6Moons.com review of Nagra HD DAC...

cmalak

cmalak

Active member
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
2,304
6moons audio reviews - Nagra HD DAC

21.png


46.png


10.png


open1.png
 
Interesting. The discussion of PS Audio is quite interesting.

"Nagra's first production run was readying. We'd settled into our new digs above Chardonne, with Matthieu Latour visiting to "sign off". The time had come to reenter the assignment. This (not exactly but close enough) also coincided with PS Audio's announcement for their new DirectStream DAC. That arrived as a salacious press release claiming a truly revolutionary breakthrough which finally fixed what had been wrong with PCM all along. "The problem is the PCM decoding process itself. Whether a classic ladder DAC or more modern multi-bit Sigma-Delta type, PCM processors universally mask some of the subtle cues in music. No amount of upgrading, expenditure, tweaking or improvement can fix this fundamentally flawed system. In order to extract everything hidden in PCM recordings, a completely new processing method is needed. DirectStream converts all digital inputs including PCM to pure 1-bit DSD in an elegantly simple path. In the process the PCM feed becomes more linear and less edgy. Never-before-heard musical details are released from all digital audio recordings. Billions of CDs and high-resolution downloads worldwide will gain new life, be saved from obsolescence and recycling bins or landfills." Apparently PS Audio hadn't gotten the memo. Meitner and Playback Designs had done exactly this for many years already if without such boisterous claims. Marketing speak aside...."
 
Did anyone note the picture of Nagra's listening room?Is that normal set up for Verity? I've never seen them set up that way at shows or in anyone's home?
 
I noticed that too as a verity user.
Mine are nowhere near that toed in. Also noticed they are on platforms and rear is raised to presumably flatten rake. Was interested in the comments on the nagra mps as i use the jazz and cdp. Sounds like both nagra and the reviewer suggest it would only offer convenience not performance.
 
It looked like a pretty small room and quite narrow so it could be that it's set up that way to accommodate the specifics of that room's acoustical traits??
 
Srajan's reviews tire me out :D His prose is also quite flowery and full of esoteric metaphors. I confess I did not read all of that. He certainly likes to get in the weeds and tests out many different combinations and settings which is A+ for effort and comprehensiveness but he needs to find a way to make his points a bit more concisely and clearly. He needs to hire an editor to clean up his reviews.
 
cmalak said:
It looked like a pretty small room and quite narrow so it could be that it's set up that way to accommodate the specifics of that room's acoustical traits??
Click to expand...

Maybe? It doesn't seem that narrow. But they did treat the first reflection point. But the speakers are crossed to aim quite a bit in front of the listener. The toe-in reminds me of the old Beveridges!. :)
 
man I've wanted to own another piece of Nagra gear for a long time- its really jewelry. The 300i specifically these days. I owned the PLL a long time ago- excellent preamp although a bit dry.
 
Keith...I agree. They make great gear. I have their entry level phono pre (BPS) and that little sucker punches way above its weight in my opinion. They don't look like they pulled any punches on the HD DAC, that's for sure. Looks like an all-out assault. The question will be value-for-the-money on a piece like this. $20K is a lot of dosh for digital where the technology is changing so fast.

I lust after their 845-based VPA amps. Heard those with Verity speakers and that was quite a combo

VPA_new_page.jpg
 
Cyril

I agree with you about Srajen's reviews. Seems more like a frustrated novelist than an equipment reviewer. As to the comment about him sounding like a manufactures rep, he was the sales and marketing for two audio companies before he was a reviewer. I tried to read his "novelette" today of the JOB preamp and finally just gave up and learned nothing in the process except how proud he is of his "exotic" equipment.
 
KeithR said:
man I've wanted to own another piece of Nagra gear for a long time- its really jewelry. The 300i specifically these days. I owned the PLL a long time ago- excellent preamp although a bit dry.
Click to expand...


Variety is the spice of life. I find CH Precision, darTZeel, Manufacture Le-Son and Goldmund more eye candy than Nagra.
 
Hifi+ review of the hd dac
http://www.nagraaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/HD-DAC-HiFi-_2015.pdf
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top