I’ve posted before about my setup. Full Naim system, 500, 552, ND555 with LP 12 and Superline/Supercap DR.
There is a used vivaldi stack, non apex, that I am looking at. Has the DAC, Upsampler, and clock. If I wanted to move on from my 552 preamp, how could I connect the Vivaldi directly to the NAP 500 and still keep my LP 12 for playback. I’m assuming I’d have to part with the superline/supercap combo as well.
Thanks!
if you go all digital, you need to digitalize your LP12’s music signal with an A/D converter that feeds into dCS.
Vivaldi has XLR outputs and NAP500 XLR inputs so no problem there. However you will need to keep your 552/Superline to use your LP12 . So either you will need to change wiring when moving from digital to LP or keep things all via the 552. However I am aware that opinion has been expressed here that some feel that the 552 may be a limitation on the potential sound from Vivaldi.
I guess the practicality depends partly on how regularly you swap the two mediums.
On the subject of digitising the LP output I can only say that is going to be very difficult to find an ADC at the standard of Vivaldi. However if your tastes allow for it there are some quite cheap ones about, limited but some find them very acceptable. You will still need Superline though as the ADC will have to have an RIAA equalised signal fed to it.
Hello Matt
I researched this process several months ago (as I also own a Naim 552/500 Rossini system). The easiest way is to utilize a Linn Urika2 phono stage and purchase a second hand Linn DS. The Urika2 digitizes the signal and outputs to a DS. The DS then outputs via XLR to the 500 amplifier. Of course you would need to unplug the Vivaldi XLR‘s from the back of the 500 and plug-in the DS XLR‘s when listening to vinyl.
Like you my eyes were opened when I removed the 552 from the equation and went Rossini direct to 500 utilizing @Dunc cable (which he so kindly lent me). Ultimately I have now enmbarked on a different path. After demoing alternatives I will now be leaving the Naim fold after +20 years and moving to a DartZeel pre and amp (thanks (and no thanks) to my dear friend Ben @all2ofme)
Best
Gregg
If you want to borrow my cables so you can go directly into the 500 from the dCS let me know as i can post them to you.
They have been all around the uk, and even over the pond.
But you won’t really hear what the dCS dac can do with the 552 in the system as it’s the limiting thing in the chain, and why you couldn’t really hear much difference between the rossini apex and Naim ND555.