Has anyone heard or tried the new Naim Dac?

I just read a review of the Simaudio 300D online. UHF Magazine loved it. If interested, Google search "Simaudio 300d UHF review." Its the PDF article, which is currently the second link.

JR

The Wadia iTransport becomes redundant with the Naim DAC. It extracts the digital stream from an iPod. Not sure if the cable is standard or optional. I've heard a ton of good things about the Naim DAC. Haven't heard it personally to comment on it though.

Sandra,

Whatever you hook up to a DAC using a digital connection - CD player, DVD, etc., you're bypassing the DAC in that device and using the external DAC's DAC.

That sounds confusing. Maybe this way makes more sense (brand names are arbitrary)-

If you connect a Rega Apollo from its digital output to the Naim DAC's digital input, the DAC in the Apollo gets bypassed and the digital signal goes directly to the Naim DAC, which decodes it and turns it into analog music.

The iTransport extracts the digital stream from an iPod, bypassing the iPod's internal DAC. It basically acts just like the Apollo in my example. Very few products can access the iPod's digital stream - the iTransport, Naim DAC and Peachtree iDecco are the only ones I know of.

The Naim DAC can access the iPod's digital stream directly, without using the iTransport.

Hope that clarifies things!

JR

Sandra -

That's the first I've heard about the Simaudio DAC, apart from press releases. I'm glad you found one you like. Simaudio is a great company that makes bullet proof gear that sounds fantastic. Its too bad they don't get more mention.

Have you heard the Bryston BDA-1 DAC or BCD-1 CD player? How does the Simaudio 300D compare?

I heard the Naim DAC yesterday at my local dealer's. I didn't find any brightness personally. That doesn't mean I doubt what you or anyone else heard either. System matching, room acoustics, and tastes all have to be factored in.

iTunes only has compressed music avaiable for purchase. Not sure if it'll do hi-res from your own ripped discs or not. I use iTunes for my library. I rip everything in Apple Lossless and I can't hear a difference between them and CDs. I don't own any hi-res stuff, so no comment on that.

JR

Sandra,

Don't doubt your ears. Everyone listens for different things. Naim may very well be the most polarizing gear there is. People either love it or hate it. There's very little in between. Most everyone respects it though.

I really like Naim's presentation. I also like a livlier and more energetic presentation than many people do. To some ears that my be bright and/or grating. I like a touch of warmth, but not a lush, romantic like presentation. To me stuff like that seems too wram and slow. Everyone's got their preferences.

The Naim DAC was connected to Naim's top tier seperates, HDX server/hard disc player, and the new S600 speakers. I can't afford a single piece of that system. I wasn't auditioning it, it was playing when I stopped in for a different matter. Listened for about 5 minutes or so.

The Bryston DAC is a great DAC IMO. Probably the best one I've heard, not that I've heard a ton of them by any means. Its got a great balance of detail, smoothness, energy, and just about anything else most people look for. Its gotten a ton odf praise from everyone who's reviewed it, and for very good reason. To my ears, it was pretty much undistinguishable from their CD player, which has gotten even more coverage and praise.

Its a bit over my budget, but I could swing a Simaudio 300D if I saved up a bit more. Simaudio and Bryston have sounded very similar in the past. Simaudio has been a touch softer in the highs. I haven't heard the newest Simaudio gear, but its supposedly is a bit more pacey than it was, hence my interest.

Rega is rumored to be developing a DAC that'll sit between the Apollo (which I own and love) and the Saturn, according to a few guys on the Pink Fish forum. I'll wait for that before I buy anything, unless of course it comes out sometime this year.

Sorry if I'm rambling.

I'd love some hi-rez music. Unfortunately, hardly anything I like is available.