DACs - Naim Audio
If you enjoy listening to music from your computer or portable player and want the best sound quality, you need a dedicated DAC (digital to analogue converter). In many cases, the soundcard or "headphones" output on your device is designed for cost rather than sound quality. By using a dedicated DAC, you bypass these and take the digital signal from your device. Many DACs include USB, as well as coaxial (RCA) and/or optical (Toslink) inputs for connection to other digital sources e.g. disc player, soundbar, etc. You can connect any of these DACs to your hi-fi amplifier or headphone amp, although if you're building a headphones system from scratch many of these DACs also include a dedicated headphones output. We also sell hi-fi streamers to stream directly from Tidal, Spotify, etc. Please contact us if you need help choosing.
As dedicated Naim Audio retailers we have many models on demo in our showroom, including Mu-So, XS and Classic range hi-fi separates. Learn more in our full Naim range guide or for further advice on the Naim range, please contact us
For over 40 years, Naim Audio has relentlessly pursued the same simple aim: to recreate the performance a musician has recorded accurately and with all of the information wholly intact. Not only that the notes be faithfully preserved, but also so must the emotion and passion that inspired the performance. Its for this reason that Naim are so popular among music lovers - they bring music to life.
Naim Audio was founded in 1973 by Julian Vereker OBE, entrepreneur and self-taught engineer, with a deep passion for music, but was unsatisfied with the sound quality of hi-fi, available at the time. Established in Salisbury, Julian began designing and manufacturing a hi-fi range that ignored accepted design wisdom and focused on aspects of design and performance that made music burst to life.
In that same year they released the NAP 200 power amplifier, soon followed by the NAC 12 pre-amplifier in 1974 (and although this model name is no longer used, much like "NAP" for the power amplifiers, "NAC" is still used to designate Naim's pre amplifier models). These initial designs laid the foundations for 40 years of iconic and award winning products that have followed.
As the brand grew in popularity over the 70s and 80s, they sought to grab the attention of press and public with a series of tongue in cheek adverts (you can see these and read more about the brand in our History of Naim blog). In 1983, Naim released their first integrated amplifier, simply called NAIT, a designation also used in current integrated amplifier models today.
Naim was awarded with the prestigious Queen's award in 1985 and has received this award a further two times since (once winning for Export in 2010 and once for innovation in digital music streaming in 2014). In 1991, Naim released their first CD player, the CDS, which again flew against conventional wisdom with a two-box design (the current flagship CD player shares a lineage with this original model).
Over the years, many Naim models have achieved iconic status, including the Naim NAP250 power amplifier, a favourite among many audiophiles with a latest iteration of this model that continues to this day. As an emphasis over the quality of the Naim range, they partnered with distinguished British brand Bentley in 2008 to provide music systems for their cars.
In 2009, Naim also released the "Uniti" range, which turned the conventional wisdom that "more boxes are always better" by combining power amplifier, pre amplifier, CD player and/or streaming capabilities in one box. Of course, the higher separates Naim systems will always sound better, but the four models in the Uniti range established themselves as such a high performance solutions for a reasonable investment that there are little other options that can compete.
In 2013, Naim also released the Naim Mu-So, a wireless streaming speaker system and another revolutionary move by the brand. To put this into perspective, the release of this product was as much of a surprise as if Bentley released a competitor in the low-priced car category that outclassed all of the established competitors.
The Mu-So has done just that. A hugely popular "lifestyle" music solution, both existing Naim owners and new customers have discovered how wonderful this speaker system sounds as a classy, single box unit for enjoying music in an area where you can't accommodate a full separates hi-fi system.
With a rich heritage and history of pioneering products in the hi-fi industry, Naim have cultivated a brand which is synonymous with the pinnacle of hi-fi, as well as the values and quality of British hi-fi and manufacturing. Naim Audio is designed and manufactured in Salisbury, UK and their relentless pursuit of sonic perfection has seen a host of awards and stellar reviews.
Naim offer a range of integrated amplifiers, pre amplifiers, power amplifiers, CD players, streamers, CD players, DACs, loudspeakers and accessories. In 2011, Naim merged with Focal JM Labs, and with a synergy in design, this makes Focal speakers a natural matching choice for Naim. Other highly recommended options include KEF speakers and ProAc speakers.
Storing your music digitally, on a computer, laptop or NAS drive is now an incredibly viable and easy way of enjoying hi-fi quality sound, particularly with the prevalence of high quality FLAC and lossless files available. Using a good quality DAC can really make such digital audio sources an incredible way of enjoying your music, and in the case of high resolution files, can be essential to enjoy them at their full resolution and bit depth. With many high resolution files now exceeding the quality of CD, a quality DAC capable of playing such files enables you to enjoy stunning high-fidelity audio.
Many DACs offer a range of digital inputs, typically optical and coaxial, while some also feature USB functionality. Each input may have different capabilities in terms of the bit depth and resolution it is capable of playing. If you are looking to play particularly high resolution files via a certain input it is worth checking that the prospective DAC is able to play these. Some models will only offer 24bit/96kHz over some inputs, meaning that 24bit/192kHz files would not be able to play at their full rate. This only effects the highest quality downloads and audio files, and anything ripped from a CD will be stored in 16bit/44kHz, which most, if not all DACs are capable of playing.
When using your DAC via USB, many models now offer asynchronous USB connection. Unlike with a CD Transport, an asynchronous USB connection allows for the DAC itself to control the clock speed of the digital connection, which dramatically reduces jitter and ensures a high quality signal and sound. If you intend to use your computer or laptop as an audio source, asynchronous USB is definitely something to look out for. While many models feature a USB input, if the model you're looking at doesn't have this feature, you'll also need a USB to S/PDIF Converter if you want to use your computer via USB. This will convert the digital signal from your computer’s USB, and enable you to connect to the optical or coaxial input.
Once the DAC has converted the digital audio, it is outputted as an analogue signal, typically via RCA phono outputs which can then be connected to a pre amplifier or integrated amplifier. Some models offer alternative outputs, such as Balanced XLR which increase the range of connectivity options as well as the range of products which can be used.
DACs - Naim Audio
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