I wonder which part of the NDX2 is better: the DAC or the transport? I am currently planning on upgrading my NDX2/XPS DR with a Aavik D-280 DAC. Will the NDX2 as a transport only device still benefit from the XPS DR? Basic idea is to get rid of the XPS DR but if I cannot sell it for a good price, I may keep it for a while. Any thoughts?
As a transport with an XPS, it is 10K for a little computer whose only purpose is to download small-ish files from the internet
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Sure, but will the transport side of the NDX2 benefit from the XPS DR? The initial idea was to trade the NDX for an Aavik streamer (as a transport) which is also 10K. I guess the DAC part will have a greater influence on the sound than the transport part.
My PC and phone can download files just fine without an XPS
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I used to have a NDX/XPS (pre DR). When I moved to using the NDX as just a transport, I found the XPS to make little, if no, difference to the digital output.
I now use an NDX2 as just a transport. I’d suggest you try your NDX2 ‘bare’ vs XPS yourself to see whether you think the XPS is worth keeping when using the NDX2 digital output.
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No, it will not … You can quite happily live with a bare NDX2 feeding a D280 (as I did for a number of weeks/months) but you do owe it to yourself to listen to the S280 with the D280/I280 … really quite magical.
Three boxes … a digital cable, a set of RCA cables and a pair of speaker cables … done…
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That‘s exactly the plan, but I cannot afford this setup in one step. So the basic idea is to sell the XPS first to fund the D-280, afterwards trade in the NDX2 for an S-280. Since I already have a full loom of Ansuz cables there will also be synergies. I am hoping to get a system on NDS level without the box count and the hum.
Excellent … My original idea (plan) which you may want to consider was to sell the NDX2/XPS and just buy the S280 whilst trousering the difference … if, after some time, you feel the system needs something else then by all means demo the D280 …
My plan fell apart when I became aware of a brand new D280 being sold at a 35% discount … couldn’t resist such a deal. Either way you end up in the same place.
Good luck.
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Have a D280 to check out at my home. There is an uplift in sound quality but not to the extend that I would trade in my NDX2 and XPS DR for an S280 and D280 plus more than 10k plus cables. So I think I am going the 555PS route. Hard to tell if a 555 is a significant update on the NDX2, but I guess it be on par with the D280. Hard to decide, but at this level it is more a question of taste than a question of quality.
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555PS DR in place. Upgrade level: significant 
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I should think so for near on £8.5K. Enjoy.
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Correct. These upgrades do need financial context.
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