I use a Primare NP5 streamer into a Chord Hugo mk1 DAC as my streaming solution. To be honest, as much as I enjoy spinning CDs in my CD5, the Primare/Chord does sound a lot better. Hugo mk1 about £450 on eBay, Primare I think I found for £350. The Chord is nicely built. The Primare is adequately built, I think that’s deliberate on the part of the manufacturer - it’s a practical way to add up to date streaming to legacy kit. Neither exude what the CD5 does.
I don’t know how easy Primare kit is to service, or what their repair policy/capability is. I bought the NP5 on a bit of a whim, it’s been great to use. But I expect a ND5 XS2 would easily outlive it. I suspect the bigger Primare boxes are a lot more substantial than the NP5 though.
Lots of threads on here about the various ways to skin the streaming cat. What I don’t like about my setup is the faff of two boxes, an app, a physical power button on the Chord - and would swap that for the convenience of the ND5 XS2, even knowing the SQ wasn’t quite as good.
I bet the NDX2 sounds fabulous, and the user experience is good by all accounts. Second hand ones coming down in price from what I see on eBay. I also recall Richard D suggesting even faulty Naim CD players fetching ok money on the secondhand market, though one with a DAC vs transport fault might be a different matter.
Anyway, sorry for the long reply! Best of luck again.
We are now in a position to carry out the repair of your CDX2. If you wish to go ahead, I’d advise getting back in touch with Audio T & we will raise an RMA.
If they require verification of the current situation, Flynn Charter will provide.
Great Service by Neil for which I am very grateful. but not so sure about Naim themselves. Why did it take Neil to sort it out?
Anyway the RMA was raised successfully this time and the player has been collected which has to be a good sign I guess. Be interesting to see how long it takes and what they do to repair and service it.
I will update when I know more. But this adventure should be a warning for anyone with a CD player no matter of brand.
It is interesting though to see so say genuine Naim CDX2 and other lasers for sale on Ebay.
I gave up on CD players 12 years ago. Traded my CDX2 in for an HDX, ripped all my CDs and never looked back. Given the mechanical nature of the HDX, I recently traded that in for an NDX2, converted all my WAV rips to FLAC and copied everything to a network NAS and USB drive for the NDX2. Any future CD activity will be on my computer with Exact Audio Copy (a phenomenal, free program) and copying the rips on to the NAS/USB drive.
I have an all Naim set-up, including a 19 year old CDX2.
I’d love to get it back to its prime condition willing to pay decent money …rather than having to buy an Audiolab CDT900 - and then maybe going down the Audiolab road to match.
Yes the original Mech could pack in at anytime - but so tempted to take the risk!
Trevor, It should sound wonderful again, so enjoy. My CDS3 had a new DAC & update a few years ago and came back sounding even better than I could have expected. Glad a fellow Audio T Chelt. customer remains a Naim follower, shows the power of this forum (or Neil!)
Robin
Finally got round to giving the repaired cdx2 a work out.
What can I say it sounds fantastic. It so taut, dynamic & clean sounding. It’s just so much more musical and alive.
I think what I am saying is the cdx2 must have been on its way out for a while. As a problem with something in the sound I could only describe as some sort of distortion seems to have now gone.
All now seems well thanks to Naim. In particularly Neil
Hopefully my 18 year old player will now give me another 10 years