nDAC v NDS

I would say - rip your CDs and take a plunge with NDS. But.... you must audition it in y0ur system for at least 2-3 weeks before deciding.

Another solution would be NDX + nDAC + XPS. Also very good.

I run both of the above in my systems and do not plan on making any changes. Perhaps a pre-power to replace my SN2, but that can wait.

Adam

The NDAC + XPS2 I'm sure is good but in my experience it was the NDAC + 555PS that takes the NDAC  to a level that competes (and in my opinion often but not always  beats) the NDS + 555PS. 

The CDX2 is great fun for many genres - and if I had to characterise I would say its more NDAC like than NDS in character - but I would have as one of your sources - not your sole source - just as with the NDAC / NDS / NDX etc

These sources add their own colour and interpretation and really add to the enjoyment of your music collection - why homogenise it down - after all what are all those inputs for on our NACs? Go for a CDX2 and a streamer type solution - you can pick and choose to suite mood. For beers and heavy blues evenings with friends around - the CDX2 mk1 is pretty hard to beat

S

Hi Shaun,

the NDAC seems to dislike noisy input signals. I was looking for a new digital source a few months ago and borrowed, among other things, the NDAC from my local dealer. While it sounded nice when fed from my aging Bow CD-Player via a BNC cable from Black Cat, a Macbook plus AQ Toslink gave a better result. Everything was much easier on the ear without losing drive or anything else (at least to my ears). As you Mac Mini has an optical output, you can try this for yourself.

Hello Shaun,

How many CDs is "a lot"? Do you have a lot of digital music? It's not necessarily the medium that sounds better, but the actual recording. I have a few red book CDs that sound better than the majority of 24/192 and 24/96 files I have - at least to my ears (and those belonging to some very good friends who I trust).

I'm currently using a Squeezebox Touch into a DAC/XPS2. I hope to be trying a NDS (with the XPS2) soon. But that being said, I will never get rid of my CDS3.

Can you audition any of the options at home?

Arun

You should also experiment with different USB bridges. If your Audiophileo 1 is the first model, it's quite old technology already. Also Audiophileo 1 is powered through USB port, which is significantly worse option than having an USB bridge with built in / external PSU. MkII has external PSU option though. 

In your case, PC + USB bridge is the same as CDP, a transport. There's as much variability in them than there is in different CD players. 

Shaun McCullagh posted:

Hi,

At present I'm using Audirvana on a maxed out Mac Mini to stream music via an AudioPhileo 1 USB - SPDIF box to my nDAC.

Until last week I was quite happy with this until a friend suggested I compared the sound of a ripped CD file with that of the original CD played on a PSP3 connected to the nDAC via a Chord glass SPDIF cable.

The CD sounded much much better. I consoled myself with the fact most HD recordings sound better their CD counterparts.

Could I fix this problem by replacing the AudioPhileo / nDAC with an NDS or should I get a CDX2 and play my CDs on that instead as I have a lot of CDs?

I could power the NDS from my XPS...

Cheers

Shaun

 

Given that the PSP3 connected to the nDAC sounded better than Mac Mini + Audiophilleo 1 connected to the same DAC, I would try another USB to SPDIF interface, see https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...nverter-for-naim-dac. There is nothing wrong in adding a CDX2 to the system, of course. But I would try to make sure that all replay alternatives are equally enjoyable, perhaps for different kinds of music or listening mood ...

Shaun McCullagh posted:

 

The CD sounded much much better. I consoled myself with the fact most HD recordings sound better their CD counterparts. 

Too many variables to make such a conclusion, or the opposite conclusion.

HD files can sound better, or worse, than files stored on a compact disc.  The sources may be different; the masterings often are different.  Then layer on the effects of one's hardware . . . and it becomes an equation with 11 variables.  Solve for x?  I don't think so!

 MM/Audirvana in ultimate mode is capable of great things, and it is surprising that CD replay vs rip of same CD played through a PSP3 is better with the latter. Although, the Audiophillio has very serious competitors like the Gustard U12 now (at much less cost), it should be capable of doing the necessary. Maybe you just like the sound of the PSP, as opposed to it being better SQ?

Many thanks for all the responses.

I should have mentioned that I actually have an Audiophilleo 1 MkII with an external PSU, so it does not draw power from my MM USB.

I'm very curious to try a Teddy Pardo U2S not least because it has an optical output.

Has anyone tried one of these?

Thanks again

Shaun

Shaun McCullagh posted:

Many thanks for all the responses.

I should have mentioned that I actually have an Audiophilleo 1 MkII with an external PSU, so it does not draw power from my MM USB.

I'm very curious to try a Teddy Pardo U2S not least because it has an optical output.

Has anyone tried one of these?

Thanks again

Shaun

Yes, I use TeddyPardo U2S. Before U2S I used Stello U3 and before that I experimented with several different USB bridges (Audio GD, Musical Fidelity, M2Tech etc.) Stello U3 uses the same XMOS chip as U2S but there's Teddy's own power supply in U2S and I think he used some other improved components also. Anyway you could hear a clear improvement with U2S over U3. Technology in these has advanced lately, there's at least two new versions of the XMOS chip released after the one used in U2S and Stello. So I haven't compared U2S with the most recent competition like Gustard U12 or the newer chinese USB bridges which use the very latest XMOS chip. 

If you have the latest Audiophileo with external PSU then I wouldn't expect dramatic improvements with U2S or many other bridges either. What kind of USB cable do you use btw? They have some impact also. Chord SilverPlus does the trick for me. 

How do you connect the Audiophilleo to the nDac? In my system the best result is to connect it directly via BNC connector, no digital cable.

For USB I use a black Audioquest which is ok for me - nevertheless I'm curious to see if there are USB bridges that provide fundamentally better results.

Hi P,

I had a rummage around and found my AP box, dug out the male to male BNC connector and discarded my cable. If I now do A/B comparison I think the ripped track now sounds almost the same as the CD, at very least better without the cable.

So thanks very much for the suggestion I would urge other AP users to try this out.

I think I'll try the out Hugo Chord as a friendly dealer is willing to lend me one....

Shaun

Good to hear you like the result! Cheers & enjoy