Mac: Naim DAC or Ayre QD-9?

Maybe a home demo would help you decide?

Also,  the Naim DAC sounds great with ANY source.  You might be thinking about comments that a Mac is not the best source for ANY Dac.

Weiss DAC2 or DAC202 depending on how deeper pockets you have



James

I had the Ayre DAC (newst version) at home for a week and tested it with laptop/Windows7/Foobar/ASIO/Audioquest USB cable... It sounds very good and the USB works without any problems. Changing the wordlength or sample rate is no problem at all for the DAC. After I burned in the DAC for about 100 hours I demoed it against HDX/DC1/DAC. All components (except the laptop) on Fraim and both DACs connected via Hi Line (using one DIN to DIN and one RCA to DIN) into a 100% Naim setup except for the B&W 804D speakers: The Naim combination is clearly better to my ears simply offering more of everything (PRaT, details, soundstage and goose bump factor) but it is about three times more expensive than the Ayre QB 9! So the demo was kind of unfair. In your case using a MAC as a source I would buy an asyncronous USB to coax S/PDIF converter and the Naim DAC (V-Link from Musical Fidelity, Halide Bridge, Wavelength Audio Wavelink, M2Tech EVO and a few others) or a Firewire to S/PDIF converter (Weiss INT 202 - not DAC 202). Personally I would try the Musical Fidelity V-Link first: reasonable price compared to the others and reading the first review on an internet site specialized on computeraudio it seems to be good and works very stable and does not need special drivers.

Thak you. I was thinking about a used HDX, too (2x500GB). One of the reasons I´m looking toward Mac & DAC ist that I would expect better soundquality compared to a HDX with internal DAC. Have you done a comparison HDX (internal Dac) to Mac & DAC?

Curious about this myself.  I have a Mac mini as a music server currently into an ARC Dac8, but thinking about switching over to the Naim Dac, or NDX when available.  I had assume I would likely use the optical out of the Mac into the Naim, anyone compare the optical to Spidf in this setup?

How are you connecting the arc to the Mac Mini?

So why do you want to replace the ASC DAC8? I am a Weiss user having been devoted to Naim for decades – but I can't be bothered with a multiplicity of new boxes for a DAC AND a convertor for my Apple Lossless files after ripping 2,000 CDs. Indeed, Naim's lack of interest in Mac users and the baroque complexity of the DAC options has made me feel I would happily rid myself of Naim altogether.

Who the hell has interest in Mac users?

very funny

@ Wilko
How do the Weiss compare to Naim gaer in sound? Is it similar or goes to the directon of the "Naim sound"?

You may want to have a listen to the DAC in the new Audiolab 8200 CDQ. It is seriously good. Connection to a Mac or PC computer is via asynchronous USB 2.0, supporting 24/176.4, and you can control your media player from the CDQ or remote. The unit is a combined CD/DAC/preamp retailing for about 1300 $ CDN, and a standalone DAC is due out later this year. 

The sound is very detailed, neutral, organized and fluid without any sign of harshness. And it does PRaT too.

Jan

Hey James,

Never did arrange that listening session. Give me a shout if you want to find out what a real system can do

Do you have a screen and keyboard attached to the Mini or do you manage to control it remotely?

Here we go - let's ignite a Mac v the rest debate - how about Mac v Naim? ..... very constructive.

Tog

Try M2Tech Young via USB......

Top of my list -have you heard one?



Tog

IMHO If your mac is connected to a NAIM DAC, you do not need any converter to play Apple Lossless files on the Mac . The conversion is done my the mac.

What you cannot do (yet ?)  is to play Apple Lossless files on a NAIM streaming device (like the NDX), or with the DAC using an USB key as input.

Alain

I've got one !

The dealer where I bought my Weiss ,imports M2tech, he said it was a good little DAC ,he tends to understate,I haven't heard one yet ,but are they good.

H

Please tell me more -

Tog

It blew me away. So much so, I decided to sell my CDX2/XPS2 and use Mac/Young as a source instead !
I urge you to try one.....

1) The optical out is actually SPDIF, so not sure what you are asking. I use a Halide Bridge from a USB port to convert to SPDIF for my SuperNait. This is better than the optical SPDIF

2) Control of my Mini is by VNC remote desktop on a Macbook, and by using the "remote" app on iphones and an iPad. The iPad version is pretty sweet. No keyboard or mouse, but it is also connected to the TV which functions as a monitor for watching video from the Mini.

Hope this helps.