HDX/DAC/555PS
Posted by: gary1 (US) on 16 March 2010
This weekend I picked up my Naim DAC from PM. JS lent me a digital cable, as the RCA-BNC DC1 had not yet come in.
What can I say, the DAC really transformed the music. What I first noticed was how much more air and space was present between the musicians, with them moving forward in the sound stage and adding more depth between them. There was a real three dimensional experience which could easily be pinpointed, which while I noticed before the DAC, you just can't miss at this point.
As always the quality of the recording makes a big difference, but it was clear that the music had much more emotion and I heard things in the recording that either were sutile before or I missed entirely.
Tord Gustavsen's recording "The Ground" was amazing and really showed the strength of the stuff done at ECM as was The album "X" by the xx, and Cowboy Junkies "Trinity Sessions." However, Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah was just hauntingly beautiful.
Yes, 24/96 was another league altogether, but with there still relatively little of the stuff around I'm just amazed what you can hear on a standard 16 bit ripped file.
Definitely worth the wait.
What can I say, the DAC really transformed the music. What I first noticed was how much more air and space was present between the musicians, with them moving forward in the sound stage and adding more depth between them. There was a real three dimensional experience which could easily be pinpointed, which while I noticed before the DAC, you just can't miss at this point.
As always the quality of the recording makes a big difference, but it was clear that the music had much more emotion and I heard things in the recording that either were sutile before or I missed entirely.
Tord Gustavsen's recording "The Ground" was amazing and really showed the strength of the stuff done at ECM as was The album "X" by the xx, and Cowboy Junkies "Trinity Sessions." However, Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah was just hauntingly beautiful.
Yes, 24/96 was another league altogether, but with there still relatively little of the stuff around I'm just amazed what you can hear on a standard 16 bit ripped file.
Definitely worth the wait.
Gary, we have your DC1. 
quote:Originally posted by gary1 (US):
What can I say, the DAC really transformed the music. What I first noticed was how much more air and space was present between the musicians, with them moving forward in the sound stage and adding more depth between them. There was a real three dimensional experience which could easily be pinpointed, which while I noticed before the DAC, you just can't miss at this point.
Round earth qualities being celebrated on the Naim forum. Who'd have thought. What next? Speakers designed for use away from walls.....oh, wait a minute.
Funny old world, flat or round.
Joe
quote:Originally posted by AllenB:
Maybe you can sell the internal DAC and analogue output stages of the HDX on Fleabay now, ohhh, let's not forget the full to the brim hard drives, when you upgrade to the SSD.
Allen to each his own. I've said before if the digital out on the NS01 was equivalent to the HDX and the DAC was available at the time I'd have gone with the NS01.
Having said that the source is very important. The rips from the HDX (16 bit) have been the best source I've heard, so even with the NS01 while a price difference no doubt, you still IMO need to spend some money for the source and a PC/Mac hasn't cut it yet as far as I'm concerned.
quote:Originally posted by Joe Bibb:
Round earth qualities being celebrated on the Naim forum. Who'd have thought. What next? Speakers designed for use away from walls.....oh, wait a minute.
Separate, external boxed DACs will be the next turnaround.....Oh, wait a minute..!
