ND5 XS Review in Hi-Fi Choice

I'll download it now 

James

report back !

Not far behind the Reference Streamer (NDX) seems to be the verdict and looking at the internals i'm not surprised..

Sorry about the crap pictures - grabs from my iPad.

NDX top, XS bottom. Main difference seems to be the smaller transformer, the bayonet fixing of the circuit board with PCB mounted audio outputs and the later 24 / 192 capable streamer board. The NDX has the FM / DAB module fitted . 

James

James, thank you for pointing out the differences.

Having read the review, it reads pretty much like the NDX review in HFC a few months ago and it's not the most informative if you've already read the press releases, website etc.

As already mentioned in other threads, i really can't see that there is going to be a gnats members worth of difference between this and the NDX when powered from an external supply. Looks like a bargain

I wonder what the 24/192 board will bring to the party though ?

James

Hi Allen,

Seeing the inside of both, it may have changed my mind now i can see the physical changes are minimal. I can't quite see Naims logic here and apart from the case style there is not enough differentiation between the two producrs.

In my case, I did have the choice of either player when i placed my order but took a punt on the NDX - i didn't want a long wait (we all know Naim product release dates !) and will probably stay single box. I didn't want to be a new adopter of the 24/192 board (i have an n-Vi ;-) and got a very good deal so that's where my money went.

For you guys that have the NDX in a UPnP to S/PDIF role then i can understand the frustration.

James

Hi Allen -

If I were your Naim dealer, and you expressed anywhere near this level of dissatisfaction to me, I would make sure to comp your NDX board upgrade (and I would find a way to make sure the turn-around was swift).  But I do understand that this is first and foremost a matter of principle to you.

You and I are in a similar situation, except my NDX purchase date is within the 3 month window.  But until proven otherwise, I am going to assume that the difference in S/PDIF output between the two network players will be comparable to the difference between the CD5 XS and the CDX2:  minor but audible.   And at your level of kit, I'll bet it doesn't take much of a difference to have a significant impact on your overall listening experience.

Hook

I am surprised how everyone seems to be able to tell from looking at the pictures that the two units are pretty much the same. I look at the pictures and I see a world of difference. The individual electronic components are to a large degree assembled in a very different structure / pattern and there are even clear variations in the components being used. Yes some components look the same and are in the same place, i.e. the large capacitators, but as pointed out in other threads component selection criteria has a large influence on SQ as well.

It truly is beyond me how you guys can judge a book by its cover!

I'm almost tempted to ditch the NDX & US for an HDX.

 

Allen

Allen,

You might want to stay put for a while yet, my sources tell me an NDS is definitely coming next year. No word on an HDS though...

Sorry to hear your US went down again!

Best

tp

Tp - i agree the Audio PCB is not exactly the same but we're not talking major differences here. As you point out, component selection may not be as tight as the NDX, but given the review conclusion, there's not a lot in it between the two.

James

Allen,

You are running a premium grade Naim system. It would be interesting what you think of the ND5XS in the context of your system in your home, will you be borrowing one?

It may be that it will ameliorate some of your frustration; of course it could confirm your view!

I wrote in a thread a couple of years ago that I have been irritated by Naim's morphing into Meridian over the last few years, aggregating disparate functionality into one box.

Personally I have always wanted Naim to produce a box that just rendered a stream for my DAC, but no, I have to have yet another DAC as well, whichever route I go - US/NS0x/HDX/NDX/ND5XS.

I do agree with Hook, looking at just how good a customer you have been I would have thought that arranging a free NDX upgrade would not seem a difficult decision.

M

I wish someone would credit my bank account with £1,100, it would make my pending decision regarding 252 vs. 282 a lot easier

I'd like to know why the NDX wasn't released from the get go with the new streaming board. Naim must have good reasons for this but looking in it seems a little odd. Thanks!

Allen,

If enough individual NDX owners make their frustrations known through their dealers it may provide the head of steam for Naim to revisit their current position.

M

> a basic streamer with the NDX's processing ability would have been ideal 

Yes and until such times as Naim releases one I'm staying with Sonos to do the streaming duty.  

I hope Naim will sort itself out - Cyrus has a small range of streamers and CD transport that make perfect sense to me and seem to satisfy whatever option the consumer prefers. Why not Naim?

Allen:

I understand your frustration and sense of being "taken".  However, as you know, in fast-moving areas such as computers and computer audio, the state of the art can change substantially over a period as little as a few months. The "trickle down" effect on lower price products results from people like yourself who are willing to pay the premium for being the first to have the best there is. 

Little consolation, I agree, but it appears to be the curse of the early adopter!

> However, as you know, in fast-moving areas such as computers and computer audio, the state of the art can change substantially over a period as little as a few months. 

I always think the computer industry is ponderously slow - Windows, TCP/IP, Unix, Linux have been around longer than I care to remember. I've yet to hear a computer audio product that comes close to the LP12 or Nakamichi Dragon for musical replay and both of these are donkey's years old. 

I like Computer Audio, but I wish they'd get on with making it easy to use - how do I play the same download in the car, in the office and on the main home system - surely that should have been cracked by now. I'm, of course, not one of those cynics who think it is all a plot by the music industry to make us buy everything again in yet another format. 

I sympathise with Allen - I think you should have a subscription to the product that gives you upgrades hardware/software as they become available. 

All the best, Guy 

Guido,

Think you might be starting a new thread here:

LP12/Nak. Dragon -vs- Computer Audio.

or reigniting an old one:

Analogue -vs- Digital

M

Hi-Fi Choice presents some measurements with its reviews which for streamers are output level, distortion, frequency response, crosstalk and dynamic range. The results for the NDX (they are in the Hi-Fi Choice review of the NDX available on the streamer's pages on the main Nain site) are mediocre but those in the latest Hi-Fi Choice for the less expensive ND5 XS are nearly all excellent. I realise, of course, that the measured results only have a loose relationship with perceived sound quality, but I am surprised at these results; unfortunately the magazine does not comment on big measured differences between the streamers. I could make some conjectures about the reasons, but would be interested to hear the thoughts of those more knowledgable than myself about this.

Foobar or J River as Server at home.

PlugPlayer on iOS device.

= All of your music (any codec) served up with all meta-data and album art.... anywhere, anytime.

Hi Patrick

Thanks - I'll investigate PlugPlayer - looks like this will let me play music from my Vortexbox on an iPhone. Not sure how this would work in the car though. I can use an iOS device in the car, but it usually has to have a copy of the music on it. I can't download to my car's HD as far as I know - this can only be done by ripping a CD in the car system. However, YouTube works in the car so there must be a way to tap in to my VB. 

I'm sure J River/Foobar works really well too, but no Linux or OSX available so I'm unable to run it. 

All the best, Guy 

naimUnT - how did you observe the 'horrendous jitter'. ?

Did you try a different digital interconnect given that both Dacs had issues ?

James