DAC

Posted by: Chris Murphy on 29 September 2009

Stunning. Have mine to do a roadshow with. Just set up and OMG....sorry have to head back and listen... Smile
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by Gordon McGlade
quote:
Originally posted by Chris Murphy:
Stunning. Have mine to do a roadshow with. Just set up and OMG....sorry have to head back and listen... Smile


Hi Chris, how are you?

I have had the same reaction...awesome!

Gordon
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by BobF
I have had the same reaction...awesome!

Gordon[/QUOTE]

Hi Gordon

Have you heard more than one device feeding the DAC? If so, any comments on differences?

Cheers

Bob
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by Gordon McGlade
quote:
Originally posted by BobF:
I have had the same reaction...awesome!

Gordon


Hi Gordon

Have you heard more than one device feeding the DAC? If so, any comments on differences?

Cheers

Bob[/QUOTE]

Bob

We used a LINN Unidisk 2.1. Naim NS02, Naim HDX, Naim CD5XS and iTouch.

All were fantastic, could not hear a difference excpet with the iTouch but that was because of the audio format but was still great.

I think more time to run in the DAC may be able to help reveal differences in the source but the three main sources I have here are all first class products on their own. So I will give more feedback later.

Cheers

Gordon
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by pcstockton
what was the iTouch playing, codec-wise? Just curious.

thanks!
Patrick
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by Gordon McGlade
quote:
Originally posted by pcstockton:
what was the iTouch playing, codec-wise? Just curious.

thanks!
Patrick


Apple lossless I believe
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by pcstockton
Gordon,

Would you say the iTouch was lacking because ALAC is an inferior codec? Or the iTouch itself is jitter-tacular? If the former, would you think WAVs would bring the iTouch to the level of the CD transports you demo'ed. Is there any chance the rips were burst mode (made in iTunes) ? Lastly, is there a chance the rips were actually lossy (MP3), and no one knew?

I cant hear a difference between any lossless codecs so I would personally attribute any differences to the iTouch itself. But what do I know?!?!

Thanks for update by the way!

-Patrick
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by Gordon McGlade
quote:
Originally posted by pcstockton:
Gordon,

Would you say the iTouch was lacking because ALAC is an inferior codec? Or the iTouch itself is jitter-tacular? If the former, would you think WAVs would bring the iTouch to the level of the CD transports you demo'ed. Is there any chance the rips were burst mode (made in iTunes) ? Lastly, is there a chance the rips were actually lossy (MP3), and no one knew?

I cant hear a difference between any lossless codecs so I would personally attribute any differences to the iTouch itself. But what do I know?!?!

Thanks for update by the way!

-Patrick


Patrick

Does it really matter? You seem to be looking for something that perhaps will not answer your questions. WHay ask them?

Just listen to ittry it with your sources and if you like it buy one,simple.

That goes for anyone else reading this thread.

There too much talk about products by people without many of those actualyy listening to the stuff being talked about.

Hope you do not take that the wrong way but it had to be said

Gordon
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by winkyincanada
I'm a bit with PC on this one. How would one account for the poorer showing of the iTouch, given that the DAC is supposed to be very good at minimising the effects of jitter on the conversion.

Are there degrees of losslessness?

Gordon,

I know I'm saying this without a listen, but I promise I will be trying one of these out as soon as I get the chance. However, I'm interested in the theory as well as the practice of this digital development.

Winky
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by likesmusic
It does matter to potential customers.

Are you in a position to state confidently that the data delivered to the DAC from the iTouch was the same as that from the transports?

And did you need to alter the Signal Ground switch when you switched to the Linn transport, as it suggests in the manual you might?
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by pcstockton
quote:
Originally posted by Gordon McGlade:

Patrick

Does it really matter? You seem to be looking for something that perhaps will not answer your questions. WHay ask them?

Just listen to ittry it with your sources and if you like it buy one,simple.

That goes for anyone else reading this thread.

There too much talk about products by people without many of those actualyy listening to the stuff being talked about.

Hope you do not take that the wrong way but it had to be said

Gordon


Firstly, maybe we are encountering some kind of language barrier or something but I don't understand your second sentence. Nor your third for that matter.

Anyway... to answer your question, Yes it certainly matters. What is wrong with my questions? I was neither assuming anything, nor saying I had any prejudices. "What do I know?!?!?" is what I said. I was curious if you would expand on your experience.

I was simply asking for your professional opinion on why the iTouch might have been lacking.

We ALL would love to make up our own minds but we cant because it isn't available to be heard yet. And the times it has been available, it was only demo'd with the HDX or Naim CDP. That goes for everyone on this thread Roll Eyes

Given your answer to my questions, and general tone, I will forget I even read your initial thread. Good luck to you.
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by realhifi
Whoa whoa...Let's not get all riled up here fellas. Rereading an excited first blush with
what we all hope is an out of sight product (THE Naim dac) Mr. McGlade simply said said it might have not sounded as amazing as with the other front ends but "was still great" as he simply puts it. Everyone wants to get their hands on one of these so let's all take a deep breath, and count to whatever it is we need to count to until we can all have a listen to this
new frontier that is being carved out before our
very eyes. Let's all just relax...and listen when we have the chance.

PS. I can't wait to get my paws on one of them!
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by js
PC, there could be a few but there's no way to know what it actually is without a controlled experiment. It could be that the touch was noisier due to the added processing going on in the backgroung to convert the lossless file to wav out, it could be noisier in general, it could be a bandwidth thing where even if dejittered, does a sinewave-ish stream result as well as a square-ish one even if bit perfect and dejittered?

It could also be that there is no difference and it was a poorer rip or just inferior material and the touch would sound the same with the same file if streamed.

Much to discover. Smile
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by Manu
Winky and Bob,
See you on the 21st and 22nd at HiFi Centre for the Canadian premiere of the DAC and the Ovator.
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by BobF
quote:
Originally posted by Gordon McGlade:
quote:
Originally posted by BobF:
I have had the same reaction...awesome!

Gordon


Hi Gordon

Have you heard more than one device feeding the DAC? If so, any comments on differences?

Cheers

Bob


Bob

We used a LINN Unidisk 2.1. Naim NS02, Naim HDX, Naim CD5XS and iTouch.

All were fantastic, could not hear a difference excpet with the iTouch but that was because of the audio format but was still great.

I think more time to run in the DAC may be able to help reveal differences in the source but the three main sources I have here are all first class products on their own. So I will give more feedback later.

Cheers

Gordon[/QUOTE]

Thanks Gordon any future comments will be apreciated.

Cheers

Bob
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by BobF
quote:
Originally posted by Manu:
Winky and Bob,
See you on the 21st and 22nd at HiFi Centre for the Canadian premiere of the DAC and the Ovator.


Manu

I look forward to meeting you - Winky too if we show up on the same day. Jon told me you might bring out a 552 I( hope thats true).

Cheers

Bob
Posted on: 29 September 2009 by Exiled Highlander
With all the wailing and gnashing of teeth that goes in here over codec's, rips, jitter, streams and heaven knows what else I have to wonder if we have lost sight of the music.

I for one will be headed out to listen music through one of these things and will buy it in a heartbeat if sounds anywhere near as good as it did at Salisbury at the open day.

Cheers

Jim
Posted on: 30 September 2009 by Gordon McGlade
quote:
Originally posted by pcstockton:
quote:
Originally posted by Gordon McGlade:

Patrick

Does it really matter? You seem to be looking for something that perhaps will not answer your questions. WHay ask them?

Just listen to ittry it with your sources and if you like it buy one,simple.

That goes for anyone else reading this thread.

There too much talk about products by people without many of those actualyy listening to the stuff being talked about.

Hope you do not take that the wrong way but it had to be said

Gordon


Firstly, maybe we are encountering some kind of language barrier or something but I don't understand your second sentence. Nor your third for that matter.

Anyway... to answer your question, Yes it certainly matters. What is wrong with my questions? I was neither assuming anything, nor saying I had any prejudices. "What do I know?!?!?" is what I said. I was curious if you would expand on your experience.

I was simply asking for your professional opinion on why the iTouch might have been lacking.

We ALL would love to make up our own minds but we cant because it isn't available to be heard yet. And the times it has been available, it was only demo'd with the HDX or Naim CDP. That goes for everyone on this thread Roll Eyes

Given your answer to my questions, and general tone, I will forget I even read your initial thread. Good luck to you.


Firstly apologies for my typing, at 1am in the dark it get quite difficult.

In reply Patrick, I merely say go and try one, listen to it with what you want and if you like it but it! Don´t get bogged down with technical data etc because it just clouds what listen to hifi is all about, and that is the MUSIC!

My professional opinion on why the iTouch might be lacking is because it is an iTouch, OK?

So if you cannot get to here the DAC right now then wait and then comment on how it sends. That is far more constructive! However they will only be your opinions just like my comments are my opinion.

So chill out and wait, I had to!

Gordon
Posted on: 30 September 2009 by Gordon McGlade
quote:
Originally posted by Exiled Highlander:
With all the wailing and gnashing of teeth that goes in here over codec's, rips, jitter, streams and heaven knows what else I have to wonder if we have lost sight of the music.

I for one will be headed out to listen music through one of these things and will buy it in a heartbeat if sounds anywhere near as good as it did at Salisbury at the open day.

Cheers

Jim


Jim

You are absolutely spot on!

Gordon
Posted on: 30 September 2009 by naken janne
To those of you who have had the chance to hear the dac, how good is it? I dont know if you had the chance to compare it with a regular naim cd player, if you did, what player would it be like?
Posted on: 30 September 2009 by Gordon McGlade
quote:
Originally posted by naken janne:
To those of you who have had the chance to hear the dac, how good is it? I dont know if you had the chance to compare it with a regular naim cd player, if you did, what player would it be like?


OK, we compared it with our CD555 with two PS555. It has more detail, in our opinion and only with 4 days use, the presentation is slightly different and when used with the PS555 it was just, well wonderful.

I fully expect it to sound better when it returns next week after a week at one of our dealers. It will be well run in by then.

The feedback from our dealer is the same as our results. A trully stunning product.

Gordon
Posted on: 30 September 2009 by naken janne
Wow! I think naim has launched some rather remarkable products lately, but this one seems to be in a leauge of its own. I am impressed and of course very curious.

Thanks Gordon for the update.
Posted on: 30 September 2009 by pcstockton
quote:
Originally posted by Gordon McGlade:

So chill out and wait, I had to!

Gordon


Yeah we all were chilling out until you got all aggro about it.

Stop yelling at us and go sell some kit.
Posted on: 30 September 2009 by Exiled Highlander
Roll Eyes
Posted on: 30 September 2009 by Gordon McGlade
quote:
Originally posted by pcstockton:
quote:
Originally posted by Gordon McGlade:

So chill out and wait, I had to!

Gordon


Yeah we all were chilling out until you got all aggro about it.

Stop yelling at us and go sell some kit.


" aggro "? come on now. I´m a Scot you know and when we talk about aggro, well let´s just say we mean AGGRO!

I am trying to sell but you we are the tail of the dog, you Yanks really screwed things up for our economy!....

Just joking...honest!
Posted on: 30 September 2009 by Patrick F
knock it off in here. Winker

Any way

we did

555/ps 552/500/ovator s600/HDX/DAC/555ps/iphone/

555 is still better in over all musical presentation.

HDX/DAC/555ps was a wonderful upgrade though. It was spot on in. timing was there the "foot tapping" really got me going.

the iphone was a real surprise. with AIFF and wav. the music was just there and for being a $300 dollar source was just great.