HDX still good?

Very important for buyers to have the right expectations, as @garyi mentions.

Personally, absent getting one almost for free, I would put my money in a current product. There are high quality products that do what an HDX does (assuming the buyer really wants / needs all of those capabilities in one box), plus more such as interfacing with current online streaming services.

The beauty of a ‘one box’ solution is that it does it all; why not get a box that also supports current online streaming??

For the money, the HDX probably sounds better output directly to a preamp/integrated amp (via its analog output) than a lot of other-brand current stuff. That’s the conundrum.

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What? Better than a PC running Windows XP? Surely not :woozy_face:

Back in the XP days there were starting to be some high quality sound cards that folks were using. My local dealer, in that era, was setting customers up with pc’s with sound cards, and JRiver. We’ve come so far!

In my opinion, I don’t see this as a valid comparison.

The reason why a 12 year old PC isn’t worth much today is due to the fact that it will no longer function as it did when new. It won’t run much software that’s currently available to download without being too slow and isn’t secure for browsing the web as it doesn’t have the latest security patches.

The HDX is totally different. It may be running an old OS under the covers but that’s irrelevant to the user. It still performs the function of ripping, storing and playing CDs the same as it ever did.

Ok, it does not have access to streaming services but if you don’t need streaming from Tidal/Qobuz etc then it still works perfectly.

I’m afraid that I couldn’t agree less. In the Naim hierarchy, the CDX2, HDX and NDX were pitched at a similar level sound quality wise. Show me where I can buy an all in one solution that sounds as good as CDX2/HDX/NDX for £300

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I’d say it’s a “no-brainer” at that price. Can bin it if it stops working / isn’t cost-effective to repair.

That’s my point though :slight_smile:

If there was an alternative all in one solution available for £300 that sounded as good as the HDX then the market value of a used HDX wouldn’t still be between £800 to £1000.

The fact that there isn’t is why there are no HDXs for sale at £300

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The hdx sounds fine, however it was pitched, it is still a pc, there is an old pci sound card in there a standard power supply available from RS components etc etc. Naim sprinkled their magic on it for sure and I would argue at the time 13 years ago it was ahead of its time, but yes I would absolutely contend that for 300-400 quid today you can get something far more functional thats as good if not better.

For those who I guess would hope to get north of a grand for their HDXs, there is a world of options both off the shelf and for the tinkerers out there.

Perhaps your invested hence your thoughts.

So petrol pumps and cash machines that have Windows software running in them are just PC’s and not petrol pumps and cash machines after all.

So what if it runs Windows XP embedded? The OS may well be just as obsolete as in many other ‘OS unknown’ products - NDX, NDS etc.

Naim still supports it, it works well, sounds excellent and if it does what the user wants it to do then so what?

Whilst you are right about the RS power supply (albeit that it only powers the Windows part) you are wrong about the PCI card - Naim designed this along with the drivers, Dac, analogue supplies etc.

The White Paper is still available on Naim’s support pages which explains this in detail.

Like me, generally HDX users seem very happy with their machines from what I can tell from this forum. For myself if I do move to an NDX2 the HDX will just be moved to server duties which it will do very well until it goes pop - and if Naim won’t fix it then so be it - I’ve had my money’s worth out of it over all these years. It doesn’t owe me anything.

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John its not that I disagree, for the time they were great, But. If you have 1k to spend on a solution then I would argue an HDX would be way down there as a candidate.

Regards petrol pumps they don’t have to negotiate with my network running modern protocols such as SMB3.

At 300 quid it might be a worth a punt or at a grand with say a years warranty then maybe.

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Many of those esp. cash machines are pre-windows XP. A good friend worked for IBM for many years; the atm network is 1980’s tech, and is essentially impossible to update due to the legacy hardware that’s pervasive. The cost to maintain the platform is ridiculous, but it’s the only choice.

Fortunately, for hi fi, we can do better.

:grin:

For myself I would only trade or buy one using a Naim dealer - though as far I recall they seem to want considerably more than £1k.

I placed the HDX in my Fraim. It is a digital source product, which is in my ears and eyes a lot more than a computer. Even if it based on a Windows system.
Assuming, that you do not want to use external streaming, you can use a hdx as streamer (from nas), Server und ripper.

With dac it sounds wonderful. But I think you mostly hear the dac in this setup.

800 for a hdx … in Germany it is still around 2k€ for later ones with 2tb and service.

Bought mine 2 years ago and never regretted a bit. Melco is also a fine product, but not a cheap one.

That’s the point I had in mind - the HDX still sounds as good as it ever did.

Comparing the HDX to a 12 year old PC is in my opinion not a valid comparison - the HDX contains enhancements from Naim that set it apart from a normal PC.

Would you care to share what can be bought for under £400 that sounds as good as CDX2/HDX/NDX?

What would be the point, its all just a matter of opinion, and you are invested, there is nothing I can say.

To help other forum members make a wiser investment for their money if this is what you truly believe.

It’s easy to disparage the HDX as old tech but you seem unwilling to back this up with facts. To name some alternative components could help people move on from their HDXs and still be able to recoup some of their investment.

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I think you are being very sensitive to my comments which are after all based in fact. I had a nas02 for a number of years great bit of kit would I spend over a grand on one today not a chance. When it goes wrong it’s going to cost lots to get fixed and pcs more than most things it seems have a tendency to go wrong and wrong and wrong over time.

I notice darko has a vid on YouTube this week for a fantastic looking bit of kit from Cambridge for a grand, roon, Spotify, tidal, local streaming, quboz, internet radio etc built right in. Not a server granted but I would be looking at that way before a ndx for instance wouldn’t you?

Although to be fair I prefer home brew nower days not beholden to any hifi company who I believe should concentrate on great dacs

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are there any SW updates available in future?

I guess I just don’t agree that you can simply compare the HDX with a 12 year old PC as there’s much more to the HDX that Naim bring to the party.

I’ve not heard that Cambridge unit that you mention, but in the past I’ve tried non-Naim source components that have a rave following and always been left feeling a little underwhelmed.

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Bug fixes and tweaks possibly - new features almost certainly not.