Well I am still confused. I have an NSC 222 and a NAP 250. I also have a non Naim CD player that is connected from its digital out in order to use the 222’s DAC. I generally have it powered off unless playing CDs.
So I’m thinking here that the 222 is considered the source - it has two earthing settings: Default and Floating. So which one?
I have a turntable too that at present cannot be connected as it has a moving coil cartridge. If I fit a moving magnet and connect the phono leads to the 222 should I change the earthing setting on the 222? And would it matter whether the turntable is powered on or off?
Finally, I note that the 222 has a ground connection, but I have no ground lead from my turntable. Do I need to use this connection and if so how do I add the correct lead?
A wired digital intercinnect (not an optical one) between the cd transport and and the nDAC connects the power commons (signal ground) of the two boxes, i.e. you analogue ot digital, the signal ground is same from source to end, that is the reason to have only one point of chassis ground.
A DAC is designed to be able to have multiple devices connected to it, with the possibility of two or more of those having a signal to earth connection. Except the signal to earth connection that’s important here is with the source with the analogue connection to the pre-amp. So it’s the DAC where it’s important.
Of cource you can connect many devices to the DAC and to the preamp, my only point is what will make best end result and for me this is one source only and one output only, everything else shunted. Source grounded to chasis.
You should indeed… signal is only relative value between to wires. One is taken for refference, usually the power commons. Your digital and analogue source share common ground , that starts from the digital source. Put noise there and you get it at the analogue output (as remember the analogue signal is the difference betwen the ground and signal wire).
Sure
If you run searches with those simple search terms, it returns a whole list of possibilities, across various marketplace platforms and sale listings too. “HiFi Shark” is a good one.
It is also useful to follow specific vendors that specialise in pre-loved Naim audio : 2nd Hand HiFi ; Tom Tom Audio ; Liquid Audio ; Emporium HiFi, to name a few.
Lastly, local Naim dealers.
In recent months, pre-loved nDAC’s have appeared with DNA Audio (Leeds), Basically Sound (Norfolk) and Signals (Suffolk).
There are usually examples to be found, maybe across USA, UK, EU, at any one time.
Best wishes to anyone searching for a lovely pre-loved nDAC.
R
I have shunted the two RCA inputs on my nDAC with Furutech RCA clear line. The result is shocking, so much noise coming from in there. Same for NAC 552. There are 4 RCA inputs shunted, same result. About 75pct is achieved with shunting half of them, if you seek more economical solution.
The longer we hear HiRes the less we buy into “you can’t hear any difference from CD quality”. Now whether that’s due to the higher resolution, or it’s changing the presentation of the DAC, who knows. But we like it.
On the nDAC well recorded stuff from Tidal FLAC at 24/96 or above sounds sublime. There is greater treble clarity, wider soundstaging and bass is tighter.
Not sure who ever says that really… in a good system the difference between 96/24 and 44.1/16 of the same recording is quite apparent… with 96/24 typically sounding more fluid on many recordings. But you notice this most when comparing quickly after each other…
but clearly 44.1/16 and certainly 48/24 can sound very good with many masters.
Well Meyer and Moran in 2007 did a double blind test of hybrid SACD versus the CD layer with a large group of people and overall people couldn’t tell the difference. In fact a small majority preferred cd! Older men did slightly better at preferring the SACD version. They were experienced audio engineers but there have been criticisms of their equipment and methodology.
Apparently they used high quality expensive equipment such as studio monitors and electrostatic speakers. A few years back you could read the whole study on the web but now you have to pay $33 to the Audio Engineering Society.
The study certainly caused huge controversy and I mentioned it because of @Simon-in-Suffolk comment on the statement: ‘you can’t hear any difference from CD quality’.
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