Master Fidelity NADAC DAC and Clock

[Mgrif104]

I’m very interested in this DAC and clock and am considering an upgrade here.

I’m wondering, however, if anyone has made a comparison to the T+A SD 3100 HV DAC which also includes a true 1 bit converter (along with a separate PCM path).

I have the T+A DAC 200 which also has a 1 bit converter path and sounds significantly better converting DSD files than PCM (also good, but not as).

I get the hyperbole surrounding new and innovative technologies but I have learned to take some of those with a grain of salt. That said, the T+A DAC 200 lived up to the hype for performance/value. So, there may be something here about this approach.

So - has anybody done the comparison between this and the T+A? The SD 3100 is about $36k so a price point up relative to the Master Fidelity - but doesn’t have a clock companion - though it may not need it either.
Thoughts?

 

[Davidny]

i’ve been enjoying my NADAC D & C for several months exploring new music and experimenting with different digital file formats. One surprising conclusion has been that a superior listening experience comes from using the “edit master” format. That’s the format the recording engineer used to create the final product. For example some recordings only use 96/24. Most DSD recordings are converted to DSD from the mic feed but are converted to and mixed in DXD (356/24) because the editing tools are better. And a minority of recordings are pure DSD (usually DSD256) from mic feed to editing to final product.

On previous dac’s I’ve used, the sweet spot for great listening was DSD256 irrespective of the edit master format. DSD256 added more air, dimensionality to the music. Most of the online download websites reprocess the edit master to offer a broad range of DSD and PCM resolutions to suit your playback equipment and tastes.

But the NADAC makes the edit master, whether that’s 92/24, DXD or DSD sound much better than the DSD256 version. The edit master recreates the acoustics of the recording venue and presents a more realistic balance among different instruments without any loss of dynamics

Digital file format is a small part of what makes for a great recording. But I’m certainly loving what I’m hearing.

If you’re interested in learning more this article touches on some these concepts
https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/dsd256/

 

[fast.freight]

i’ve been enjoying my NADAC D & C for several months exploring new music and experimenting with different digital file formats. One surprising conclusion has been that a superior listening experience comes from using the “edit master” format. That’s the format the recording engineer used to create the final product. For example some recordings only use 96/24. Most DSD recordings are converted to DSD from the mic feed but are converted to and mixed in DXD (356/24) because the editing tools are better. And a minority of recordings are pure DSD (usually DSD256) from mic feed to editing to final product.

On previous dac’s I’ve used, the sweet spot for great listening was DSD256 irrespective of the edit master format. DSD256 added more air, dimensionality to the music. Most of the online download websites reprocess the edit master to offer a broad range of DSD and PCM resolutions to suit your playback equipment and tastes.

But the NADAC makes the edit master, whether that’s 92/24, DXD or DSD sound much better than the DSD256 version. The edit master recreates the acoustics of the recording venue and presents a more realistic balance among different instruments without any loss of dynamics

Digital file format is a small part of what makes for a great recording. But I’m certainly loving what I’m hearing.

If you’re interested in learning more this article touches on some these concepts
https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/dsd256/

Hi Davidny, I should be getting my Nadacs about the end of January. As far as I know mine will be the first in black! I think I have much to learn from you about all this! Thanks for the continued info! I will be needing a USB streamer. MY Grimm MU1 will l run core and steam to my other system. Aries G3?

 

[B.A.G.]

Hi Davidny, I should be getting my Nadacs about the end of January. As far as I know mine will be the first in black! I think I have much to learn from you about all this! Thanks for the continued info! I will be needing a USB streamer. MY Grimm MU1 will l run core and steam to my other system. Aries G3?

Hey @fast.freight, congratulations on your purchase of the NADAC D + C. I am also awaiting mine and will also be receiving it within the next couple of weeks.

Regarding the streamer of choice (in my humble opinion) and if you want Roon and additional flexibility beyond the wonderful XACT S1 EVO (which I also have), I would unequivocally recommend the Ideon Absolute Stream -- now Meta edition, with a bunch of new upgrades, including full Roon core capability that will be superior to the Grim as a core, should you wish to use it as such.

I will have both the full Ideon suite and the NADAC as two reference digital systems, but where the Ideon products really get overlooked are their streamers & reclockers, because many probably assume that they need to buy the whole suite. The fact is, the Ideon DACs are incredible on their own (with any streamer, such as the XACT S1, etc.), and their streamers & reclockers are incredible with any DACs optimized for USB.

I think that's because, until recently, Ideon has not had many stand-alone reviews of their streamer and/or USB reclockers. As far as I know, Greg Weaver did the first review some months back on just the streamer and raved about it, appropriately. Now, just very recently, there was a review of the Absolute streamer with and without their new LAN to USB converter (separate unit) by Stereophile, with similarly superlative conclusions.

Feel free to PM me if you want to chat more about this, but you're clearly on the right track with everything you have chosen so far!!

@Davidny Thanks for starting the thread on this exciting new NADAC digital system!

Disclosure: I am the new Canadian dealer for both Master Fidelity, Ideon, XACT, and a handful of other top-tier brands. I am "brand new" into the business after being a 25+ year audiophile on the consumer side, just launching this month, hence me re-subscribing to whatsbest under my dealer name (Boutique Audio Gallery) and this is my first post

Hello and all the best to all!

Jason