Any views appreciated. I mostly listed to vinyl and have an Origin Live Sovereign turntable with one of their Enterprise tonearms and a Hana Umami red cartridge. Sounds great. I want to add a digital source. I want to add a digital source for the first time for me. Would a used ND5 XS2 be a worthwhile addition or sound poor compared to my turntable. Thanks for any comments.
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Hi, ND5 XS2 is a lovely streamer and we have one in my wifeâs system (see profile).
Very capable and sits well with her 202/200 system.
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Itâs a perfect streamer to get into the digital world!
Your turntable might be be better overall, but streaming is different and offers a lot convenience.
You can easily upgrade the streamer with ndac plus psu and the journey begins.
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I can confirm that the ND5XS2 is lovely entry to the streaming world. I just offered one to my brother for his 65th birthday. On my side I have had a few streamers (NDS, ND552 and NSS333) and can tell you that the ND5XS2 doesnât have to blush. Youâl find out how terrific is streaming for the discovery of new music.
Buying second hand will be a good way to start. If you donât like it, you will be able to resell the streamer without loosing much money. You wonât loose much money either if you resell the streamer for an upgrade. In all cases, youâll win.
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To be honest I think youâll notice the difference with your turntable. Not that the advice and comments above arenât also true! Iâm sure a standalone used ND5 XS2 would be a good buy, you could sell it on, or add a better DAC etc. and itâll definitely get you used to the usability and interaction with a streamer, but Iâd be surprised if you didnât notice SQ differences with your turntable. As long as youâre expecting that, and willing to use it as a toe in the water, then I think youâll be fine.
My justification is that I currently rate my Chord Hugo mk1 & Primare NP5 as broadly equivalent SQ to my Technics 1200G/DV 10x5, Graham Slee Accession (albeit they sound different, in SQ terms I could live with either!). When I auditioned a ND5 XS2 against my current streaming setup I definitely preferred the Chord/Primare. Iâd expect your TT to comfortably outperform my Technics!
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If the budget can be stretched, the NDX2 is better.
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Very helpful comments. I was concerned that an ND5 XS2 would lead to ignore it as a second source but that is not the impression I get. Fully realising more spent will be better some of the used prices seem very good for the ND5 XS2 and lead me to explore more music - thanks
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Iâve enjoyed my nd5xs2 though I will admit that adding a standalone dac, in my case a second hand ndac has been a wonderful addition. If possible you might want to demo a few options to see what sort of sound you prefer.
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Digital and analogue just sound different, I imagine youâll always prefer your TT in part because youâre familiar with it, but the ND5 XS2 is a top performer even with the more expensive pre-powers.
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I agree about the ND5XS2 being a top performer. However, when I upgraded to the NDX2 and XPSDr, I found the level of SQ to markedly increase. I had started out with the ND5XS2. A lot depends on whether the poster will upgrade in the future. If so, they should consider going to NDX2 from the beginning.
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I have had a nd5xs2, ndx2 with xpsdr and now cd555psu. Each change is an upgrade. The advantage of the nd5xs2 is that upgrades are limited; it is both a blessing and a curse. Of course the N-Dac is the only real upgrade. Plus a xpsdr or a cd555psuâŚ
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The Nd5xs2 , if used as a secondary source, would allow you to discover a lot of new music and with an enjoyable sound.
But compared to your turntable, it will sound dramatically inferior.
So it depends if you just want to have a satisfying sound with your second source or a second source at the level of your vinyl system.
For the last case, an Nd555 would be a minimum I fear . IMO of course.
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It depends. I have a Rega p9 going into a SN3 with a Rega Exact. I have an NDX2 with an XPSDR power supply. I rarely play the TT and love my streamer.
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The above looks dead right to me.
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A s/h ND5XS2 is plenty good enough to show what streaming can do. It is a good source by any reasonable measure and may be all the streamer that you ever need
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If you want a streamer that is likely to be quite as involving and foot-tap-inducing as your turntable, youâll need to spend more.
FWIW, I use NDX2+XPSDR with 52/SC/300DR. The NDX2 was better than the ND5XS2 I had here before it was shipped to Tasmania, and adding the PS to the NDX2 was another improvement.
Many reckon that ND5XS2 with a s/h nDAC is very comparable with the NDX2, and adding a s/h XPSDR to the nDAC makes a package very comparable with NDX2+XPSDR (i.e. very good indeed).
NDX2+XPSDR is close to a high-spec Stiletto LP12 for SQ, so I suspect it is also close to your turntable. A stand-alone ND5XS2 is a bit smoother and youâll probably be a bit less likely to describe music as âintimateâ or âinvolvingâ, but that is hardly a surprise given the cost difference - it is still a great VFM streaming source (as long as you donât require a screen).
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That Rega Exact could be the reason you donât use your P9 that much.
His turntable / arm/ cart / phono is on the 25k euros level priceâŚ.
I have a couple of ND5XS2s. The first for main rig genuinely surprised me how flipping good it was compared to a Mac Mini/Gustard/Naim DAC setup. A real âsource firstâ moment on the streaming board front. A really great stand out product IMHO.
I am currently running one standalone into 252 active SL2s and have been amazed how the box responds to changes in the mains and a decent amout of time cable dressing. With a Chord M6 and Powerline itâs ace.
Adding the Naim DAC back for me is a complex decision due to lack of space and my observation that the Naim DAC anywhere near the pre-amp is a no no. With the DAC yes you get a wider deeper soundstage, fruity in a nice way bass, more tonal accuracy and a different presentation. Both combos are great.
Will keep it brief but they are a fab source and have great upgrade potential should you wish.
Gaz
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Great to see you back here Gary!
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The ND5XS2 is a formidable entry level Naim streamer. I used it with NDS which was used as DAC, and ND5XS2 was used as latest streaming platform.
When NDS went away for replacement screen the ND5XS2 was used bare in 500 system.
It sounded excellent. Not as good as with NDS DAC but very very good in a revealing system.
Well built and very reliable. Excellent product lightly used for around ÂŁ1600.
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It doesnât make sense spending ÂŁ1600 on a nd5 xs2 if the intention is to use it as a streamer for use with a high quality DAC.
You can buy a new Primare NP5/ifi power supply and used Ndac for ÂŁ1600.