Naim DAC-V1 Newbie...

Put some isolators between the MM and the V1, don't need to be expensive, but enough to create an air gap of 0.5-1" and you'll be fine. I might consider connecting the MM to the network with cable rather than WiFi, but that's a try it and see choice.

Enjoy,

KR,  J

Thanks for the suggestion! - I also got some feedback on this from Naim who said it would be OK to place the Mac Mini on top - just need to ensure that it is not in an enclosed space and well ventilated which it would be. On second thought, I am going to put the Mac in another spot and leave the DAC alone as it looks better that way!

Loving the unit though and it is rock solid with Audirvana on a Mac Mini - I just hope Naim can open it up for DSD256 down the road - not that there is much DSD256 material to enjoy! lol

Cheers,
Vin,

Glad that you have some guidance from Naim and are enjoying the V1.  

Just wondering whether you are using the 72 as the pre and the V1 in fixed output mode (I.e.  Bypassing the pre in the V1)?  Worth experimenting , if you haven't done so already ;-)

Jude 

Hi Jude,

Sorry I haven't updated by signature in a while and will do so now! - I am actually using the V1 in fixed output mode into a Bryston BP-25 preamp going into a Bryston 3B-SST power amp. Sounds amazing...

Cheers,
Vin.

VinBob posted:

Hi Jude,

Sorry I haven't updated by signature in a while and will do so now! - I am actually using the V1 in fixed output mode into a Bryston BP-25 preamp going into a Bryston 3B-SST power amp. Sounds amazing...

Cheers,
Vin.

Nice 

Hello All,

One more question which doesn’t seem to be addressed or clear in the user guide from what I can tell – There is a DIN output option on the DAC-V1 which I am interested in using – is this when connecting to a Naim or some other DIN capable preamp or can I utilize a DIN to RCA cable for an RCA connection to my preamp? Would I notice any benefit using this method (DIN -> RCA) or is it just as good to stick with a good quality (Chord Chameleon) RCA cable output to the preamp as I have it today? 

Cheers,
Vin.

Could be mistaken, but I believe the DAC V1 operates as a pre-amp in its own right, the DIN and RCA connectors are to connect to a Naim NAP 100 for example creating a complete system. Don't know if they can be configured as pre-outs in the menu, otherwise be very careful connecting to a standard pre-amp source input!

Anyone else?

KR, J

Could be mistaken, but I believe the DAC V1 operates as a pre-amp in its own right, the DIN and RCA connectors are to connect to a Naim NAP 100 for example creating a complete system. Don't know if they can be configured as pre-outs in the menu, otherwise be very careful connecting to a standard pre-amp source input!

Anyone else?

KR, J

And from the manual;

If your DAC-V1 is to be connected to a further “downstream” preamplifier, the DAC-V1 output volume should be fixed by selecting the Fixed Output option in the Preamp Out setup menu (see Section 5.2.2). If headphones are used with the DAC-V1 while Fixed Output is selected, volume control will be restored while the headphones are plugged-in.

KR, J

Thanks Dr J!

The DAC-V1 can indeed be used as a preamp with the variable volume option - However, I am not running it as a preamp as I am using 'fixed volume output' to a Bryston BP-25 preamp via RCA cables which works great. My question was really around the use of either the RCA or DIN outputs and whether one was better than the other. So the question is simply whether it would be better (and possible) using a DIN to RCA cable to my preamp or is the current RCA connection going to be just as good performance wise? 

Cheers,
V.

In which case, which eve sounds best to you 

Ha - Good point!  Unfortunately, I don't have a directional DIN to RCA cable but do have an RCA to DIN - So I wanted some feedback on whether DIN (DIN to RCA and not DIN to DIN) output is definitely better than RCA before I go out an invest in another expensive interconnect... 

Still depends on what sounds best to you. There's a lot of 'the King's new clothes' around the wiring space, let alone the 'my plug is better than your plug' debate, and given the serious money sometimes involved, any reputable dealer should be able to get a demo, and therefore run in, example for you to try.

That said, I fitted my system with PowerLines on the basis of a demonstrable and significant performance hike.

Good luck with the testing!

KR, J

Thanks KR,J. I also had reached out to the good people over at Naim and got the following feedback:

If used with a Naim amplifier then using the DIN output allows the chassis and signal grounds to be kept separate however if used with a non-Naim amplifier with RCA inputs then there is no advantage to be gained by using a DIN to RCA cable instead of an RCA to RCA cable.

So it would appear that I am configured as best as I can be with my current setup and no need to look into any DIN->RCA cables! 

I have also asked them if there are any future FW update plans to maybe introduce DSD256 sampling or maybe the possibility of a standby operational mode - although the latter may possibly require more physical internal components which would render that option as a non starter... 

Thanks again and enjoy! 
V.