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[csimon]

That said, I'm not sure how you get a high resolution digital audio output from a PC "through an hdmi connection". Are there special types of PC sound card that support HDMI? 

No - these will only be available via graphics cards (or onboard graphics) with HDMI output. The graphics card is then seen by Windows as an extra audio device.

[mschneid]

ah... Opera subtitles...  (Wife is desperate for me to get that sorted out for her amateur singing).   
Make a shout out if someone has any wisdom.

I believe that you need an srt file along with your video file.   I have not explored this one yet with MC but I see the menu options.

[AndyU]

The issue with an s/pdif signal is the amount of jitter present on it, and what the DAC does to ameliorate it's effects. The naim DAC has a buffer and picks from a set of fixed frequency clocks to reclock the data out of it's buffer so minimizing (they claim) the jitter in the output. Other DACs have different strategies; most try and smooth the clock signal out. naim have white papers on their website explaining their technology. But network DACs can't have any issues with input jitter, since there is no clock signal embedded with the data, so they start with an advantage.

[pcstockton]

haggis999 - naim do have a DAC with an asynch (and isolated) USB input, the DAC V1. Here is a link. It also has 5 s/pdif inputs so could be useful for connecting your tv, blu-ray, cd player (if you have one). It is a combined DAC/pre-amp, which gives you a lot of flexibility, and there is a matching power amp. Not a bad price either.

It is also a preamp with proper volume pot.  Just add amp and speakers.

-Patrick

[haggis999]

A Naim DAC V1 is certainly a potential solution but I am prepared to pay for a more expensive solution, such as the Naim DAC, if it offers a clearly audible improvement.

I've never previously paid much attention to the audio facilities on my PC but a quick check shows that I just have basic on-board audio with simple analogue line-in and line-out phono sockets. To use a Naim DAC I might therefore have to buy a sound card to get the required SP/DIF output. We appear to have some differing options here as to whether it is worth spending money on anything more than a basic card. If extra money just buys a better DAC in the card, then that would appear to be wasted expense.

However, buying a sound card might not be the best solution. I have read some very positive reviews of the Musical Fidelity V-Link 192, an audiophile-quality asynch USB to SP/DIF converter.

Incidentally, to get a DAC demo in a hi-fi store using my music files and MC18, I would need to take along my Samsung Chronos laptop. This computer's normal audio (and video) output is via HDMI, which would require a converter device to drive a DAC via optical or SP/DIF. Such converters do exist but not at a trivial cost. Perhaps I should look for a dealer that can also demo the Musical Fidelity V-Link 192, or something similar, so that I could use the USB output of my laptop.

Or I could buy a streamer...

David

[AndyU]

The naim NDX is in the same price ball-park as the naim DAC. You could stream to the NDX from a pc anywhere on your network, and you could run MC18 on that pc as a DLNA server. This removes any potential issues with s/pdif. A shop should be able to put your laptop on it's network for a dem. But if you are looking for a USB to s/pdif converter to use with the naim DAC, you might want to look at models from audiophilleo. naim use audiophilleo technology in their V1, so it's probably got their seal of approval. A good shop should be able to give you a V1 vs NDX vs nDAC demo with your music and your laptop. Not to mention power supply upgrades and £450 naim mains cables.

[mschneid]

Other DACs have different strategies; most try and smooth the clock signal out. naim have white papers on their website explaining their technology. But network DACs can't have any issues with input jitter, since there is no clock signal embedded with the data, so they start with an advantage.

My understanding is that the computer overhead needed to operate as a network device is not a small issue.  The electrical isolation and what not that is needed has tended to get designers to split the two jobs up into two boxes..    Very much the same idea as getting the analog stage far away from your PC (the argument for not going with an expensive PC audio card).   Streamers put both into the same box while async USB DACS (one of those different then Naim strategies) is the other approach.

Eventually you need a great clock to feed the DAC and this is the low jitter environment that you need for the inner detail that you want.

Do you know of comparisons between Streamers with Dacs and USB Dacs.  Are the differences audible, ease of use, speed and responsiveness of the interface?

[pcstockton]

The naim NDX is in the same price ball-park as the naim DAC.

$5200 vs $3700 is a pretty big ballpark.  Especially considering much of the NDX is redundant with the MC Server/PC.  Then if you consider the possibility that the Naim DAC might be a better source.......

Sound quality being relatively equal, I think it all comes down to:
- Where is the PC
- Is there another PC in the house that can act as server, with attached hard drives and running 24/7ish
- Can you run ethernet between the two?

-patrick

[haggis999]

Many thanks to everyone for all the help and guidance. I have now taken myself off to lie down in a darkened room to mull over the pros and cons of DAC versus streamer, with the assistance of the comments made in this thread and some previous discussions on this topic I have found on other forums.

David