What streamer. Naim or otherwise

At the moment I am streaming from my MacBook wirelessly to my system via an Arcam Blink so my aim is to get higher sq but with the same simplicity. Which raises the original point that the nd5xs2 is really over the top especially if I am not wanting to use a high res streaming provider. But I’ve been bitten by the Naim bug. Plus I quite like the Apple platform.

Naim ND5XS is still a good used streamer available at below £1000 used. Could be an option if you want to dip your toe into the world of Naim streaming. I has the one with bluetooth and FM/DAB and it offered alot for the money. Sounded really good with TP DAC.

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I tried the NAD M12 plus its partner amp M22, I wanted to like this neat pairing but it lacked get and go to my ears.

Ah. And that was where I was. Happy with Spotify and my CA streamer. And then I heard ( a silly priced) streamer and qobuz. And even tracks I thought I knew well we’re transformed.
So I’m not in a position to drop £10k on a streamer. However there is £2k or thereabouts. And most likely I will check continue with qobuz sub after the trial. So far I have been impressed. And as others have suggested my facination with pulling ripped CDs from a Nas may die.

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I was going to pick up a demo ND5 XS2 tomorrow to trial at home. Sounds like Virus has knocked that on the head? Unless I run there and back?

But can you hear a difference?
I’m sure lots of folk can’t tell MP3 from DSD, but I’m convinced I can.
However, I can’t tell FLAC from ALAC from WAV from AIFF - sounds the same to me.

I don’t know if it still applies, but I converted some 24/96 AIFFs to ALAC using iTunes and ended up with ALACs downsampled to 16/44.1 - fortunately I kept the originals. Also I had problems with iTunes corrupting the first track of an album when I embedded artwork in ALACs (converting to AIFF solved it). Then there was Apple match. So I abandoned iTunes and chose FLAC so it couldn’t recognise my music library. This was years ago so may be past issues, but I’d still be cautious.

Apple Music should be fine with Naim’s ND5 XS 2 as it supports Airplay. It should sound very good and streaming locally stored lossless or Qobuz files should sound even better.

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That is sound (pardon the pun) advice. Purely because I was (and am still not) sure how things will move in the next few years I decided to purchase a Bluesound Node 2i a few months back. I must say that for £500 I have been very pleasantly surprised by what I hear from it. The app is not the last word in functionality but it integrates reasonably well with all the streaming services. The reproduction of CD and Hi-Res via Amazon HD and CD streams from Radio Paradise is plenty good enough for what I use the services for. If I want to up the anti SQ wise I buy the CD and pop it in the trusty CDX2.

I like XLD too - very good product.

I think my setup is lossless file type agnostic and I should have qualified my post by saying it is what I hear on my systems.

Safest advice is for folk to try the four common formats (AIFF, ALAC, FLAC & WAV) and use the one they prefer. (If iTunes/Apple Music is involved then no FLAC). FLAC is complicated in that you can chose different algorithms (levels) so it may be possible for a listener to prefer a specific level. I wonder if those preferring WAV to FLAC tried all the levels. Makes me glad I can’t tell one from the other.

Right. Got my hands on an ND5 xs2 to demo at home. Dunno how much it has been run in, so this could be interesting. My reference is the existing CA cxnv2 at a quarter of its price.
Given we are on lockdown this could be fun.
Feeding both with Qobuz and the Nas ( ALAC).
And of course a gazillion radio channels from around the world

So nd5 xs2 users. Any tips?

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Just enjoy the sonic upgrade and let us know your opinion once you’ve had a chance to settle in with the Naim.

Streaming for me means a Naim 172 being fed FLAC files from a Qnap NAS. These are sourced from CD using Exact Audio Copy (EAC) software.
Some internet radio but no subscription services.

I’m extremely happy with my Auralic Aries G1, feeding Chord Quetest. G1 is about $2700. new. Easy to find a preloved one around $2k. Rock solid software. I use Minimserver on my Synology NAS… no issues at all.

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Thus, what are your findings? How does the ND5 XS 2 compare to the CXN (V2)? Thanks, nbpf

So it’s early days and the nd5 definitely needs to burn in.
Immediate first impressions were that I was underwhelmed when it came to the sound. Clear mids, but the bottom did not extend as far as the CA.
Naim app looks and feels better. But the internet radio searching facility on the nd5 is clunky. You can’t do word searches.
Also, how do you search on the nd5 just for radio? It always want to include qobuz and Nas.
Pulling from my Nas is fine. But will not pull from the Logitech server on the Nas. Can see all the media but when you press play. Nothing happens. Naim customer support contacted.
Only digital out appears to be the BNC? Can’t use the usb on the back. So what if the DAC is good you say. The CA allowed dig in and out via usb A and B.

The sound is improving after a few days now. Qobuz is a bit of a game changer for me. Even on the CA it was good, but I think the nd5 makes more of it?

So, not as night and day as I was expecting. And I guess because the CA is a good device. Very good. But, the Naim is 4 or 5 times the price.
I had to sort a few network issues it, as the Naim was not tolerant of them. The CA was usually solid. Both units working via ethernet.

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Glad you are enjoying it. BTW Naim take its digital transport output seriously which is why it uses SPDIF. USB audio just isn’t tight enough and so I guess why not used. Sure some DACs use USB, so if only USB you will need to use another transport.
I for one would be wary of USB streaming into the DAC on higher end equipment, with the possible exception of USB3 which acts closer to Ethernet rather than SPDIF.
Bottom line SPDIF was explicitly designed for this job, compared to USB which was adapted to the purpose with in many cases side effects.

Ah. That explains that, so thanks. The only other DAC I have access to was the usb A in on the CA, so it was just curiosity. But no complaints about the Naim DAC.

:+1:

As far as I know the ND5 XS 2 is not an LMS client. According to https://www.naimaudio.com/product/nd5-xs-2, the device supports Chromecast, Apple AirPlay, TIDAL, Spotify® Connect, Bluetooth (AptX HD), Internet Radio, UPnP™ (hi-res streaming) and Roon. Enjoy the ND5 XS 2 and let us know your findings!

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Ahhhhhh. That’ll be in then. Thanks.
The CA worked fine with LMS and whatever other servers my WD NAS could throw onto my network. Shame as I quite likes LMS. Its not a biggy as Qobuz is spoiling me. And if the going really gets tough, the CD5si is sat near ND5XS2 anyway!
Hoping to give the ND5 a good trial over the week end. Will report my findings and differences over the CA ( which is very good value for money btw.)

Sweet spot device that, brilliant