NovaFidelity/Cocktail Audio N15D - Network Adaptor

For a long time now, i have been using an Orchard Audio PecanPi. This has been a route into accepting Digital as a bonafide method of playback that could rival vinyl. In fact it surpasses that of some vinyl systems i have experienced.

The ability to play the files stored on the SSD without having to use a computer was something i wanted right back in the early days of my HiFi journey. At the time i had the original NOS TeraDac, and regardless of the rave reviews, i thought it sucked.

Flabby bass. Overblown mid-bass and tingly treble...like i had pins and needles in my ears. It was not what i would call....audio.

The first foray back into the Digital world after the "Tera-Cack" was with a M2Tech Young DAC. Fed via USB from the laptop, it was actually pretty good. I just couldn't use it how i wanted to. I wanted to store my files on a HDD and control it from my laptop or phone. I decided to do some research.

Then up popped the first of it's kind that i had ever seen.....the "Gramofon streamer"

Yes....never heard of that one have you!!

Have a look here: www.stuff.tv/my/news/gramofone-music-streamer-makes-your-dumb-speakers-smart

This device was revelatory to me. I could do pretty much everything i wanted to, and you know what.....it sounded pretty good too. I used that fleetingly as i was heavily focused on pushing my analogue front end forward. One day, it just died. It wouldn't connect to anything and to my horror, i couldn't find any more. In the time i had owned it (12 months-ish) the company seemed to have disappeared. Bugger.

I kept my eyes open for something similar but as time went on, i stopped looking. My Analogue was starting to really come on and my feelings were that Digital couldn't lay a glove on this!

I was right....and wrong at the same time.

FFW a few years and mikeyb was talking about the "Allo Boss" on AoS. I had no clue as to what it was, other than it played media. "Great" i'll have a look. Sure enough, Mikey loaned me his Allo stuff and i suddenly had all the functionality i had with the Gramofone, but it sounded fantastic! So much so that those that heard it bought one too. The Katana followed...and went back. It wasn't great.

Then the PecanPI.....WOW.

I have loved it from the moment i heard the second one. Yup, first one had a digital noise, but i could hear the potential. LPSU's were added. CMC sockets too....it was and is a superb listen. But the issue for me was that i knew the RPI was holding it back. I asked about a standalone version of the PecanPI and to his credit, a few months later a PecanPI USB DAC came out. I decided to modify my own with Leo's instruction, but i couldn't get the USB input to talk to the laptop. £80 down the drain and still bound to the RPI.

Then, i read about the Soekris R2R DAC. I always wanted to try a R2R and was convinced the Denafrips Pontus would be what i bought. Fate had it that i would instead go for the Soekris. Now, all i needed was a way to control the file transfer system the way i wanted to.

This part has always been the tricky bit. Yes, a tinkerboard would do it, as would a RPi but i wanted to get away from those formats and try a purpose built unit. My droidbox demonstrated via Toslink that i was right.

USB isnt an option, so that ruled out the Innuos, the SotM and others. I wanted a Coaxial connection.

I was looking at Audiolab 8000N, cambridge CXN.....loads of them. None of which were in my budget or took my fancy. Tony suggested a NovaFidelity. I know what you're thinking, but he did so on the basis that he uses the NovaFidelity X50D. Kindly, he offered to loan me the N15D, which is the entry level unit.

I took him up on the offer and i am glad i did.

The N15D is a very interesting unit. Watching the vids and reading the blurb, it seems the units through out the range share the same technology. whereas with other brands the entry level unit is usually Sh#t, this one is not bad at all.

After hearing Tony's system, the thing that stood out most to me, is the clear lines and space. This borne from a total lack of distortion and having an ultra low noise floor. I did wonder when listening to it about how much the NFX50D actually contributed to the overall sound. It's by far the cheapest piece in the chain, so it's not unfair to think it isn't that integral.

Wrong

The N15D has enabled the Soekris to perform beyond the levels of any digital audio i have heard in my system, or that of any other normal system (Tony's and other mega bucks systems not included)

The clear lines and space have followed the N15D from Tonys system into mine!

Why? well lets start here:

I am two hours into this unit being fresh out of the box and in that time, i am hearing space in the soundstage. Improved (hugely) decay. Quiet passages of music seem to be even more delicate. The dynamics and impact has gone up in orders of magnitude. The low Frequency detail and control is tight...pinpoint and explosive. Listening to "The Wall" and "best days of our lives" in particular, and i am recalling the speed and instantaneous stopping and starting of the drums in this track, and how this LP in Angus's system (when he had the metal driver laden Monitor Audios) was the fastest i had ever heard it..... not anymore.

Speed.....pure speed under total control. No smearing. No overhang. Wowsers!

If i hadn't been there myself, i would swear someone changed the DAC. It was night and day differences.

It's early days here, and the unit needs about 80hrs apparently before it's at its best. Just 78 to go.

I am of the firm belief that the RPI and droidbox, whilst capable of putting out the required data, are absolutely out of their depth vs a unit like this. I am mega impressed and can't wait to get some more listening done.

I will share more thoughts when i have got some.