I’ve never used a screen on my products even if they had one. The screen is my iPhone.
No, hence the emoji. It was the comment from Naim’s Brand Ambassador at a HiFi event a few years ago, about the ND555 having a screen as being the reason to upgrade.
I use Roon, with the Room Remote on an iPad. I also have an old iPad dedicated to show “Roon Display” so can alway see what’s playing and images of the artists and not just the Album artwork.
No problem Simon. I just made some search on the T8. From what I found in different discussions is that the U1 mini is just better for different guys having had both.
So for money and sound, I would choose personally the U1 mini second hand.
But yes, the Primare, Limitree, T8….are indeed good alternatives to rejuvenate the Nds.
Kind of returning to the original question of EoL of the NDS (and this point may have been made already)
While yes, you can add an external renderer (or whatever term you want to use) I suspect if the BridgCo board ceased working, the whole NDS (including external inputsl would stop working.
Perhaps Naim should be buying up old UnitQutes, etc. in order to recycle the otherwise obsolete boards ![]()
I very doubt. The dac will still work, 98% sure
Recently I sold one Audioquest Diamond, because it doesn’t work good with the Lumin U2 mini.
I bought the Chord Epic new generation. I was listening since 2 weeks on the Lumin into Nds/ 2X 555 ps.
Some streamed lps from the 70’s sound really good with that combo. No regrets for having sold my P10, as concerns 70% of my albums.
Then discovering new albums on Qobuz, through Jplay app, is very entertaining. The sound is also very good.
However, this morning, I put the Chord Epic on the Nds, as streamer, and played some local files through the Melco: I prefer now the sound vs the Lumin as streamer, for local files. No doubt anymore. There’s more drama, the sound has more weight and there’s more meat on the bones.
Swapping the Chord Epic from one streamer to the other is very quick.
So I am very happy, I will listen to Qobuz and the favourites through the Lumin.
For modern albums ( after 2000), I will buy some favourite tracks and put them on my Melco.
Conclusion: the Nds for local files, on an audiophile server, is still the best for me. I have not said that some days or weeks ago, but now, after a long time of listening, it’s a reality.
So this is a UPnP feed into the NDS, and not a S/PDIF feed from the Lumin, which you use for Tidal/Qobuz.
I made this conclusion also, after retrying the S/PDIF feed from UltraRendu/UltraDigital route. It was close, but there was some more enjoyable, listenable with the UPnP feed.
But you do need to be selective with the entire chain, from server right through.
As I have mentioned several times. That is what the nds is made for - his very sweet spot. ![]()
To do better, the transport may cost more than 10k i feel. ( For local files).
Interesting.
My system is clearly better for both local and online streaming through the Lumin U2 mini with the NDS as DAC only. I would say by a very clear margin. Note my local files are on a regular NAS via Asset UPnP not Melco or similar.
I just swapped the RCA Spdif connecting the Lumin and NDS from Chord Epic to a s/h Chord Sarum (not the T version). Very nice, but to be honest I would say the epic was 80% as good, if you can ascribe a percentage to these things!
Bruce
I suspect because your files are on common Nas, it may explain.
However I can’t say it’s better, it’s just that I prefer the more weighty sound.