M-DAC vs Naim Uniti vs T+A Receiver (The Start)
It’s Murphy’s Law. I’m well acquainted with it. And I should have suspected.
I might have mentioned previously that I had problems with my Linksys router since dabbling with it in preparation for the NAS installation and network streaming. Everything actually still worked except that I could no longer access the web-based admin/config screens – everything I read on the ‘net said: “you’re stuffed mate!” It would be a factory default reset and hope I could re-configure. This is not something I have done in years!
So, my computer-savvy mate was due round last night. I was picking up the first couple of hi-fi demo boxes straight after work. I had umpteen ferrets to attend to in the absence of Herself. Time was going to be short.
It got shorter. Whilst in Music Matters, firkling for my credit card in my wallet to secure the loan of the kit, I noticed that my debit card was missing from its slot. Strange, I knew used it over the weekend. I got home by about 5.30pm and then wasted the best part of the time to gone 7pm trying to track down the errant card and then admit defeat and cancel it. Oh, and then there were the furry carpet sharks to be ministered to. Needless to say, by the time my friend arrived I had not eaten and had only just managed to carefully extricate two enigmatic boxes from their packaging.
My friend, bless him, finally departed after 10.30pm with my sincere thanks and mission accomplished. It’s amazing (oh really?) how long IT can take to sort out, but eventually all systems were talking happily and behind the layered defence grid.
Ah well, as it’s a week night and getting late it was time for bed then…oh, go on…just one quick listen. After all, I’ve still not eaten!
As it was the smaller of the two, and also I had planned to do it this way around, the Audiolab M-DAC was already in-situ, merely needing a quick link up of the cables and away to musical bliss.
First impressions (fresh out of the box, never been played): I can hear Raj from Big Bang Theory cry: “oh, it’s dinky!” Heavier than it looks, the M-DAC is a very purposeful looking compact box that calmly exudes solid quality. It is just a tiny bit larger than my Cambridge Dacmagic, but feels like my Primare kit. You wouldn’t want to drop it because it will damage something! Knowing my luck it would be a broken toe followed by a nasty dent in our nice new floor!
Having played Melody Gardot’s My One And Only Thrill and also Worrisome Heart albums earlier in the evening from laptop-based Winamp via USB to Dacmagic, I thought I might as well continue in the same vein. It is interesting to note at this point that my IT friend had already commented on the great sound issuing from my current system, but with the rider that he thought it a bit bright. A result of the new laminate flooring? Maybe due to his younger years and ears? Hard to say.
Anyway, I linked everything up but this time chose to use the NAS-based music storage and music player through my laptop…just to prove it works.
OK, it is not a proper side-by-side test at this point, but I have to say that my initial impression is that the sound has more substance. The detail is still there; indeed, I think I was beginning to hear even more nuances. But there is more body – a fuller sound. It seems to have greater impact and presence in the room. Preferable? Not sure – yet.
I put the CD version into the Primare and did a few rudimentary comparisons, switching from one to the other. Hmmm, there is a difference. I need to listen more, but there’s a subtle difference between the two. Again, I am unsure as to which I prefer. I can’t even put it into words at this point. Maybe later on when I return home and listen again.
In the meantime, brooding on the living room table, lurks an altogether different black box. The Naim Uniti (sadly not the Uniti 2) lurks menacingly, straining the structural integrity of our dining table. I was told Naim kit likes to be warm before it will perform at its best: that Naim doesn’t ‘do’ standby – the green award is not something it aspires to. So, as soon as I got home yesterday, I hefted it from the large package and plugged it in. It will have had over 24hrs of warming up by the time it is called into the arena. I daren’t even look at the electricity smart meter!
At some point this evening, if the great British motorway network allows, a nice man from Avoke will arrive at my door bearing the third (black?) box to compete for my affections: the T+A Music Receiver. I must say that I am looking forward to the contest between the two all-in-ones.
But prior to that, once I have tended to the furry horde that infests our premises, and maybe slung some food into my own gullet, I need to give the Dacmagic, the Primare CDP and the M-DAC a work out. Maybe even feed the CDP through the M-DAC? And then there are the balanced interconnects and coax cable to try and the filters and… There should be time if I leave work promptly.
Of course, maybe Murphy knows different…
Looking forward to the Naim ~ T+A shoot out... 
Oh, so am I, you can be sure - let's hope it's no anti-climax. 
I wouldn't worry too much about that.
In my two year experience of Naim (Nait 5i/CD5i/NAT05) 15 - 20 minutes to warm through will be fine. The NaimUniti bucks a lot of the old Naim 'lore' (a lot of it perpetuated by dealers or people who are thinking about much older Naim gear.)
The last time I powered on a NaimUniti (with PMC DB1is at a demo) there was only a small 'click' through the speakers rather than the loud 'crack' that older Naim amps used to make.
Make sure the Uniti is switched off before connecting everything up though.
Looking forward to the Naim ~ T+A shoot out...
Oh, so am I, you can be sure - let's hope it's no anti-climax.
Tonally your comparing your Primare amp and cdp with the Naim and the T+A and your ProAC's, the ProAc and Primare combo is a great one. Naim ~ ProAC seem to work, not sure on the T+A ~ProAc , should be really interesting.
Have you got much time with the demo gear?
Brilliant and funny! (Generally what they say to a book review but I never really agree with many of those reviews but in you case it is truly true!)
Having hears Primare before, ex owner of Proac D2 and still owning the M-DAC I would say that the M-DAC + Proac would be a great combination with Primare amplification being as transparent as possible in between.
I am glad to read that DacMagic will be gone (such a relief.. It is great for entry level but for any one, let us say with more than 1500 Pound speakers, should start with Audiolab M-DAC, IMO. Full bodies but detailed enough especially at its price point, I know why it is the DAC of the year 
)
Please do try the Balanced XLR on M-DAC They sound more full bodied than otherwise.
Have you got much time with the demo gear?
I will return them by Tuesday next week, but won't get as much opportunity to put them through their paces as I would like beyond tonight, tomorrow night, some of Friday and also (hopefully) Saturday morning. Mind you, it might not take that long! 
Brilliant and funny! (Generally what they say to a book review but I never really agree with many of those reviews but in you case it is truly true!)
Having hears Primare before, ex owner of Proac D2 and still owning the M-DAC I would say that the M-DAC + Proac would be a great combination with Primare amplification being as transparent as possible in between.
I am glad to read that DacMagic will be gone (such a relief.. It is great for entry level but for any one, let us say with more than 1500 Pound speakers, should start with Audiolab M-DAC, IMO. Full bodies but detailed enough especially at its price point, I know why it is the DAC of the year )
Please do try the Balanced XLR on M-DAC They sound more full bodied than otherwise.
Thanks 
In fact, the Dacmagic was originally paired with my Marantz CD63 KI Sig and Audiolab 8000S, and then relegated to BDP, V+ box and computer music streaming duties when I purchased the Primares and the Proacs. It's done a good job to-date, but let's just say it's time to explore other possibilities.
I put the CD version into the Primare and did a few rudimentary comparisons, switching from one to the other. Hmmm, there is a difference. I need to listen more, but there’s a subtle difference between the two. Again, I am unsure as to which I prefer. I can’t even put it into words at this point. Maybe later on when I return home and listen again.
My (slightly obvious) advice, would be not to change until you find something that is consistly and noticeably better (ie. more enjoyable).....and not just different.
At the very least it'll be revealing.
Oh the testing. Oh the grey hairs. 
At the very least it'll be revealing.
Oh the testing. Oh the grey hairs.
Nail on head!
The lesson and moral of this story so far is: never go into an audition with preconceived ideas. I will attempt to write something up over lunch.
Oh, and never even give a thought to the value of kit you have on loan, particularly when driving it home in 5 o'clock traffic! 
Look forward to reading the summary.
Also, it's very important to value the current kit. It's easy to think because of reputation or reviews or recommendations the grass will be greener on the other side. Not so, as I can testify with the Rega.
Day Two (in tha house)
The Audiolab M-DAC was, in some ways, an unfair inclusion in the auditioning – it was never going to be a likely contender, assuming the other two boxes lived up to their press. However, I must say that I like what I hear from it. But is it worth the extra over and above what the Cambridge Dacmagic offers? After all, it doesn’t offer LAN connectivity or even a HDMi input. Yes, the sound is noticeably improved as previously mentioned, but worth the price differential? That’s a good question. I swapped from RCA output to balanced XLR whilst waiting for the rep from Avoke to arrive with the T+A Receiver. To be honest, I can’t swear there was much, if any, difference.
Maybe if I get time before Tuesday I will see if the M-DAC can actually enhance the performance of the Primare CDP – the Dacmagic didn’t.
But onto the ‘main event’: the streamers. Of course, if plans had not succumbed to Murphy’s Law, I would have had chance to listen to the Uniti on Tuesday evening. This was not to be. So, with the arrival of Chris from Avoke, we plunged straight in to set up of the T+A, leaving the Naim sulking on the dining table.
First impressions? Bah, what’s with the silver and black livery?! Not to worry, it comes in 12 combinations, including all-black. Each is manufactured to order, so if I want one I can have the colour I want. That aside, it is a dauntingly chunky box to gaze upon. It looks solid and heavy, but I was surprised to discover it is not as heavy as either the Primare I30 or Naim Uniti. And, due to its construction, its footprint is actually less, too. I reckon it would fit into my existing cabinet in place of the Primare boxes with no problem.
Set-up was quick enough: one generic power lead (my Clearer Audio Copper-Line Alpha borrowed from the CDP), one LAN cable and the speaker cables quickly plugged into the terminals. The unit soon acquainted itself with my network and announced itself ready, identifying my laptop and NAS drive as music sources. Sorting through the music options by artist, Chris selected 21 by Adele and we were away. She burst into life in my living room, loud and very clear. In deference to our ears and conversation, I turned down the volume to more (er, spouse-friendly) levels until Chris departed for home (poor chap had travelled straight up from a stint in London, breaking his journey to deliver the T+A box before finishing his homeward leg).
So, what do I think thus far? My first reaction was: “Wow!” The initial burst from Adele was almost overpowering, but I put that down to the volume. I resorted to a more modest setting and accessed my favourite test album: My One And Only Thrill by Melody Gardot. The opening track, Baby I’m A Fool, was unleashed into the room with unsurpassed width, height and depth. The detail and clarity, together with sense of space and separation took me by surprise. What a soundstage! Not only that, but it captured the breathiness and nuances of sexy ‘lip-smackiness’ as she crooned into the mike. The zing and ting of the cymbals were greater than before. My existing system conveys them well, but not this well. Noticeable now was the absence of slight sibilance to the upper end.
However, and it is a nigglingly big however, I also began to become aware of something else: maybe, just maybe, the sound is too clean, too precise? Does that sound daft? I would have read back the threads related to this enterprise, but maybe I was warned of a lack of warmth – the possibility of an overly analytical presentation? I wonder whether this could get tiring over an extended listening session? Oh, and just to try out the theory about wooden floors (OK, laminate, if you must!) I brought a double duvet down and laid it down, rug-like, in the centre of the room. Hmmm, not sure it really helps (and don’t tell the OH!) So, onto the Naim Uniti, waiting impatiently in the wings…
The Naim Uniti is a chunky black monolith in a solid, broodily understated but also uncompromising way. It is low-slung and has an air of meaning business. The heft of it belies the nominal 50W output. To be honest, I’ve not even had time to consider if it fits physically and practicably into the space it might occupy. But let’s bridge that cross when we get to it, eh?
Set-up was just as simple as with the T+A box. Then it was a fumble with the weighty remote to find the right music (that’s right, the User manual is for emergency use only!) The Naim remote is a world away from that of the T+A version – slim-line, less buttons to stab at, and likely to do you an injury if you drop it on your foot!
One final push of a button and Melody fills the room once more. Well, that’s not entirely true. It might be the difference in volume between the two units, but my immediate impression is that the sense of scale has diminished. What comes to mind is a smoky, intimate club – maybe appropriate for the genre? The sense of space and full room height is reduced and, surprisingly, I find myself warming to the sound – I am actually liking it. Despite my expectations I find myself enjoying the Naim! It’s warmer and more rounded, retaining the detail but adding more substance and balance. For longer listening sessions I believe it is the easier option. So what might the Uniti 2 be like?!?
Therefore, as we head into Thursday evening’s listening session I am surprised to discover that the Naim is currently nosing ahead against all expectation. It is driving the ProAcs with no obvious effort. What I need to do is put both through their paces with a good cross-section of music types. OK, so the Naim sounds great with Melody Gardot’s style, but what about a large-scale orchestral work or maybe some rock or electronic or acoustic guitar? We shall see.
Some extra comments: the T+A remote looks and feels surprisingly cheap, possibly because there is an expectation that iPad apps and such like are going to take over, so why waste money on the packaged remote? It is also cluttered. Both units suffer, if that is the word, from menu systems that appear to be less than (dare I say it?) ‘spouse-friendly’. Continuing on the same theme: the Uniti has an ‘on/off’ switch located at the rear of the box itself – hardly helpful. And what’s with the magnetic puck thingummy? I can just imagine my OH expressing her opinion on such a feature if I decide to keep the Uniti.
But I tell you what does impress me: the Synology DS212j feature set. Late last night I discovered that, rather than peer myopically across the room at the dimly seen screens of both T+A and Naim to figure out what to play, all I have to do is mouse click on a Synology Audio Station setting and I can shove whichever tracks I fancy at either streamer with ease. I can cue up a playlist on the hoof – marvellous!
So on to this evening’s session…
Interesting review, thanks. Sounds like you need to have some extended sessions with both to see if they are fatiguing and can handle all music you like. I follow with interest
Looking forward to the Naim ~ T+A shoot out...