DAC For Naim System

[BobbyBlitz]

Hello everyone , this is my first post on this nice forum.

I have to make a very important choice , the dac !

are in the process of buying a nice naim system : nait 5si and nait cd5si , which will replace nad 326BEE and marantz CD6004 . a great leap forward !
my speakers are two small Dynaudio DM 2/6 .
Too bad for the dac of the marantz , because according to my taste is great for the front usb stick , even if the cd5si beats him in the reproduction of cd !
The point is what is the DAC that I can add to this system ? budget MAX is around 800 £.

My listening is mostly hard rock and heavy metal , as well as a bit of blues and jazz .. I like in front voices ,clear and bright sound and dry bass.
What do you recommend ? the naim dac - v1 is too expensive for me. I also have an ethernet jack, would estimate a system streaming via uPnP , from the personal computer. for now I do not have tablet devices.
Thanks to everyone for the tips!

 

[ID.]

TBH, if I were setting up a new system today I wouldn't bother with both a CD player and a DAC. I'd put the money towards the best DAC I could afford/the DAC that best suits my tastes and requirements. If I had to have a CD player, I'd probably buy the cheapest competent CD player I could find and just use it as a transport feeding the DAC.

 

[spiny norman]

TBH, if I were setting up a new system today I wouldn't bother with both a CD player and a DAC. I'd put the money towards the best DAC I could afford/the DAC that best suits my tastes and requirements. If I had to have a CD player, I'd probably buy the cheapest competent CD player I could find and just use it as a transport feeding the DAC.

Love it: you wouldn't buy a CD player unless you needed a CD player, in which case you'd buy a CD player.

You're absolutely right: the OP should just buy a DAC. Nothing else. :wall:

 

[BobbyBlitz]

thanks for your reply! So you suggest me to buy a dac-v1 and the naim nait 5si, and keep my marantz cd 6004, right?

Then I can use the dac-v1 with usb cable for liquid music, and feed the marantz cd6004.

If I choose this option, the sound of my cd will be much different of a cd5si?

 

[plastic penguin]

Rega dac should be ideal.Naim and Rega is generally seen as a very good match, and within your budget.

 

[ID.]

TBH, if I were setting up a new system today I wouldn't bother with both a CD player and a DAC. I'd put the money towards the best DAC I could afford/the DAC that best suits my tastes and requirements. If I had to have a CD player, I'd probably buy the cheapest competent CD player I could find and just use it as a transport feeding the DAC.

Love it: you wouldn't buy a CD player unless you needed a CD player, in which case you'd buy a CD player.

You're absolutely right: the OP should just buy a DAC. Nothing else. :wall:

Or to sum it up more accurately rather than just extracting the urine, it seems a bit redundant to buy both a decent DAC and an expensive CD player. One should be able to use just a DAC and rip the CDs, or if one prefers to have the physical discs to play, then I believe you could get better value for money by buying a cheaper player to use as a transport and spending more on the DAC.

To the OP, the main problem with my advice is I haven't heard the Naim CD player or DAC. I think you may be better off with the Naim DAC running off your Marantz, but you may actually prefer the sound of the Naim CD player. I wouldn't buy without auditioning.

 

[spiny norman]

To the OP, the main problem with my advice is I haven't heard the Naim CD player or DAC.

:doh:

 

[ID.]

:shhh:

So, mornin' Norman, what constructive contributions have you made to this thread? Or I should only comment constructively on threads where I've heard all potential kit involved and otherwise just limit myself to trolling other contributors if I can't establish my credentials?

8)

It's kind of a moot point anyway, because irrespective of which I personally found superior based on my own experience and tastes, the OP might still have different preferences and tastes, so ultimately he really needs to have a listen for himself, either way.

 

[BobbyBlitz]

Thanks everyone for your precious opinion. I think I'll go with naim ampli and cd. For now I don't use high resolutions files for liquid music.

I will start with a budget dac like micromega mydac after a lisening session, and in the future I'll buy a more performance DAC, maybe used.

Thanks to everyone for your time!

 

[pete321]

I use the Teac UD-501 DAC with my PC and Nait XS. It's got great quality components for the money and is DSD capable. Even if you don't have DSD files, software like J.River can now upsample PCM files on-the-fly to 5.6mhz (or 2 x DSD), giving digital music a more natural sound. I can highly recommend the Vertere D-Fi USB lead to go with it, a massive improvement in dynamics and detail over my previous Supra USB lead, don't ask me how and why it should be better, but it works.

 

[ID.]

Best of luck. I hope you find the right combination for you.

Apologies for my banter with Spiny Norman above. My advice is based on generalizations from my own experiences listening to other brands of DACs and CD players at various price points.

 

[BobbyBlitz]

Thanks ID. Today my dealer told me that DAC-V1 with my cd6004 is better then cd5si. So I just have to try this combination, then I will take a decision.

I will let you know! thanks fo now!

 

[plastic penguin]

My dealer told me the Rega Dac and Arcam CDP, used as transport, was better value than Naim CD5i-2. When I heard the two combos, it weren't.

Take any dealers's recommendations with a pinch of salt.

 

[spiny norman]

Thanks ID. Today my dealer told me that DAC-V1 with my cd6004 is better then cd5si. So I just have to try this combination, then I will take a decision.

If you're going down that route and you just want to play CDs from the Marantz, plus music from your computer, (ie you don't need additional analogue inputs), then I'd suggest you ditch the idea of the Naim integrated amp and go for the DAC-V1 and NAP 100 instead.

Then again the Naim DAC won't do true streaming, in other words it will only play what the computer's playing. If that's not a problem for you, then fine; if not (for example if you're thinking of adding a NAS at some point and streaming from that) then the Naim UnitiLite might be the way to go if you're sold on Naim.

 

[mitch65]

My dealer told me the Rega Dac and Arcam CDP, used as transport, was better value than Naim CD5i-2. When I heard the two combos, it weren't.

Take any dealers's recommendations with a pinch of salt.

Had to smile at that one PP........it's so true :clap:

 

[ID.]

Take any dealers's recommendations with a pinch of salt.

I'd go so far as to say take any recommendations with a pinch of salt and trust your own ears and tastes.

 

[BobbyBlitz]

Hi everyone!

today had a new listening session with the classic combo cd5si/nait5si and dacv1/nap100 with my cd6004 used as transport with coax on dac-v1.

the classic cd+amp solution is stunning, so it was the dacv1/nap100 playng flac of the same songs with mac and audirvana, simply awesome!

cd6004 as transport has improved a lot with the dac-v1! but not at the level of classic combo cd+amp. Here the sound was a little weak compared to the cd5si + cd5si.

You suggest me to rip all my cd's and go with v1/nap 100 or buy the classic cd+amp and then a dac?

The second solution will cost a lot of money if will take the dac-v1.

Again the v1 in combination of 5si amp doesn't assure same results as v1/nap100, because the final nap 100 has a better and bigger supply.

It's hard decision!

 

[letsavit2]

I have the slightly older naim 5i CD player and amp and to my ears I would say get a £30 fiio DAC and apple airport express. Spend the other £700 on drink and drugs don't waste it on a dac!