What is your main source and why do you like it the most?

My main source (system) in the kitchen is UQ2 - FM radio, HiRes files, internet radio.
In the bedroom I use mostly DAC V-1 (MacMini & Audirvana+). Other sources are Nakamichi DRAGON/BX-300e, Pioneer RT909, Linn Axis and the least used CD5i).
From my vintage system I use mostly the TT - Pioneer PLC-590 and Pioneer RT707.

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I have been using streaming for several years, now always with nd5xs2 and years back with marantz na 7004. little CD with marantz SA8400 and KI 7004. only marginal use of vinyl with marantz tt15s1. now a lot of internet radio and streaming with nd5xs2 and Muso qb. subscription to Tidal and Spotify.

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Back in 2014 I was waiting with a work colleague in the New Theatre Oxford for the legendary Jeff Beck to come on stage when my pal asked what was the most important element of a Hi-Fi. My response was the record or CD. It’s all good.

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  1. Compact Disc
  2. Vinyl
  3. Spotify

I am not a Luddite and appreciate the convenience and easily accessible choice offered by streaming, but part of my musical enjoyment is selecting a disc/record, manually playing it and listening to an album as a whole whilst reading and appreciating the inlays and artwork. My first Naim item was a CD5 which is still in my system (until the right CDS3 becomes available…) and apart from the sonic joys, it was having to manually open and close the drawer which I found similar to putting an LP on the turntable, just an organic process rather than pressing a button to eject and close…

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My Superuniti is my main source and I like it because it is really convenient to stream music with Tidal and it sounds rather good. :0)

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I think part of the reason why I started this topic is because having just sold my CDS2 and making the move to NDS I wondered if I’d miss that process of playing a CD. I have my LP12 so I have the process of playing vinyl which I enjoy. Who knows maybe I will put a CDS3 or CD555 in my system in the future.

For now I will see how it goes. 555PS arrives tomorrow. Have a new Hiline ready to go as well. So exciting times!

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Enjoy the new toy. :grinning:
I had a HDX and CD5X in the system when I got my NDX (for Tidal), less than a year later I’d sold both the HDX and CD5X. I don’t miss the CD experience at all, unlike vinyl where I do take, pleasure in the object and ritual.

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Thank you! :grinning:I simply can’t wait. Hoping the NDS with 555PS is big uplift from ND5XS with Dac which I have enjoyed so much!

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Raspberry Pi3B+AlloDigiSig+Cuinas ISO-PS feeding nDAC+XPS.

Why? Best sound.

I moved to using Roon a year or so ago.

My CD5 just didn’t get used after that, the sound quality from the nDAC even without the XPS to my ears bettered the CD5. If I wanted the tactile pleasure of playing music I had the Gyrodec for that.

I don’t miss the CD5 and frankly the space that’s been created by moving the CD5 and Flatcap on and shifting the CDs into the attic once ripped is appreciated (although the nDAC and XPS take up the space vacated)

I have owned an LP12, CD players and now my only source is my ND555. Prior to this I owned a NDX and then NDS.

I have adopted streaming as my only source because the SQ is just sublime and convenience/ease of playing music. The ease of ‘sampling’ music you have never heard before (through subscription streaming) has also been a huge influence on the massive growth of my music collection in recent years, which is so more rewarding to listen to compared to the old days when I would take a punt on a LP or CD, often to be disappointed. I think this spin-off benefit of streaming is often forgotten.

To be fair, it is not fair to compare a reasonably spec’d LP12 to a ND5 XS. You will hear so much more of what streaming is capable of with your newly arriving NDS, particularly when you plug in a 555PS. The addition of the 555PS made a huge difference to the performance on my NDS.

Good luck and have fun on the journey.

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CD player & turntable.

Use both regularly, CD player the most.

Neither are connected to a network, nor do they keep getting updates which render them unstable or unusable. You just put the music on and start listening. What’s not to like … :+1:

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LP12 the vast majority. The 272 for background music although it’s better now with new ethernet cables

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Just an observation: with streamers playing one’s own stored music collection there is no necessity to apply updates, ever: they are not automatically applied, at least not in the ones of which I am aware, and the device will keep doing what in does indefinitely (and without wear!)

Hi, @Dan_M.

NDX-FM, by far. We listen to FM throughout the house most of the time. Easy transition to ripped AIFFs and Spotify make it the busiest source in the system. The family love creating a Spotify queue some evenings, to share experiences, especially handing off phone to laptop to tablet.

When sound quality maximization is a goal, the RP10 is best — but time seldom allows.

Nick

The piece of hifi that I listen to the most is probably my Unitiqute 2 that I use in my office. It is usually playing the radio (FM) or music off my MBP pretty much all day every day. Right now I have my old Epos ES14s connected up, but before that I was using my Kans - both work really well with the UQ2, surprisingly so in the case of the ES14s. I love the UQ2.; It’s small, with plenty of inputs, yet very capable, and very much a proper Naim with a sound that is much bigger and more “powerful” than mere size or specs would lead to believe.

Otherwise, early evening, before preparing dinner, is usually time spent spinning an LP or two on the main system, so the RP10 and Superline probably get second most use. I love the RP10 because it rather bucks the trend in high end turntables that are getting bigger and more massive - instead it gets back to fundamentals, puts the money in the right places, and epitomises the philosophy that less can actually be more. It’s smart design, and I like that. Of course it would be for nothing if it didn’t actually do something really good with LP playback. It does. Oh yes…

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@Richard.Dane any comment on the new Planar10?

I haven’t seen it in the flesh yet, or heard it either. Hopefully I’ll get to do so at some point, but I’m in no particular rush.

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Mostly listen to digital sources. Roon and Internet radio.
While I have a fairly decent turntable I find it difficult to come to terms with paying way more than twice the price for an LP than a CD. I expect a price premium for vinyl but as it stands now, someone is just taking the pi**.
I’m happy with the SQ of both digital and analogue sources so it’s not a case of preference of one over the other.

I’ve been using Naim since 1983 originally with a turntable, cassette and tuner when using CB units.

Changing to an Olive set up in 1993/4 using a LP12,CDI and tuner I ended up selling the LP12 as it was very rarely used Cds being my main source.

Purchased a NDX to use with the Olive system and found that I was listening to a lot more music via ripped CDs and upgraded to the Classic range and ditching the CD player.

My only source now is a ND555 using IRadio and ripped CDs from the Core plus Tidal, will probably look at Qobuz shortly.

Why do I like it ? sound quality,ease of use, convenience, no CDs lying around also you can purchase CDs for silly money and rip them to your collection.

It seems strange but my CD purchases have increased dramatically since I sold my CD player !!

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