I’m a little baffled as to why anyone would think that setting a sub £2k budget for a source having bought a £15k amp was a good idea.
I do, on the other hand, accept that price is not the only indication of sound quality, although it very much is if you stick within the Naim heirarchy.
As for the idea of redundancy, the underlying protocols that get your digital files into your DAC have barely changed for years. It’s if you constantly chase the next new thing and want to have it immediately that you will be frustrated, and if you value this above all else you might be better off using a computer into a USB DAC.
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Thanks for the clarification - I understand more now. If it were me I would do what you have wondered about in another post. That is, invest in a good CD transport and DAC, while minimising the spend on the streaming element. A basic streamer I think will do what you need for your listening - I find Apple Music on the simple streamer/DAC into my 252/300 very acceptable even if significantly below my CD and turntable. The advantage of splitting in that way is that you have flexibility as digital technology develops further, which I am sure it will. I thought about this and believe you could use a Naim DAC in that configuration.
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Obviously no guarantees. Naim seem to be keeping the older streamers going. They released a software update a few weeks ago. But it can’t access the newer things like Qubuz (however you spell it)
Cymbiosis have one on their website
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Roon is fairly user-friendly, just plug and play, even I can handle it. 
HQPlayer is also very easy to use, it is worth every penny to me, I just installed it on my 2012 Mac Mini, hooked it up to my Nucleus, select 384/24 sample output to the MM usb, set the filtering to match the M-Scaler (1,000,000 taps), and that is it.
I look at it from a practical pont of view. I’m only using Spotify Premium and not for serious listening. And at the same time the streamer of the Nova produced a very satisfying sound for me when paired with the 300DR.
If that’s what it means sticking with Naim hierarchy then i am more than happy to choose a different brand when it comes to the streamer. In fact I’d much rather buy a decent external DAC to which I can attach a streamer and CD transport and that would give me much better value for money.
I am not looking for absolute perfection. I am happy to accept some limitations in sound quality if that means I don’t have to pay £5k+ for a streamer.
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Thank you. And I assume it doesnt require a separate power supply and can be controlled via Naim app? Sorry for the endless questions. 
Ahhh that makes quite a difference to my reply. I’m in the same boat in this respect. I bought an ND5 XS last year which as a source is ostensibly below the scope of the 282/200 it is feeding, but like you I use it only for convenience (especially for the family to have ease of listening). The record player is my primary source.
In this case, if you can cable Ethernet to it, I’d recommend a used ND5 XS. They are not expensive but being a Naim box integrate well with the amplifier. You can program the remote control to run the amplifier as well, for example.
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If sound quality isn’t your top priority, fair enough.
Also, going back to the subject of value for money, while things are generally pretty clear cut within the Naim hierarchy I find things are less straightforward if you look at alternatives. Take the much discussed Chord Hugo as an example. Some sold their NDAC/555PS source in favour of the far cheaper Hugo because they genuinely preferred it. To me, it sounded like a clear improvement on the DAC in my NDX, but it didn’t blow me away. You might find the same with a Qutest today, or any of the many other DACs out there at any price you care to mention.
Good luck with your search.
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How about an Innuos Zen Mini Mk3. You could rip all of your CD’s and stream local and internet content. It has a great control app and you can use the internal DAC to output to your 282. Starting price of just over £1k. You also have the option to upgrade to an external DAC with the digital outs if you want to, or add the external power supply. I used one straight into my 282/250 and it was great. I changed all my Naim gear for Linn a few months ago but kept the Zen Mini and now use the digital out into my Linn DSM.
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This is a very good option IMO.
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I got into streaming and a Naim streamer via a different route. I was on the fence for streaming for a few years wondering if it was for me or not. A CDX 2.2 was my primary source. When the major cable providers started dropping FM signal in favour DAB+ earlier this year, I bought an ND5 XS2. Primarily as a replacement for my NAT05 and so see what streaming was about.
Things went quickly from there. Using Tidal & Qobuz, the XS2 performs way… way… better than I expected and I love the convenience of streaming. Fast forward a few months, all our CDs are boxed up in the garage, the CD cabinet(?) left the living room and my CDX is unemployed. I didn’t even bothered to take it out of the box when my kit came back from service.
I’ll upgrade to an NDX2 soon but the XS2 is excellent value for money and although it’s ‘entry’ on Naim’s price-list, it’s a stunning piece of kit imo.
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Lindemann Limetree Bridge or Network. The Streaming Board is very very „similar“ to Naims one.
Using a separate power supply is an option. Not required.
All controlled from the app.
The only slightly clunky bit is software updates which require a laptop. The newer models are updated through the app. Although I did mine last week and the instructions are comprehensive and it took 10 minutes once I had the correct lead.
Happy to answer questions but I’m definitely not an expert. I did some research on here before buying. And I rang Naim to check the service history etc.
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I run a Cambridge CNX V2 with a Chord Qutest and couldn’t be happier. Works well with all streaming platforms too and at some point I’ll add an MScaler.
Demoed the CXN against the ND5XS2 and couldn’t justify the cost of the NAIM.
My NDX was cheaper than a new Qutest. That’s partly why I bought it. I needed a DAC for the tv and got streaming for “free”
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Hi Iliria,
My two-penn’orth:
With all the usual caveats around listening in your own system I would include the Meridian 210 in your list.
I have listened to a wide range of streamers and enjoyed this over offerings by Sonore and the like.
Ultimately the dCS Network Bridge is better, but at 4x the price. The Meridian is excellent VFM.
If you are looking for a CD transport then I would recommend the Jays Audio CD2T Mk III.
If you think about the Qutest I would recommend buying an SBooster & Ultra II to power it - lifts the performance. As others have suggested it will give you the option to add the M-Scaler at a later date.
M
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I have a Saturn Dac on home demo, sounding really good after only a couple of hours. I would get a silver one to match my Nagra if I decide to pull the trigger on it. The Zen stream is not put to shame in such good company, remarkable little box for the money.
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A fairly well known publication likes the Okto DAC, made in CR. like $1400 (US dollars). You could get the node and feed into the Okto. I use the node into Marantz 30n SACD player and like it a lot
If you would prefer to keep this re-entry to streaming to a $2k outlay, then your choices are definitely limited. But you have an excellent amplification setup, so any decent Naim streaming kit is going to sound very good.
I think that many enthusiasts take the whole ‘balanced system’ thing to the extreme, and as such, give suspect advice. If you already were running an ND5 XS2/282 thru a NAP 250, and changing the 250 for 300 made it sound worse, then we’re buying from the wrong manufacturer.
So again, if your max spend really is $2k, and you would like to be able to control you full system with the Naim App thru System Automation (which I think is very handy), then a used ND5 XS2 is most likely the best path forward at this point.
The fact that you have a NAP 300 instead of a lesser amp, doesn’t really matter or figure in to the decision.
I would think …
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David, that is exactly my thinking. I have always struggled to understand this school of thought that the only way to enjoy music through a 300DR or above is by bying a 10k streamer and that anything less would not be good enough. I mean surely an ND5 XS2/282/300DR will give better results than a Nova/300DR??
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