Awesome news. Sounds like a nice little uplift for a decent price. Nibs on the next one that turns up on the usual spots.
Nd5xs2 arrived yesterday. I am not so sure about this one…
Have listened for years to my n272, last months of it’s presence here over my 252/250 and the last two months just momentarily replaced by a well run in ndx.
I can’t say I am impressed immediately. Maybe it needs a long run in time, but the lows are currently way too much and the highs too digital for my taste. I am missing the smooth presence of my former streaming/dac companions.
Let’s see how it is in a week’s time, but currently I am not feeling it. Will have the dealer over here next week anyway and will have a talk about it.
What do you mean by turning off the streamer in 272? How?
Well, as of yesterday, and after much confusion over thread size / pitch, the Gaias are now groaning under the weight of my MF9s.
As always, there might well be a chunk of expectation bias to factor in, but, I have to say that these are living up to the marketing blah.
Nothing too dramatic, but everything sounds cleaner, and with more detail than I remember.
I’ll be playing around with speaker positioning over the next couple of days, but I would certainly advise anyone thinking about these to arrange a home demo.
Word of caution though, do double check the thread size and pitch of the inserts on your existing speakers.
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Well I can’t imagine an ND5xs2 being a meaningful upgrade on an NDX. The key word being “meaningful”.
Why did you decide to make the jump from NDX to ND5xs2? Was it a functionality driven decision?
Well, that was part of my upgrade path moving away from the n272. The dealer had sold my n272 and we were waiting (and waiting…) for the nd5xs2 to arrrive so I used the dealer’s ndx in the meantime. The ndx compared to my run in n272 was negligable. A bit better, but nothing to write home about.
So I thought (wrong so far) the nd5xs2, new streamer board and all, dedicated streamer/dac, should at least be equal if not better then the older board streamer/dac of the n272. I do like the newer functionality compared to the ndx and n272 however. If I didn’t care about that, I should have bought a 2nd hand ndx.
Click here: My thread on my n272 phase out path
Not going for a ndx2 is a budget decision. Selling the n272 lead me to buying a new pre with ps and streamer/dac. Also waiting for the turntable, so the nd5xs2 seemed like a solid choice for the time being.
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Your findings are exactly what I’d expect to be honest. Even if the ND5xs2 had been a bit better (but the NDX still has a superior conversion and output stage), I can’t see it being a bold enough improvement to justify the effort of pulling a box out of a rack, let alone the expense. Unless the online streaming features were key for you.
I don’t think any box swap that offers incremental improvement is worth the effort. But that is just me and for sure many would disagree. I think any change should always be a bold move. So 272 to NDX2 (or NDX+XPSdr if a deal can be had), or ND5xs2 as a transport + nDAC or third party DAC of your liking.
I hope it settles and and turns around for you. But as I said, you’re finding exactly what I would have assumed to the be outcome from such a move. It seems a bit like going from and NDS/XPSdr to an NDX2 and thinking it would be an upgrade because it’s newer. I’d expect the same dissatisfaction there too.
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Nice package arrived! Will have to wait until my wife is back from work to help set up though.
A n t i c i p a t i o n
G
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Oh, but the 252/sc vs the 272 makes it all very much worth the effort, I couldn’t be more satisfied with that move. It just surprises me that the streamer/dac of the Nd5xs2 for me is lacking compared to the n272. My wife does like airplay though… 
Thanks for the update Dave. Sounds like you are enjoying a nice improvement.
I did use Gaia 3s with my Proac Response 2.5 with great effect as I had a touch of booming bass which the Gaia’s eliminated.
However with MF7 I’m thankfully not suffering those issues.
I have a carpeted floor so would probably need to factor in carpet spike cups also.
What type of flooring do you have?
Thanks Prem.
Was going to say the same thing!
Sadly, a suspended wood floor with laminate on top.
Previously, I didn’t have any issues with bass in my music room, it was always tight, though now it seems slightly more melodic, if that’s possible.
On a very few recordings, the top end could veer towards being a tiny bit screechy, so I’ve had a couple of albums on this afternoon which I know show this annoying tendency, and they sound smooth as silk.
Now I know that’s not my imagination, so, yes, I’m very happy with the Gaias, which seem to do “exactly wot it says on the tin”.
A bit of final manoeuvering of the Neats, (bleedin’ 'eavy, ain’t they?), and I’ll be sorted.
Thanks Dave.
My MF7 are heavy enough let alone your MF9s!!
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Yes, I watched the installation video, and they suggested standing your speakers upside down to allow better access.
Ye’re ‘avin’ a larf, surely, and that’s not allowing for the super tweeter on top.
I just gently tipped them forward onto their fronts, and since Neat’s metal plinth is remaining attached, I had plenty room to work with.
A really worthwhile upgrade, I feel.
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Very excited here at gthack towers today, collected a new XS3!
First impressions: it’s a heavy little thing X)
Second impression: remote volume control is more useful than I ever thought 
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I disabled the UPnP input and disconnected the ethernet cable. I only use the digital 1 input for the Node2i and Analogue Input for the LP12.
I got a Denafrips Venus II DAC a couple of days ago and I’m really happy with it. It’s fed with a Oppo 205 connected with a Blue Jeans/Belden BNC cable w/ a Canare RCA adapter on the Oppo end (this seems to be a better option than RCA on both ends). And an Apple TV. As much as I love the many things an Oppo can do, Redbook never quite matched the CDX I used to own. The Denafrips will most likely finally let me forget my CDX’s demise. I’m getting a bigger, more detailed organic sound, with greater separation. It just flows better and is less fatiguing. The only gripes I have is loosing SACD play back and more importantly, loosing the ability to turn down the Oppo’s output (I had it’s variable output set to 77) - finding it too hot for my amps. With the Venus the Oppo is at full whack and that puts my 82’s volume just too low. Maybe I need to look into an attenuated interconnect? I also now find myself hoping Denafrips makes another transport!
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So no remote with Naim app then i assume?
After a few weeks on demo i have now traded in my music works G3 sparkly bottom for the G4 version. This coincided with swapping the “Signals” demo version of the Innuos Phoenix net switch which had been on order for a new one…happy days.
This is a great sounding amp a real foot tapper. Happy listening 
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