Connection / CD Player Advice

Posted by: Housey on 11 April 2016

Hello,

I have recently bought 2 NAIM devices and would welcome thoughts on connectivity and CD player options. I have a DAC-V1, which I wanted to use to feed my growing digital music collection into via a dedicated Mac and then a couple of weeks ago after seeking a new Amp to replace my old MF X-A1 and planning to simply add a NAP-100 I walked out with a Supernait 2 after sampling various options from both NAIM and other manufacturers. The sheer scale and power it bought to things simply made me change my planned decision, even my wife agreed and in such situations one needs to 'do the right thing' I find.

So my asks are this:

1: What CD player would people suggest if I plan to keep within the NAIM range?

2: Am I correct to think that connecting said CD player into the DAC-V1 would be the best approach, via a digital out?

3: Presently I have the DAC-V1 connected to the Supernait via Phono cables. What benefit would a 4 to 5 DIN connection bring?

I am aware that this might be an odd combination having started with the small form factor, which I planned to stay with, but then dong the "have a listen" thing and falling for the bigger stuff. 

Thoughts, comments and recommendations welcomed. My first post here so please be gentle.

Housey

Posted on: 11 April 2016 by Magnus Hultstrand

Congrats to a great amp. The SN2 can really sing :-) 

Posted on: 11 April 2016 by analogmusic

Din cable is more musical than RCA cable. In a Din cable there is only one ground (signal negative), but in RCA cable there are 2, so there are 2 paths for signal negative to mains earth. This is not good for the music ! cheap RCA-RCA cables also have mismatch of impedance between connector and cable, so high frequencies are trapped between the 2 ends and this end up messing up transients and ... the music.

When I switched from RCA-RCA to RCA-DIN I was quite pleased with the musical improvements, which I found to be quite substantial.

DAC v1 is quite capable as a digital source,but you would need to buy CDX2 level to improve on DAC V1.

all my opinion ....