Dac V1..............is there

a digital pre-amp - for those who are done with analog sources.

It is not just a desk-top system. With a MAC Mini and excellent speakers it can be top-line main system with a suitable amp such as the NAP 100.

It is a digital input pre-amp that can take digital signals from a computer, a DVD player, streamer, DAT, etc ...

I have finished with analogue sources, for musical reasons.

ATB from George

DAT!! Not as old as the lp and not as good either.

Brilliant, "for those who are done with analog sources"

So you've given up on good sound.

No he has not! I speak from the experience that analogue can get great replay, and so can digital.

But digital is far less expensive to get really good ...

ATB from George

Nor as old as direct cut, which eliminate that poisonous replay chain component, the analogue tape, which is the replay spawn of Satan!

ATB from George

Dac-v1 is a desktop Hi-Fi product. It is designed around the Asynchronous USB input as the main source. Naim have seen that there was a gap in the market for this type of product, there are a lot of other options in the market like this but none built to the same standard as this. It does require a little bit of fiddling around in terms of software, so it's really designed for geeks like myself with a digital library who like to mess around, there are Uniti products that do everything else.

You can also set it to fixed output, bypassing the pre-amp and giving you line out.

It also works really well as a headphone amp.

Just because you don't understand a product doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it.

No - not totally. It is getting harder (with age) I must say  to handle the TT, - I can hear the future! It takes me days and a stiff back to setup a cartridge! Digital is easy, as long as you do your backups! Point and click.

I would be sold on the dac v1 if it had a 30W amp in it - like the uq.

I dont want two boxes at work. Just one - for headphones and speakers - to be played at low volumes.

I want a UQ with async usb, but without a streaming section.

The prachtree nova and decco fit the bill better - now only if they sound like naim...

It seems Naim are damned if they do, damned if they don't. They can't make something for everyone, although, at times it seems as if they are trying to!

Sounds to me like the OP would benefit from a UQ instead.

A analog pre digital controlled

So you want a DAC with a integrated amp!

this product Range would increase # of boxes in the naim portfolio

I would say that DAC V1 is ............ a DAC !!!

and is meant to be used as ............ a DAC !!!

A nice addition is, because it is so 'easy' to do at that signal level, that it also has a headphone amp/preamp.

I can't understand why people are always moaning about what the product could have been if those stupid, butt-headed, unknowledgeable designers and engineers in Salisbury would only have the slightest interest what makes the 'average' tightfisted consumer tick, instrad of acceptingwhat it is and put it in its proper place among the other products.

Cheers

Aleg

If its ment to be used as a dac then why the nap100 

Robert

Because as I said it has the additional feature of a preamp (or should I say a "volume control") which  can be used to connect the device to a power-amp and have some influence over its output levels.

Also other (non-Naim) DACs can be directly connected to a power amp if one could forego on having a volume control (or add in stepped attenuators or the like). And  other DACs also often double up as a headphone amp / pre-amp by adding a volume control in the output pathway. It's nothing special.

What is special about the V1 is that they have chosen a very good implementation of the USB-interface and that the core DAC is based on the excellent NAIM DAC technology.

But it still is 'just' a DAC.

Cheers

Aleg

+1.

Just use "powered" speakers to avoid nap100, and job is done. There are some really good once out there. For people like myself, nap100 is a choice, paired with V1.

If you would rather use a media player like jRiver or iTunes or foobar, and a remote like JRemote, and avoid the misery of UPnP, not to mention a simple way of getting the sound from BBC iPlayer, or spotify or youtube, then a USB dac such as the V1 has a lot of appeal. 

+1

If you Wanne avoid upnpand some other Things such as AirPlay for spotify it is a Good Choice But more PC stuff them a streamer at the User end!

Exactly. I don't understand why so many people don't seem to get it (or make it all sound so very difficult).

+1

Just chilling now listening to my DAC V1 / NAP100 fed by 

UQ into Naim Allae's, the sound is spot on best I have heard for the money  the sound is that good you forget about the kit and drift into the music.

id say it is Sean.

Dear MangoM-,

The DAC V1 is superb, not inexpensive, and works without complication ...

If it had also got a power amp in the case it would either be very much more expensive, or significantly less fine at what it does as a DAC with a stupendously fine variable output [volume] control.

As it is, the V1 can be part of a top-line main system! If it were compromised in the way of also containing a small power amplifier, it would become severely limited in terms of what speakers might be part of the system, or even compromised enough sonically to be unsuitable for main system use.

Once again, I would say that Naim has judged this product with bullseye accuracy with respect to the market! Either as a way of integrating computer audio into a top-line replay set, or giving those who want to tether a first class DAC and headphone amplifier to their workstation computer!

ATB from George