Best way to use naim DAC ?

Yes!

Hi, the Naim DAC is designed to support all these options, and depending on the quality of the digital source and it's interface  each has the potential of achieving a great result.

For me as I have stated before the NDX feeding the NDAC/PS gives me the quality, reliability and end result that finally allowed me to replace my CDS3. 

But as you read others have PCs like Mac minis etc feeding the ndac, and that works well for them. Horses for courses. I would try combinations until your get reliability, usability and most importantly audio replay performance you require. Try to ignore people who tell you what you should be hearing... Trust your own hearing.. If you become absorbed and listen into the music without distractions like  bloat,hash, brightness, sharpness, sibilance, flat-imaging, lack lustre tone, poor definition in complex music, smearing etc.. You have arrived at a good place to enjoy recorded music.

The nDAC gives you this flexibility and potential..

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Choose the one that gives you the best experience and interface.  I would say that is J River way out in front.  From there you can do almost anything, it is fun to play.

-Patrick

FWIW, I use a PC with a built-in optical SPDIF (Toslink) to connect to the nDAC, running J River Media Center as Patrick does.  Having a computer gives you a ton of flexibility around playback environments, internet streaming (e.g. BBC Radio 3 at 320kbit/s), peripherals and storage.

However, I do understand the people who say 'I don't want a computer in my listening room' and resort to the black boxes.

My PC is a nice little black box

You show me yours, I'll show you mine...

Nah. Get a real music computer . Here's mine :

Win XP embedded?  Never!  

Better stay clear of these then

..

The ATM hands cash out.  Naim kit takes it away again! 

Good, better, BEST : 2, 3, 1

(my experience after close to 2 years with the nDAC - has it really been that long ?)

Jan

The UServe actually has a voice-controlled interface.  Try saying "Klaatu barada nikto!" to it.

Originally Posted by Jan-Erik Nordoen:

Nah. Get a real music computer . Here's mine :

Does anybody else see the resemblance to the 8 foot robot, Gort from the movie, "The Day the World Stood Still"?

Richard

Tsk, tsk Richard ; you of all people should know that nothing Really good comes from belittling a competitor's product

Mine looks very second rate compared with those nice boxes above (I wish it was black) 

One of the best way to feed nDAC (according to my experience) to use HiFace EVO, EVO clock and EVO PS the EVO's BNC output to nDAC. The EVO battery PS can provide power for the EVO and for the EVO clock at the same time and I like it a lot how it sounds with nDAC.

There is only one problem with this setup, you need to change the clock frequency manually if the music is 44,1 k, 88,2k, 176,4k OR 48k, 96k and 192k. Otherwise works really well.

Thank you, Zinger.  I found that very useful. I have been considering the update route using the nDAC.  But I have had less than useful help from our Steve at Naim.  Just a one liner: "No the USB input is only for Memory sticks".  Nothing else!  Despite asking him (twice more) for more info, I have yet to receive a reply.

Your experiences convinces me not to go down the nDAC route. I use a MacBook Pro 15 inch and output using its USB into the Asynchronous input of my Northstar Essensio DAC.  Nice sound, but I was wondering how the nDAC would work with my USB output. Knowing this is not the recommended route, I was then curious to know about my options. Apparently, I do not have any.  Unless I abandon my MB and follow the Naim way and buy a separate server.  I tried that, but not at all satisfactory for my needs.  Cost me several hundred points to find it out.

I am reluctantly resigned to having to look elsewhere, unless and until Naim bring out a digital device with a satisfactory USB input capability.

Richard

Or you could just use a Halide Bridge. This is essentially a "smart" cable that lets you connect from your Macbook USB to the co-ax SPDIF input on the nDAC. A HiFace plus co-ax does the same thing. You have options.

Richard I do not intend to blindly support Naim, but indeed that one sentence pretty much says all there is to say about the usb port on the nDAC -- it is only for memory sticks.

You might really enjoy the Mac Mini solution that many others post here about, alot.  The Mac Mini is far less expensive than a dedicated streamer and many forum members rave about the sq.  You could keep your iTunes library intact and overall it would be a pretty nice solution.

@Winkyincanada:

Thanks Winky.  I already have both the HiFace Evo and the TeraLink. I also have both the Lithium battery supply and a neat linear power supply.  Both work with each of them. However, I hate all these little nuisance boxes.  To be forced to do this just because Naim refuse to move is not appealing to me at all.

@Bart:

I already own a MacBook which outputs via USB into my Essensio. I was just hoping that the nDAC had been updated.  The Website suggests it is equipped with USB, both front and rear.  So I was rather hoping the rear would accept LPCM from USB. 

Winky's proposal would certainly work, I have tried it with my Qute.  But SQ was superior using the USB into the Essensio, this outputting into the DAC analog input and the Qute then used as a volume control. Obviously the DAC in the Qute is not nearly up to the standard of the nDAC.

I agree, the specification is misleading/wrong, failing to properly list "Audio Inputs".

However, the Overview section clearly list the other options:

  The Naim DAC provides eight S/PDIF inputs, two USB inputs ....

But again, it fails to state that USB is not for LPCM/stream, they are memory-stick only.

Naim of course have their reasons for not providing general USB connectivity to their DAC. If they did, I would have been more interested in trying and possibly buying one.

It used to be DIN and BNC only connections on Naim amplifiers, but they have latterly provided  RCA/phono sockets as an option, to presumably satisfy market demand. So why no USB connectivity option (even if Naim don't rate it) on their DAC?

Would that option not have made it a more complete product with wider appeal?

John.

Hi ferenc

Just noticed your post in this thread. If you are using either the MacBook or the Mac Mini, in other words Apple's products, I suggest you try BitPerfect.  Available at the Apple App store for download. Costs around $4 (I think), but will be going up to $10 in April. Apart from better SQ, it will automatically change the settings. No setup necessary, just install into applications, maybe drag the icon onto your Dock for quick starting and that is it. It will start iTunes for you and then do all the necessary changes to bit depths etc.  Totally transparent to the user, yet retaining all the usual iTunes advantages of Genius, etc.

Richard

You know my feelings on this, John.  I think it is a blinkered approach.  It is unfortunately a British trait to sometimes ignore your customers desires because you know best    Peter Walker of Quad had a somewhat similar attitude. He resolutely believed that if an amp measured well then that was all that mattered, despite many subjectivists time after time suggesting there were significant differences. 

No business can afford to ignore their customers.  This is especially true in these ultra competitive times. Maybe the new owners will shake some sense into Salisbury.