Naim DAC

[Anonymous]

Craig M.:
i guess if the ram buffer is doing it's job, then there should be no difference. just a guess though.

My thoughts exactly. I feel the only benefit for using the m2tech in this situation is being able to get the higher output from the Mac Mini.

 

[Craig M.]

idc:I disagree that Chord are jitter free. Certainly the Chordette is adaptive in USB mode.

sorry idc, i should have been more specific - the qbd76 is jitter free.

 

[idc]

IanS1:the chordette is a completely different design compared to the QBD76.

Is the QBD76 also not adaptive? I am not at all sure how the blueray part applies. It just seems to me that adaptive will always be a compromise and better results are to be had with synch or asynch. But, removal of jitter is only one part of improving SQ.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

IanS1:Craig M.:

if jitter is a big concern and you don't think your dac is dealing with it as well as it could, maybe this would suit. http://www.m2tech.biz/products.html usb to spdif low jitter doodah.

idc, you missed chord from your list of zero jitter dacs!

Just testing out the m2tech device with my Mac Mini now, pretty good results so far and the ability to play music above the mac's 24/96 is a bonus too. Into my recently aquired Chord QBD76 I have never heard digital music sound so good and not a CD player in sight.

Hi IanS1

Congratulations on aquiring the QBD76. A fantastic piece of engineering.

Btw, what finish did you choose?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Craig M.]

the qbd does away with input jitter by using a ram buffer and clocking it out of that. blueray?

edit: aah, you mean the blu transport? it upsamples the signal before it reaches the dac (i think). you don't need to use it.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Rick,

I managed to get my hands on a ex-dem silver one at a very good price, as you say a very nice piece of engineering indeed. Some say it looks a bit "blingy" who care when digital music can sound this good.

 

[idc]

Blueray should be bluetooth. OOps!

 

[PJPro]

IanS1:...Some say it looks a bit "blingy" who care when digital music can sound this good....
I'm guessing that bling doesn't come cheap. Personally, I'd prefer less bling and a lower retail price. But that's because I'm poor.

 

[Anonymous]

Bluetooth into the QBD76 from my mobile, Windows Laptop and Mac Mini all sound very good indeed. I was speaking to a dealer this week who recently did a demo of the QBD76 for a high end customer. First he played music from a CDP and without telling the customer he then played a track from his mobile phone via bluetooth, the customer couldn't tell the difference between the two.

 

[Craig M.]

that's similar to what Rick did to me, "what do you think of this?", sounds brilliant i said, turns out it was spotify streamed via bluetooth to the dac.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

IanS1:Hi Rick, I managed to get my hands on a ex-dem silver one at a very good price, as you say a very nice piece of engineering indeed. Some say it looks a bit "blingy" who care when digital music can sound this good.

Hi IanS1

Thanks for your reply.

Fantastic

and indeed the QBD76 does sound superb.

My demo/display QBD76 is in the jet black finish (very blingy) with the Prima pre amp and Mezzo 140 power amplifier in the same satin silver finish (as your QBD76) and i think they also look great in this finish.

Btw, i hope you will enjoy the performance of your QBD76 for many years to come.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

So when will the NAIM dac be reviewed by whathifi ?

The net seem awfully quiet about this dac ?

I'm dying to read a whathifi's review on this ?

Kind regards NR (Denmark)

 

[Andrew Everard]

I believe we finally got a sample of the DAC last week...

 

[staggerlee]

nightrhyme - there's loads of stuff on the naim dac,just google it. The hype is immense

 

[sometimesuk]

staggerlee:nightrhyme - there's loads of stuff on the naim dac,just google it. The hype is immense

Its not Hype, it really does sound that good! I havent seen a bad review. A quick look at the (obviously biased) naim forum and you'll find loads of people saying its the best upgrade they have made.

Also if you went to the Bristol Hifi Sound and Vision show, a very large number of demo rooms that were using naims HDX were runnining it through the new naim DAC.

 

[Bodfish]

I've had my Naim DAC for about three weeks now and couldn't be more pleased with it. It's been powered up permanently since it arrived and I'm still noticing differences in very familar material.

The DAC and the Harbeths (which are staggeringly good in their own right by the way

) arrived in my system at pretty much the same time so I appreciate I'm not just hearing the changes the DAC is bringing in but to say my system has never sounded better would be an understatement!

And don't even get me started on the High Def 'proper' 24 bit recordings via USB...crazeeee....

 

[Anonymous]

Look forward to seeing the WHF teams views on the DAC soon!

 

[Anonymous]

MUSICRAFT:
Fantastic

and indeed the QBD76 does sound superb.

My demo/display QBD76 is in the jet black finish (very blingy) with the Prima pre amp and Mezzo 140 power amplifier in the same satin silver finish (as your QBD76) and i think they also look great in this finish.

Hi Rik, I'm on verge of purchasing a demo unit and wanted to know what people are paying for ex dem ones? I'm also told the prices are going - a lot?

 

[Anonymous]

MUSICRAFT:
Fantastic

and indeed the QBD76 does sound superb.

My demo/display QBD76 is in the jet black finish (very blingy) with the Prima pre amp and Mezzo 140 power amplifier in the same satin silver finish (as your QBD76) and i think they also look great in this finish.

Hi Rik, I'm on verge of purchasing a demo unit and wanted to know what people are paying for ex dem ones? I'm also told the prices are going - a lot?

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't have thought there were many ex-dem ones around to make a price comparison - it's hard enough to get hold of a new one!

Agreed with the above that it's not hype - but my big wish would be for WHF, with their reliable lack of pretension and BS, to review the Naim DAC alongside the Rega Isis. This may seem like comparing apples with pears, but in fact

- the target market is similar - Naim-type users looking for a final digital solution

- the Isis in fact has a digital input for PC, and the Naim DAC is being used by a large number of CD users, so the parallels are great

- both are complex digital products from flat-earth companies produced after years of development

- the Naim DAC with the CDX-2 and Naim cabling costs about £6k - same price as the Isis!

Certainly anyone in the market for the best from CD in 2010 would be listening to both of these solutions and making a judgment on sound, perhaps, before feature-count.

 

[Anonymous]

IanS1:Craig M.:
Just testing out the m2tech device with my Mac Mini now, pretty good results so far and the ability to play music above the mac's 24/96 is a bonus too. Into my recently aquired Chord QBD76 I have never heard digital music sound so good and not a CD player in sight.

Hi Ian - curious what price you paid if you don't mind my forwardness?

I am demo'ing a Naim Dac and QBD64 tonight at home - any pointers on what to look out for, music to test against? I'm going to try my faithful Prodigy (invaders must die) album which is great on the Monitor Audio PL300's.

It will be hooked up to a Arcam CD player as the transport, but eventually a Mac Mini. Both using optical feeding an Arcam AVR600 over Chord Indigo plus.

 

[staggerlee]

hype can be good or bad, i wan't implying either way.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I won't post on a forum what I paid as I got a very good deal and it's not fair on other dealers who will be expected to match my price.

I've never listened to the Naim or Chord 64 DAC but the QBD76 is simply the best DAC I've heard.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

woollyjoe:MUSICRAFT:

Fantastic

and indeed the QBD76 does sound superb.

My demo/display QBD76 is in the jet black finish (very blingy) with the Prima pre amp and Mezzo 140 power amplifier in the same satin silver finish (as your QBD76) and i think they also look great in this finish.

Hi Rik, I'm on verge of purchasing a demo unit and wanted to know what people are paying for ex dem ones? I'm also told the prices are going - a lot?

Hi wollyjoe

I think it would probably be better (i hope i can say this) for you to contact me and i can then give you an idea of prices for demo QBD76 units. The retail price of the QBD76 has gone up and is now £3245 (satin silver/satin black) and £3730 (brilliant silver/jet black).

Btw, the QBD76 is a stunning piece of engineering and in performance.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

I'll be honest and say I straight up perturbed by your comments regarding discussing the price of an ex dem unit on a forum.

Price is often discussed by dealers on this and other forums. To say it is not fair on other dealers - just don't get that.

Don't want to say the price you paid because it makes you uncomfortable is cool with me.