Secrecy

I rather expect Naim would too !     Probably a game of hardball going on round the negotiating table.   

It seems to be the Naim way, especially hoping to find information directly from Naim on the forum first 

I try not to have expectations and then when a forum member does post the news, it's a nice surprise 

Arun

It's not as if this option hadn't been announced and then withdrawn.

I don't think people are expecting NAIM to change their ways as regards to new products that may or may not appear.

Still have no idea what a MOAD is, but sod's law states that what you wait for, will be released just after you purchase the alternative.

Mother Of All DACs. Which in due course will be the DOMOAD or possibly the GDOMOAD.

I am not sure what the fascination is with DSD. My experience has been that the deciding factor is the mastering quality. This seems to me to be yet another way for the industry to try and get us to re-buy all the same music yet again.

M

If not everything for the umpteenth time, then at least the usual suspects. I haven't heard DSD yet. I have heard mixed reviews and the caveat that providence and quality is paramount applies as usual. I can't see it gaining a big foothold. If it adds grease to the HiRes machine I'm all for it regardless. Although the opposite might be the case also.

Both DSD and HiRes PCM are outright nonsense from a consumer's point of view. Red book CD quality is all one ever needs. Anything above this is just plain waste. YOU CANNOT HEAR IT. You're not a dog, your ears are just not good enough.

But please go ahead. Buy your DSD DAC's and HiRes files and imagine you've got something better. Maybe your dog will appreciate it - but it might also drive it nuts - if you have speakers that are capable of reproducing what HiRes theoretically can contain, which I doubt!

Yes.  In your system you'll probably not benefit from HiRes audio.  However, the difference between 16 bit and 24 bit files is significant and obvious when played on a sufficiently capable system.

I suggest you do a propper test re. 16 vs. 24 bit before stating such nonsense:

http://archimago.blogspot.ca/2014/04/internet-test-24-bit-vs-16-bit-audio.html

Some people believe that sampling frequency equals audible frequency and that's all there is to it. Worse still, they believe that everything they believe applies to everyone else. Regardless of system quality, you are wasting your time Kevin.

We "know" this from Mac rumor sources, notably Mac Otakara, and then others re-reporting their rumor, such as Mac Rumors and then eventually What Hi-Fi.  Does Apple pre-announce upcoming products or features like this.  Secrecy is OK for Apple but not Naim?

Wat, can you please explain what you mean by :

"And internally it seems there is usually that delta sigma dance (DSD) going on - so it seems our music often goes to PCM to Direct Stream Digital (DSD) and back again before it becomes analogue"

Certainly Naim are not using DSD techniques from what I can see, and Naim's DAC, over sampling  and filter architecture is fairly conventional, albeit very tailored and optimised. Delta Sigma processing requires quite a different approach from conventional multibit PCM processing.

Simon

I don't think Wat was talking specifically about Naim DACs Simon, just that some DACs do convert to DSD but output vain PCM conversion.

Ahh, I see. I must admit that sounds really bizarre to me. Are there any examples?

thanks

Simon

Have we all forgotten about Airplay ? ;-)

Wat - thanks. I think your diagram (top one) shows a simplified block diagram of how you would record a DeltaSigma or even DSD bit stream into a PCM recorder, - and then recover the PCM on playback to convert back to a DeltaSigma bit stream and DAC. I must admit I  thought you were talking about DeltaSigma processing within a multi bit PCM DAC and filter system

Thanks for the info.

Simon