I have listened back to back with a NDX vs NDX2 and despite the claims there really isn’t a huge difference in sound quality.
When you factor in the cost of a NDX2 (£5,500) and then add an XPS to the NDX it will be imho be better then the NDX2.
The NDX2 really elevates itself once you add a XPS to it but your looking at nearly £8,000.
ND5XS was also compared with bare NDX and the NDX is clearly much better as it’s status in the Naim hierarchy would suggest.
Just make sure you get an NDX with the DAB module too as Naim radio has some great channels (including jazz radio) as well as traditional radio stations.
Rip them to a server and then you can play them through your streamer, which is how the NDX and NDS, for instance, were originally conceived - streaming from remote services came years after their initial release to market.
I have a NAC N172/NAP200, (non DR). Just inserted an NDX, so the 172 is just doing duty as a pre. Sounds great. I had listened to an NDX/202/200 a couple of years ago, not on home demo, but I was impressed. But now I have the NDX in my lounge, I am over the moon. I have a 282 coming soon, but I think a 202 would be great too.
Not a lot of love for the 202/200 on the forum but I think it’s a great combo. Add an NDX and you have a balanced, easy to own, good value proposition.
Hi @Clive
Not sure how those thoughts relate to me and my situation. I’ve already moved in that direction. Apologies, if that wasn’t obvious from my posts in this thread.
In my previous post, my intention was to help the OP, with thoughts on external DAC’s ( because there is already a Chord Hugo in the house), working with a dedicated streamer product.
Or other products that also stream as part of their feature set, such as the Innous Zen Mini mk3, which is a marvel, (for the money).
KR
R
p.s. Still love CD’s and intend to keep both CD collection and lovely Naim CD player
I haven’t read all this in detail but I would suggest the NDX is definitely worth thinking about.
I bought one a few months back and the sound is great. Side by side with my CDS2 it certainly isn’t embarrassed. I’d expect it to easily out perform your CD5.
Obviously you are limited with the platforms you can stream from. But if you can get one for around £1,200 i’d say go for it.
Yeah, sorry. I was just responding to your comment in which you said “Some of us still love our CDs”, which was a reply to Hungry Halibut who’d said that with a streamer you don’t need a CD player. I was just pointing out that with a streamer and server you can have the best of both worlds.
FWIW I still have my CDs stored all over the house (wherever I can get away with it), although I don’t really have any need to play them as they’re all ripped. I still buy CDs too.
Sure.
Completely get all that. We are both agreed.
In our house, we use Vinyl, CD’s, HDD cd archive and also stream (from Qobuz and Apple Music). As well as Spotify “playlists”…
We’re an eclectic bunch of adults - husband, wife (best mate), plus adult son and daughter, (one a cellist, the other a saxophonist) - we all do things in a different way. Maybe it’s a generational thing. We also have different but overlapping musical tastes. It’s brilliant.
From Apple MacBook + Sennheiser wireless headphones, to Robert’s radio, to Google chrome-cast devices, iPhones & iPads to Naim Hi-Fi, etc, etc. It’s all good. We’re in the process of adding an Innuos server into this mix.
The wonderful thing - in this our mad house - there is always music playing. Somewhere.
I consider myself to a be a fortunate man, my whole family enjoys music as much as I do.
All four of us are going to see “GoGo Penguins” soon.
I would be thrilled with an NDX (+PSU) myself, if only it could stream Qobuz. I prefer the older text-based screen and, based on the commentary I read here, the sound quality can be excellent. Having regrettably passed over some good opportunities for an NDX2, I instead run an ND5 XS2 which is also great, especially compared to what I had in the past.
I run a UQ1 as a second system, using BubbleUPnP to stream Qobuz, that should work on the NDX as well.
If you install BubbleUPnP server somewhere on your network you can also get the server to transcode to WAV to take some processor load off the first gen streamers, as well as making playlists a bit better than managing them on the controlling app on your phone.
Using the BubbleUPnP app and selecting the UQ1 as a renderer, it’ll just start playing straight away, so you don’t have to interact with the Naim app as well
Maybe I should give that kind of thing more of a go. I’ve expected that my primary digital source should be fully native and not running through auxiliary software… but that’s been more philosophical and not based on evidence or practice. On a related note, does anyone know if highdef internet radio is available on NDX? On ND5 XS I’ve seen only lower bandwidth versions of some popular stations that come in 1000kbps quality via ND5 XS2.
I have both an ND5 XS2 and an NDX2 (paired with an XPS DR). Both are excellent and highly recommended. My ND5 XS2 works wonderfully with my XS2 in what is now my secondary system; it is a joyful combination. While the NDX2 (particularly with the XPS DR) sounds better, this doesn’t detract from how good the ND5 XS2 sounds. (I think that there’s a tendency to conclude that merely because there’s something that sounds better than the less expensive alternative sounds poorly.). The fact that Naim was able to design and build a component so musical while adhering to a lower price target is an impressive accomplishment.
Having owned both the ND5XS and NDX, the NDX really is a much better. They are a real bargain at the moment. I sold mine earlier this year for £1100. The guy who bought was upgrading from an ND5XS and email instantly saying how happy he was with the new sound (much more detail). Good luck
I’d go for ND5XS2 standalone on your NaitXS3. It’s a nice machine and works better than NDX in my experience. I owned both and was very happy with the ND5XS2. But changed someday for NDX2. CD I’d also keep, so I do and am happy from time to time…
Another vote for the NDX from me. I can’t comment on how it compares with the current range. However, I had one from new in 2012 and ran it bare as my only source until 2016 and was very happy with it. Over that period I went from nac 102 to 82 to 52. It was easily a good enough source to show the improvements each pre-amp upgrade gave me.
I’m on a legacy streamer and have a QNAP Nas on my network running bubble soft. I use the Linn Kazoo app for Qobuz lossless and it’s sublime. Pretty easy to do. Some install the Bubblesoft on a Raspberry Pi on their network as well.
I agree… and also Naim CDP like the CDX2 tend have a rather unique and enjoyable sound signature that really gels with some genres…
I enjoy the diverse sources… and the different ways they render recordings. Certainly just using a single streamer I think you could miss out on much of this.
But sure if you are not into listening to the enjoying your different sources render your recordings then a streamer with a CD transport input is probably all you need.
Having to rip a CD every time is a bore… and sometimes you just want spin it and play it…. even though these days 44.1/16 is quite a restrictive definition.
