NDS is great sounding streamer, a bargain right now. Looking at your system, would it make more sense to upgrade your power supply on the nDAC to a 555ps? Or, look into a Chord dac solution? Lot’s of options to consider.
Yes, but you have to use the S/PDIF output of the ND5XS2 (or NDX2) and input of the NDS - yuck
Plus you then have a 2nd DAC in the ND5XS2 (or NDX2) not being used - why introduce such redundancy in an intentional purchase? Makes no sense.
The NDS was designed for an Ethernet input, it has all the NIC and processing separated in a Faraday cage (switch the Wifi off, the Digital inputs and front-panel USB input), switch the display to either come on for the briefest moment or not at all (all the album artwork, artist pictures etc. look much better on a tablet or can be on another separate display with Roon, well away from the sensitive audio processing).
You are then getting all the brass isolation on the analogue output board, pioneered with the NDS when it was the flagship reference streamer, and use to demo the Statement amplifiers.
Again, I would like to hear a ‘NDS with Roon input’ side-by-side to a ND555, playing from Roon (same 555DR PSU configuration - single or double), and see whether the off-board processing is better than on-board. Plus I haven’t see Naim demo the ND555 with Roon, only with playback from the UnitiCore UPnP server.
There’s some great points been made here.
Just now I’m using a Roon Rock NUC into an Audiophilleo 1 USB/SPDIF into the nDAC/XPS2. My assumption, after reading up sometime ago, was that the NDS/XPS would best the nDAC/XPS. That seemed to be the general gist of things and I’ve been thinking for a long time now about the merits of simplifying this with an NDX2 or an NDS. With many users preferring the NDS over an NDX2, and with the growing price difference, the NDS with a Roon workaround is starting to look like a very viable option.
BTW I did have the Chord Hugo2 for about a year but much preferred the nDAC, especially when I added the XPS.
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Separating the streamer and DAC is almost always the preferrable approach to mitigate noise/interference and improve sound quality. There is a good chance that feeding an affordable streamer like a Node 2i into the nDAC will outperform a standalone NDS, at a much lower cost. It would also give you a much more future proof streaming solution, so worth considering perhaps.
When only used as a DAC/endpoint, there is no practical advantage in using an NDS over the nDAC that i can think of.
This is great to hear, as it is also my plan to add an ND5 XS2 to my 2017 NDS as soon as Qobuz comes to Canada. Well … if it ever does …
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Even when externally powered, the nDAC’s still requires a mains connection as the internal power supply is still used to power the logic/control aspects of the unit. Now, that might be seen as an advantage (a bit like twin PSU’s on an NDS or ND555) but can also be a disadvantage when trying to optimally locate the nDAC in a “brain and brawn” stack without compromising one thing or another.
Also, the NDS being a head-unit only, i.e. not having an internal transformer and power supply components, means more internal real-estate for optimising layout.
Another advantage of the NDS would be the spring-loaded and isolated main boards that the nDAC doesn’t get.
So, advantages of the NDS? Yes, a few. Result being better performance according to (it seems) majority (but not unanimous) opinion. Not compared the two myself so can’t say one way or the other on that.
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All the points you’ve made here are very good.
For me, right now, the NDS works great because iradio and NAS streams sound excellent, and it’s a very good Dac for a CD transport as well. I mentioned in the earlier post that I will add an ND5 XS2 soon, and that should make it all sound even better with the new digital tech.
So, for the OP, if he’s not using Qobuz, it may be the best way forward at these prices, for sure.
I paid 4500 CAD for mine, around 3200 GBP.
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Have you heard and NDS? Just curious.
We’re entering Ethernet-cable-shootout territory again here, so it’s time for me to leave this thread.
I’ll just go and get my NDS out of the bin…
Joking aside it sounds better than the ndx2 - that debate has been done to death and it’s clear the NDS wins albeit close on sound quality v NDX2.
I use mine for local files, Tidal and internet radio and it sounds very good. I would need to look at ND555 at 13k if I wanted to stay with Naim, which I do!
Price is soon forgotten if quality remains so go and have a listen at a dealer - personally I think it plays music very well. At the moment I don’t have the appetite to play with third party dacs - just not a road I want to go down but each to their own.
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Anyone that would compare an nDac to an NDS equally, has obviously never actually heard an NDS set up properly.
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Mine still sounds great but the screen is blank as it is with my ND5XS.
Given how good the NDS sounded against the 555 at a Naim event hosted by my dealer I’d say yes. Add Roon and you have a nice long term system.
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Shortly after I got mine, I read here that the screen timeout should be set to 10 secs. I’m hoping that this prevents the screen from dying.
Never had my screen on and it still died but maybe that was the problem.
Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Apparently tho, the cost of replacement has been lowered.
But yes, I don’t really need the screen either. I use the app to access my music, which works fine for me.
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Funny enough I was looking to buy a ND555 but it was at a ND555 roadshow that convinced me to go NDS. They played the NDS first with a 500 system along with Kudos Titan 707’s which sold the sound I wanted at home.
For the cost of a ND555 I got a used 500DR to replace my 300DR, used NDS to replace my CDS3 and a Super Lumnia Interconnect which still worked out cheaper then going for a ND555.
Off course the ND555 is better but the changes I made where so much greater and a sound I can live with for a long time.
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I’ll be doing the same thing. I’ll max out the NDS/ND5 XS2, and then move up to a better pre and amp.
Sounds like you used your head and got a great deal. 
I agree the ND555 was better but the NDS certainly didn’t sound broken. 
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Hmm. I preferred the NDAC / 555PS to the NDS, so I am probably not a good person to ask, but I am confident the ND5XS2 feeding the NDS will produce a fine result.
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