I am evaluating digione sig/ rpi solution into Ndac/XpsDR. I elevated performance powering this DIY combo with a battery pack and Uptone’s LPS 1.2. There is a touch hardness still there and trying to see what can do to eliminate it.
Naim streamer has the advantage of better usability, its neater (not many cables hanging around) and i expect to sound a bit better (i have experience only with qute2 which is not better but i assume that ND5xs2 will be…)
I managed to find a picture of the rear face of a Zen Mk 3, and you are right, so S/PDIF, only USB.
I do like the idea of a Zen though. It does seem to be the complete ripper, streamer etc - but I assume that Innuous have done their homework and there’s just no call for spdif with “modern” DACs.
Only the entry level Zen Mini has SPDIF out, the others just have USB, so not really Naim friendly (unless you have a V1).
Ah, I didn’t look at the Mini. I wonder why they didn’t include spdif in the more expensive models…
@nbpf is running an DigiOne Signature into the Naim DAC – tried different PSUs and also compared the Allo to a few competitors in the market. Thoughts from these experiments have been shared before in other threads, but maybe @nbpf doesn’t mind shipping in here too.
Yes, his power supply setup makes the Shanti look positively “bargain basement”
It’s only the latest Mini Mk3 that has SPDIF, so perhaps they are just testing the water?
Uptone JS-2 on the clean side, right? [Why do I remember this – I should get out more…]
I am sure it’s an awesome PSU, but the wrong colour…
One option would be to remove the Digione Signature from the RPi and install it instead inside a USBridge Signature (effectively the USBridge Signature is a lower noise environment for the Digione Signature compared to a RPi)
And I think he’s got something equally exotic on the dirty side.
As for the colour…in my not so humble opinion, anything that is not Olive is beyond the pale…
2 members use the Zenith with Naim, and found it very good.
@obsydian with the Nova, with an usb / spdif converter.
Flippe too, in a 552/500 system, using the Zenith with Ndac / 555, with Audiophileo usb converter.
Innuos can rip, stream Qobuz, Tidal, and is Roon Ready. Only one box, in black please.
It might be the LPS-1.2 – but I am not quite sure about this one. But I do remember that I thought it was far too “clean” for the “dirty” side… Allo plus PSUs was nearly the price of an ND5XS2…
I think you are right - it rings a bell. Anyway we are guilty of thread drift here .
I get the feeling that the OP is leaning towards the ND5
I am mostly concerned about the small price difference and complication of getting an Allo. If I am calculating right then the difference is about €500 while the ND5XS2 probably has the edge in SQ. It is less boxes, less complicated and prettier. I guess it’s the better choice then.
Probably – but I would hesitate. Unless one has Black Box OCD, I feel that the price tag is difficult to swallow considering the really good reports on the Allo.
Are you buying second-hand? [Sorry if I missed this earlier.]
Yes you can see it in my post above how I calculated it.
I don’t need ripping as I stream everything through Qobuz and Tidal
Okay – just scrolled up. That calculation doesn’t make any sense to me. Apples and Pears… Anyway, good luck.