New Nagra HD DAC
Nov 1, 2016 at 12:10 AM Post #586 of 820
Reading this review, I am quite disapointed and surprised by the fact that the sound was affected by the Nagra PSU being close to the HD-DAC and that the PSU needed to be put farther from the HD-DAC to get optimum SQ.  This translate a poor design in term of isolation of the DAC or of the PSU !  quite amazing in this price range?


Don't be. My first reaction when I saw how he stacked those components was whether this guy knew anything about audio.... Just the fact that you have a tube SET in the HD Dac means you should absolutely isolate this unit from all potential vibrations. Having a linear PSU sit on top of it is just not wise....
 
Nov 1, 2016 at 4:21 PM Post #587 of 820
  Reading this review, I am quite surprised by the fact that the sound was affected by the Nagra PSU being close to the HD-DAC and that the PSU needed to be put farther from the HD-DAC to get optimum SQ


 The picture of the back of the DAC shows the ground knob on the left corned of the chassis being bent to the right, the entire upper edge of the back seems bent when you look at the edge in relation to the more solid top cover. I think this unit might have been dropped...
rolleyes.gif

 
Edit: quote from the review
[Built quality is superb, despite someone managed to bend the ground terminal before sending me the review sample.]
 
The pictures of the system set up shows the Nagra unit on top of a ASR Emitter with metal bases underneath the Nagra. The ASR housing is made of acrylic by purpose, if the reviewer cared about the design principles of Mr. Schaefer, the developer of the Emitter amp, he would not place anything on top. For practicle purpose (e.g. cable length) it might have not been possible to set it somewhere else but when you buy a 30k unit and care about the best sound you ususally experiment which placement is best. Not that a reviewer typically pays for the unit or has the time probably to figure out where it sounds better. Just my cheap $0.02
wink.gif
.
 
Dec 9, 2016 at 2:11 PM Post #588 of 820
Today I compared quite intensively the dCS Rossini and the NAGRA HD DAC with my BHSE tube amp + Stax SR009 headphone.

The NAGRA HD DAC with my BHSE was by far the most involving and enjoyable :D I Finally got some saoul & spirit into my music :) ! Much more than with TotalDAC, DAVE or Rossini, all 3 very precise and detailed but... NOT very exciting :frowning2:

Until I heard the HD DAC, I had the feeling that all those high-end DAC sounded almost the same, but with HD DAC there is something more, some emotion I did not get with the other DACs

I wonder if the Classic DAC will bring the same magic or if I really need to get the HD to get this feeling.

 
Dec 9, 2016 at 4:06 PM Post #589 of 820
Hello,

Regarding that the HD DAC output is tubed, my thought would be that with the BHSE the CLASSIC with its all discrete transistorized output should perform at least equally.

Claude
 
Dec 9, 2016 at 5:16 PM Post #590 of 820
Hello,

Regarding that the HD DAC output is tubed, my thought would be that with the BHSE the CLASSIC with its all discrete transistorized output should perform at least equally.

Claude

 
I wish you are right, it could save me a lot of money, but I am not sure the Classic DAC will provide the magic I heard today.  I should try to find a place to audition booth side by side.  but it is not easy to find such a place :wink:
 
Dec 10, 2016 at 1:04 AM Post #591 of 820
I wish you are right, it could save me a lot of money, but I am not sure the Classic DAC will provide the magic I heard today.  I should try to find a place to audition booth side by side.  but it is not easy to find such a place :wink:


There is a difference. Nagra selected a mil spec ultra SET for the HD not because it would sound "tubey" but because it measured better than discrete components... The question is not if there is a difference but whether the difference makes economic sense to you.
 
Dec 10, 2016 at 2:55 PM Post #592 of 820
So it looks the HD DAC is the end-game for me ?

Has someone compared it to the EMM XDS-1 V2 (or the EMM DA2) which uses the same 1 bit conversion technology and used had same brain (Andrea K) behind ?
 
Dec 11, 2016 at 5:26 AM Post #594 of 820
There is a difference. Nagra selected a mil spec ultra SET for the HD not because it would sound "tubey" but because it measured better than discrete components... The question is not if there is a difference but whether the difference makes economic sense to you.


I agree with @harmonic now.
Since you are speaking of the conversion process (EMM reference) the HD and the Classic are the very same.
 
So your question is in YOUR case: do I need a volume control (part of price) ? No. Do I need an headphone output (part of price) ? No.
Is the MPS power unit (5000€) mandatory ? Not sure since the HD and the Classic own the same internal power (25 precision ultra-low noise power supplies) and listening to headphones through a tubey amp.
 
So between the 21000€ HD and the 13000€ Classic, what is different ? the analog output (transistors or tubes). Is it worth 8000€ in your setup ?
I remember you that you have not Magico speakers at the end.
 
Dec 17, 2016 at 12:06 PM Post #597 of 820
Hello,
 
Since there were references to EMM Labs and Meitner I wanted to suggest that you listen to something which can be of great value regarding headphones, I'm speaking of Metronome Technologies models C6+ and C8+.
The Nagra HD appears to present a smaller scene than the C8+ (tube or transistor selectable output). I went to Lyon (HifiLink they demo all brands). Try to find a demo to make a judgment.
 
Dec 17, 2016 at 1:53 PM Post #598 of 820
  Hello,
 
Since there were references to EMM Labs and Meitner I wanted to suggest that you listen to something which can be of great value regarding headphones, I'm speaking of Metronome Technologies models C6+ and C8+.
The Nagra HD appears to present a smaller scene than the C8+ (tube or transistor selectable output). I went to Lyon (HifiLink they demo all brands). Try to find a demo to make a judgment.

 
Thanks a lot Cladane for your advices.  In fact, in 10 days, I have appointments with a dealer all day, and I will bring my BHSE & Stax 009 to listen to :
 
- Metronome C8+
- Esoteric K-01x  (to be used as a CD/SACD and also as a USB DAC) 
- NADAC DAC
- Forzatto Music server
 
and also I am arranging a listening of :
- a VITUS SCD-025 mk2 ( USB DAC & CD player)  
- a BRINKMANN Nyquist tube DAC.
 
 
what are your opinions about those other contenders ? 
 
 
 
But... what is the connection between EMM Labs and the Metronome C8+ ? Why do you recommend specificly the Metronome C8+ ?  
 
And, you you mean that in Lyon you were able to compare the NAGRA HD DAC & the Metronome C8+ and that you prefered the C8+ over the HD DAC ? 
 
Dec 17, 2016 at 4:47 PM Post #599 of 820
Hi,
 
This reseller trades Nagra, Meitner, EMM Labs, Ayon, Metronome, Audiomat.
He just received the Ayon HA3 with the AA45 tubes. Drove my LCD4 very loudly. No impedance selector needed.
 
Brought also my Aurorasound Heada.
 
Listening a lot to Classical. We streamed through Tidal but poor library and we switched to Qobuz.
The server was my MacBook 2015 and an Amare Musica Diamond. Well, the later is a bomb, and, if possible, forget USB and choose AES or S/PDIF !!
 
So, as an example, I can quote the Symphonie Fantastique, le Bal: Berlioz or Capuçon playing the violin concerto of Dusapin.
 
Best of all for soundstage (surprising me with my LCD4), bass rendering, crystalline trebles, silence decays, infinite end of notes (Nelson Freire, Chopin: Les Nocturnes) has been the C8+ + Amare server with AES Esprit cables and Esprit power cables.
 
By the way, the HA3 is a great headphone amp. I read that it was designed by the two engineers at Ayon in charge of the preamp devices. We know that in essence an headphone amp is a preamplifier.
 
With your BHSE and SR009 you should get plenty of basses and lush trebles.
 
Bring your files and let us know for you how does the HD DAC compare.
 
Claude
 
Jan 8, 2017 at 9:01 AM Post #600 of 820
According to Stereophile today in his CES report, there are a new power supply options for the NAGRA HD DAC along with some other smaller changes and an update is also coming later ? Any one has infos on these ? especially the sonic impact of the new power supply option ?  
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top