Speed-dating nDAC

Posted by: NickSeattle on 07 September 2011

This is not for everybody.

 

I am neither a musician, nor a student of music; but, the sound from my Naim gear inspires my enthusiasm, and the pursuit of greater thrills, within my budget.  It is nice to  know I am not alone.

 

I have digested excellent knowledge, advice, opinions and rants on this forum since acquiring my modest Naim stack.  Today, I home-demo the nDAC, and dare it to do well attached to my NAC 112, and duel with my CD5x + FC2X, and possibly enhance my Oppo BDP-95.  I have lots of lossless music in ALAC, AIFF, and WAV already ripped via iTunes and XLD in various places.  To the nDAC I have connected an Ethernet-wired AirPort Express via toslink (dealer-supplied) to Pos 1.  Pos 2 is Naim BNC co-ax from the Oppo.

 

To make things more interesting, I downloaded Win Svr 2008 R2 and WHS last night and am installing them on virtual machines while I type this.  I intend to get Asset up and running to test uPnP and WAV conversion on-the-fly. 

 

I hope my efforts and experiences are of some value, interest or at least amusement to some of you, especiially to those to whom I owe special thanks, including Tog, Hook, Guy, garyi, Patrick, TP, TonyM, Stu, Christopher, Harry, James, Sloop John B, David Dever, Richard Dane, and many more. 

 

With thanks to the many regular contributors here, and due acknowledgement to the many details I have learned but cannot execute at this time, I will humbly offer my impressions formed in the time I have with the equipment at hand.

 

Posted on: 05 December 2011 by NickSeattle
I feel I owe it to readers who may stumble on this thread that, now, as I listen to a 202 swapped in for my 112, the AirPort Express and CD5X / FC2X differences are more pronounced, in favor of the latter, of course.  And, without the nDAC, my MBPro / M-Audio interface with PureMusic are in between, where expected.  The nice surprise is it is all dividends; the AE is no less listenable; the CD is just better.  No surprise to most of you, I am sure! 

I am looking forward to bringing the nDAC back, someday, to better hear what it has to offer in my upgraded environment.

Cheers.

Nick
Posted on: 05 December 2011 by pcstockton

How did I miss this thread previously!!!???  Maybe you appreciate my oversight

 

Where did the nDAC go Nick?????

-Patrick

Posted on: 05 December 2011 by NickSeattle
Hi, Patrick,

Thanks for looking in.  The lovely nDAC only stayed one day for me to test.  It did everything well, but not enough better for me to buy it then.  I knew from reading here that, likable as the 112 is, other preamps would deliver more; I have a better sense now of what that means.  My first kit was a kind of proof of concept: could I hear any sonic benefit at my home, would integrating with my AVR work, and could my family deal with it?  I can now imagine the difference hearing the nDAC with 202 or 282 will make.

The challenges we have getting streaming sorted are nice problems to have, eh?

Regards,

Nick
Posted on: 06 December 2011 by pcstockton

yes 282....  it is where i want to be.

 

i went source first, as I didn't have anything decent.  The 102 will get a Hicap2 then a 282 has to be in the mix.

 

Cheers,

PatrickPortland