I had to chuckle at this comment since there have been so many threads with members having problems with wi-fi connections and the many solutions offered to make it work in their locations.
Wireless is great in many applications but I found direct connectivity to work best for me with my music system.
I chose the innuos as both nas and Roon core as itās so easy to use and I donāt think Naim core will support Roon rock? Might be wrong tho.
Of course i was assuming that the wi-fi connection itself is stable at any time. Otherwise it is always best to use a cable indeed.
Got an email today from a certain Naim dealer in York- they have an s/h nDAC. I have no further details Iām affraid
My experience here (and it may not be the same as other peopleās) is that a significant box upgrade to your HiFi system massively outclasses the network tweaks, cables upgrades, switches etc. that get so much airtime on this forum. A DAC upgrade would therefore be my suggestion here. I went with Chord, and there are many others, but the NDAC is a great option too, especially at used prices now.
Like the OP I started with the ND5 XS2 but itched to make it better. Next came a S/H nDac. This seriously impressed me. Bringing a way more luxurious sound. I then added an XPS DR to the ndac and I was left drooling.
I was so happy for a while until I needed to free up some rack for a PSU. So I got the NDX2. Thinking to power it from the XPS DR snd a plan to sell the nDac and ND5 XS2.
The new streamer sounded great but wasnāt really better than my previous 3 box source. I then made the mistake of adding back in the nDac which I had been tardy in selling. I powered it from the XPS DR fed by coax from the NDX2. Suddenly I was drowning in aural elixir. There was just so much of everything I could barely breathe.
Trouble is now I want to get a 555 PSU for the nDac and want to try running the NDX2 from the XPS DR. (Oh I had to get another shelf).
So long story short :- nDac will make a big difference in my opinion. It also has the option of a worthwhile upgrade with a psu in the future. IMHO this will sound better than NDX2 raw or even powered by XPS.
Conclusion - that nDac is pure fire.
Lol yeah I didnāt want to mention these options to the OP as he mentioned heās looking āfine tuneā his system. The nDAC if you can find them is a steal when paired with the ND5XS2 or with the NDX2 as some have done. I fell into this trap (a most pleasant trap) nd5xs2-nDAC-XPSDr. Itās going to be an interesting year with all the new kit.
Dear OP you really do have a nicely balanced system. Take your time with any upgrades.
NDX2 as transport into nDAC/555PSDR sounds sublime.
All logic says that adding a PSU to NDX2 when used as a digital transport would make so little difference that itās not worth the cost. Spend the funds on cabling or other box upgrades instead.
The comparison between NDX2/555PSDR and NDX2/nDAC/555PSDR is very close. Slightly different presentations.
Thanks DeeBee,marcusman for your responses, this was mainly aimed at fine tuning but the cost of just upgrading cables and possibly adding a high quality switch makes me think the Ndac route would probably be a more productive option when in comes to improving the sound of my system.
Whatās really frustrating for me is last year there was an Ndac available for sale locally, original owner from new, looked in first class condition and very fairly priced but I passed on it, shame, as I think for the outlay versus sound improvement it would of been a bargain, definitely food for thought and I have a much better idea now of the best options open to me in the future, many thanks.
As others have mentioned in different threads, the nDAC really excels with a quality feed and the ND5XS2 feeds it well.
The nDAC with power supply is a fantastic DAC. Would love to hear a NDX2 with a nDAC/555 as itās, in my opinion, a much better transport than the ND5XS2.
Iām surprised adding a hi cap didnāt bring a marked improvement. I had an olive 202 with an 180 and add a chrome hi cap and it was like a vial had been removed.
@silverback just make sure the HiCap is connected properly with signal to the NAP200 going from the HiCap not the NAC202.
In my experience of having a NAC202 and NAP200 I found a Powerline very good BUT as @frenchrooster indicated above the sound becomes less in your face and less dramatic but more nuanced and less coloured. If you expect more drama from an upgrade you maybe disappointed.
Powerline I would source second hand and based on experience I would add to NAP200 first, then HiCap and then NAPSC. I have never had an ND5 but suspect the difference to be worthwhile also.
You can see if there is a worthwhile difference to your ears by moving the NAPSC off the shelf and as far away as the cables will allow! I did that and the difference was noticeable. Its a noisy box!
Ethernet switches and cables I would do after getting the basics sorted personally.
How are the signal cables running with the Bryston? Via the HiCap or straight from the 202?
Morning Steve,
Many thanks for taking the time to respond, when the NAP200dr is in the system it is connected as Naim recommend in their connection guide, the HiCap feeding the 200.
A Powerline would seem like a good option to try if the results are as you describe that would be fine by me as I do find the setup can feel at times a little too dramatic and in your face.
Moving the NAPSC is not an issue, that can be easily tried and tested, thanks.
At present the Bryston is fed via a din to phono lead from socket 3 on the HiCap and it brings a marked improvement to the sound, I always thought the PMCās needed more power to perform at their best. What was surprising is the forum do not seem to like the combination of NAC202 running with a NAP250dr suggesting that using a NAC282 brings much more of a benefit, perhaps this is speaker dependent, the results at the moment with the Bryston are very positive and I would be very interested to try a 250dr in place of the Bryston.
To anyone who has, or gets, an nDAC - donāt forget to add a PowerLine once budget allows as we did find it made a difference (ran the nDAC without PSU for a short time, it responded well to Powerline, although it was still running in from service).
We have PowerLines on the NDX2, nDAC and 555PSDR.
Overkill? We donāt think so. It brings us many hours of joy.
Hi IainO,
Can I ask how much the price of the servicing was on the Ndac,thanks.
nDAC is a digital device, band 7.
Ā£549.
Dealer and naim said that it was only 11 years old (2011) and didnāt necessarily need a service. But since it was new to us, we decided to service. Device was found to be in perfect health but power caps were replaced.
You are right.
Then you can be on the forum regularly with your wi-fi issues.
@silverback sounds like everything is connected correctly then. The 250 is often not recomended with the 202 as the source fisrt approach is favoured here. That being source/pre/power/speakers/cables. Some advocate pre/source/powerā¦ I think the 202 is underated and thats having used 202/282/552. I would try it. 250 is a great amp. The Powerlines used are definately worth looking at. You will be able to sell them for no loss if you donāt like then anyway as they are always in demand!
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the response, having used the 202/282/552 could you give me your opinion of the sound signature difference between the 202 compared to the 282, the 552 is way out of range for me.
My original plan was to move on the Bryston possibly to help fund the next step, I would probably have gone for a 250dr especially after hearing the benefit of the more powerful Bryston but as you and many forum members have pointed out, 282 first seems to be the recognised next step.