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[jphilpit]

Now that I've fallen in love with MC19, and gotten it to send FLAC files to my Denon AV Receiver that can act as a DLNA player, I'm hoping to upgrade to some better hardware for playing audio files throughout my apartment.

I'm looking at 2 different DLNA-capable players by the British company Naim. In both cases, they are categorized as network-connected pre-amps, so they will feed their analog output into an amp (my Denon receiver for the time being). But with the D-A conversion done in a $3000 box instead of a $700 box (US dollars), I'm hoping the quality of the audio output will be better.

Does anyone on the forum have any experience (good or bad) with using a Naim product for rendering the digital output from a library managed with MC. On paper, this approach seems like a good first step toward improving my system one box at a time including going to 24-bit FLAC files, but some real-world feedback would give me more confidence.

Thanks in advance,
John

[Arindelle]

Are you talking about their NDX and NDS "Network" Players? or are you talking about the NAC-N 172 XS preamp (which I doubt because the price here is astronomical)?

The later I can't talk about, but the Naim DLNA network players I have tested recently for a friend, along with the Linn equivalent players  -- In terms of media networking for multi-room playback, the network players may have some connectivity advantages so the following could be useless to you  

If you can use MC clients in the separate rooms and you are looking for primarily audio playback like my friend is -- for the money I would recommend you look at Naim's new V1Dac if you like their gear.

I'm hoping the quality of the audio output will be better.

I would not hesitate to say of course it will. But thats a subjective thing to say But it would be due to  the DAC and associated electronics not the other network gadgets.  I have gotten more than a little skeptical on spending lots of money on high end DACs -- maybe its age and I can't hear a difference, but there are a lot of quality DACs out there between 500 and 1000 euros.  As for DLNA, I personally prefer to avoid it, if possible. With MC direct to a quality DAC you get a lot of features through MC that you don't through DLNA. Of course it depends once again on your needs and connections.

But getting back to the V1 which is selling for 1600 euro list price here, the interesting thing is you are getting a very nice Naim digital preamp with an impressive DAC (my personal opinion of course). What I'm recommending to my friend is to go with this and a used Linn amp I found for 800 euros -- I have a Linn LK amp built in the 80s which I bought 12 years ago used and its still going strong!).

Now this would be for primarily 2 or 2.1 channel audio playback with an occasional video. If you need streaming, video, multichannel etc. or you need analogue preamp inputs this wouldn't be the best choice. However this would leave 1400 euros saved for any specific network solutions you might need (even a new portable PC) -- sound should be the same or better between the V1 and the older Naim network players

http://www.naimaudio.com/specifications/7302

[jphilpit]

Thanks so much for your detailed response. Your response lets me know that I'm on the right track looking at these units.

I am, indeed, looking at the Naim NAC-N 172 XS preamp, which sells for $2900 (2150 euros) here in New York. My setup has my computer in one room and my primary amplifier in another room (where the TV surround system is). I have a 30-foot (9-meter) Ethernet cable between the source material (PC and router in the library) and the playback hardware (amplifier and TV and speakers in the living room). (My amplifier also sends an audio signal to "zone 2," which is back in the library where I have a second amplifier and speaker pair. A top goal is to be able to play my FLAC files in both rooms simultaneously.)

So having an external DAC near the PC that's running MC19 doesn't help; I need to send digital data across the long Ethernet cable, which means the DAC has to be near or in the amplifier boxes. My current system does the DAC processing inside the amplifier, but the NAC-N 172 XS preamp moves it out of the mass-market surround sound receiver into a dedicated box with higher quality components.

My audio salesman has also mentioned the Naim ND5 XS, which sells for $600 more than the NAC-N 172 XS, though I haven't yet figured out what more I'd be getting for that $600 premium.

Thanks again for your helpful response.
John