GNo it was just very general chat…i mentioned that he had said it was the last outing for this dac in an interview. He agreed, but said they had plenty of ideas they were working on in research, already. I did not ask about stand alone dacs, as i tried if you remember when we visited HQ with the forum. Got no comment that time. The new streamers are about a year old, so another 5 or so years would be my guess for a change of technology? The processing power in the new streamers gives them quite a bit of flexibility going forward to update these for quite some time. But i am under no illusions this will not be my last streamer…If i can stay alive😉
Maybe the limiting factor is the stock of this old chipset. When they run out they will need a new 500 series streamer. We were told they had a large stock, but service will need a supply as well, who knows how long they can keep making them…only Naim.
That is how some people have described the Chord DACs.
As for ‘forward’, I struggle with the term, though I thought is a term that has been used to describe the “Naim sound”, and nothing to do with a digital vs anologue sound.
over an extended listening with my DAVE I started to feel I had lost that softer natural analogue sound I really loved with my Hugo( Quote Simon S). then »
Yes there were some recordings that really sounded wonderful and breath taking, but in the end I felt for my tastes the DAVE was too forward more often than not«
Audio Bacon review of the Dave: « The only gripe I had with the DAVE was this harsh glare in the treble. I don’t hear this with the Lumin S1 or Berkeley. I’m not sure if it’s because the DAVE is so transparent it exposes the treble bump on the Abyss or if the Berkeley just does a better job at painting a more realistic picture for female/male vocals. One thing is apparent however, the DAVE does everything else better.«
I don’t hear this at all…
It was in fact the femal vocal performance that Dave was so superior to the Hugo (that made me spend the money). And I did not want to spend the money !
On this track
i don’t say it’s like that, but i have already found such comments on forums. Some say it’s very natural, some find it a bit bright or harsh on voices…
For now, the most natural dac i could listen to was the linn kdsm. It was really analog like. However a bit thin and not enough involving ( vs naim).
I find DAVE more engaging than the Naim DAC I used to use. It sounds more natural to me. However, it is when you add the M-Scaler it really excels. It makes everything sound more real and more alive. If you like female vocals then try to hear this wonderful album played on Blu2 DAVE.
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How people hear Dave could of course depend on the rest of the system (including room), sounding like that in some systems and not others, just like other components…
I fear that you are right Gazza and it’s why I’m remaining on the sidelines along with my NDS for company. Big money for a long lived ‘investment’ like 552 or 500 amp (which are Naim’s best shot after decades of development in a relatively static technology) is hard enough to justify, but the thought that I could drop £13k on a digital source, where technology is still developing fast and risk having to spend similarly again in 5 years or so to stay ahead doesn’t give me great comfort. I’ve heard the ND555 enough to be well aware of how much better it is than my NDS, but I just can’t get comfortable with the thought of making the leap. Not yet anyway…
I see where you are coming from Kevin, but will this not be an ongoing problem until streaming and DAC technology matures? At my age, I will be pushing up daisies by then……
I hear Dave as being quite forward when played directly to my 250. The 282 seems to smooth things out a bit, which is perhaps not what it is best known for, but that’s what I hear.
Naim is not alone in using the PCM1704. Some very expensive and exclusive DACs still use them. Their solution has been various R2R ladders etc rather than go delta-sigma.
That said I think Linn, Naim and Ayre has done great job around standard chipsets.
The chip is no longer being manufactured, and I gather Naim have stockpiled a load of them to secure the future of the ND555, but I can’t see them continuing to use it in any future products.
You don’t have to “stay ahead”! If the very best that you can find today, be that ND500, Dave, DCS or whatever sounds really great to your ears, it still will in 5 years’ time (unless by then your ears are limiting the sound more than the gear…).
Indeed and the world has moved on… sure Naim probably have the experience and know how on extracting as much goodness out of the AD SHARC coupled with the Texas Instruments PCM1704K as they can, but I would be surprised if Naim were not already experimenting with newer more capable technology to extract even more goodness from.
Could the world stop spinning for just five minutes…!
FR indeed I have found that… the Hugo is less resolving, less forward sounding, slightly softer than the DAVE in my 552 based system, but it sounds overall more natural and flowing… any recording I throw at it is conveyed honestly but with out drawing undue attention to its deficiencies . Sure it might not be as technically accurate as DAVE or dig out the frequency extremes as effectively… .but overall this presentation is how I equate to hearing real sounds and experiences… and for that reason it is staying.
Well I think it be more like 10 years rather 5 minutes… but personally if a group of designers can get me closer to my recordings such that I enjoy them more . then I embrace it… it’s one reason I use Naim amplification…
it’s like a bit super cars evolution. Aston Martin is now running mercedes motors and technology inside, more recent and modern technology. Their cars are more accurate now, more stable when turning, the speed changing is faster.
However some prefer their old pre-mercedes Aston Martin.
It will be perhaps be the same with nds , ndx2, and nd555 , vs future naim more modern streamers: some will prefer their old naim sound.
And why not @NigelB.
I am all for technological advances that gets me closer to the music. It is just the swift pace of change in the digital domain, and the associated swift increase in front end replacement costs that perturb me.
i tried to comfort you a bit, but i failed 
. 