Look forward to hearing your results! I just connected my NDS last night and it sounds fantastic! I’m running music through the Core right now. I am going to try Tidal this evening and just see if it “works”
If it does, it will save me the expense of another box as i do enjoy streaming.
1 Like
To replace what?
Or do you not stream from the net now?
He / she probably use their NDS for local nas or spotify/tidal but want Qobuz capability so opting for an ND5XS2 to fill the gap
1 Like
I was, indeed, primarily streaming local files from a NAS, or listening to RP Mellow Mix.
I then decided to have a look at Tidal. I became a little disconcerted that I could only access lower res content.
There’s a little Amazon Echo music device in the kitchen that family members use, occassionally.
This led to the idea of trying everything! So, I purchased a new Wiim Pro simply because it supports pretty much all of the mainstream platforms and has digital out. I fed this, via a DC1 cable, into the NDS.
The comparisons began…
I discovered that I prefer Qobuz over Tidal.
In fact, I think that Amazons HD music service isn’t very different to Qobuz. I think it’s probably rather underrated. Plus, it adequately serves as a gap filler for missing content on other platforms.
Anyway, the end result was to go with Qobuz. Having made that decision, I can now look to a suitable box to take on that duty. I don’t want to move from NDS to NDX2, etc, so the natural partner to add the required functionality seems to be the ND5-XS2 used as a digital transport.
Any views or opinions would be gratefully received!
1 Like
You have at least a couple of possibly cheaper options. I run a first generation streamer, a UnitiQute 1, with Qobuz, served via the BubbleUPnP software. My UQ1 is just connected to my home network and bubble acts as a local NAS source, but provides access to Qobuz streaming via its app:
Second option is to stay with your Wiim pro, or other dedicated streamer. I’d audition the ND5 XS2 as a streaming source against it before spending a fair chunk of money on a new or used one. May I ask why you’re thinking of replacing your Wiim?
Are you set on only using the Naim app? If not then as others have mentioned there are various options to stream Qobuz to the NDS without adding another Naim streamer as a transport.
@Dan_M recently purchased an ND5XS2 to feed Qobuz to his NDS and got a very pleasing result.
(Quite a few of us on here feed a Naim DAC with an ND5XS2 - and are very pleased with the results too.)
You can find relevant threads using the search function.
Have you considered a server like Innuos. I have an Innuos Zennith and it was a decent improvement over unit serve with my NDS and Qobuz/Tidal etc are available via it. I use their very good sense app and it works well across all my systems including non Naim.
1 Like
I connected Tidal with my NDS last night and it worked to stream music. Problem was the highest available output was FLAC 44.1 16 bit even though I do have the higher subscription. It sounded good though and trying to decide if I need another box to stream hi-res quboz or not.
The differences between CD resolution and high resolution are very small in most cases, and it’s more about the quality of the recording than the bit depth and sample rate.
5 Likes
I experimented with an ND5 XS2 into my NDS and then into an NDac with XPS DR, preferred the NDS on its own every time, the next was ND5XS2 into NDS and then coming in last ND5XS2 into NDac with XPS DR. Not big differences but subtle especially after longer listening sessions with varied music.
Tim
4 Likes
Thanks @Timbo do you just run Tidal then for streaming or did you end up keeping another streamer to go into your NDS? I was streaming with tidal FLAC files again last night and was really enjoying the music. May have been missing something but could have also been trying to find fault. Overall, what a bargain picking up the NDS and 555 PS (non-DR). Incredible sound.
1 Like
I just have my NDS as is with 555 power supply, I have some alternatives which could be used if the NDS breaks but feel that the NDS is as good as it gets without going to an ND555. I use Roon as my main controller and have Tidal and Qobuz accounts and use them via Roon. I also purchased a Sonore Bridge for the NDS from Small Green Computer and that sits on my network and allows Roon to see the NDS.
Tim
3 Likes
Hi Timbo
I don’t understand this post.
Are you saying that your NDS and Naim DAC sound similar as dacs?
And that adding or taking away an XPS to your nDAC didn’t make much difference to the sound quality of the system either?
What is an ND2 XS2?
James
Apologies it’s supposed to be ND5 XS2.
Tim
I bought the Wiim Pro simply for a convenient way to sample the various streaming platforms, as it has extremely wide platform support.
Now, I’m looking at using an ND5-XS2 as a transport to the NDS in the hope it will bring sound quality improvements - although, like so many, I have been very impressed by the quality vs price of the Wiim Pro.
I have tried using BubbleUPNP also, but I think I would prefer to keep everything in one app.
I am also somewhat unsure about routing the signal path through a phone or tablet. I believe this to be the case here?
Keeping the phone, or tablet, solely for remote control sounds more favourable to me.
Unfortunately, as yet, I haven’t experienced Qobuz within the Naim app - layout, etc.
If I’m not too happy with it, then another contender (returning to a dual app basis) that I may look at is Roon.
I believe the ND5-XS2 would bring me Roon support ?
Anyway, I feel I’m hijacking this thread a little now!
1 Like
If you are going down the Roon route you don’t need the ND5-XS2 specifically, you could use the LMSto UPnP bridge solution and play Qobuz directly into your NDS…there are some other options too such as the Sonore Bridge
And Audirvāna studio as an alternative to Roon. Integrates Qobuz very nicely with local and a nicer interface app than the Naim one. Can use any Upnp end point (so again no need for an additional streamer.
1 Like
I’m pretty sure the UPNP architecture doesn’t work like that, and the stream goes from the UPNP server to the renderer. The bubble app is just acting as a control point. With apologies to the OP for a bit of drift too 
BubbleUPnP is the server if that’s what you’re using, i.e. BubbleUPnP Server on a Synology NAS or similar, controlled by a third party app. So the signal path would be from either local store, or Tidal or Qobuz server, to BubbleUPnP Server, to streamer. The whole point is that Bubble buffers the incoming stream so that the tiny buffer in the Naim streamer doesn’t have to.
If you’re just using the Bubble app on Android that’s different: I’ve never used it but I can’t see how it would work without being in the signal path?