DAC Dilemma

[endust4237]

If you are looking for something which has boogie in it, try Heed Abacus, should work very well in a Naim system.

 

[jamjar]

Thanks for the response (Billsie) - I think my love affair with Naim is over and so if I don't get the CDX2 repaired its unlikely I will go down that route - not because I don't think that their products are very very good, but having switched to Teddy gear its all now seems so damn expensive. I did go to a dealer in Manchester not so long ago just to ask about DACS but obviously they waxed lyrical about what they sold and so I was a little sceptical. I think a Mac mini is around 600 and a dac at around the 1000 mark I presume should be pretty good. But obviously I don't want to take a step backwards in the sound and so if I need to spend more I will.

 

[jamjar]

The Heed Abacus looks pretty cool - but where would I dem one.

 

[Billsie]

I was in the same boat with Naim. Upgrading the Amps would cost a lot of cash and one suggestion to upgrade the NDX was to add the nDac to it and an XPS to the Dac. 3big boxes and a whole lot more money. Things seem to be moving very fast with digital music playback. Lots of DACs have volume controls making my new Teddy PR1 almost obsolete and I suspect that soon the norm will be a digital library plus DAC +/- streamer into active speakers. Since I’ve just bought new amps and speakers my inclination is to buy a decent but not too expensive Dac soon and then keep an eye on what’s happening and how things consolidate over the next few years.

 

[Alex S]

Metrum +1, made a huge impression on me, talking Jade / Onyx and reading the reviews one should be convinced. I have been lucky enough to have tested the onyx for a couple of weeks, and can find me in the latest review posted on their website. Absolutely amazing, and after testing several dacs, the metrum stands high on top of the list. Compared Mytek, way more expensive dac, and find the Metrum more detailed, balanced, pleasure to listen to. And most important, it doesnt hurt my ears as i havent found any sharp peaks.

Hi, any idea how Metrum are progressing? I'm still the happy owner of the Octave 1 which I preferred to the Octave 2 (probably psychological) and the Musette (probably not). Have they made a big leap from the early days with the Jade/Onyx and Amethyst? I've never dared audition their more expensive offerings.

 

[Alex S]

Hi
Most of the recommendations have been for DACs in the £600 to £1000 range that firedog referred to as the "sweet spot" range, with the Audial s and the Metrum Onyx being around the £2000 mark. Since the DAC is essentially the new source component, do you think that the old maxim of source first has gone. A little while ago one would expect the source component to be either the most expensive item or be on a par with the other major components (amps and speakers). What's the consensus view on this now?

In the brave new world of cheap good digital, definitely speakers (and room) first.

 

[McNaim]

Two months ago I bought the Oppo Sonica Dac. Great stuff. Definitely worth to consider.

 

[Strictly Stereo]

Hi jamjar.
As you can see from my previous posts I opted for the UnitiServe and the NDX. I’m pleased with the UServe (which has now been superseded by the UnitiCore) but I find the NDX a little bland in comparison to my CDX2. I think you’d notice a big difference from your CDX2/TXPS combo. The UServe works well ripping CDs to WAVs and can be connected directly to a NAS and controlled by the NServe app or via a network using the NStream app. I’m not sure that I’d buy it for a non-Naim system though. A favourite alternative seems to be a Mac mini. This again can be used in a network or connected directly to the DAC. if you’re using a network, then you’ll need a streamer or a combined streamer/Dac.
Along with the host of other posts and recommendations in this thread, I was contacted directly with 3 other recommendations for DACs. These are the Mytek Brooklyn+ (this has a built in phono stage and there’s a separate thread running about it presently), the exaSound e32 (there is a streamer made for this) and the Exogal Comet.
Quite a few “non-mainstream” DACs are only stocked by one or two dealers or have to be bought/imported directly. I wanted to be as sure as possible before ordering anything from abroad since although there is often a 30day returns policy paying tax and import duty and then having to reclaim it if returning the product along with paying carriage seems quite a faff.......hence my original post.

I offer 30 day returns if you would like to explore some of those other options.