The new black DAC has arrived...

Is that a Naim DAC or a 202 (also available in black)? That's a comparison I'd like to hear.

Enjoy your new investment!

202 I believe. When we can re-arrange a date (I had to cancel due to holidays - sorry James) James should be bringing it across to have some hi-fi geekiness in my system (nDAC/CDPS/52/135/DBL).

you be careful with those cables....

Just pick up mine (DAC202) today. Listened only for 15 minutes, not even warmed up.

All I can say is, WOW!

Speaking as an ex DAC2, nDAC person

This really is a crazy hobby!

(BTW Black is rare and not even available in Hong Kong. Despite the silver face plate one having a black body, it looks better IMO with the pale screen.)

Looks to be a good way of addressing computer evils and incorpotares some up/oversampling up to 384k this time for easier/better filtering. Anybody know why he offers 2 filter choices? James, it will be interseting to test which combos are actually bit correct and if you can hear a dif. in players etc.

Look forward to the full write up James!

Jason

I have only just persuaded myself that I don't need one!

Looking forward to your report....

I may be some time...

Welcome to the 202 club James, it's a smashing bit of kit.

Joe

quote:

Originally posted by Andy S:
James should be bringing it across to have some hi-fi geekiness in my system

I predict it never happens.

Good lord, even I checked my own calendar over the last few months.

I got my 202 a few weeks ago. I've mentioned this elsewhere, but I use the 202 as the
DAC in my "portable" system, consisting of a MacBook Pro, Weiss DAC 202, and Ultrasone Edition 8 headphones (for days when I'm in the coffee shop for several hours).

My original unit had to go back to Switzerland last week because of some annoying problems with the right headphone channel. Instead of being without my 202, the dealer in New York arranged for a colleague to send me a replacement unit, which got here less than a week after the first 202 was picked up by the courier for shipment back to Switzerland. Very impressive customer service. I even had email from Daniel Weiss.

As for the sound? Love it. I also love my Naim DAC, which I use with an HDX in my main system.

@ docmark:

Have you compared Weiss 202 to Naim DAC? I think that a lot of us are interested in such an interesting comparison. Besides that I would like to know your oppinion using Macbook and Weiss 202 only used as a Firewire to S/PDIF converter hooked up to the Naim DAC. Is this better than HDX being the server for the Naim DAC?

quote:

Originally posted by docmark:
I got my 202 a few weeks ago. I've mentioned this elsewhere, but I use the 202 as the
DAC in my "portable" system, consisting of a MacBook Pro, Weiss DAC 202, and Ultrasone Edition 8 headphones (for days when I'm in the coffee shop for several hours).

Wow. O.K. you are the official winner of the portable system contest! I can't even get close to that in my coffee shop system.

quote:

Originally posted by munch:

quote:

Originally posted by js:
Looks to be a good way of addressing computer evils and incorpotares some up/oversampling up to 384k this time for easier/better filtering. Anybody know why he offers 2 filter choices? James, it will be interseting to test which combos are actually bit correct and if you can hear a dif. in players etc.

John,
You need to get your hands on one man.
Dont bother reading up on it or looking at the spec.
You need to hear it.
For £4,000. I dont know what that is in US Dollar? but with no psu's needed to make it sound better? Its bloody good.
Stu

I will. It's almost 7k in the states and the NDAC handily beat the Berkeley for one of my clients sans supply. That this is reported to do same is impressive. Problem is that I don't think a computer is the ultimate source overall and alot of the goodness comes from the firewire interface on the 202 but proof is always in a listen.

quote:

Originally posted by AllenB:
Be interested to know if the DAC202 is twice as good as the DAC2 to justify the doubling in price, or has Daniel just caught the Naim bug as far as pricing goes.

Let me know when you find a range of products where the scale of performance improvement directly reflects the increase in cost, Allen. I'll be right there with you.

As these things go, the 202 is a considerable step up for the increase in cost. Rather as I suspect you found adding the 555PS to your nDAC to be, for err, rather more than double.

James, well?

Joe

quote:

Originally posted by AllenB:
Pound for pound though the DAC202 against a nDAC/XPS2 seems like a fair comparison for someone to make.

Yes indeed. Good to see you around the place again.

Joe

Verdict so far - it's very good and a definite step up on the DAC2.




Unfortunately although i'm working at home today i've got a lot of competition from some rather more expensive (and fecking noisy)hardware ...



James.

I have not done much listening yet and the uuit is still warming up. But already it is showing that it has much better resolution and texture than my black DAC with a (yet to remain unnamed) PS. To me it really is another league. Very crystalline sounding and not tiring after 2 hours of listening post long day at the office.

When I moved from the DAC2 to the nDAC I thought the move was an slight improvement in terms of synergy with the Naim stuff, but the move was largely lateral. I don't recall hearing the same improvement.

To me the price is quite high for such a compact machine. But with the Async Firewire similar to the $1500 INT202 and a headphone amp. I guess it is quite acceptable considering there is no PS upgrade to speak of. I tried the headphone amp and it made my olde Senn HD-580 sand like it never did before, I don't recall that level of sound coming from my Headline 2.

quote:

Originally posted by munch:
So are you keeping your Naim DAC?

SO given the above, I think I can say farewell to another lovely set of gear. I will miss it but this new toy is simply better to my ears.

One question for James:

Have you tried the Bit transparency test? For some reason it sailed with all my iTunes music on all sampling rates and both ALAC and AIFF files.

But it passed all tests with the supplied test files.

DO you know it the tests only works with the test files? Or are all my files mucked up?

Thanks

Listening to Bach's double violin concerto over here in the small hours.

This is what it's all about, making it all worthwhile.

quote:

Originally posted by JYOW:
One question for James:

Have you tried the Bit transparency test? For some reason it sailed with all my iTunes music on all sampling rates and both ALAC and AIFF files.

But it passed all tests with the supplied test files.

DO you know it the tests only works with the test files? Or are all my files mucked up?

Thanks

Yes, test files only.

Joe

quote:

Originally posted by JYOW:
there is no PS upgrade to speak of.

I call bullshit. If they made one you would buy it in a heartbeat.

quote:

Originally posted by pcstockton:

quote:

Originally posted by JYOW:
there is no PS upgrade to speak of.

I call bullshit. If they made one you would buy it in a heartbeat.

Bit of a curious statement Patrick.

No doubt there would be an option if the designer thought it needed one. After all, it must be pretty lucrative to provide separate box transformers, they don't have a high cost in parts.

Joe

Quick Question to James et al, what power cord are you using with the DAC202 which like the DAC2 comes with no power cord?

The TEC receptacle is right above the Firewire slot and my fat IEC cable touches and bends the Firewire plugs slightly which is disheartening. There is no way the Powerline can fir in there as well.

I guess the standard Naim Power cord can do quite well. Just wonder what others are doing.

Just one of my spare Naim power leads in a mini hydra arrangement (two cables into one mains plug) for amp and DAC.

James