[Steve Wilcox]

I'm currently streaming from my PC, via a Dragonfly Cobalt into a Rupert Neve RNHP headphone amp and mostly using Dan Clark Audio Ether 2 headphones. I use Roon.

I've been thinking of upgrading the DAC for a while and looking at options and I came across the N15D Network Streamer and DAC, which retails for £629 in the UK. It occurred to me that I could keep the stream out of my PC altogether by streaming direct to the N15D and just using the Roon control app on the PC. I presume this would be likely to bring audible benefits?

There's very few reviews of the N15D online but there is a very positive HiFi+ review - https://www.hifiplus.com/articles/novafidelity-n15d-network-streamer/

What's particularly interesting is this comparison with the NAIM Uniti Star's DAC, which the reviewer had to hand:

"Make the obvious switch, and connect the N15D to one of the Naim’s analogue inputs (using Chord Company’s Clearway interconnect) and thus let the Novafidelity’s internal DAC do all the heavy lifting, delivers across-the-board sonic improvements. It may not come as any great shock to realise the N15D’s digital-to-analogue conversion process is more accomplished than that of a Naim Uniti Star, but what is quite startling is just how much more adept and convincing the Novafidelity sounds."

The NAIM Uniti Star gets five star reviews wherever it goes so this is high praise indeed.

Any feedback from those who have tried this device would be very welcome. It has its own headphone output so it would be interesting to know how this performs, as well, though I've already got the RNHP so wouldn't be dependent on this.

 

[Sharppain]

I'm currently streaming from my PC, via a Dragonfly Cobalt into a Rupert Neve RNHP headphone amp and mostly using Dan Clark Audio Ether 2 headphones. I use Roon.

I've been thinking of upgrading the DAC for a while and looking at options and I came across the N15D Network Streamer and DAC, which retails for £629 in the UK. It occurred to me that I could keep the stream out of my PC altogether by streaming direct to the N15D and just using the Roon control app on the PC. I presume this would be likely to bring audible benefits?

There's very few reviews of the N15D online but there is a very positive HiFi+ review - https://www.hifiplus.com/articles/novafidelity-n15d-network-streamer/

What's particularly interesting is this comparison with the NAIM Uniti Star's DAC, which the reviewer had to hand:

"Make the obvious switch, and connect the N15D to one of the Naim’s analogue inputs (using Chord Company’s Clearway interconnect) and thus let the Novafidelity’s internal DAC do all the heavy lifting, delivers across-the-board sonic improvements. It may not come as any great shock to realise the N15D’s digital-to-analogue conversion process is more accomplished than that of a Naim Uniti Star, but what is quite startling is just how much more adept and convincing the Novafidelity sounds."

The NAIM Uniti Star gets five star reviews wherever it goes so this is high praise indeed.

Any feedback from those who have tried this device would be very welcome. It has its own headphone output so it would be interesting to know how this performs, as well, though I've already got the RNHP so wouldn't be dependent on this.

N15D is a great device like a storage player, a streamer and a dac. I find it better than the Zen Stream and sonically better than the combo of Zen Stream + Zen Dac V2 (I miss only the bass boost of Zen Dac V2). The N15D pairs very greatly with Ares II (when used like a streamer) and with the Burson Soloist 3X P directly. Its dac performance has a high level of elegance - well extended in the frequency the replay, with good texture and smoothness of notes, and a wide stage. Very versatile in functionalities.