Has newer technology surpassed the Naim DAC in sound quality?

[ecwl]

I have to admit right off the bat that I have never listened to PS Audio DirectStream DAC or Lampi 5/7. I have only listened to Naim DAC without special power supplies. While I suspect I would agree with bhobba, I think there is an additional caveat. Just as I have heard some more expensive DACs outperform Naim DAC without special power supplies a few years ago, the addition of newer more expensive power supplies with the Naim DAC can potentially outperform some of the newer DACs. So it is not necessarily just a matter of your personal taste and preference for the sound of the DAC but a more complex interaction between the DACs themselves and potentially upgradeable power supplies in Naim's case. I found this link here:

 

Colloms Sound Quality Ratings: Digital Audio - hificritic.com

 

The reviewer compares different DACs, and you can see the reviewer thinks that the newer Naim NDS which is based on the Naim DAC technology with two PS555 power supplies outperforms almost everything else he reviews. And he ranks the Naim DAC with the XPS2 power supply higher than many well-regarded DACs. If you're going to switch to a streamer in the near future, you are also adding another variable in terms of performance as some DACs sound significantly better with a lower jitter source whereas others sound virtually the same. So ultimately, I agree with bhobba that you'll probably have to audition the upgrades that you're thinking of to determine whether it's the right upgrade path for you.