A friend is willing to give me his used HDX SSD player but has lost the remote. Based on my review of the HDX manual, the remote is a “must have”. Does anyone know if I can still buy this remote from naim or if replacement type remotes are available on the internet. I tried contacting naim, but have not received any responses.
Note: my main use of the HDX SSD would be for playing CD’s. I currently have a Superuniti (and corresponding remote) but not sure if that remote would control the cd function on the HDX. Unfortunately, my friend lives across the country so I can’t test it (before shipping).
Hi. I had an HDX for a number of years and operated it mainly with the front panel display. I liked the HDX’s ability to Rip CDs and store them for later replay. Worth giving it a try.
You don’t need the remote. The CD will start to play automatically when you load it, and the basic stop/start/back/forwards controls can be accessed on the touchscreen display, or from the N-Serve app on an iPhone.
If you use a system automation cable connection between the HDX and your SU I imagine the SU remote would work. I haven’t tried, but it works if you connect a Naim CD player
Thanks for the info. I really would like to use a remote since I like to play different selections from each cd and not get up and down every few minutes.
I’m not sure I understand what you mean by “system automation cable connection”. I plan to connect the HDX to SU by either the rca digital input or the rca analog inputs.
If you have an iPhone or iPad that works as a remote using the N-Serve app.
System automation is a way of linking Naim amps, streamers and CD players so that they can be controlled from a single device. It requires an additional cable with 3.5mm jack plugs on each end connected to the remote sockets on the rear panel of each device. I’m not 100% certain it would work with an HDX but I can’t see why not.
Well things just took turn for the worse, now my friend said he can’t locate the “power link plug” that disengages the power supply socket. Is this something that I can purchase in the US? I looked at Tomtom in the UK but they don’t ship to US.
Based on your prior response, I have options with regard to the remote, however the plug is a necessity, correct?
The link plug is removed when the HDX is used with a separate power supply as an upgrade. If you’re not doing that it has to be put in, otherwise it won’t work. A Naim dealer should be able to get one if they are still available from Naim, so you would need to contact one to check price and availability.
The link plugs cost about £109 in the UK. I think I’d be asking myself two questions; do I really want to play CDs, and if I do, might I be better picking up a standard CD player?
I still have an extensive CD Collection and find that when a quality CD player/transport is connected to a very good DAC, it rivals some of the best streaming I get through Qobuz or Tidal. So, it’s worth it to me.
A good CD player/ transport will cost me at least $1500-$2000 US, so if I get the HDX for free (or close to it) putting a few hundred into the plug & remote still puts me still ahead.
Bear in mind that any parts or repairs needed to the HDX (optical drive, HDD/OS, boards, etc) will be prohibitively expensive, if you can even find a place that will repair it. Google “Naim HDX Link Plug” - the only price I saw in the US was $600!
The HDX remote was the very rare Narcom 6. It was an option for the Unitiserves, so a Unitiserve remote should work with it.
The HDX-SSD do not have an internal HDD, music storage required a NAS. There is a small internal SSD (good quality enterprise type if I remember) used to store the software and used as temp music storage.
It was an over-complicated design using an internal embedded version of the Windows operating system. With an nDAC it was great but the internal DAC wasnt anything special even by 2009 standards … and I remember I used to think the direct CD-play function was more inconvenient than using a normal CD-player (at least with the SSD-model I was using). But, sure, it worked.
Correct. An SLC SSD should be more reliable than a HDD but would still have to go back to the mothership if it ever needed to be replaced or re-imaged. Naim didn’t make their modified OS/software for the HDX available outside their own service department.
You can use the NAIM n-Serve app on an iphone/ipad to control the HDX if you can’t find a Narcom 6.
Naim said some time ago that hard drives were no longer available so no, they’re not replaceable. No doubt they will attempt other repairs where parts are obtainable.