Upgrade Advice - Digital Streaming

Hi-Fi Corner
21

My source is also Innuos. I have your amplification. The Mini is a fabulous device and, as described, versatile. It will not however match your CD5i as a source. I would say you need a Zen for that at minimum and you would then need a separate DAC.

The NDX2 on paper is at CDX2 level. I found it wholly unengaging in comparison to the CDP with my amplification. I thought it sounded much better on an integrated like a Supernait or a higher level of amplification.

I would think very carefully about how much you need or want a screen oh the box itself. It has remarkably little functionality compared to screens on the boxes of other manufacturers. I would think the Naim streamer below it well worth consideration though.

22

I tried a CDX2 and just didn’t like the sound that came form it.

Looking at this change is a minefield…

23

Friends which CDX2. I had a 1st gen for 2 decades and loved it. Lots more people preferred the2bd generation. The general point stands though that, whilst a CDX2 may not have been for you, it was nevertheless generally held to be a better player than the 5i. If you want something to equal your 5i then a Zen Mini isn’t it and an NDX2 doesn’t in my view demonstrate its strengths on a 202/200 set up.

24

He has the cd5 plus hicap which is a totally different beast than the Cd5i.

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25

It honk the principle of what I’m suggesting still holds.

26

The problem is that he is under the impression his cds will need to be ripped. It just makes little sense to do that in 2021. I’d first subscribe to Qobuz & Tidal to see if they cover my collection. While some albums won’t be available each of those will have 100 new albums from which to listen.

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27

Good advice - try streaming for a few months and then decide whether it’s worth ripping all/some of the CDs. I’ve ripped mine a couple of times over the years, but now just stream and never listen to them. I certainly wouldn’t bother ripping them now unless they were unavailable for streaming, which would only be very few in my collection.

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28

I started my streaming experience with the original ND5XS, which I found easy to use, and as good sounding as the CD player it replaced (Shearne Phase 7). A good, straightforward, plug-and-play introduction to streaming, and I was quite happy with it. I only played my own stored music (ripped CDs and ripped LPs, and downloaded music). For what it is I can recommend it, though of course there are other things out there, and the ND5XS2 has replaced it.

When I later was persuaded by the dealer to upgrade the ND5 with an XP5XS power supply I was very disappointed at the marginal improvement for a lot of money: That led to other discoveries and I ended up replacing first the XP5 then the ND5, and changing my NAS, using a Mac Mini as a store, running Audirvana rendering software, feeding a Hugo DAC, (via a Gustard U12 isolator/converter to block RF noise because Hugo was adversely affected by RF). That gave an improvement in sound quality ( a more natural sound) at less net cost. I upgraded the DAC To my present one a couple of years later after coming into some money, but my store/renderer has remained - however there are a variety of alternatives, some more hands-on to set up than others, of course the self-contained ones like Melco and Innuos being the more expensive of the options.

Re sound quality, if all else is equal, including the same DAC, then streaming from your own stored oil ripped from CD has the potential to sound better because it eliminates read errors that can occur with dirty discs, mechanism going out of alignment, etc – no jumps or stutters, and no interpolation by error correction algorithms.

That said, some people find that when they are streaming from their own store across a network, other influences can have a negative effect on sound quality (e.g. due to RF noise picked up or transmitted via the network, so that in turn network cables and switches in such instances can affect the sound. However that very much depends on their network set up, electrical environment, and most particularly depends on the renderer and DAC concerned and how well isolated they are.

I switched from CD to streaming from my own store nearly 8 years ago now, and have never looked back. Aside from the many convenience factors, I certainly do not miss the occasional misreading of CDs, and the need for replacement of the CD mechanism or the whole player every 10 years or so. However in my set up I do not stream across the network but the music store is in the same machine that renders the files into the digital music stream feeding directly into my DAC.

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29

I started with a Squeezebox Touch feeding into a Naim 42.5 . For convenience as much as anything I moved to a used Naim 172 and I am very happy with the performance. I use a Qnap NAS and use Exact Audio Copy to rip CDs.

30

Hi
Is the modern ‘functionality’ of the 2’s required?
If not; a good solution for ‘playing’ could be a V1 NDX, see if you like it (love mine - CD’s ripped to local storage) & not much resale loss, if any, then if you wish too ‘move on up the ladder’, later down the line; sorted.
Of course you’ll need to rip the cd’s, but there are are many kinds of of solutions mentioned above.
Enjoy the journey :relaxed:

31

The OP has made it clear that they’re not looking for a device which merely plays locally stored music. Thus their reference to Spotify, Amazon etc.

32

The NDX2 or the ND5 XS2 are the obvious choices and rip to a PC or Mac and stream from there, keeping the Naim sound signature, but beyond the inferred budget unless a second hand one presents itself. A cheaper option would be something like a Zen mini and a Naim nDac to keep the Naim sound, and a virtual bargain second hand? Another option would be a older generation streamer, this would be pretty cheap but obviously limited technology.

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33

Nas or Cd ripper
Naim or Chord
As always :crazy_face:

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34

You’re in good form Sweetie.

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35

I say it makes a lot of sense in 2021. A couple of weeks ago our internet and phone line went down for the best part of a day but at least I could still stream the music off my NAS. Granted the internet connection being down is a rare event but these things do happen.

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36

I’m intrigued by the idea of somehow needing a Naim front end to retain the Naim signature. Which specific signature is that? CB stuff does one thing. Olive is somewhere else again albeit the same bread ball park. Classic series is all over the place. There is a world of difference between a CD5si and either of the CDX2s and then a w9rid 0f difference between those and say a CDS3. First generation of streamers were arguably a step backwards and the new generation have more PRaT than we’ve had in a good while but still way less than CB or Olive.

I’d argue that the amplification itself plays significant part in the so called sound signature. Ironically my system sounds faster and has more PRaT since getting rid of a Naim source. I’m not sure it’s a given that you need a Naim source to get the Naim signature nowadays.

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37

You forget to point that your Cdx2 was an old tired man of 20 years hard working :laughing:. A service would restore all his PRAT.
I had the Cdx2 / Xps2 for 10 years. I have never heard a source which such wonderful Prat in my life, be it Chord Dave, Rossini, or even Nd555.

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38

Both the CDX2 and XPS2 had a full service at the appropriate moment. I have an equal amount of PRaT with an Innuos Zenith and the Chord DAC but the added bonus of improved soundstage and far better timbral accuracy.

39

It’s not really a minefield at all. It’s really quite simple. Either the ND5XS2 or the NDX2 will be everything you want. So will things from other manufacturers. The question is whether you want a Naim source that matches your amplifier both visually and through automation. Or do you want other stuff that doesn’t match visually and needs other remotes and apps to work? I have an NDX2 and like it. I didn’t try other options as I wanted all Naim electronics, and there is nothing wrong with that. It seems that some who have chosen a different route are perhaps trying a little too hard to convince you to follow their approach. It’s about how easy it all is to use, and not just about the sound.

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40

I have read and followed your « end of the tether » thread, you have serviced your 202/200 but not your Cdx2, from what I remember. I am wrong ?

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