Yes thanks, K20 was what I was thinking.
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I think K400 is a 4-way, bi-wiring cable…?
Memory is hazy! But it was K20 from nap 90 to Heybrook Hb2r s that was a successful combination for me. K400 was I think biwire cable, never used it being mainly a naimee 
That… is the correct answer… 
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Also agree with the mini, the only caveat is i had software stability issues with mine and a large music library ( circa 15k tracks) so might be something to be aware of.
A few random thoughts from me. I live in the states so will use US dollars. So I’ll use a 1.4 conversion rate
First off if you can find a used chord Hugo for $560 to $700 please buy two. One for you and send the other to me, I will pay you. So ya, that’s an upgrade. More realistically the node 2i is fine. I use one for the streamer but bypass the DAC into mine. The built in DAC is nice but nothing special. I think you would be better off with even a used Chord Mojo and you can get a cheap streamer for around $100 I am sure. Others may disagree but I think the DAC is much more important than the streamer. You can stream with an old laptop. Not as good as dedicated streamer but for your budget I think fine. Also Mytek liberty used I bet you can get for $500.
good point being aware of library volume, the Aries mini can handle something like 100 000 tracks I think (the later models many times more). Yet it’s a tiny box with a streamer, server function, DAC and you can even put a hard drive into it, all with remarkable SQ.
From my experience, using media files stored on a wired networked nas, the inbuilt software of the mini would crash when populating its library so that would suggest the lightning ds software may theoretically handle 100k but not on the mini. Maybe if the files were stored locally on an internal drive it might have a different outcome.
Another glitch i found, which Auralic acknowledged, was the play queue could not handle more than 100 tracks being added at a time which is an annoyance if you try to play a playlist with more than that.
Those two issues aside, i still think its a great little box and an inexpensive gateway into streaming. It also proved rock solid as a roon endpoint when i first trialled that.
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I just paid £500 for one. A week later one went on the same auction site for a shade over £400. Both Hugo mk1s.
Ahem!
Rules please people (even if you’re just joking)…
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@GregU @garcon @Deeg Thanks for your suggestions. The Aries and Bluesound both seem a great options so it’ll just depend what pops up on the used market here. I have in the region of 20,000 tracks on a NAS, well under the Aries Mini limit.
I have to admit to a certain curiosity in the Allo Boss2 mentioned earlier as well.
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Sorry Richard!
I do not disagree with this at all. I have both a Mojo and Hugo, the Mojo is great, the Hugo is better.
@carlp I’m sure your NAS can stream to your phone - using your phone into a USB compatible DAC can sound great. From my phone the Hugo takes wired USB or Bluetooth aptX. Starting with the DAC made sense to me. You can also take a Hugo with you for mobile headphone duties.
I had been looking for a used NDAC&Bluesound (c. £1300 for both in the UK), but for the moment, for the money, the Hugo has allowed me to add streaming to my main system for a relative bargain.
[edit, for full disclosure, I still plan on investigating the NDAC route, but once I’ve saved a little more I’ll invest in the Bluesound, then audition the NDAC. At that point I can trade the Hugo for the NDAC, or stick with the Hugo. All of which means I still think the best and quickest route was starting with the Hugo, in respect of your “trade up gradually” ethos 
]
We are all Naim lovers but I do not think many would trade a Hugo for an nDAC
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That’s interesting! I’d love to hear a nDAC, the Hugo is certainly impressive. I think hearing the Hugo was the same sort of jump as I experienced when swapping my Marantz CD6000 for the CD5 I now have. Makes the Bluesound vs phone+(Hugo)DAC choice an interesting one
(P.S. Why is it nDAC, vs NDAC!? X) )
I have both. They have different strengths and weaknesses but overall I use the Naim DAC the most. In fact I haven’t used the Hugo in about 3 years.
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Many ? There are also many Ndac lovers here. All depends what you are searching for, more details or more organic and propulsive sound.
No one is really better, despite some claimings .
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What!? I now have to work out if it should be NDAC, nDAC or Ndac X)
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Still want one to add to my Nait 5.
Ndac or Cdac, that’s the question
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