Naim vs Weiss -- VFM

quote:

AMA stated his "disadvantages". With the *DS you can only play the maid on your UPnP AV server - with the nDAC you have the ability to use digital from HTPC / PS3 / Satellite / Sonos / etc / etc.

Eloise

I agree -- the functionality of separate DAC is higher than that of streamer.
But once the SQ is the ultimate target the dedicated solution is usually better and cheaper.
There is a big number of 1 K$ DACs on the market which can do a proper job for HTC/PS3/Sattelite/Sonos etc. -- while KDS will keep doing it's own job (with an ultimate care).

.. and, with decent streaming, you wouldn't need Sonos or Airplay or indeed the HDX .. which leaves AV and games machines, both of which are probably best done separately in any case, to get 5.1, sync etc.

quote:

What's wrong with an Akurate DS?

It doesn't sound very good to me and I don't need it's networking interface - you can't seem to connect to it any other way. I'm sure it suits some folk, but I'm very happy with the Naim DAC - the only rival DAC I considered is the Chord, which is also superb. I don't believe one is better than the other and I'd be happy with either. Never heard anything by Weiss, but I doubt it would offer better vfm for me, it would just be different and I'd be back in to the mix and match which I try to avoid - probably why I chose the Naim DAC over the Chord in the end.

quote:

well I have a Home Theater receiver for all this stuff which has built in 192/24 32bit DACS which aren't far behind the DS

The DS is that bad huh?? May I ask what home theater receiver it is?

-Patrick

AMA.

Someone in the "fishy" forum compared Naim DAC/XPS, Weiss DAC2, Bryston BDC-1 + DacMagic. The three first are very close with differences in voicing etc.

It seems that new interesting DACs are on their way onto the market. Rega will have one ready soon, although its price tag around £500 makes it an unlikely contestant to NDAC and Weiss.

Best wishes,
Peter

Rosewind, interesting message -- thanks, I'm going to search for this thread.
I'm a bit surprised that Lavry Gold is not on the desk in these tests.
It's seems interesting that Weiss DAC2 sounds on par with much more expensive nDAC/XPS.
Possibly DAC202 is even better and still cheaper. It makes me think ....

AMA you really should try and listen to the 202 it really is a crackig dac, I owned the DACII before and compared that to the NDAC in my system.

quote:

AMA you really should try and listen to the 202

Agreed - a very good DAC and at the level you're looking at a worthy contender to the nDAC/PSU combo.

On the other hand you could just put on the blinkers

James

DAC 2 is pretty far off for me. I haven't auditioned the DAC202 so a listen would be in order. Hope you get the opportunity if it's on your list.

I can bring the DACIi 'nearer' to you JS, in my system I prffered it to the Naim dac, and the 202 is a very worthwhile step up from the II imho of course.

All opinions are welcome. Nothing personal, at least on my part.

AMA,

I have been with all three DACs.

Yes the DAC202 is definitively better than the DAC2 and the nDAC/XPS. I am listening to it right now and stunned by how good it is. The resolution is stunning.

If you gather a few buddies interested in Weiss and promise to treat him nice I am sure Kent Poon will not mind a trip to Dubai.

Have you tried contacting Kent?

Hi, JYOW. When you say you prefer Weiss DAC202 to nDAC/XPS -- what transport did you put in front of nDAC?

quote:

Have you tried contacting Kent?

No, who is it?

quote:

Originally posted by AMA:
Hi, JYOW. When you say you prefer Weiss DAC202 to nDAC/XPS -- what transport did you put in front of nDAC?

quote:

Sources I used or tried include MacMini+HiFace, MacbookPro+HiFace, Squeezebox Touch, Cambridge 650BD Universal Player and USB Sticks. They all sounded quite good and I did not find huge differences amongst them.

For the benefits of our Naim friends. May I emphasize that what I heard is my own experience heard in my own system with my own prejudice.

Have you tried contacting Kent?

No, who is it?

He is the Asia Weiss in charge.

JYOW, thanks -- I'll try to find him anyway

quote:

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Richard Dane, Thu 30 September 2010 9:31

Ouch

Quotes from Matrix land:

Trinity: "The answer is out there, Neo, and it's looking for you, and it will find you if you want it to."

....

Cypher: "ignorance is bliss".

...


Morpheus: "I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it."

Keith at Purite Audio here in the UK is very approachable, give him a ring.

JYOW,

Thanks for reminding he how bad that movie (series) was.

-p

quote:

Quotes from Matrix land:

JYOW, which pill to pick up:

1. Sale nDAC and Headline/NAPSC and buy Weiss DAC202

or

2. Add INT202 and 555PS to my nDAC?

I want to see how deep is the hole

Here's another first hand opinion. Weiss vs Ndac Moral is, try for yourself.

quote:

Add INT202 and 555PS to my nDAC?

Wouldn't it be better to use something with a BNC connector?

I have both the nDAC and the Weiss DAC202. I use the Naim DAC in my main system with a 555PS and my HDX. I love the sound, no complaints from me.

I use the Weiss DAC202 in my "portable" system. Almost every weekend, I get up early, pack it in my backpack along with my MacBook, headphones and various wires, and head off to my favourite coffee shop, where I spend several minutes setting things up before sitting down to enjoy my first coffee of the day while listening to some hi-res music through the Weiss. Beautiful. Very resolving, lots of air around instruments, and all the other words I'm really no good at describing. So yes, I like both the Naim & Weiss DACs, both for different reasons.

quote:

Originally posted by AMA:

quote:

Quotes from Matrix land:

JYOW, which pill to pick up:

1. Sale nDAC and Headline/NAPSC and buy Weiss DAC202

or

2. Add INT202 and 555PS to my nDAC?

I want to see how deep is the hole

LOL I was being naughty. Apologies to the thought police.

Ama your experience and system is so close to what I used to have.

You brought up a good question. The DAC202 driving my old HD580 is the best I have ever heard from headphones. I also had Headline/NAPSC and the 202/580 combo is better in not a subtle way.

When comparing DACs as digital source the differences tend to be a lot more subtle. I am not really sure how much difference adding a 555PS to the nDAC is going to make. Did you recall the degree of difference adding a XPS to the nDAC made? I thought adding a PS to my nDAC made some difference. But whatever it was it was quite subtle.

Regardless I thought adding a $8000 555PS to $3000 DAC seems a little unbalanced to me. I am ignorant but there is only so much you could to a digital chip that needs a few volts of power? When is the point when the diminishing margin return kicks in? At that price you could buy a lot of DAC. May be wait for the next big reference DAC from Naim? Or a dCS?

Anyway speaking of VFM if you are thinking of the DAC202 as a DAC plus headphone amp the DAC202 is worth > a $2000 headphone amp for sure.

The Transporter is great isn’t it. Even to this day I am not entirely sure if all the DACs I have tried trounced it definitively. I heard it has been discontinued.

quote:

Here's another first hand opinion. Weiss vs Ndac Moral is, try for yourself.

js, I've read this thread. But the "moral" is ruined by a very poor availability of Weiss gears in my area ...

It's really frustrating as I need only 15 minutes to make a judgement.