An ND5XS2 might be OK, but in the current Naim range, an NDX2 is really the matching streamer for your amp. Yes, it’s a fair bit more expensive, but if price is any indication of quality, remember that if you bought your amp new today, it would cost you something like £7500 so a £5k source wouldn’t be out of place.
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Guess you are right. I will have to demo them when the time comes. I believe that the 82/200 combo will be installed in about a week, and I believe that I will hear rather quickly how the Bluesound performs with bigger brothers.
As an alternative, if you can find a nDAC and you don’t mind a two box source the ND5XS2 into a nDAC is fantastic. Yes I’m clearly biased… 
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There’s always that choice too 
Is the nDAC significantly better than the onboard ND5 one, in your opinion?
I would say so, yes. Adding an external DAC is a well established upgrade path for any Naim streamer, and now that the NDAC is discontinued, it’s quite a cost effective one. There are many non-Naim DACs that can be used like this too, including various Chord models which many of us have used, but any DAC with a coax SPDIF input would work.
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So I’ve heard, the Hugo 2 is often mentioned. Seems odd though, that a 11 year old DAC would still be an upgrade to a flagship streamer costing quarter of a house. But if it’s THAT good, then it seems like a no brainer?
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Yes the nDAC’s analog section is better than the onboard analog section of the ND5XS2. The nDAC has the same DAC chip, analogue filter and i2v approach as the ND555 and NDS.
If you can find one they are a tremendous value for “11 year old technology”.
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I get that it is better than the onboard in ND5, but it seems weird to me that the ND555 doesn’t have the edge on it. But my hat is off, thrown to sea, if the nDAC still is that awesome 
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The ND555 does have the edge. The ND555 has better separation, shielding, no internal power supply, dr regulators and a pretty screen. The DAC chip is only one part of the equation.
Got it. Sounds reasonable.
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Well I’m not sure where you could buy a house for the price of 4 ND5XS2s, but when the original Hugo first arrived, there were a few people who sold their NDAC/555PS and replaced them with the Hugo that wasn’t much more than £1000 at the time. It’s now simple enough to pick one up for £600, try it, and sell it if you don’t like it, as you could with the NDAC.
I think it’s important to remember that it’s not just a simple hierarchy, and that different DACs will appeal to different people depending on their personal preferences, as well as what matches their system and room. As ever, you need to listen to these DACs in your own system to see what they can do for you.
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I agree with you @ChrisSU. My original thought was to pickup a Chord Qutest until an offer I couldn’t refuse came up on a nDAC. Beauty is I can change things up later on if I want to.
Quarter of a house, meaning ND555. But yeah, I get it.
What’s your source, marcusman?
My source is a Naim ND5xs2 streamer into a Naim nDAC
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Ok, Thanks. Psu on the nDAC?
Nope. I’m pretty happy where I’m at. No intention on a Psu (at least not for awhile). I’m looking at a turntable next.
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I see. Thanks 
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What are you going to be streaming?
If it’s subscription services such a TIDAL or Qobus then NDX2 makes sense.
If you are mainly local streaming from NAS and a bit of Spotify then NDS with 555PS or XPSDR makes sense. That’s what I have. I would upgrade to ND555 next.
I had an ND5XS with and without an aftermarket quality DAC, which was very good, and the the NDS simply blew it away for sound quality.
The older streaming platforms of ND5XS, NDX, 272, NDS aren’t that great with the subscription services IMHO.
You can get round it with other products but then that just adds to costs!
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As of right now I stream Spotify and my CDs in ALAC fra my NAS.
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