Anybody know how much it would cost to get an FM module fitted in an NDX. I’m thinking of buying a second hand unit. There’s quite a few around but most of them don’t seem to have the FM module fitted.
IIRC you couldn’t get the tuner board retrofitted
Probably best to contact your Naim dealer. I don’t know whether this is an option that’s currently offered - the NDX having been discontinued for a couple of years now - but they’ll be able to tell you for sure, and give you a price.
Thanks fellas. Looks like it’s probably easier to just keep my eye out for one with the module installed then by the sound of it.
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If it was discontinued, what was its replacement, if there was one? I’m only aware of the NDS which is a much more expensive unit.
A separate dedicated tuner might be the better option - it should also handily outperform the NDX FM module. I picked up a mint NAT03 over the summer and it cost less than £150 - a real bargain for the performance on offer.
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While trying to avoid box count this was my backup option and I’ve been looking at Naim tuners. As a stop gap I’d just use either my Linn or Micromega tuners for now. I probably should go for a separate tuner because I do listen to a lot of FM radio broadcast.
If FM is important to you then definitely go for a dedicated FM tuner over the module.
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I have an FM module in my 272, which I believe is the same, or the same thereabouts, as that in the NDX. I think it was a £400 option. A couple of years ago I saw a NAT05 in my local dealers and bought it for £240, largely to fill a gap in the Fraim. It’s just so much better than the FM module in the 272 and provides wonderful immersive listening on Radios 3 and 4.
The replacement for the NDX is the NDX2, but I’m not sure that there is an FM option on that.
In any case I agree that a separate FM tuner (almost any separate FM tuner) will sound better than the one Naim had as an option on the NDX.
Best
David
Ah yes. I forgot about the NDX2. Wasn’t it a big price hike. What were the improvements over the NDX?
It’s based on Naim’s new streaming platform which is designed from the outset to work with services like Tidal and Qobuz whereas the NDX was pushed to do Tidal and has little or no capacity to accommodate new services beyond that.
The NDX2 is a bit more expensive than the NDX, but such is life.
I would just buy a pre-used FM tuner if I were you.
Best
David
The NDX2 and other current streamers give you access to a number of lossless FLAC radio station which sound a lot better than regular lossy iRadio. Maybe something to consider if you listen to radio a lot.
Maybe. I need to give this a bit more thought I think. I might be happy with just a decent FM tuner source. I mostly listen to 2, 3 and 4.
I picked up a Marantz tuner in my local second hand shop for £12 which sounded better than the FM module in my then NDX. I replaced this last year with a used NAT05 and had it serviced recently and it sounds wonderful on Radio 3.
The NAT05 was one of my options. I think that is probably my favoured option into the NDX. I think I’d sooner upgrade my amplification before I opted for an NDX2.
Despite the excellent R3 FLAC trial a couple of years ago, the BBC haven’t yet taken this idea any further. There are an increasing number of other music stations releasing lossless streams though, so I suspect there is a lot more to come.
This question comes up regularly.
I traded my NDX for NDX-FM when it was current after Naim informed me no retrofit was ever available.
I run my NDX-FM through Naim DAC /555 and was pleasantly surprised how, with a Magnum Dynalab antenna in the attic, it is better than any FM I had to date, and obviously better than iRadio versions of local stations I receive well.
Later, I got a NAT05XS, which is a little better. I find the FM from the NDX is closer in quality to the NAT than it is to iRadio.
Controlling FM from the Naim app trumps the better sound from the NAT, in my whole-house setup; and real FM is enough better than iRadio for sound and freedom from network issues that I am hard-pressed to find a solution I would like better than the NDX-FM.
All said, I keep the NAT for special listening and for possible future use in a different system.
Nick
Another good sounding tuner to consider is the Meridian 104, not as good as the Naim but pretty good and they can be picked up very cheaply now.
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The Quad FM4 is also not only very good, but also very good value at about £150. It sounds substantially better than the FM module in my 272.
Best
David
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