Linn LP12 Akurate vs NDX2

Hi-Fi Corner
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G’day, fellow NAIM music lovers,

I am just talking (typing out loud). As most of you know, my income is adequate, though lean. With the idea of not spending my wife and my money on unknown LP recordings and CDs. Should I consider selling my LP12 and XS2 to purchase an SN3 and NDX2? Maybe even the CD5XS, though then I may have no music if there is an internet outage.

I find myself listening more to CDs and the odd vinyl that I can not purchase a CD for if there is enough money in the expenses account, along with the coffee and cake outing account.

I will say that I enjoy reading the Gramophone magazines and am learning and enjoying what I read very much. This may tweak my interest in purchasing a CD or LP based on their recommendations if there is enough money in the above bank accounts.

Or am I speaking a herasy and should stay with the Linn LP12.

I enjoy placing a CD in the CD5XS, sitting on the leather couch once composed, and pressing play on the remote once I am relaxed and composed with my tumbler and pitcher of chilled water.

Confused and thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

It is lonely out where I live, just after a chat. This forum is my daily fix for like-minded company and sounding out my thoughts.

Warm regards,

Mitch in regional Oz.

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I try not to do the vinyl vs CD vs streaming comparison in my system as it is difficult to level the playing field.

I guess that one advantage of streaming however, is that for a relatively small monthly subscription, one can have access to an extremely large digital library in FLAC format.

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Stay where you are Mitch

Grass not necessarily greener on the other side

When the time comes and the CD5XS gives up ( probably not for a long time ) then you can think about things

Technology is moving fast so don’t be in a hurry

Cheers

Bevo from Sydney

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Forgot to mention Mitch , the SN3 has been discontinued and it’s my understanding the NDX2 will be once remaining stocks have moved out of Naim HQ

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Thank you Bevo, I was unaware.

Money saved.

Warm regards,

Mitch.

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Tricky one here, to some extent. If you are working to a careful budget, I’m not sure swapping out components is a very good option, you will lose on what you sell, and end up spending more than you probably should on a replacement. If you want to buy music, then used CDs are a great bargain. Used vinyl is risky for condition, and not particularly cheap.

The other option though, especially if you want lots of new music is to buy a streamer and use on-line streaming. An on-line account is around $200/yr, so you would need to compare the capital cost of a streamer over a number of years plus the streaming subscription, against what you would spend on CDs and LPs with your current set-up. A ND5XS2 for $5K over five years plus a streaming account would be $1,200/yr - how would that compare to buying CDs and LPs over a year for you?

We’re in a similar situation with the recession in NZ. So are sticking with the set-up and trimming the new music budget right back.

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G’day Mike,

Well said. I thought I saw ND%XS2 Streamers going for half that. Though checking again, they are back up to almost $6k.

Plans on hold and be happy with what I have.

Warm regards,

Mitch.

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Yes you’re correct Mitch

The discounting on the Nd5xs2 and NDx2 has ceased here in Aus

Which from a brand point of view is a good thing as the market was fragmented

Not so good for customers though I suppose

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Just looked at the A2A NZ web site - all the discounting has ceased here too.

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Vervent and A2A must have come to agreement of some sort I guess

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Is NZ now officially in recession Mike ?

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Yes, we came out of one in April 2024 and have been back in one since July 2024.

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If it were me in your situation then I’d try to keep the LP12 for now, and save up for a cheap second hand streamer and see how that goes.

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Try (say) a WiiM Pro Plus and see how you get on with streaming…

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Some great advice given here.

Here’s a “self centred” description of my own streaming journey, hope it’s useful @Gigantor :slight_smile:

I do find streaming useful for new-to-me music, some of it is even new new music!

I sometimes follow an artist’s journey through time, listening to their output in temporal order, something that isn’t impossible with physical media, but would certainly have cost and media storage implications.

I also still buy physical media, vinyl and CD. Buying a mixture of music I’ve heard before and some I haven’t; I still enjoy the anticipation if I haven’t heard the music before and I settle back to listen to an album for the first time.

I’ve recently subscribed to Electronic Music magazine, and similar to you have used it as a means to discover new music, for which streaming has been incredibly useful. I can easily listen to most of the featured artists and releases without having to buy physical media.

I do think you would find having streaming available as a source to your hifi both useful and enjoyable, in addition to your vinyl and CD front ends.

How to do that though?

I progressed as follows

  1. Chord Mojo mk1 DAC, fed by my mobile phone
  2. Chord Hugo mk1 DAC, fed by my mobile phone
  3. Chord Hugo mk1 DAC, fed by a Primare NP5 streamer
  4. Chord TT2 DAC, fed by a Primare NP5 streamer

(Mojo now with a friend on long term loan. Hugo on headphone duty)

I kept my Naim CD5 throughout. I upgraded my TT during that process from a Systemdek to a Technics SL1200G. The relative performance of the streaming setup started off better than my CD5, but not as good as my vinyl front end, to where it is now, the TT2 sounds incredible, some things I prefer it on, some things I prefer my Technics. I’m happy that they’re more or less equal.

I write all that as I do think the quality of the streaming source is important to evaluate. Do you want streaming just to help with new music and don’t mind if the quality isn’t up to your other sources, or do you want a streamer to be equal to, or better than your existing sources?

You could have a great sounding streaming source, to help with new music discovery, but possibly not as good as your CD/TT, for the fairly low entry price of any one of a decent number of DACs, feeding it with your mobile phone, or computer. And frankly, entry level DACs, if the Mojo can be classed as that, are ridiculously good.

I get the desire to stay with Naim, and the argument for simplicity (DAC+phone/computer isn’t as convenient as a ND5XS2/NDX2 for example), just describing my own journey if it helps!

I always found the Mojo and Hugo mk1 a bit of a faff. The TT2/NP5 setup is the most convenient setup I’ve had, remote controlled, and is now more or less as convenient as a dedicated and integrated streamer/DAC. I do listen to more streamed music as a result!

Best of luck Mitch :slight_smile:

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Good morning Mitch, I have a ND5XS2 (at the moment) and I spend about just over £100 a year for the streaming service . Given the cost of vinyl and CDs it is very good.

I went down the streaming route with great reluctance as I think the terms are very unfair to many artists, but I am running out of room .

My view is that streaming HD tracks is usually better than CD

Last year, I auditioned three separate pieces of kit , a Marantz CD30N (it was a combined streamer and CD player) a ND5XS2 and a BluSound Node with a Chord DAC, on pure sounds the cheap steamer and DAC were slightly the winner .

All three were excellent , and there was little to choose between them

If it was me I would buy a BluSound streamer and then add a decent DAC when funds allow

My best wishes

Ian

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It certainly wont be greener on the other side. I have a select level lp12 with accurate psu. this is easy better than my nds with two 555 psus

Unless you want to stop buying and playing vinyl it will be a huge backwards step sound wise

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I got fed up with the cost vinyl and the indifferent quality.
So I auditioned three different CD transports with their seperate DAC.
To my ears in my system in my room the sq of CD was as good as if not better than vinyl, YMMV.
So I traded in my SME 20/3, SME V, Grado Statement 3 cartridge, Whest audio 60 pro se phono, and sold all my vinyl.
So the change to CD transport and DAC was cost neutral.
Do I regret this move? No. Do I miss vinyl? No.

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I suspect that depends very much on your preferred shade of green…

( … and yes, I have vinyl, cd, and streaming sources.)

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What caused this decision to sell your wonderful vinyl set up?
The quality of the new lps?
The ceremony it does implicate ( cleaning lps, stylus fragility, removal of the record clamp….)?