I haven’t suggested Naim are doing anything wrong.
I’m suggesting a reason why they do what they do.
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In understand that. While I was replying to you, I added comments more general to the “they’re doing it all wrong and I know better” crowd. Perhaps should have been two separate comments.
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One thing you can do, if the DAC has USB in (which the Luxman’s do), and playing back BR rips on something like a nVidia Shield TV is simply set the audio output to USB. But if you are playing direct from a BR player, it indeed becomes more of a challenge.
I put the blame for this more on the design of the players than the DACs. HDMI isn’t the most elegant solution for pure Audio. I used to have (before the exited the market), the Denon DBT-3313UD which had Audio Only HDMI output and also coax. Because of SACD license restrictions, you cannot send that over SPDIF. However, their “Denon Link” implementation, as they called it, let you get SACD out through SPDIF if HDMI was connected to do the handshake with a Denon AV amp. That’s the only time I’ve seen non HDMI digital audio from SACD.
I use a HDMI embedder that extracts hi-res PCM and DSD. It connects between the audio only HDMI output of my Bluray players and has a coaxial output that goes to the ND555. This works very well and enables me to play hi-res Bluray output (concerts and audio only discs) plus SACD output to the ND555.
I’ve just checked another Bluray player that is in the lounge and that has an audio only HDMI output as well. I will connect that to the HDMI input on the Nova and see how that handles hi-res audio as a source from the Bluray. I think that Naim put HDMI on the Uniti range for TV connection and volume control, but it’s actually very useful for Bluray and SACD players as well and would have been useful across the streamer range.
That is an intriguing idea. I’ll lookout for your findings if you do. I’m interested in how you would describe the difference between NACA5 and Superlumina cables on your setup?
I did. My Audio Research i70 integrated is very close to the 552/300DR system I had and, in certain areas, superior.
Claude
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It’s a tough one. HDMI with CEC volume control is very convenient. One remote for everything.
OTOH, for the proper HiFis I don’t want the TV ground plane and DAC ground plane to ever meet so prefer optical… but of course that means two remotes. Another reason why, where possible I keep stereo and AV systems separate and completely isolated from each other.
Still, the user should have the choice. Naim have been known to review the inputs and outputs on digital sources before and do .2 revisions. So never say never.
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I look at that and it makes me shudder.
The NAIM may well sound good, as does the LUXMAN, but the architecture of both are night and day…….The LUXMAN is just beautifully engineered……
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The cut in product range and pricing without replacements tells me Naim is not doing well and are in for a tough ride onwards with tough dangerous priorities.
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Well they lost a sale of 2 items by me consequent to no SN3..
My intention was to sell my EVO150 (now sold) and I intended to get the ND5 SN3 combination.
I wanted new units (ND5 White light was available) but no matching SN3 White light new could be sourced…..( I would have preferred green light but not bothered so much as long as they matched)….
However, no 2 new matching units could be sourced from a single dealers but I did have success in locating disparate items at really attractive prices……
The lack of units available from NAIM in this period led me to a rethink…..
Looked and demoed so many alternatives but (fortunately) ended up buying another brand new NN50 at less than half original RRP, hooked up one of my streamers (looking for a new DAC) and the sound is crazy good ( better in fact than my original SN3 to my ears)…..
So the outcome here is that I spent less on a “cheaper” solution with better outcome than I would have done if NAIM had the ND5 SN3 available….
I accept it’s a drop in the ocean, but there will be a lot of people looking for alternatives now….
I saw this week LEEMA have introduced 4 new integrated amplifiers at competitive pricing !
Perhaps the corporate ownership of NAIM is pulling their core business strategy (incremental system upgrades) away completely…
If there’s no new integrated this year or at least a public announcement, it’s a massive market loss IMO.
I actually think Luxman share more in common with Naim than most others. They sound totally different but…
- Both use massive linear power supplies. Luxman go for EI rather than toroidal but horses for courses.
- Both tend to favour regulated power amp designs. Pretty rare.
- Both go for heavy track PCBs. The high end Luxman products cut and flow the PCBs by hand.
- Preference for ALPS Blue Silk pots.
- Until very recently, a strong preference for the same exact Burr Brown chips going for experience in implementation rather than cutting edge.
- Both are tied to Focal (not a plus but a similarity). Luxman is the official partner in Japan and you see “Focal Powered By Luxman” display corners in dealers.
I sort of feel Luxman are the Naim of Japan and with a wide product range are about where Naim were in 2000. Like Naim, there are more expensive domestic brands than Luxman. But so far, none as musical to me.
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Well I graduated in both disciplines and they are very different disciplines.. electronics has as much to do with avionics as computing and information technology for example.
The Internet which is seen as one of the revolutions to mankind along with the wheel, is about information theory, computing and computing systems.. not electronics. Electronics is closer to physics and chemistry. One of the most radical developments of electronics was the development of the semiconductor… yes that drove low power and miniaturisation.. that became an enabler for manu other disciplines such as computing, anvionics, automation etc.
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though Amazon music is in the streamer protocol board, I have had it working before in my NDX2, the capability is now disabled by the Naim or StreamUnlimited software now.. or my workaround doesn’t work any more 
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In a shameless attempt to talk ND5 XS2, mine has just arrived and is sat atop the incumbent ND5 XS slowly acclimatising as it was quite cold … just figuring out how I can setup some kind of comparison capability, wondering how to ethernet connect both.
I do think it will be a shame if Naim abandon that level of market. All of my amplification is older gen Arcam FMJ as I wanted a balanced 5.1 audio setup, which I have, with a set of B&W CM series speakers. Arcam are another British audio company that seem to have shall we say drifted, once the founders exited.
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How dare you talk about the ND5XS2 on an ND5XS2 thread
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I shall take some time to reflect upon my wayward actions…
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I’ll go even further!
Good luck with your new ND5XS2. I’m confident that you will enjoy it’s performance.
My streaming journey started back in 2012. The wonderful ND5XS that you are replacing. Can’t believe how 14 years have passed. It performed flawlessly, I followed all the advice Naim suggested at the time. I have fond memories of that machine.
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probably irrelevant to most on the thread, but i have just bought a new one (an ND5XS2 that is). arrives next week after i was offered a deal where i thought i couldn’t really refuse. suspect something new is about to be announced by Naim, but i really don’t care. Will plug it into my nait 50 as a second system. happy bunny, for the 2nd time today.
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My streaming journey started with a Sonos Connect attached to an Arcam Sonlink DAC. This was in tandem with Arcam CD23 CD player which used a ‘new’ dCs Ring DAC that to my ears sounded quite good. The ND5 XS was the first device that bettered the CD23 and caused me to ditch the CD player. Curious to see what the 2 can do…
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bunny squared.
wonder if a new one is coming then ! any clues on the discounted source !! ??