CD Player, Streamer and DAC…..source

I can’t comment from experience of CD transports, but with other digital transports the NDAC is certainly far from immune from the quality of the input it receives. It really shines with a quality SPDIF source, and yes, Naim streamers provide that.

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Absolutely. There is always something to impact the input. Wither it is EMI carried in the cable or clocking issues.

A lot is made of the devices with “reclocking” mechanisms but that isn’t an absolute solution to that problem. People always fall over with the “bits are bits” argument. They don’t realise that there is no such thing as a signal for a bit. Your “bit” is noting more than a phase detection during two defined points in time. If the phase shifts in that period, you get a bit flip. This is all part of Manchester encoding and comes back to devices needing to have extremely clocks. Which isn’t that cheap.

I believe a major reason Naim preferred combined transport and DAC philosophy is because the inherent problems caused by two boxes with two clocks is greater than the problems caused by having a DAC located close to the transport. In the latter methodology, both sides share the same master clock. Whether that clock is good or bad, both sides are in lock-step with each other.

For me a Chord DAC is generally not better than a Naim DAC.

I prefer the sound of Naim dacs.

The nDAC and CD5XS (with digital out) were introduced at around the same time. The CD5i was then in production and not replaced by the CD5si until a few years later. I guess Naim could have added a digital output at that stage but I am not so sure the cost would be so minimal. The CD5XS has a switch to choose between analogue and digital and given Naim’s obsession with detail this has to be done with no impact on SQ. Possibly this would be too pricey for what is after all Naim’s budget model.

The other reason, as others have noted above, may be the nDAC’s sensitivity to the digital stream it is fed with. I seem to recall that when the nDAC was introduced, many thought its design would make it immune to the transport used. However, reports soon started coming in that indicated this was not the case. Perhaps the transport in the CD5si is just not of sufficient quality to justify adding the nDAC.

Roger

I used an Ndac/XPS with a Rotel 965 LE Discrete as a digital transport. Compared to the CDS2 I also owned at the same time, the Ndac didn’t come close. Everybody who listened to them preferred the CDS2.

Ndac with a Naim transport might have been different.

I now use an Ndac/SBT/Qobuz with an optical cable. Very happy with it, but that could be down to the fact I no longer have a CDS2 to compare it with. :grinning:

I don’t think this is true.

In the CDS2 the signal is reclocked. (I’m pretty certain it mentioned the fact in the marketing leaflets). I assume the same applies to the CDS3 and CD555.

A photo I took of the CDS2 indicates there are 2 clocks. (to the right of the white ribbon cable).

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So just in case anyone is interested I thought I would provide an update. Bought the Audiolab 6000cd transport , and very happy with it fed into a chord qutest whic I bought 2nd hand with a Bluenode 2i thrown in for a price too good to refuse. The qutest with the Audiolab transport is fantastic and making me buy yet more cd’s. The Bluenode is also very good through the qutest but having heard the ndx5xs2, I suspect that will be my next purchase if I truly get the streaming bug. (If I don’t buy a hicap to go with the XS3 first !)Thanks everyone for their comments.

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The Audiolab is an absolute bargain , it outperformed my CDX2 - which then went back for a service and upgrade to digit output.

If it had not been for the ability (and willingness) of Naim to service their product I would now be the proud owner of a 6000 CDT

I do appreciate CD servicing is a thorny issue at the moment , owing to lack of parts . I have already told my dealer that if the mechanism goes , it will an Audiolab for me.

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The Audiolab definitely is!

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Some other ideas to consider…

Naim Core, plus DAC options - Qutest, or Pre loved DAC V1 or nDAC. Add a modest streamer to start your streaming journey, with the likes of Bluenode 2i or Primare NP5

Innuos Zen Mini mk3 covers all the bases in one box, (or two if you add separate LPSU).

Also, as others have suggested ND5XS2 + Pre loved CD5XS + Pre loved nDAC. Adding a PSU if you get that far.

Hope that adds something
Enjoy the journey

KR
R

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