Must have been an accident at Naim putting the 555 remote in my NDX2 box. I’ve never seen the proper NDX2 remote but based on these comments I’m quite glad!
G
As Withnail would say “Free to those that can afford it, very expensive to those that can’t”
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No. That’s not a Zigbee remote, is what you need for the new streamers (and Unitis).
I use my remote all the time. I hate the Naim app and only use Roon, so I use my iPad to control Roon and the remote for everything else.
So got a call from my Naim dealer… and told confirmed the good new and bad news…
Good news is that the ND555 remote will wok fine with and NDX2…
Bad news is that Naim want to charge £568 + VAT (that would be a nice total of £681.60…!!!)
Seriously - what are Naim thinking…
So I wont be bothering with that… goodness know what the profit margin is on that… also if this is the pricing that Naim are following it means that the just over £2400 on the cost of a ND555 is just for the remote and super lumina interconnect (£1729) they provide…
In the mean time people who buy a NDX2 are left with a crappy plastic version of the remote…
But I guess one say that I knew about the cheap look plastic remote when I purchased the NDX2… but you would think Naim would make a better remote available at a reasonable price for people who wanted to upgrade…
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The ND555 comes with a HiLine, not a SuperLumina interconnect (or I need to talk to my dealer).
Appologies - I was looking at 2nd had ND555 and in the picture of the content, I though I saw a SuperLumina cable…
Or maybe my NDX2 is actually an ND555 with the wrong label!
G
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No worries, I suspect in full 500 series systems there are a lot of SL and high-end Chord interconnects. Even with the Hi-Line, it’s a Powerline on the 555PS and the remote, so getting on towards £2,000 of accessories.
I might, might consider a ND555 remote at £200? But for nearly £700. Really?
I wonder how much the plastic version would cost? Clearly the guts are the same, just in a fancy case.
I did pick up a MF Nu vista 800 remote that had real weight to it. Made from stainless steel ( only grade 304 though, I did ask). The sort of thing you could use as a weapon, if you had to.
The ND555 remote is very nice but I certainly wouldn’t have paid the £680 price you mention.
G
If the plastic one has the same functionality it’s not ‘crappy’…
I only ever use the remote which came with the ND555 to pause play and mute the preamp when I can’t be bothered to open the iPad. Aside from this, I think some of the initial set up was made with the remote. Otherwise everything can be done with an iPad or iPhone. Why not buy a new iPad instead?
And then a new iPad mini costs half of this remote 
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Insane and sad
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But for optimal sound quality, is it not better to use the Naim pre ( 552) with the Nd555, vs the digital volume. So not better to use remote vs Ipad, for sound quality?
You are not using digital volume when system automation is set up and you change volume with the Naim app. The streamer sends a signal to the 552 and that changes its volume. The volume control works just as if you were using the remote or altering it manually.
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No its a hiline
As HH says, you can use the app to control the analogue volume pot on the 552. You do not have to use the optional, and potentially inferior digital volume control of the ND555.
On the other hand, that begs the question…just how bad is the ND555 digital volume control? If you don’t need analogue inputs, and have a budget of around £20k, you could afford, say NDX2/XPS/252/Supercap. Or you could go for ND555. 2 boxes instead of 4, no clunky system automation, same price.
Nd streamers without a preamp are not recommended. It works, but much better with an analog pre. Some have already tried.
Or at least a passive pre like allegri.
But I understand system automation now, however still wonder if it’s not better to use directly the volume control of the pre, without the cable between the streamer and pre.
With Naim saying time and time again that SQ trumps all, I’d expect them either to not implement it at all if it had a bad effect, or to recommend against using it like the digital volume control.
There is a thread (or part of a thread) about it, though as usual with everyone saying different things, some recommendations to use shielded expensive cable for dubious reasons, and so on - so unfortunately you will have to try yourself as usual 
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