Tyson does. They have a cheap one, opened box, on an auction site too just now…Someone on St3ve H4ff has had issues with theirs.
Beware - it does NOT support gapless playback on the SACD layer. Big “red flag” for me.
Just been to the forum mentioned above and read the thread there. No gapless is a pain, especially since most people are saying it sounds good.
Maybe just carry on with the current setup, might be that other companies produce transports which will output the SACD layer digitally.
The other option if you feel the need for a change is either a used Cambridge Audio CXUHD Bluray player that doesn’t have a onboard DAC or the currently discounted Magnetar models - these can be used as transports or with analogue output and are cheap as new models are bing introduced. Either will give you pretty much any digital disc relay plus UPnP on a network.
Mike
Do either of these provide a digital output from SACDs or like most SACD players do they only provide red book digital?
I’ve the CX UHD, which has an audio only HDMI output. If you us that with a HDMI de-embedded you will get the full digital output (both DSD and hi-res PCM). The Magnetar also has the HDMI audio only output.
Currently using a Sony XB700 (if I remember correctly - am at work now) with a de-embedder. So similar solution. Was attracted to the idea of just being able to plug the transport into a DAC - but don’t want gaps and worry about a few reviews saying they have some mechanical noises and some remote control issues.
Yes, that leaves you in the domain of a player with analogue outputs into your 52 rather than digital into the NDX2. The Magnater and other CD/SACDplayers (Marantz etc) will do that, but how it would compare to your current setup is anyones guess. FYI, the de-embedder works really well in system and CDs are comparable with the rips from my Core.
I’m very happy with how my existing setup sounds, just thinking a simpler solution without the extra step of de-embedding would be nicer/better. So I guess I keep looking and see what other machines get released which do DoP.
I’m not familiar with DoP, how would that work and benefit things?
DoP is DSD over PCM. For a DAC with Coax input it is the way to deliver DSD from an audio source. If your DAC has I2S that would be better, but most DACs don’t have that.
Red flag indeed. Thanks for raising!
dCS officially designed DOP, back in the day. It was dropped back then as the market moved in a different direction and it was forgotten about. But it’s been given new life with Chinese development.
Naim streamers are using DOP. In french, dope=crap. And for me DSD on my NDS = dope.
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As I understand it the DAC chips in Naim Streamers cant convert DSD signals so a DSD signal being fed into a Naim Streamer is converted within the Streamer to PCM prior to the DAC chip.
Based on that, I’m curious whether the resultant sound quality is better with the Naim Streamer converting the DSD signal, or the source disc player converting the DSD signal and then sending a PCM signal to the Naim Streamer/DAC.
Have either of you done this comparion, if possible for the disc player, and if so, which gives the best sound quality?
The answer to this question may help decide what SACD disc player/transport needs to be choosen/sourced/bought.
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I’ll check that out later with the CX UHD settings. Though from memory there is only one SACD setting that actually give sound output with the HDMI de-embedder,
As an aside, the CX UHD is freezing on the triple layer BD100 4K UHD discs so I’m currently thinking of how to address that. I’m considering a standalone 4K player just for movies with optical output to the ND555 and using the CX UHD for CD/Bluray concerts and audio, and SACD. Other options is one of the current Magnetar players that are on discount with the newer models coming out.
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Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with BD100 discs.
If your after a player just for movies with optical digital output then I would recommend the Panasonic 820 which has class leading picture quality, JB HiFi had them in the Boxing Day Sale for AUD 540, I bought one in the Black Friday Sale for same price and its brilliant into my LG OLED C2 TV and digital sound into my Streamer/DAC in my second system, its excellent sound quality playing Hi-Res Pure Audio Blu-ray discs too.
However, if going the UDP all in one route, then Magnetar is the way to go with current players, as you already know.
Good luck and let us know which way you go.
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My CX UHD audio output setting for SACD is set to auto, which means it outputs DSD if the receiving device can process it, otherwise it outputs in PCM. When I switch the setting to PCM, which I can do whilst playing a disc, there is no difference in the sound. In both cases the ND555 shows a 88.2Hz output. There was an explanation somewhere where Naim explained the DSD implementation they use to get the optimum sound quality, so I have worked on the basis that they know way more about it than I do. Certainly DSD and hi-res PCM are the best digital formats in my system, followed by WAV via local streaming from the Uniti Core.
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Appreciate you taking the time to investigate and do the comparison, hopefully it will be helpful to the OP @stewartg
This is great to read thanks, as I was thinking of that exact option and there is one for $649. That way I can keep the CX UHD for music and I prefer that it is an audio transport only outputting to the ND555. Then use the Panasonic 820 just for films and swap the optical output over from the CX UHD. The only downside is an extra box to fit it, it will need to go either behind the TV or on top of the CX UHD - do you know the hieght of the 820 and the height from the base to the top of the disc tray please?
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