontrol? Or just get an NVA passive.

Paul

 

I'll get onto it straight away, Paul.

 

There you have it then

The 'Naim sound' is exactly the same as the 'Linn sound'


Problem solved!

 

Most CD players sound pretty similar.

I think "the Naim sound" is an internet forum nonsense phrase, about as useful as "musical". If you look at the Naim forum, the alleged Naim sound is "musical", elsewhere I've seen it described as "foot tapping" and also "harsh and in your face". All descriptions I've read are completely daft, because different Naim stuff sounds, er, different, and the various factions can't all be right even if all Naim products had the same sound.

 

Bub,

Much easier posting "the Naim Sound" vs typing "that portion of the signal as reproduced/distorted by Naim in a fashion unique to this manufacturer and not shared by other manufacturers' products" every time one wishes to differentiate. My opinion of course...

The lack of difference in sound between your CDS2 and CD12 might be explained by measurements Naim made after receiving numerous complaints that the CDS2's sound was degraded when plugged into a system at the same time as a CD12.

From JV posts during the time:


"TopShow ThreadPreviousNext

Date: March 10, 1999 02:28 AM
Author: julian vereker
Subject: filters

I have not delved into the whys, but when we were first forced to look in detail at the EMC regs and the effects on our designs, we found that the easy way to solve the mains borne interference was to use a mains filter. However the effect on the sound quality was disasterous, so we had to solve the problem at the source(s) inside the equipment.

A filter in one piece of equipment appears (electrically) across the mains supply to the whole system.

As I have said before, the simple fact of plugging in a Lingo (or more obviously) a CD12, one can clearly hear a degradation of the overall musical performance - (not using either of those components).

In your system, one is discussing several choices which have obvious contra-indications. The Lingo has the filter, the Valhalla is very noisy, the Ekos is a gimbelled arm . . . (I have no home experience of any of these products for at least ten years, but I do get to hear them in the factory and at dealer's)

julian"

--and--

"Date: September 02, 1999 05:35 AM
Author: julian vereker
Subject: Switchers & CE

The relevent standard that one has to comply with in this instance is the conducted emmissions part. The standard call for emmissions to remain below a curve which varies with frequency, but starts at 150KHz. So below 150KHz one can put all manner of interference onto the mains - it not covered by the EMC standards at all!

I guess that some major manufacturers lobbied the standards committees to ensure the manufacture of switchmode power supplies was not made too onerous. In the case of the Linn CD12, it outputs a huge amount of noise onto the mains with a peak at about 125KHz some 20dB (10x) above the 150KHz value called for by the standard. From our (quick) measurements it seems that the noise conducted falls below the curve just below 150KHz and so would comply with this part of the standard.

Make of this what you will!

julian

(http://conference.realwebsite.com/Forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=16&Message_ID=36742)"

The solution is simple, compare the CDS2 and CD12 with the machine not currently playing unplugged from the mains AND the preamp.

hth,

dave

 

JV was a great salesman.

 

One of many talents IMO.

 

His most prominent one.

Dave, do you think a NAC 82 sounds similar to a 52? I don't think they sound like they are made by the same people.

 

Interesting...that's how I feel about a 72/HC vs a 102/HC/NAPSC. Unfortunately, I have very little experience with an 82 (and never a direct comparison with a 52)

I understand your point about what exactly is the Naim Sound yet I do find most of their electronics share a family sound.

 

Is it musical or harsh?