Morning chores all done, now in the cabin playing the full demo playlist.
It’s been running all night on Paradise Radio, so much warmer now.
First full listening impressions to follow😊
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Love the fire and fan. Great centre of focus for the sound.
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Thanks for the Laura Veirs recommendation.
BTW funky slippers!
Also, following your REL experience, I moved my LH speaker further from the side wall (around a cm), which allowed me to angle the REL diagonally across the room. Eucalyptus sounds sensational.
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Mrs QS does like her slippers…
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Ok, first full play through of my demo list, although interrupted a few times , is now complete.
What has the XPS done then?
Firstly, when listening for differences, I can definitely hear more detail. The quieter bits are quieter. The High’s, Lows & Mids are definitely more distinguishable.
On Laura Viers ‘Eucalyptus’ for instance the Bass Line, that was quite deeply in the background, can now be discerned much more clearly. The backing vocalists light waves are now more forward and tie in better to the overall musicality of the song.
Secondly, when just listening to the music, it is so much more engaging. Everything just sits so much better together that you no longer want to ‘listen’, the whole thing has become much more of an experience.
I am going to listen to an album I am very familiar with next (not Rush or Dream Theater😉) and see how it feels. It was the last full album I listened to on the NDX 2 before adding the XPS.
I shall report further in due course…
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Good idea. Sit back, relax and listen. When you know, you know!
I use my 12.9" iPad with Roon and the combination is a joy to use. Easy access to all of Roon’s controls (much better than using a phone) and for reading artist bio’s and reviews in Roon or simply browsing content it’s like holding a magazine.
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No, it’s not too heavy and bulky for me. I’m not holding on to it much.
And FWIW: streaming is a small percentage of my listening. This is my primary controller. 
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I don’t care for keyboards in the iPad cover having always felt they tip the balance and make the device feel a bit clunky and clumsy. The same can apply to covers that add padding for protection.
If you primarily use physical media then an iPad isn’t going to offer you all that much over a phone, but if you stream (in my case using Roon) a large iPad is about as good as it gets. Viewing cover art is second only to an LP while reading album credits, reviews, bio’s and following links to other related material is unsurpassed.
@JMC i stream. However the ND5XS2 is my first streamer. Streaming was never viable until we renovated and did hard-wire to the router. I have been streaming a lot but that is due to novelty and needing to run-in the system and cables.
This is my first Naim system. Historically I listened only to CD and LP, because I did not have streaming.
In my current system I have a Rega P9/Exact and a CD5si. For several years I did not listen at all b/c I could not see how to operate the former Rega system. Then a renovation trashed the system and this was an opportunity to start over.
I am adjusting not only to my first Naim system, but to streaming as well. When the system finally stabilizes, I guess I will see then how much I am listening to each type of sound source.
Thanks for your comments.
For me it was using Roon that swung me over to streaming versus physical media. The information and links allow me to explore go exploring new artists and music in a way that physical media can’t compete with.
People either seem to love Roon and find it essential (like me) or find it an unnecessary add on that adds little. Once you’ve settled into using your ND5 XS2 and think you have a handle on how it all works for you, give Roon a try with a free trial. If you find it worthwhile in your situation and want to keep it, that would be the time to seriously consider using an iPad, IMO.
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Latest update.
I’ve gone back to using the Siltech BNC-BNC cable from Mutec MC3+ USB into my Naim Dac and it’s sounding very nice again.
I think it maybe needed a bit more burning in as although the cable was Ex Demo, I didn’t know how much use it had had.
I used the Siltech digital cable briefly earlier in the year as a clock cable but obviously despite being described as Ex Demo it looks like it had not even been used when I bought it.
The Siltech cable initially sounded very good (as stated earlier) but the next day was shockingly bad, in fact so bad I ordered a Toslink to try out but the Siltech is back in and sounding really really good again.
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Is that a Carol Peace sculpture?
It is. We’ve had it a good few years now.
Cool, I have a few pieces of her work here.
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Love those c2s!!!
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My favorite speaker ever. I’ve heard the newer Confidence 30s and didn’t like them as much.
