Pulled the trigger on recapped nDAC

Hi-Fi Corner
151

Is that reclocking comparable to what the DAC-V1 does via its USB input?

That USB board being an officially licensed implementation of the Audiophilleo circuit if I remember correctly, perhaps @Richard.Dane kan chime in here.

Sounded wonderful to me at the time, with a Macbook Pro running Audirvana and Amarra (very different). And a humble Chord C-USB cable to the DAC-V1 then into the Nait 2.

iFi Zen has USB-out, so does the latest Bluesound Node (will be switched on soon via firmware update), have been thinking recently if all that might also put the DAC-V1 in the spotlight again here.

2 Likes
152

Yes, the USB input on the DAC-V1 was an Audiophilleo solution.

1 Like
153

Interesting why does it perform better

Maybe because there’s no losses in an electric connection ?

154

I guess because of bandwidth and you avoid the double conversion of electrical signals to light signals and vice versa. There are doubtless other reasons too - remember that Toslink was designed to be very inexpensive to implement.

155

Hi Andersl, have you had a listen

156

Had you noticed this …

Looks like something is happening.
Hope that helps for now?

KR
R

p.s. I’m sure several of us are also waiting patiently for feedback :wink:

163

nDAC has improved again, its much more smooth and silky…more homogenous.

This blew me away about halfway through

164

Here’s another one from the same movie series…

165

Yes, the Ndac is a great piece of kit, particularly with a 555 nonDR in my view. I have mainly used it with the HDX via DC1 interconnect and also with USB stick in rear input. At today’s prices even better!

166

Just added a preowned Hiline and it’s very substantial uplift.

4 Likes
167

Surprisingly a Powerline also is a nice uplift.

5 Likes
168

Wish you hadn’t confirmed the powerline is worthwhile lol

There’s another 400 quid gone on a used powerline for our nDAC then. Was always on the cards tbh we have powerlines on everything else :smiley:

1 Like
169

Sorry about that lol. If it helps I waited for almost a year without one my nDac.

170

I think I’ve lost the plot here, but is the questioner running the DAC with an XPS?

171

I once had an nDAC - regretting i sold it reading this thread.
I was looking in the future when funds allow to get an NDX2 - which i will add a 555.

However would an ND5XS2 into a nDAC/555 be better/equal?

One more box yes - but cheaper.
Not too worried about a screen on the streamerr - so how do the nDAC and the NDX2 dacs compare?

2 Likes
172

Yup.

Ok, I admit, I have never had an NDX2 at home.

Just twice at dealers’ listening rooms, with and without 555DR.

So not a fair fight, context-wise.

But - and it’s a Big Butt - the nDAC wins because:

It’s separates.
It’s got a better DAC chip.

That’s my ha’penny.

Jim

2 Likes
173

i like this.
streaming changes so much not like dac and amplification.

i was unclear the ndac dac was “better”

so in some ways it s he most future proof solution!

love to hear from someone who disagrees

1 Like
174

Well, whether it’s a better dac chip is ultimately subjective, but the nDAC has the same dac chip as the NDS and the ND555, iirc.

Of course, the dac chip is literally a small piece of the overall puzzle, and what matters is the system synergy and set up as a whole.

2 Likes
175

All of this talk of the nDAC lately had me VERY curious, so I did end-up getting a really choice, looked to be barely used nDAC; even the box looked like it was just off the shelf.

Now, unfortunately, there was a mishap in the interim of receiving it, as my SuperCap went sideways and I had to have it sent in. I was afraid it took out my NAC 252, as there was no music, except very faintly in one speaker. That was almost a couple of months without a system to listen to, but it came back and I just got everything back up-and-running this past Tuesday, so not much time with it.

My system now is NAC252/NAP250DR/NDX2/XPS-DR/nDAC/SuperCap. A lot of boxes, but they all fit on my IsoBlue rack system and looks quite nice. I moved the XPS-DR from the NDX2 to the nDAC, as it seems that is the consensus here and the way to go. So far I cannot report anything substantial, as I am just getting a feel of it, but I do see the allure here.

6 Likes
176

Stir gently and run a bunch of music through it…at some point you should get surprised and then it will happen more and more often. At least thats what has happened for me.

1 Like