Why is a Chord Hugo better than a Naim DAC

Further experimenting, upgraded my 2009 MacBook Pro's memory and installed a Samsung EVO 850 SSD. Installed demo Audirvana in iTunes compatible mode using the playback optimization mode. Using the USB cord that comes with the 2Q the MBP sounds really good but can't compete with the NDX/2Q to 282/250.2. All the music files were played directly from the MBP SSD and files to the NDX from QNAP NAS/MinimServer. So I don't know if a new decked out MacMini would make any difference.

Mr Wat. The floor is yours (others chime in). What can be done to equal the NDX feed.

M

The NDS feeding the Hugo is better .. But I can live with the NDX......

I didn't have long with the NDS, just a few days, but I found the difference with 3.22 firmware on both NDS&NDX feeding Hugo all but indistinguishable. When 4.3 went on the NDX it very audibly surpassed the NDS 3.22 on SPDIF out.

Not sure what I'm saying here. I guess it's that differences between the two top end streamers is extremely marginal as digital-out sources provided they are running the same firmware.

Exactly 

No AllenB I've not but I guess I would expect the NDS to offer a considerable performance hike given the price difference over an NDX.

I suspect most folks would think that NDS/555DR as a digital-out to Hugo a daft way to spend money!

G

Allen, you might have missed my point, that being I believe there is a difference, but with the Hugo  it is relatively subtle, hence my agreement with Graeme. One example is FLAC and WAV. Using the NDX and NDS internal DACs I find the decoding noise, or whatever artefact it is, quite noticeable. If feeding the Hugo by the NDX I find the difference between FLAC vs WAV less noticeable. Essentially in such a config we are comparing the differences between the NDX and NDS as a streaming transport.

Don't disagree about point about sweeping statements, however I have found firmware differences when the streamers are acting as transports relatively subtle, but there are differences none the less and with DoP it has been more than subtle. I suspect as you say the main causes are the differences from the hardware design, and certainly the NDS has superior shielding amongst other things inside 

Simon

Two things of probable significance -  though I can't comment re NDX feed as I don't have one.

Audirvana's guidance for best SQ is not to use the iTunes interface - though I can't comment on the difference as I haven't tried iTunes, not liking it anyway.

And on my Mac Mini I found that adding a USB isolator/SPDIF convertor has made a huge difference, without it into my Hugo being significantly worse than ND5XS, sounding like a veil drawn over everything, but now i think it sounds better than the ND5XS (though not finished full assessment yet, as a room rearrangement has altered sound and I'm still playing with speaker locations to get that right first). My Isolator/convertor is a Gustard U12 - available from an auction site at good price.

once I've got everything else right, and still happy it is better than ND5XS -or at least no worse- an added potential is being able easily to add room correction, which I will then try.

Sorry Allen - Which of my statements was 'sweeping'?...I was trying to speak from experience of both NDS&NDX as digital feeds with the same firmware (almost indistinguishable with 3.22) and 'guess' that adding in 4.3 on the NDS would then render it almost indistinguishable again from a 4.3 NDX.  I did say 'guess'...which is not 'sweeping' or definitive in my vocabulary.

G

Does this mean that the NDS would sound better with v4.3 than v3.22 using the standard DIN output socket too?

Sorry Allen but I can't follow any logic in that answer at all.  Let's agree to disagree on this one, life's too short and all that and typing is a relatively crude and un-nuanced way to try and communicate the finer points of any argument.

Best

G

+1.  I could hear a big difference between a bare NDX and NDX/XPS2 digital out into my Devialet though others have reported little or no difference between a bare NDX and NDX with PSU into a Hugo.  I also found that a Powerline made a positive difference reducing the slight digital 'edge' of the bare NDX.

i find a choke around the 75ohm digital SPDIF cable makes a worthwhile improvement in removing any slight edge.

I always choke my cables following your recommendation from a year or more ago but unfortunately that didn't reduce the 'edge' of my NDX.  Given that adding an XPS to my NDX made a big positive difference I think the 'edge' in my case was probably mains-derived rather than RFI/EMI.

I am!

So an NDS/555 with a Chord Dave would be some pretty good kit then?

I have yet to initialise the HD light on my NDac from my US . I have not downloaded any high res material into the serve yet , am I missing anything ?

if fed high res material is the NDac still trumped by the Hugo being fed the same ?

Will NDX pass double and quad DSD to 2Qute or Hugo?

The ND5XS will send DSD over S/PDF, and so I would assume that the NDX (with up to date firmware) will do the same.

Yes the NDX has streamed up to DSD 64 (at least that's what I have so far) but not sure about double or quad. I don't own any D-DSD and won't matter unless it reaches critical mass. Just posing the question for the future. The 2Qute I have sounds fantastic especially when one factors in the price paid it's almost a steal. I think Wat has DSD 64 and 128 but processes via Mac Mini/Audirvana. I'm experimenting but haven't made the jump to PC/Mac yet.

Regards,

M

The NDX will only handle DSD64

As said above, the Naim streamer's will only (currently) handle standard DSD aka DSD64 and can send  this via the SPDIF interface using DoP... but only when the SPDIF output is set to 'native'

Simon

 Soooooo... maybe something at a higher rate in the future via FW update???

Thanks Simon

That is a serious collection. I would have to buy over 1,000 a year for 5 years to match it. I can see why SONOS and a streaming service are not in the mix. Impressive!

M