What did you get?
What’s your system?
Are you going to use it for web streaming from, say, Qobuz?
Or local streaming from, say, a nas?
(I doubt that it will beat an ND5XS2 on usability or SQ.)
I paired an external DAC with the streamer:
ND5 XS2
Questlyle CMA 12 DAC
282
200
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Yes, XPS or 555 PS.
I am well aware of what a streamer does, since I have owned a UQ2,272,NDS and ND5XS2. I just question why I need one when an Innous Zenith MK3 or Antipodes server will do everything that the Naim streamers do, except have a DAC. They also rip CD’s and store and serve your local library. Look them up to see all their features.
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I’m using it for streaming (Spotify premium, and radio stations). I have not tried the ND5XS2 but from what I have been advised here the general consensus is that NDX will be better.
Good luck with that.
What makes you say that?
The fact that I hope you will enjoy the results of your decision.
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Ah ok, thank you. I thought you were being sceptical about NDX being better than ND5XS2. 
Thank you. My other question is, how much does it cost to upgrade an old XPS to a DR version? And is this a good option?
I believe it’s quite expensive to upgrade to DR
Also worth noting you can’t use an old Olive XPS with the NDX in case you spot a bargain
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Maybe Naim would-be only streamers will be better? It’s competitive market.
They certainly have more connectivity. Chromecast, Tidal/Spotify Connect, Airplay, and of course they’re own Multiroom.
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Ok that might be a reason for some, but not me since I live in a 1 bedroom apartment. As long as Tidal works, and I can access my local stored music, I think a server is all I need. The IFI Zen stream I am currently using offers quite a lot for the price, sounds great too, much better than my temporary Laptop solution.
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DR upgrade for the XPS is ~ £1k.
If streaming is only a secondary source for you, a bare NDX may suffice. Have you heard it in your system yet?
I haven’t compared the two streamers side by side, but having owned an NDX, and listened to an ND5XS2 quite a few times, I think you’ll find the NDX is generally better. However, you need to balance that against the improved connectivity of the newer ND5XS2 and the sound quality benefits that can bring. As an iRadio user you might appreciate the lossless FLAC stations it supports: to me this is a real game changer that makes iRadio worthwhile.
For me Spotify doesn’t sound like a proper HiFi source, although that may change with a lossless service. Qobuz is still the gold standard in my books if you have a current gen. Naim streamer.
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i got a blue sound Node (2i) and am just shopping around for a DAC - though the DAC in it is perfectly serviceable. Roon, Full Connectivity, cheap, sound good, its a pretty compelling package. Streamers are still the least mature element in the chain so if there is any kind of breakthrough tech that comes out (for example an Apple version of ‘connect’ to replace airplay) its likely to be there so you don’t have a big sunk cost in a one box digital front end. Digital boxes (or boxes with digital elements can depreciate precipitously compared to all analogue equivalents if they have redundant or obsolete elements even if they still sound great…
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In that case I’ll keep an eye out for a used XPS at around £1k-£1.5k. Then I can DR it and that’ll do the job.
As long as I can listen to Spotify and Radio Paradise I am quite happy. Oh, and connect a hard drive to it where I have ripped all my CDs into Flac.
Plus at £850 for the NDX (which was serviced with a new screen this year) I can’t complain really.