I reluctantly sold my CDS3 on when it began skipping again. While repairable, I decided to purchase a new CD player. I tried Rega, Cyrus, and finally settled on a CEC CD5. Sounds very good to my ears but not to CDS3/555 PS level. Naim CDS players are/were very musical. If I win the lottery I would immediately purchase an Rega Isis and wait for divorce papers.
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As youāve already mentioned cat wastage, perhaps itās time to consider, er, streamingā¦
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I bought a used NDS last year. Iām still on a learning curve. So far, I do like the convenience, but do miss my CDS3ā¦sheās been a faithful girl for almost 20 yearsā¦
Never quite thought of my cds3 like that. So I have 1 more year to go 
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We experienced similar.
Main network connection in to Cisco 2960 switch, then out to EtherRegen (powered by Paul Hynes linear power supply).
Music server and streamer both connected to EtherRegen.
It seems to let the music flow well.
Too many boxes though.
Best regards, BF
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Anyone on here tried a āmodifiedā Cisco 2960 switch?
I did exactly the same with my CDS3 Nan having bought mine in 2003. I still miss it but the NDX2/555 does bring a lot of music and convenience to the party. I was getting concerned about the lack of mechs should it break down.
Iām trying to find a solution for the mech. I want to get it repaired to keep just in case thereās a resurgence in demands for CDs in the futureā¦just like the other medium I donāt want to mention 
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Musically more accurate is not necessarily the same as musically more enjoyable.
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In my view, the CDS2 or CDS3 outperforms any currently available streaming device, including the ND555 with two power supplies and a Uniti Core.
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That could well be justified by looking at the specs. The CD players use same DAC chip as ND555 but with a CD specific DSP implementation rather than the wider purpose DSP in the ND555.
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A much discussed topic!
My ears are getting old, but I tried comparing NDX2 to CDS2 - the CDS2 won. Then we added XPSDR to the NDX2 and tried again. On some music, streaming won and on some it lost - no suprise. With a CD ripped to a Core and played back over NDX2/ XPSDR, or played directly on CDS2, none of could pick a consistent winner & most of us couldnāt tell which was which.
That looks to be a very different result from yours. In what way (s) did the ND555/ Core lose out?
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It would be great if you could get it fixed. I also think that it would be in the āpublic interestā to be able to post the details of the repair here. I understand Naim donāt like non-factory modifications but to my mind, when the factory no longer support the product and the only other option is junking a very expensive piece of equipment, I think an exception should be made.
One additional thought, if the transport cannot be repaired/replaced could you find someone who will enable you to access the DAC section with a SPDF or even USB interface module? Such DIY modules do exist and Iām sure an electronics engineer could implement it safely/reliably. This would enable you to partner the expensive CD playerās DAC and output stages with a digital transport of your choice.
Part 1 - I and others have great sympathy, but Naim is not a internet-based charity so (when I remember them) I can understand most of the rules. Of course, this is why Pinkfishmedia existsā¦
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You have our sympathies. See the link below for our experience in trying to replace a CDS3/555PSDR with a streaming system a couple of years ago:
Best regards, BF
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The why I went for the PhoenixNet. Too many little boxes and cables were bothering me.
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To make it clear, I donāt own any of the affected CD players myself - I have a CD5si which I hope is supported for a while yetš¤
All I was suggesting was that for a product long out of production and with no direct replacement on offer (therefore repairs donāt cost sales of new kit) information on a safe and accepted repair would be of benefit to forum members, especially as much Naim equipment originally cost as much as a used or even a new car. Donāt get me wrong, Naim support equipment for much longer than most manufacturers which is excellent. As you say however, perhaps there are alternative sources of information to keep no longer supported products going?
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It is a great shame that Naim canāt service these players anymore. Who knows they may find a transport gold mine and resume servicing. I donāt think I could part with mine and hopefully Ā« she Ā» is a bit more fidele than @Nanās cds3
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Does anyone know if a CDS3 would benefit from a service if the mech is still working?
I.e. straight forward service due to age.