Naim DAC and sync light

Posted by: connon price on 13 February 2010

I found an instance when the sync light goes out. I had the DAC at home and thought I would pull the old Rega Planet out of my son's room and hit it with the DAC. It synced at first but then the light went out between songs. The sound was not great either. Rather dull compared to the other sources I had available - CDX2, MacBook Pro via optichord, iPod Touch.

Was hoping it would be a better source as I have a customer looking at the DAC who has the same player. Maybe something is wrong with one.

Haven't tried with the current Apollo at the shop yet.
Posted on: 14 February 2010 by js
The planet has a huge buffer and has always sounded soft via the DIG out though not on it's own. The sync light not on between songs is meaningless as long as it goes back on when playing. Probably buffer elated. There's just nothing to sync to due to the Planet topology. Nothing's wrong. Just how the Planet operates.
Posted on: 14 February 2010 by John R.
@ connon price:

Did you compare the CDX2-2 and Macboom Pro with the Naim DAC?
Thankx
Posted on: 16 February 2010 by connon price
Not yet. Waiting for my BNC to BNC DC1 (using an adapter now) and I don't have any quality (HDX or such) rips on the MacBook presently, just the iTunes rips. Too many variables.

Did listen to MacBook Pro using iTunes and iTunes rips (WAV and AIFF and apple lossless) via Chord Optichord 3m mini to TOS and compared the same files coming from iTunes on Touch via USB and from MBP via UPnP, using Touch as the controller/renderer into USB again and found that the UPnP delivered files sounded well better than the two iTunes delivered files. Both iTunes were set flat and clean.

I'm freaked out. Winker

This was using PL on DAC, recapped Nait2, nSATS on nStands, using NACA5 and standard interconnect. Dedicated mains spur.

I get the iTunes on the Mac not sounding so great, but why a difference out of the Touch between iTunes and UPnP? Anyone?

@js- the sync light did not come back on. Was playing without light. This is the old clamshell panini grill planet. Did it use a buffer?
Posted on: 16 February 2010 by js
Yes it did. You can fool them to play a bit after the disc rotation is stopped. Always sounded a bit dull as a transport. I find it interesting that it's output is so far out of sync. Perhaps it's no longer in full working order. It's now and old transport. Perhaps the buffer is enough to keep it going.

I was also surprised at the touch via UPNP. Better than expected. Smile
Posted on: 16 February 2010 by Steven Hopkins
We believe the rega's master clock is beyond the spec of red book.

Hence the naim DAC reverts to SRC mode as it can't lock on.

SRC mode does not sound as good.

(That's why cheap DACs that only do SRC never sound as good a 'real' DAC)

I'm sure the Rega will be a problem with many DAC (except those that only have SRC).

We use SRC as a backup just in case the source is out of spec. - as in this case
Posted on: 16 February 2010 by Rich27
quote:
Originally posted by Steven Hopkins:
We believe the rega's master clock is beyond the spec of red book.

Hence the naim DAC reverts to SRC mode as it can't lock on.

SRC mode does not sound as good.

(That's why cheap DACs that only do SRC never sound as good a 'real' DAC)

I'm sure the Rega will be a problem with many DAC (except those that only have SRC).

We use SRC as a backup just in case the source is out of spec. - as in this case


Will that apply to the Rega Apollo/Saturn as well? I had been contemplating running a Rega Apollo as a cheap transport when my DAC arrives as something for the Mrs to play her cd's on, but not if this is the case!
Posted on: 16 February 2010 by rich46
quote:
Originally posted by Rich27:
quote:
Originally posted by Steven Hopkins:
We believe the rega's master clock is beyond the spec of red book.

Hence the naim DAC reverts to SRC mode as it can't lock on.

SRC mode does not sound as good.

(That's why cheap DACs that only do SRC never sound as good a 'real' DAC)

I'm sure the Rega will be a problem with many DAC (except those that only have SRC).

We use SRC as a backup just in case the source is out of spec. - as in this case


Will that apply to the Rega Apollo/Saturn as well? I had been contemplating running a Rega Apollo as a cheap transport when my DAC arrives as something for the Mrs to play her cd's on, but not if this is the case!


all poppycock. ive had the naim dac since mid december i use the rega saturn as the transport. it works perfectly with the naim. so does the cyrus transport .so does a sony sacd player 16bit only. and finally so does a £40 philips dvd player and through them all the dac sounds great. you will be surprised how good the philips sounds too allan
Posted on: 16 February 2010 by js
If the DAC doesn't lock, then the Planet is definitely out of spec. I just didn't know that this was par for that player. Doesn't reflect on a Saturn or Apollo or Jupiter in any way unless it's a known issue which it apparently is not. The Saturn was always significantly better sounding than a Planet as a transport. This could have something to do with it.
Posted on: 25 March 2010 by alainbil
quote:


Did listen to MacBook Pro using iTunes and iTunes rips (WAV and AIFF and apple lossless) via Chord Optichord 3m mini to TOS and compared the same files coming from iTunes on Touch via USB and from MBP via UPnP, using Touch as the controller/renderer into USB again




What do you mean by "Touch", a prototype Squeezebox Touch ?
Posted on: 25 March 2010 by Aleg
quote:
Originally posted by alainbil:
quote:


Did listen to MacBook Pro using iTunes and iTunes rips (WAV and AIFF and apple lossless) via Chord Optichord 3m mini to TOS and compared the same files coming from iTunes on Touch via USB and from MBP via UPnP, using Touch as the controller/renderer into USB again




What do you mean by "Touch", a prototype Squeezebox Touch ?


iPod Touch

-
aleg
Posted on: 26 March 2010 by dude5
quote:
using Touch as the controller/renderer into USB again


How do you do that ?
itunes + ipod touch upnp streaming app ? controlled via macbook ?