'New' Naim DAC Strikes a Chord

Good isn't it. 

I seem to remember saying that somewhere before.

Is the XPS a DRed version?

I have an nDAC + XPS DR in my system, am going to update the firmware this afternoon...

Graeme, could you try the nDAC without the XPS? I'm curious to see what you think.

Also, if you haven't already tried it, direct playback from USB key. Comparing front and rear ports.

Thanks,

Jan

Nice for you ! I never understood such an enthousiasm for the Hugo - great piece of kit for its price tag, nothing to say - but it never could convince me as the Naim box did and still do. Anyway, it not a matter of this box is better than the other one but more on my taste, your taste which is defenitely personnal.

Interesting.  I've been listening to a DAC-V1 with the new update pretty much all day, and with every album or track I play, the massive improvement becomes increasingly evident.  The difference, which I am finding to be both huge and very positive, is certainly making me feel like I've been given a DAC-V2 for free.

One question though, do you think that the changes made bring the nDAC nearer to the sonic character of the Hugo, or move it on in a direction of its own?  Just curious.

Hi Graham - Plain XPS for now.

G

Jan-Erik Nordoen posted:

Graeme, could you try the nDAC without the XPS? I'm curious to see what you think.

Also, if you haven't already tried it, direct playback from USB key. Comparing front and rear ports.

Thanks,

Jan

The scale shrinks without the XPS Jan. The clarity is intact but you have to go louder to get the sense of scale & presence...I'll see if I have a USB stick somewhere.

It continues to impress!

G

Fast forward to Bristol in Feb 16 and the launch of the Statement CD Transport/DAC!!!!!

Well, well, Graeme.  This game is full of surprises isn't it?

Mike

Still uber expensive if buying new in comparison to the Chord mind but much more palatable S/H...A very refined sound, nice and 'unforced' I'm noticing.

G

Wow, this came as a big surprise. I've been reading this forum for years and recently (or for a while) I've seen you as one of the strongest supporters of Hugo and the whole idea of moving from Naim DAC to Hugo. Nice to hear that you've found the joy of Naim DAC again.

I updated Wednesday evening but had to leave for a business trip on thursday and just came back home. I have to do some serious listening tomorrow when the setup has warmed up again. With quick listening, the improvement was clear as I wrote in the other thread.

Patu posted:

Wow, this came as a big surprise. I've been reading this forum for years and recently (or for a while) I've seen you as one of the strongest supporters of Hugo and the whole idea of moving from Naim DAC to Hugo. Nice to hear that you've found the joy of Naim DAC again.

I updated Wednesday evening but had to leave for a business trip on thursday and just came back home. I have to do some serious listening tomorrow when the setup has warmed up again. With quick listening, the improvement was clear as I wrote in the other thread.

As Neil Young once said... "It's all about the music".

G

Jan,

A major feature of the nDAC is that burndy port on the back.  When I first added an XPS, I remember thinking "anyone not using a PS on this DAC is going to miss what it can really do."  I later took advantage of a slightly used 555PS DR.  I think this new firmware is giving me more of my money's worth from that admittedly costly supply.

You will recall in beta testing, my report of sound quality improvement was less tentative.  I think the improvements in sound are leveraged by the better power supply.  I admit to having been surprised at first, because the nature of the improvement in music presentation (resulting from the new firmware) was different in nature than what I have experienced from "upgrades" to my personal system or from speaker improvements. The nDAC now makes music more "real" and "convincing" in a zen-like way that defies analytical description.

Charlie

I agree with all you say Charlie. It's why I went straight to the addition of the XPS.

Cheers

G

I've no problem understanding the preference over the Hugo. Personally i thought the bare NDac with the older firmware gave the Hugo a good kick in, let alone one with newer firmware and an XPS. But you knew i'd say that as i also think my CD5/FC2 does the same. Each to his own as they say.

gary yeowell posted:

I've no problem understanding the preference over the Hugo. Personally i thought the bare NDac with the older firmware gave the Hugo a good kick in, let alone one with newer firmware and an XPS. But you knew i'd say that as i also think my CD5/FC2 does the same. Each to his own as they say.

Let's not get into that...'We are gathered here today to clebrate the birth of the new NDAC...' 

G

But i don't think there was anything wrong with the old Ndac ��

Each to his own indeed.

G

We are fortunate that music replay has been elevated to such levels as we are now enjoying.  We have come a long way in the last decade!  And Naim has made this firmware upgrade available for free (to existing nDAC owners), which is quite remarkable.

BTW, Graemeh, great thread title.  

Charlie

Ta!

G

glad to hear I've got an upgrade then, I'd be lying if I said I noticed any difference in sound quality at all.

still keep posting such positive comments and I'm sure I'll hear it eventually!

SJB

Until today, re hugo, I still don't get what the fuss is all about

For me the Hugo and Naim performances  are quite different, no doubt to the very different ways reconstruction takes place, with the Hugo having a timbral performance and presence that is quite something else...

Now I always preferred the NDAC/555PS to the NDS.. although I think I was in the minority  I fact I loved my NDAC/555PS .. However with the new NDAC firmware, do many others now also think the NDAC shadows the NDS?

Simon - NDAC now has much closer timbral accuracy than I recall it having previously. It manages this whilst also presenting a bigger picture of the performers in front of you than the Hugo manages - more immediate somehow.

The updated NDX & NDAC (+ XPS in my system) firmware compliment one another very well I'm finding.

At the moment I only have DC1 BNC to RCA in and RCA to RCA Tellurium Q Black which is not optimal in terms of plugs & sockets.

G

Nice write up Graeme. This is exactly the type of comparison I was hoping to read about here at some point.

Enjoy!