Has anyone heard or tried the new Naim Dac?

Sandra -

That's the first I've heard about the Simaudio DAC, apart from press releases. I'm glad you found one you like. Simaudio is a great company that makes bullet proof gear that sounds fantastic. Its too bad they don't get more mention.

Have you heard the Bryston BDA-1 DAC or BCD-1 CD player? How does the Simaudio 300D compare?

I heard the Naim DAC yesterday at my local dealer's. I didn't find any brightness personally. That doesn't mean I doubt what you or anyone else heard either. System matching, room acoustics, and tastes all have to be factored in.

iTunes only has compressed music avaiable for purchase. Not sure if it'll do hi-res from your own ripped discs or not. I use iTunes for my library. I rip everything in Apple Lossless and I can't hear a difference between them and CDs. I don't own any hi-res stuff, so no comment on that.

JR

Hi JR, I really wanted to listen to the Bryston cdp or dac but didn't run into any in Seattle. I was only there for 2 days and had to keep a close watch on my time.
I would like to hear the Naim dac with other equipment, it may sound completely different, although if you get on the Naim forums there are a few others that say the same thing I heard, somewhat digital sounding. I didn't hear anything digital about the Simaudio dac, it was smooth, warm, rich, with plenty of detail, just what I like.
I'm finding out that the ipod will not play high res. material, so it and the Wadia's out. I really don't listen with earbuds anyway, I don't think it's good for your hearing. I guess I'll just hook up the dac to my windows computer via USB, and if I really like the sound, will work on getting a pc with spdif coax. I talked to Simaudio today and that's what they recommend-coax. USB doesn't do high resolution, but apparently the Wadia/ipod doesn't either and it sounded very good.
What was the Naim dac hooked up to when you heard it, and what speakers?

Sandra,

Don't doubt your ears. Everyone listens for different things. Naim may very well be the most polarizing gear there is. People either love it or hate it. There's very little in between. Most everyone respects it though.

I really like Naim's presentation. I also like a livlier and more energetic presentation than many people do. To some ears that my be bright and/or grating. I like a touch of warmth, but not a lush, romantic like presentation. To me stuff like that seems too wram and slow. Everyone's got their preferences.

The Naim DAC was connected to Naim's top tier seperates, HDX server/hard disc player, and the new S600 speakers. I can't afford a single piece of that system. I wasn't auditioning it, it was playing when I stopped in for a different matter. Listened for about 5 minutes or so.

The Bryston DAC is a great DAC IMO. Probably the best one I've heard, not that I've heard a ton of them by any means. Its got a great balance of detail, smoothness, energy, and just about anything else most people look for. Its gotten a ton odf praise from everyone who's reviewed it, and for very good reason. To my ears, it was pretty much undistinguishable from their CD player, which has gotten even more coverage and praise.

Its a bit over my budget, but I could swing a Simaudio 300D if I saved up a bit more. Simaudio and Bryston have sounded very similar in the past. Simaudio has been a touch softer in the highs. I haven't heard the newest Simaudio gear, but its supposedly is a bit more pacey than it was, hence my interest.

Rega is rumored to be developing a DAC that'll sit between the Apollo (which I own and love) and the Saturn, according to a few guys on the Pink Fish forum. I'll wait for that before I buy anything, unless of course it comes out sometime this year.

Sorry if I'm rambling.

I just got the Naim DAC last week. Hooked it up to my HDX and 555 power supply - the sound is amazing. Very open, wide soundstage. Sounds considerably better than the HDX on its own. Highly recommended!

"I think it is a huge waste of money to spend that kind of
coin on a cd spinner when high rez media and hard drives
are the way of the future. "

A used or even new Naim cd player at any level is a great value if you have a decent sized cd collection. It's also a great value because they support their products. I would say an inferior sounding DAC (any DAC) is not as good a value.