naim dac

[admin_exported]

any plans to review this and has anyone heard it yet

i see it has already received a couple of positive reviews elsewhere

 

[chebby]

I have a feeling the Naim DAC is going to be quite a 'hot potato' for anyone reviewing it.

If it is positively reviewed then the review and reviewers are going to be pilloried mercilessly in certain quarters. (Remember the HDX?)

Despite it being way beyond my budget, I hope (for Naim) that it is a good product that takes the science forward.

If there is a WHF review I look forward to all aspects of the Naim DAC's implementation being fully asessed (and not just as an add-on box for existing Naim CD owners).

At almost £2000 it has an awful lot to live up to in a fierce market. (I also hope there is none of that.. "only reaches it's full potential with a £4900 555 PS" otherwise it risks accusation of being just a 'vehicle' to flog more Naim PSUs.)

 

[Anonymous]

agree with your comments fully chebby

its beyond my budget too at the moment but if it is that good ill hold off replacing my current dacs until either its affordable or theres a cheaper version

the rival magazine review was ecstatic

 

[MUSICRAFT]

I received Naim's new DAC after quite a wait. Having said that the wait was worth it as it is even better than the unit that i heard at Naim HQ in June.

I have not tried the DAC with the XPS2 or 555PS yet however the it is already excellent in its own right.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[sometimesuk]

That have already been two reviews of the Naim DAC. Hifi world has reviewed it, and so have Hifi Choice. Techradar.com have the full Hifi Choice review on their website.

Both have given the DAC top scores.

I heard a protype of the DAC at the WHS&V show in Bristol in Feb and was very impressed.

If you head for the Naim Forum, you'll find plenty of costs there, comparing it to its different CD players etc.

 

[Anonymous]

MUSICRAFT:
I received Naim's new DAC after quite a wait. Having said that the wait was worth it as it is even better than the unit that i heard at Naim HQ in June.

I have not tried the DAC with the XPS2 or 555PS yet however the it is already excellent in its own right.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraftrick my problem is that having got a bargain secondhand suspended deck well known brand turntable my current dacs which are mf ca and unnamed chinese all sound pretty ordinary by comparison as in less dynamic less detailed less musical less everything really

is the naim dac sufficiently good to address that discrepancy or is there another one youd recommend

ive heard that audiolab is due to release a new dac that is more affordable than the naim have you heard this yet

 

[Anonymous]

one off:

ive heard that audiolab is due to release a new dac that is more affordable than the naim have you heard this yet

The audiolab is seeing a lot of hype online. Be interesting to say what it's like 'in the flesh' (and pricing of course)

 

[Frank Harvey]

Infortunately I can't comment, as we can't seem to get ours back off our customers! Everyone wants to try it in their system, so at the moment it's doing the rounds among our regular Naim customers. I doubt I'm going to lay eyes on it this year!

So far, very positive comments.

 

[crusaderlord]

yes the mags i have read rave about it - but then again it isnt cheap either so it guess it should get great reviews to be worth its cost

 

[MUSICRAFT]

one off:MUSICRAFT:

I received Naim's new DAC after quite a wait. Having said that the wait was worth it as it is even better than the unit that i heard at Naim HQ in June.

I have not tried the DAC with the XPS2 or 555PS yet however the it is already excellent in its own right.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraftrick my problem is that having got a bargain secondhand suspended deck well known brand turntable my current dacs which are mf ca and unnamed chinese all sound pretty ordinary by comparison as in less dynamic less detailed less musical less everything really

is the naim dac sufficiently good to address that discrepancy or is there another one youd recommend

ive heard that audiolab is due to release a new dac that is more affordable than the naim have you heard this yet

Hi one off

I have not compared the Naim DAC to the MF of CA and nor i have heard the new Audiolab DAC.

If you want the finest than you should also consider the truly magnificent Chord Electronics QBD76. The QBD76 even has the ability to make 128kbps compressed signals via bluetooth sound superb.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

MUSICRAFT:Hi one off
I have not compared the Naim DAC to the MF of CA and nor i have heard the new Audiolab DAC.

If you want the finest than you should also consider the truly magnificent Chord Electronics QBD76. The QBD76 even has the ability to make 128kbps compressed signals via bluetooth sound superb.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft
definitely outside my price range unfortunately

 

[MUSICRAFT]

one off:MUSICRAFT:Hi one off

I have not compared the Naim DAC to the MF of CA and nor i have heard the new Audiolab DAC.

If you want the finest than you should also consider the truly magnificent Chord Electronics QBD76. The QBD76 even has the ability to make 128kbps compressed signals via bluetooth sound superb.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

definitely outside my price range unfortunately

Hi one off

Fair enough. Please consider the Naim DAC as it is also excellent.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Sliced Bread]

I wonder if there are any plans for a cheaper DAC from Naim. The UNITI has a dac for digital streaming, as well as amplification, DAB and a CD player for 2K. There must be room in the market for a DAC with XS or 5i capabilities

 

[VoodooDoctor]

One of my friends auditioned the Naim DAC last week and put his money down immediately. He's only going to get it in February so it's going to be a long time until I hear it!

 

[Frank Harvey]

JohnNewman:I wonder if there are any plans for a cheaper DAC from Naim. The UNITI has a dac for digital streaming, as well as amplification, DAB and a CD player for 2K. There must be room in the market for a DAC with XS or 5i capabilities

While that's probably possible, I can't see Naim entering the budget arena with a DAC as they're only going to produce a DAC that will upgrade the quality of their own equipment. A DAC for a grand or less is probably unlikely to add much, if anything at all, to their existing range of CD players. IF the Uniti used the same DAC as the CD5i, there would be no place in Naim's range for it.

Also, as with all manufacturers (and their products), there's a price point where their full capabilities kick in, where you can say "that's what (insert manufacturer name) are all about". If some of these manfacturers competed in budget areas, like a £300 ProAc speaker, or a £400 Naim amplifier, they wouldn't be able to compete strongly in these areas, and would only end up with a mediocre product, or one which may not even be competetive.

 

[Dan.m]

I think you both make valid points - but john newmans suggestion is exactly what i want. My ideal component would be a naim XS amp with built in DAC of CD5i quality but with an upgrade option to the XS CDP DAC. It would be my first venture into midrange hifi and a first time buyer into the Niam brand. I think there is a room for such a DAC component for the first time buyer rather than dismiss such a DAC as it would not be a significant upgrade route for existing Naim customers.

Naim XS amp with DAC (CD5i quality) for £1750 - ill order mine now !!

 

[Sliced Bread]

Agreed Dan.

Thanks for your points David, they are good ones, however with the move from cd to streaming, I would have thought that there would be an excellent gap in the market for a 5i / XS quality DAC. Heck, maybe even one with a streamer . The software already exists in NAIMS Uniti. I for one would be very interested.

With regard to Streaming, there are some good streamers out there (i.e. squeezebox), but generally they need an external DAC to improve the quality if it is to do justice to amps and speakers in the mid-priced category. The UNITI dac/streamer as a seperate unit could be quite competetive in the current market. If it is 5i or XS quality, I would certainly buy one.

Alternatively an AMP with a DAC as Dan suggested would be superb. You could then plug your streamer directly into it

Thanks

 

[Dan.m]

How about a Uniti without the transport for £1750 - could even upgrade the amp section to XS standard for £2000 (again without the transport). 'Made to measure' flexibility would be excellent ( a bit like ordering from a menu)! - with option to send back to factory for upgrades.