”Backup” CD-player advice

I have been without internet for 48 hours due to a light head digging up our fiber cable. You feel, to say the least, wingless without a functioning network.
Since I exclusively stream, it was also 48 hours without music. :cold_face: During these hours, the idea arose to have a nice CD player as a kind of “backup plan” for future interruptions. If I understood correctly, Naim only produces CD5si. Would be interesting to hear your input and advice! :slightly_smiling_face:

You already have a great DAC in your NDX2/XPSDR so you could just go for a decent transport. There’s surprising difference in quality with these (i.e. don’t just assume that because they output digitally they all sound the same - they definitely don’t!), but if you don’t want to spend much money but want great sound I would be looking for a secondhand Meridian player or transport, either a 200/206 or perhaps a 500/506/508. Connect using a good quality digital cable such as a Naim DC1.

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If its a plan B setup you seek, look at a transport and run it through your streamers DAC.

Sorry Richard, just seen your reply.

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You could get an USB CD drive for 80 eur, then rip the most important ones in advance (ideally while the network works, so that you get metadata). If it’s only to cover network disasters, there is no need for fancy servers, put them on a USB stick and plug it into the NDX2

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Thanks for the reply! Does Naim have a CD transport that would fit?

There’s the CD5xs, the late CDX2 or an earlier CDX2 that has had the transport mod applied to it by Naim. All of these have s/pdif outputs but may well be more than you need here. Of course, you do get the lovely Naim CD drawer, but bear in mind that for most players now replacement mechs are not available, and that even includes many Naim players right now unless Naim can source some decent replacements. As such spending a lot of money on a secondhand player comes with some risk.

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Ok thanks, so if you want to buy new and reduce the risk of problems, can I just as easily go on a CD5si? Should this then be connected to my Supernait 3 or NDX2?

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I have one of these, great player.
Plug this into the CD DIN on your SN3, or any spare DIN.

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Thanks! How is the sound quality compared to My NDX2, streaming from Tidal HiFi?

That’s for your ears to decide.

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If you ‘exclusively stream’ do you have a CD collection to justify buying a player? If so I would aim for something better than the entry level CD5si which Naim still produce, but more cost effective just to go for a CD transport that makes use of the very capable DAC you already own.
That’s not what I would do though. For less than £20 you could get a USB stick which will hold a few hundred albums which you can connect to the NDX2. The sound quality will be at least as good as Tidal, and probably better, for virtually no cost, and no need for another shelf on the rack, another mains socket etc.

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There’s also a zero cost solution to this ‘problem’. A DVD player can be used as a temporary CD player.
Try it, you might get a surprise.

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Nope unless big cash (CD5XS or CDX2.2) with digital out and lot of wasted electronics inside.
I’ve had both used as complete players, they are excellent.
I currently use a new Rega Apollo, these are my favorite in their price range, can be used with digital out but I wouldn’t bother as its good as is.

There are many good CD-transports out there as others have suggested, I’d stay away from the dvd el cheapo ones.

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If you have a decent DVD player that should have a digital output hook that up to your dac, job done.

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The trouble with DVD players is that they invariably don’t make particularly good CD players. Even the ones that can sound half decent rather fall down when it comes to actually being used as a CD player; they tend to be clunkier to use with a tardier response and there will always be one or two things that frustrate.

My experience with experimenting with various DVD players as CD transports just underlines this. They will work, yes. And for zero cost you can play CDs and get a reasonable performance should your DAC be willing and able. However, none scale the highest of a really good transport or player in the transport role. Along with so many CD players used as transports (bar the very best), there’s always a slight flatness or paperiness to them that never leaves you in doubt you’re listening to a recording. They never transcend that level above which the hairs on your arms begin to prickle at the very “live-ness” when playing back a great recording. It’s a subtle difference but one that is so significant. The kind of thing that you can’t quite put your finger on, but you know it when you hear it.

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Anyone have experience with this? Has been praised by, among others, What Hifi UK. Looks like an old cassette radio you had in the car in the eighties, but as with everything else, you should not judge the book by its cover. :joy:In addition, the display is green so it fits in with other Naim products. :nerd_face: The question is whether it is better than a Naim CD5si?

image

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Do you actually have any CDs? If not it seems a bit silly to buy some just in case the internet goes down. You’d surely be better buying downloads and putting them on a drive plugged into your NDX2. This will still work without internet. As would an FM radio of course. Or a turntable.

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An exception might be one of the Meridian dvd transport’s ,a friend has a G96 and tells me it’s a great sounding cd player… when it works?
As it’s been unfortunately very unreliable.

Back to Meridian several times now and still waiting for it to be fixed.

I’ve heard good things about the Audiolab 6000cdt transport but a slot loader , not sure about that.

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You have a point there! The only one who gets really happy is the store owner! :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Does exclusively streaming include your CDs that you’ve already ripped to a NAS? HH has already alluded to it but the lack of external internet connection shouldn’t have any effect on playing your own streamed audio tracks on your LAN.