Naim DC1

I've got an SL full loom and a DC1 between my CDX2.2 and nDAC.  I used to have a pretty expensive Kimber cable but the DC1 bettered it. I take the view that if Naim thought they could better the DC1 e.g. producing a SL version, we would have seen it by now. So I comfort myself with the thought that my full cable set, including the DC1, is the best that Naim can make.   

I tried a belden stock cable, naim dc1 and then a True Signals audio cable about the same cost as a DC1......a really nice sound to my ears. Try a few before you commit.

If you have an SL size budget you should hear some of the Chord options.

Years ago I used a DC1 with my Naim DAC and then tried a Sarum TA with spectacular results. Lot more money, vastly better cable.

Thanks Dave....no point for me at the moment as I am still on a journey, they are all in my bucket list. Part of the fun is trying to find your own Nirvana, and .....perhaps a bargain. When I hope this year to sort out my system, I will retry DC1 versus True signal audio digital cable....it’s a good cable. SL and others will be tested.

I used DC1 BNC-BNC years between my USB-bridge and Naim DAC but recently switched it to Belden 1694A BNC-BNC cable. DC1 sounds very much like Naim with very upfront sound and great attack but in the end I thought Belden had more balanced representation with better bass extension and resolution. 

I currently have a belden 1694a, True signal audio digital was better than belden or Naim dc1 to my ears

I don't have a Naim DAC, but I do have a Core and a 272.  I use a BNC cable between the two - a Siltech Golden Eagle 75 ohm.  I love it.

Are those Naim supplied BNC to RCA adapters degrading the signal much?I currently use them between my Core and 272,cable is Nordost Heimdall 11...which is a cable I previously had.

Adapters don't help. I take a decent low cost cable with the correct connectors over a boutique 'digital' cable with adapters. 

Thanks James,I think I will look at the DC1 then.

NQ - If you can't find a DC-1, I'd recommend the Mark Grant G1000HD cable - it's a very well made cable at under £30 and you can specify which connectors you want when he makes it. 

No quarter posted:

Are those Naim supplied BNC to RCA adapters degrading the signal much?I currently use them between my Core and 272,cable is Nordost Heimdall 11...which is a cable I previously had.

IME yes

I tried DC1 with adapter and preferred a Flashback Coax with no adapter

I doubt many will notice different performance on most ordinary digital cables in a blind test, so better order the needed termination rather than adding evil adapters

Are the adapters indeed evil?They come in the box with the Core and 272...I thought it was more important that they are 75 ohm,which they should be you would think.My Nordost cable is a true 75 ohm digital cable.

They come in the box as a 'get you going' accessory - most people will have RCA terminated cables rather than BNC if they've just come into the Naim world. Nothing worse than getting a new toy and you can't use it straight away  

Your cable may be 75 Ohm, RCA connectors are usually not. That's why BNC connectors are better for this application. 

As James correctly says above, the adaptor is to get you going.  Much better to have a correctly terminated cable, and by far the best termination for a 75ohm coaxial cable is a 75ohm BNC (where a BNC connector is used on the kit).

Thanks guys,DC1 it is...

I have a belden 1694A with BNC one end and RCA the other, I also have a belden 4794R with BNCs both ends and use an RCA adaptor on the DAC end, this is my prefered cable from Core to DAC, both were preferable to Chord clearway or shawline by a long way and this held for both Rega DACr and 2Qute though the 2Qute was still too clinical for me, in fact the 4794R made the Rega DAC a viable stopgap while waiting for the ND555, it was rather too bland with the other cabes. This is a different result from PATU who prefers the 1694A but we have somewhat different systems and probably tastes too but I think the systems are a large part of it. 

The OP has a DC1 so that gives a benchmark but as the price rises taking a punt on alternative candidates gets less viable. If the dealers and suppliers of more expensive cable are serious about selling it they should be able to arrange a loan of some to try out.

The market for pre-loved high-end BNC cables is non-existent it seems. I've ordered this cheap (£ 32) 2m 75 ohm Mogami Neglex 2964 terminated with Canare BNC gold plated plugs in the mean time to get me going;

Cancelled the order for the Mogami because I just found a pre-loved 1.5m Nordost Valhalla Digital BNC Interconnect for a very nice price. I already own the RCA and AES/EBU version of this cable so I know what to expect.

Pic of the actual cable with the included RCA adapters attached;

The Mutec is going back. No matter what settings I select or cables I use, all I get is a distorted signal. Seems like a faulty one. I've ordered this ex-demo Bryston BUC-1 instead;

Hopefully I will get better results with this.

Shame about the Mutec - the swiss knife of digital interfacing. Bryston make very decent kit so this should work very nicely as a USB > S/PDIF converter. 

It does work very nicely indeed! The Stello U3 isn't that bad but this is a huge improvement, heard it from the first notes. It's a shop demo model so it's run in already. This is with the Valhalla Digital RCA/RCA, can't wait to hear it with the BNC/BNC version.

Drikus posted:

It does work very nicely indeed! The Stello U3 isn't that bad but this is a huge improvement, heard it from the first notes. It's a shop demo model so it's run in already. This is with the Valhalla Digital RCA/RCA, can't wait to hear it with the BNC/BNC version.

Congrats! I also had Stello U3 before my current USB-bridge (TeddyPardo U2S) and while it was ok, it couldn't keep up with the current one. It's biggest shortcoming was that it took power through USB while U2S is powered by Teddy's brilliant PSU. Bryston is also powered through external PSU but probably uses the same XMOS chip than U3 and U2S. Anyway, as we Naim useres know, PSU makes a huge difference.

Thx! The Bryston has an built in linear power supply, not an external, as you can see here;

It has an XMOS chip but I don't know if it has the same design specs as the U3.

Drikus posted:

Thx! The Bryston has an built in linear power supply, not an external, as you can see here;

It has an XMOS chip but I don't know if it has the same design specs as the U3.

Yes, what I meant with external is that it doesn’t power itself through USB but through external PSU (which in this case, is inside the unit). Looks very well built! Would be interesting to test this against U2S. I really liked Bryston + PMC setup I recently heard at local exhibition.