I currently have an ND5 XS. My amp is a SN2. Has anyone compared the first ND5 XS to the 2 version? I keep hearing how good the ND5 XS2 is, but would it be an upgrade to the first ND5 XS for sound quality?
I know in an ideal world I should get the NDX2, but I can’t stretch my budget that far.
I have the ND5XS2 and very happy with it so far, soundstage is amazing. Like you the budget for a XS2 was another 3K so aint going for that just yet. Running a SN2 also.
I am going to have a demo of the XS2 against the ND5 soon …
But for £2300 the ND5 is superb
If you’re happy with the functionality of your ND5XS, you could do worse than to go for a used NDX. They have dropped in price dramatically since the new models were released. The new models will give you some good new features, including improved access to web streaming services, but for local streaming from a NAS the advantages are smaller.
Yes, in my view the ND5XS2 is hugely accomplished, and I would put it above the original NDX in terms of performance. Fantastic bit of kit.
My view is I just wouldn’t buy a used Naim legacy streamer anymore, they are too performance restrictive, and the Ethernet streaming noise tends to have undue impact on performance. The new streamers are significantly improved in this area due to their new approach, updated architecture…and from all the learning from the 1st gen legacy streamers experiences and issues.
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About the ethernetnoise, you can add a quality ethernetcable between a router and your streamer to reduce the noise on the older streamers to improve them relatively cheap.
I hear a big difference between a standard ethernetcable compared to the Chord Shawline I now use.
No not really, Ethernet leads are not about Ethernet related noise for the most part… that is really about stub RF loading of the network interface … as the Ethernet links [cables] are not perfect transmission lines. Therefore the effect/noise shaping of cables will vary from device model to device model. Perhaps a more appropriate description would be physical network interface connection noise.
Ethernet [related] noise is at the next layer up… that is about the physical transmission clock from the host NICs such as the switch and the streamer interface, as well as the processing of frames by the NIC / network stack of frames in the streamer.
Ok, I’m learning new stuff everyday😀, but cables is/ can be still an improvement worth trying anyway.
Sure, as per my post above.
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For what it’s worth, my dealer doesn’t agree with that. I was discussing options with him a couple of weeks ago, and he said he’d compared them when the new ND5 arrived, and thought the NDX was still better. But of course, you don’t have to agree with him. I shall reserve judgment until I’ve had a proper demo.
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