Are there more users here who play music from Apple, Tidal or other streaming services straight from your Ipad usb output to the usb input of the Ndac with hires files and what do you think of the sound quality?
When I first started streaming that’s exactly what I did. I initially thought it sounded pretty good and mentioned this to my dealer who suggested it was time to try a Bluesound Node. I’m afraid to say that it was notably better, just much more three dimensional and natural. It made the iPad sound a bit like a radio. From there I added an EE8 switch, which took everything up another notch, and by this stage streamed music was stating to rival my CDP555. I took this as a sign, sold the CDP and invested in an ND555. That whole process took me about 18 months to achieve and was well worth the investment. The world of different music I have discovered is incredible.
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I too, initially attached an Apple Mini iPad and old (idle) iPhone to my nDAC streaming from internet radios, and thought…. Not that great sounding compared to my CD.
Fortunately my CD died quite soon (literally within 2 days) there after and so I made the pivotal decision to attach a Naim Core to the nDAC/PS555DR… and that was a “WOW” moment.
A friend had a Marantz ND-8006 streaming and I thought, that sounds quite good. So I thought, I need to look at streaming from a different approach,
In Australia there was an implosion of the Naim Distributor/Dealer business arrangements , which resulted in massive discounts to clear Naim stocks.
I picked up a new ND5xs2 at a significant discount and immediately on playing it digitally into my nDAC/PS555Dr, another “WOW” moment equal to the “CORE”
As I think back, I realise my time (about 2yrs) was wasted playing with iPAD/iPhone feeding into my nDAC.
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I occasionally connect up the iPhone/ipad with the USB.
I use an Audioquest carbon cable which is notably better than the stock charger cable.
This brings it up as good as music streamed from my Sky box music apps, but no as good as replay from my Unitiserve.
Still has its usefulness, if I’m around being active in the house or kitchen, the connected device can provide more potential content instantly accessible as background music.
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Yes, another user of Apple Music - into nDAC - via iPad here. Actually, always thought Apple iTunes and Music was quite good, brilliant UI
Think the main issue here has always been the Apple eco-system, in that Apple might prefer NOT to interface with other “systems” so well.
With the Naim DAC, really need your digital bit stream going into one of the rear BNC inputs, as S/PDIF, etc… (Unfortunately it doesn’t do asynchronous input on USB, etc. At least not without getting into converters, which is maybe not so elegant as a solution ).
Long story short, first added Innous ZENmini mk3 + LPSU, than later the Naim ND5 XS2. Currently using Naim steamer as transport with nDAC, etc.
Despite whole CD collection ( 1,000+ ) being in AAP, ripped them all again into FLAC. Also, subscribed to Qobuz too.
Apple Music into nDAC via front USB port works just fine. If that’s your only option, happy days. However, maybe not the last word in resolution and musicality. For more money, other options will reward you.
Good luck
R
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Way back 10 years ago when the Chord Hugo came out I did this with my IPad. You had to use the camera connection kit to get full CD quality.I also remember getting High res to work with music on my IPad using a certain App. I think it was called Onkyo high res player or something like that.
We’ve compared iPad both direct into nDAC and via SMSL PO 100 Pro (USB to S/PDIF converter) to other sources.
Is direct USB not limited to 48kHz?
Forum search would find our results.
A streaming transport via S/PDIF is the best sounding option.
However it’s marginal gain and we could have lived with iPad/SMSL serving HiRes (we used this for nearly a year whilst naim developed their Tidal Max firmware).
Only when connected to an Apple device, in which case the sample rate is constrained by the Apple device *, unless you work around it, as pointed out above by No Quarter, or as discussed here.
Otherwise, the DAC supports up to 768kHz / 32bits via USB.
* At least that was the case with USB via the Apple 30 pin and Lightning connectors. I’m not sure if things have changed with Apple USB-C ports.
Yes I think the usb input is limited , to get the higher bitrates you need an usb converter, I use a smsl po100 too and connected to an IPad with camera kit and with the right settings within Apple Music it can play the higher spec files through wifi without problems and I think it really sounds amazing, and as a bonus give you the opportunity to use it with different apps including YT, although then with limited SQ.
I have no experience with Naim streamers although with other brands from Linn , Lumin and Aurender.
Makes sense now!
The port direct connect to Apple USB is definitely constrained to 48kHz in the same way as AirPlay (by Apple).
Our NDX2 via S/PDIF is better than iPad via SMSL, but seriously introducing the SMSL gives you a very capable digital source. The SMSL is a great VFM device. No need to rush to a dedicated streamer into nDAC, although you could try.
You might find little benefit, or not enough to justify cost.
How are you getting the SMSL output onto wifi?
I can stream Apple music HiRes/Lossless via USB-C from my iPad directly into my DAC but
not over wifi
The SMSL PO 100 Pro converts iPad USB output to S/PDIF.
The iPad is connected by WiFi obviously.
My findings are that an Ipad (pro) does not play hirez files from an usb cable to the front usb input from the ndac, the dac does not show the two green leds, with the smsl in between to spdif it plays the same file with the leds on and I hear that the smsl makes a more refined, spacious and a more “musical” and nicer to listen to sound.
Correct. From the nDAC manual…
High definition is defined as any data stream with a sampling rate above 48kHz
When connecting an iPad directly by USB, output is limited to 48kHz so the second LED will never glow as the nDAC does not consider the stream as HD.
Adding the SMSL into the chain removes this limitation.
True Ian, Thanks for the explanatian.
Is the nDac so picky with usb and what usb devices are capable , or is it only ment for memory sticks with hirez?
It’s an Apple thing, the 48kHz limit. Same limit as Apple AirPlay.
From USB stick the nDAC will read very hires files, as posted specs above by @Tamarin
So the nDAC is not the limiting factor!
Never had any issues with USB devices in SuperUniti or nDAC. Used to have one on my key ring with our audition playlist 
now dealers just hand you an iPad connected to either Tidal or Quboz…
But to the smsl it plays the higher files, so Apple is transmitting it through the usb cable, is it a kind of handshake thing like with Hdmi, would a modern usb output streamer play it?
The older generation Naim devices, including your NDAC, support the old (now deprecated) “Made for iPod” certification, thus acting as digital docks for iDevices. It’s not as general as a USB input DAC like your smsl, and the data rate and bit depth were built into that protocol - typically CD quality 44.1kHz/16bit. The new devices support AirPlay for modern iDevices, and the ports only support USB sticks.
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Apple itself supports at least up to 192/24 via the USB interface - I drive a few DACs this way and it sounds rather good on the more recent iPads.
I am, afraid I can’t confirm anymore what the USB interface on the nDAC supports when connected to Apple, but I’d be surprised if it also is not 192/24, and I am fairly sure I drove hires from my iPad via USB into my nDAC when I owned it … we are not talking AirPlay here which is limited.
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The iPad can certainly transmit higher bitrates than 48kHz via USB, but not to gen1 naim devices which use an older protocol for the comms - which is limited to 48kHz.
This is why adding the SMSL removes the limitation as it takes whatever the iPad provides and concerts to S/PDIF (and I know for sure you can get Tidal 24bit/192kHz content into nDAC this way).
As Simon says, new iPads via USB sound very good. iPad/SMSL runs an NDX2 very close over S/PDIF into nDAC…(better comparison cost wise would be ND5XS2 of course!)
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