Yes exactly my thoughts. A very well implemented transport indeed. Everything you need - all the streaming services covered inc. Roon and Chromecast (a must for me), And all well implemented in a solidly engineered ‘box’ that feels like it’ll last a lifetime. And if everything goes wrong, it’ll even work on its own vis its internal Burr Brown and decent app. Starts to look like very good value doesn’t it @JanW - or ‘fair’ as @bhoyo so well puts it.
For me it’s the best piece of hi-fi I’ve ever bought @Frazeur1. I think I’ll be keeping the nDAC and ND5 XS2 for a long time @IanO and @Frazeur1.
My only piece of Naim equipment left is my ND5XS2.
Not letting it go, its great.
Used as a transport into my new Technics SU G700M2 amp. Sounds sublime.
I don’t have a NDS but IIRC if your PS is the 555PS then you’ll use both inputs(2 cables) for the NDS, but if you only have a XPS then it’s only input 1.
I thought I would post an update. Quite a few hours listening now with various types of music. Have been comparing the ND5 XS 2-NDac-XPS2 DR with the NDS-non-Naim PS and to my ears they are pretty much exactly the same. PRaT is there, I can hear the music, it sounds good but I cannot differentiate between the two. So in the ND5 XS 2 Naim seem to have produced a pretty good front end.
Next I’m going to have a go with just the bare ND5 XS 2 just to check and then I might swap the Superlumina interconnect on the NDS with the Hiline on the NDac and hear if that makes a difference and finally I will try the third party PS on the NDac.
I’m interested to learn about your findings. I often debate upgrading the ND5XS2 to an NDX2 vs going ND5XS2-Third party DAC, but I don’t want to give up the Naim signature sound.
If the NDS doesn’t sound a great deal better than the ND5 something is seriously wrong!
Another option to try, of course, is ND5XS2 into NDS via SPDIF cable. That would give you all the benefits of the new streaming platform, plus the benefits of the NDS suspended boards, offboard power supply etc.
Not sure about that approach @ChrisSU. The NDS is a real beauty for sure, but I see all the Naim streamers as primarily optimised tp process streams, and that the DAC (for other sources) is perhaps an added bonus. My gut feeling is that ND5XS2 > nDAC will sound more resolved, than the ND Streamer to ND streamer via spdif rout way. That’s my subjective bias right now and I could be wrong. I wish I had an NDS - I’d try the comparison myself. Turning into Interesting thread for me…I still haven’t got a BNC to BNC coax to plug my ND5XS2 into my nDAC yes (Sigh)…
The NDS DAC is very much a development of the NDAC, using the same twin 1704 chips in a similar configuration. It has to share a box with a streamer of course, but Naim clearly don’t see that as a disadvantage as all of their digital sources do so. It has other refinements, such as a fully offboard power supply, boards on sprung suspension, etc. so technically you could argue that it has evolved quite a bit beyond the NDAC.
The 2nd gen streamers are similarly an evolution from the 1st gen models like the NDS. Despite being XS level,the ND5XS2 uses the same streaming board as its Classic and 500 level peers, and has a number of advantages over the NDS such as LVDS, wider support for higher quality internet streams, etc. So one might speculate that this combination is technically superior to either ND5XS2/NDAC or standalone NDS.
What anybody actually prefers in the real world is, of course, another matter. Only one way to find out. Time to get yourself that DC1 cable!
- I’d try the comparison myself. Turning into Interesting thread for me…I still haven’t got a BNC to BNC coax to plug my ND5XS2 into my nDAC yes (Sigh)…