In the early 90’s Nagra introduced the world’s first 24-bit/96kHz digital recorder. At the time it was called simply the Nagra D. This level of performance, which would soon become the standard for any digital recording, was the absolute highest resolution of the day and it was well ahead of its time since A/D and D/A conversion were not capable of such resolution. It was used extensively in the professional industry for music as well as film production.
Today, high resolution audio is widely available and can even be streamed from the Web. It was inevitable that Nagra would add a streamer to its portfolio. The Streamer comes in a chassis that is the size of the legendary Nagra VII. Just as the Nagra Classic line form factor was derived from the Nagra V and the brand's HD line of products from the Nagra VI, the Streamer had to compliment the form factor of its best digital recorder, the Nagra VII.
The chassis of the Streamer is compact yet massive - precisely CNC machined from a solid billet of aluminum. Rugged and rigid, it was designed to be as large as necessary but no larger. As a result, it allows for efficient placement on often equipment filled racks where space is a premium. The Streamer’s footprint also allows it to be installed close to a technical rack and to be connected to any DAC by a long optical cable.
The Nagra Streamer supports direct streaming from Tidal connect, Spotify connect Qobuz, and vTuner (access to thousands of radio stations). It is expected to become Roon ready when certified, and it supports wireless Airplay 2 and UPnP / dlna for local files. The Streamer connects to the local network with an RJ45 cable and users can also play files directly from any USB storage device using the USB A type connector (USB-C adapter to A type required). In terms of output, it also features an N-Link connection for Nagra DACs and there's also an SPDIF connection for other DACs.
The Streamer comes with its own external power supply but users might want to improve its setup by using a Nagra ACPS, MPS or a Classic PSU 12 V power supply.
"Nagra is all about music. At Nagra we do not follow trends and we took the time to select the best solutions available to design, not just a streamer, but a truly great sounding, extremely neutral digital source", the company states in the announcement. "The Nagra Streamer is the missing link between modern music sources and your high quality setup. It extends your listening pleasure to virtually the universe of recorded music via digital streams and high resolution files. We think that you will find that it was worth the wait."
Compared to any other Nagra source, particularly its turntable, the Streamer is also one of its most affordable components ever, with an MSRP of USD $4,950.
Audio Technology Switzerland S.A., formerly Nagra Audio division, was created in 2012. Still largely owned by the Kudelski family, Audio Technology Switzerland designs, manufactures and market NAGRA professional, high-end audio and security products. It continues the tradition of sophistication and originality that has established the NAGRA brand all around the world.
www.nagraaudio.com
