Absolutely thrilled. May be the best VFM out there.
I won’t lie and say I’ve not been tempted by an ND5XS2. But the fact that the NDX supports native Tidal is enough for me when I want to get a little stream-tastic. I don’t want/need anything better than CD quality. This MQA/Hi-Res nonsense is for the birds. Most of my deep listening though is the CD rips i have on a drive - so the NDX is perfect for that. Sounds better than any of the streaming services. At a very compelling price point.
My TT gets very little use, which I suspect would be different for you. If that’s the case, a setup with a Stageline would keep you in music for months…
I went down a similar path to you a few years back and realised that I was trying to do too much too soon when all I wanted was to sit and listen to / enjoy music.
This is the beauty of most Naim gear - no matter what you get, you enjoy listening to it. It makes you come back for more because it sounds so good.
The constant upgrading and swapping and spending more money and then asking people on the forum if you’ve done the right thing is just the icing on the cake.
Please note that for a digital-only system there is now also the Atom HE plus NAP250 DR at the interesting prices you mention (even sealed OC series NAP special offers at dealers in the UK).
Would be enough to drive most Dynaudios, some happy forum members with that combination, and something very simple and actually relatively cost-effective. Budget left for a PowerLine (or two) or that dedicated mains or a Muso (also special prices for those here in NL now) for upstairs.
Choices choices! Especially when buying ex-dem/pre-loved several comparisons become moot. If you add everything up total cost of the various options is often surprisingly close.
Drove me nuts, so I settled on what I have now, and so will you eventually
Actually this is one of the things in my mind as well.
I (now) remember that (again) from when I had a much lesser digital system. Qobuz via Audirvana on a MacbookPro via USB into a DAC-V1 into my Nait 2. The streams from Qobuz seemed thinner for lack of a better word. The rips on the Macbook through Aurdivana were snappier, more zing. Sometimes too much of that depending on the recording, or sometimes really flat, whereas the streams are more constant.
I now have Qobuz via my new digital front end but I notice the same thing compared to the rips on the USB stick. Hires music there can be really nice but sometimes doesn’t sound like real added value. I wonder if that softening effect has to do with streaming via Wifi instead of fixed ethernet. I should do an experiment with that I guess, perhaps you know.
Anyway, it looks like I will not only be buying some more vinyl again, but will also rip some more used CDs. There are one or two good music shops in town that focus on used CDs. But, no stress there, just slowly discovering a whole new system level again that now makes all these things more noticeable.
Thanks @ratrat It certainly is a journey, especially so when having to consider all the budget related options and variables, this compounded by a clean sheet approach.
@daddycool & @Maury_Finkle I tend to look at Naim’s streamers as Swiss Army knife devices that are wonderful at covering a multitude of approaches to listening to music, but to me the primary role is as sophisticated CD player with a CD collection immediately available to play via a phone or tablet - love this facility.
I have considered the Atom HE / NC250, and it is affordable (just) but slightly concerned this could be diluting the source first approach somewhat. Only a dealer demo would confirm if it gets close to a NCS222 / NC250. Would think not, but as an interim solution for a year or so, it could work…
Might have been suggested further up already but you could use a Nova or even a Star as a starting point, later add a 200 Series NAP 250 then beyond that swop a NSC 222 in to replace the Nova/Star, that still gives you options even from there, a NPX 300 driving the NSC 222 and even evolving further towards a 300 Series system as funds allowed.
Using a HE Atom to the same end will probably only make sense or appear preferable if you’d intend to repurpose and keep the HE Atom longer term rather that leverage its trade in value.
Based on appeal and resell value I’d probably lean towards a Nova, worse case it can be used as a one box solution as a Step 1, a HE Atom cannot!
@Mr.M Ah, that’s an interesting approach. Have to admit, I hadn’t even considered or thought of the Nova at all. I’d forgotten (or missed entirely) the fact that it is upgradable by adding an alternative pre or power amp, and I have always liked its form factor too. Another option to consider.
Pretty sure there are others on here with Nova + NAP 250 (200 Series or DR). The fact you can start with just the Nova is also beneficial and it is known to pair favourably with a NAP 250 and is indeed designed to do just that.
In my case I went from an NDX2 + Supernait 3 and did a straight swop for a 200 Series NAP 250, I happened to have a Linn Selekt DSM I could repurpose with some minor changes, which is essentially doing what a Nova could in your scenario.
My logic at the time being that the NAP 250 would fit in to any system and allow me to make choices later as circumstances allowed.
I still have that same setup today and may in fact continue to evolve the Selekt DSM towards a full Organik (dual mono) source config.
Very interesting you have the LINN Selekt - something I know little about, but the concept looks very interesting from what I’ve seen on their website. How did it compare to your NDX2?
A Linn Akurate DSM/3 (Katalyst) can be picked up for less than £3K these days and I think it is an excellent streamer/DAC/preamp (so many inputs!) for the money (was £8K new IIRC). The preamp gives you the option of active speakers at a later date if you so wish. Has everything except Chromecast. Plus I can adjust the volume from my phone or the remote!
The modular Selekt is excellent too but I would go for the Edition rather than the Classic - glass screen and better construction materials. But this adds to the cost considerably.
I did audition a Selekt Classic with the amp modules and the basic DAC but just could not get on with it. The kind was very dry and after a while I got a headache! Not sure if this was the basic DAC or the amplifier modules. I thought the sound was bettered by my Bluesound Node/Qutest/Nait 2 at the time.
So many choices and you just want to get it right!
If I ever should invest in a streamer, I’d consider a Linn before Naim, as Linn streamers seem to be supported endless.
Sound is very good too, at least those I’ve heard were much better than say a ND5.
Support was however not my best experience with Linn’s other offerings, I had a full Linn setup in the 90’s and they refused to help with various issues - I decided never again.
Honestly I’m tempted now, as my local dealer have a few s/h offerings - not that I have a clue which one would be preferred for my needs.
Linn, like Naim, is highly regarded within the streaming world (I think Linn have been at it longer) and the Katalyst architecture in the Linn gets high praise. I purchased mine secondhand for £2.7K in August so the price had something to do with it!
I’ve had several UQ2s, a SU and an Atom. I’ve always had a problem with the UI with Naim. Whether it be glitchy or waiting forever for a much needed firmware upgrade. No problems at all so far with Linn (one firmware upgrade so far). I had a Lumïn D2 before the Linn and that was great for the money (I got that for a steal too!)
Like I said, I’ve heard the ND5 XS2 and was not impressed with the unit alone and as I wanted a simple life (less boxes) I was not prepared to get an external DAC so I kept the BS NODE/Qutest (which sounded better to me and my daughter - younger ears) until the Lumïn D2 came along.
The NDX2 was not really on my radar due to secondhand prices and I don’t want a screen. Just something else to go wrong and who can read it from the listening position? Redundant. I love Naim amps and CDPs (need a shoebox one for me to purchase again) but I don’t need everything to be from the same manufacturer.
I think that the Linn is worth a go. Great VFM at current secondhand prices.
Thanks, that’s very interesting indeed. I’m so out of touch with Linn streamers - i’d never even heard of the Lumin D2 range before, never mind the new Selekt, so that Lumin range is new to me.
Interesting reading your observations comparing the ND5XS2 and Bluesound, as both are certainly on my radar, as the BS Node + DAC upgrade does seem to be a very popular approach - interesting to read that you thought it competitive with the 5.
It is the modular nature of the current Linn streamers that has raised an eyebrow, as I like the idea of being able to upgrade as funds allow and tech advances. With the Naim streamers, you simply get what level’s required and then box swap to upgrade.
A lot of these choices come down to personal preference, it is fair to say that comparing say an NDX2 to a Katalyst DSM as a preamp or fixed output source that they present the house sound of each manufacturer in a predictable manner, the NDX2 (I had mine feeding a SN3) was very musical and meaty in sound, the Katalyst DSM more polite yet in some respects having a sense of better timing accuracy perhaps to the detriment of a punchy presentation.
I like both but would say having now combined the Katalyst DSM with the 200 Series NAP 250 that they compliment each other in favourable ways I found difficult to achieve with the previous Naim only setup.
I find it now focuses more on accuracy than excitement, which to me is preferable, and what others may call laid back, analytical or just plain polite.
There’s a lot of great options out there as shown above and a lot of the older Linn kit can be upgraded in numerous ways, something not possible with Naim equivalents.
I’ve endlessly reconfigured my DSM and still have all the bits to set it up as anything from a fixed output source to a 5.1 surround integrated.
