I am planning to add an xps2 power supply to my current system. I now have both ndx2 and cdx2 connecting to ndac as sources.
I wonder if the xps2 should be added to ndac and retaining the current setup, or simply adding the xps2 to ndx2 such that cdx2 will be digitally output to ndx2 as dac without using ndac in my future system.
Which option should give a better improvement in SQ?
Good question rawdata
Can’t actually answer you directly
I have the CD5XS as transport ( has the same chip etc of CDX2 believe it or not) into nDAC into XPS- 2
Wonderful SQ I love it. The cd/nDAC sounds very good as is though
I guess it gets down to whether you will use the NDX2 more than CDX2. If that’s the case I would probably go for NDX2/XPS-2 combo and have cd/nDAC combo
NDX2 is a convenient player comparatively but I still love playing a cd occasionally.
I am curious about the SQ in using the ndx2 as dac for cdx2.
Yes that would be good to know Rawdata
In theory the Naim DAC may likely outperform the NDX2 when used as a pure DAC (the DAC uses the superior PCM1704K chipset), but in practice, who knows? I think it’s something where you’ll only get an answer by trying for yourself. Just be careful with the signal earth settings as one way will likely perform better than the other (again, one for experimenting with).
What I do know is that the DAC and XPS2 are a formidable pairing.
Well
I totally agree with your last sentence there Richard
A great combo is the nDAC/XPS2
I’ve never owned a CDX2 so can’t comment on that, but I’ve had the rest of those items (at the same time). I found that the best combination to my ear/room etc was NDX2 to nDac/XPS2. The nDac responds so well to the XPS2 (as Richard says) and then both sources would benefit, albeit the CDX2 would lose a dedicated supply so might be swings and roundabouts overall? Best idea is (as ever) to try for yourself and see. Let us know
Currently running my nDAC from an olive XPS (black Burndy).
Is a non-DR XPS2 likely to make a significant difference?
(Not prepared to go down the XPS-DR or 555PS route at this time)
I really loved my DAC with a regular XPS2.
Why do I always agree with you on this one oh Guru 
Just a gut feeling as with all my buying decisions but for VFM thinking that adding the XPSDR to nDAC in 2019 is/was better than SC on 282 today (did not have 282 in 2019)
As always, you need to listen to these components in your system to get a true idea of what works well.
Remember that the NDAC was developed before Naim introduced DR, and many prefer it powered by a non-DR 555PS. It’s possible that you may find the same with an XPS2 compared to an XPSDR, but that is just speculation.
Not wishing to hijack the thread but as a side question, can the nDAC be powered by a Flatcap 2? Mine is laying redundant since partnering by CD5XS with an nDAC.
No, you need an XP5XS, XPS or 555PS.
OK, thanks.
DR upgrades became available when I had an nDAC/XPS2 and I chose to have my XPS upgraded. To my ears, the sound improved: tighter bass and more vivid presentation. However, the change was relatively subtle and not nearly as pronounced as DR’ing my HiCap (on SN1) which was also much cheaper.
Roger
It seems there is no big difference between the dr or non dr version.
How have you come to this conclusion?
Well, that depends on what counts as a “big” difference. IIRC I paid getting on for £1k for the DR upgrade on my XPS and felt the expenditure was worth the money. At the level we’re talking about, SQ improvements tend to be subtle and depend on personal preference amongst other things. Well, that’s my experience; only occasionally does a change in gear lead to a major step up in SQ, which did happen when the HiCap was DR’d.
Roger
As one can see, the XPS DR is hugely better than the NDX 2’s internal supply and every single stage of the player is benefitting from one of the external PSU’s six superior DR’ed supplies. So the whole player is upgraded, not just parts of it and in a much quieter environment to which to operate from, so it’s essentially several upgrades in one. A no brainer IMHO. Pics taken from various sources:
P.S. i’ve edited the top picture in this post for another one as i don’t think it’s appropriate to post a picture of Naim’s excellent player without it being shown as it should be - that is to Naim’s usual standards, as it would leave the factory.
