ND5 XS Review in Hi-Fi Choice

Plug player is O.K. but is without a gapless playback option as yet and it is no match for the slick  Sonos interface.

Hi James

Yes, I did use the Naim DC-1 cable as well and experienced the same phenomena of 'horrendous jitter.' This would suggest that it is not the cable that might have caused the jitter, thus eliminating this possibility.

Ah ok - looks like the problem was elsewhee then.

Cheers

James

I should point out that jitter is NOT one of the measurements reported in Hi-Fi Choice.

PP is gapless locally.  Does Sonos support gapless when using it to stream to a Remote iOS not on your wifi network, i.e. your iPhone in your car?  Didnt think so.  Oh what?  It wont even stream off the local network?  +1 PP.

-Patrick

Yes this should work with any UPNP server (except for Naim).....

If you can access your home network, it will work.  You will need your actual IP address though as well as a "device description".  Should be cake.

Patrick - what do you mean PP is 'gapless locally'? Would it be gapless with JRiver as the renderer/server?

Remember its Hi-Fi Choice - the amount of mistakes that mag makes in its editortial. They could be test specs from something completely different !

Give it to Hi-Fi news for a more objective review.

James

Thank you James for bringing this thread back to its topic. I'm inclined to agree with you that there has been a mistake somewhere, either with the results for the NDX or for the ND5 XS.

Meaning using it as a control point for your renderer on your network.

Mike Smith (above) compared PP to Sonos, which is strange as they have nothing to do with each other.  The only comparison you could make would be the control points.  As a control point PP is gapless.

it is not gapless when using remotely (off network) via 3G or wifi and using PP as a renderer.  Is anything though?

-Patrick

You have the wrong end of the stick I did not intend to compare PP and Sonos, as Guydo asked a question and I know he owns a Sonos I just thought I would point out the problem which I found using PP as both a renderer and a control point.  A visit to the PP forum states that "gapless playback on any formats is not supported, although we may add it in the future."

As you ask is anything though  Yes Sonos, Naim, iTunes and JRiver, maybe others too.

It would be wise to wait to hear how both NDX and ND5XS sound before jumping to conclusions.

I dont even think you have the stick...

Wait.... so you can:

A) Stream from your Sonos (at home) to your iOS device (in your car), over 3G

AND

B) It plays gaplessly while doing so?

I didn't think you could tap into Sonos or, Naim for that matter, remotely.  THAT is what I am talking about when I ask "is anything?"

This is how I use PP with J River.

Streaming to PP (as renderer) is not gapless.  But who cares.  The only time you would do that is when streaming to PP away from home.  Not a big deal.

Using PP as a control point (i.e. like nStream), it is gapless when used with J River as server and renderer.

-p

I think you can tap into a Naim server remotely as well as some nas servers but gapless or not I don't know.

Using PP on an iOS as acontrol point for JRiver on my PC is not gapless nor is it on a Sonos But the Sonos is gapless when using its own app.

Seeing as Guido has an Apple and sonos I don't see how PP will be needed as both the free Apple remote app or Sonus app (when using his Sonos) will control what he has, apart form in his car/on the move.

For in the car yes you could tap into your music via 3g iOS and PP would most likely be the best bet.

I think storing/playing the files locally in the car would be the easy way to go though.

Gapless playback IS important for many of us as we want to listen to an artists album the way that the artist intended.

Should we put this to bed and get the post back on topic?

sorry to the OP. I didn't mean to divert the discussion away from a pointless review from a dubious source of a product no one has heard.

Mike, I was only answering Guido's question:

"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."

If you know a good way (or any way) other than PP I AM ALLLLLLLLLLLLL EARS.

............and maybe Naim servers can be accessed remotely.  Good luck streaming FLACs over 3G.  You can setup an additional transcoding server in Naim Servers.

Any review would be pointless then wouldn't it. Now, I don't know much about Hifi Choice but the guys listened to the ND5XS through an entry Naim system as well as a 3 way active 500 series / DBL system. That's pretty high end, dude! So should we dismiss their findings as irrelevant just because the ND5XS hasn't been released to the public yet?

Who needs to stream via 3G when you can have your music stored locally, whether that's in the car or on your iPod or phone. Does anyone really need to always have access to all his music everywhere, now and immediately? I'm sure they'll try to market it at some point and sell the consumer yet another technology/service no one really needs. Just a sign of the times, got to consume, a bit like with McDonald's, great food, we should all be eating more of it. Get your head stuck into the music now and everywhere, 24/7, I'd like some video streaming with that please! Stream fed until full to the brim? Maybe the reverse would be more appropriate, how about some silence and stillness for a while, strong source of power. It's a lot cheaper than a Naim PowerLine too, it's free

Humans love to over complicate every task possible, why we know not!

HiFiMAN portable music players look promising (up to 24/96 FLAC).

Well I for one like being able to have everything with me.  No converting, syncing etc...  To each their own.

Just last night I was watching the world series with a buddy.  I asked him if he wanted to go see Shellac (Albini) with me on Wednesday.  He has never heard them , but does like his older band Big Black.  I pulled up PlugPlayer on my iPhone and got Excellent Italian Greyhound playing back in seconds.  He loved it.  Bartender also was digging it so he popped the little headphone cord from his iPod into my Phone and we listened to a few albums.  No fewer than 10 people came up and asked what we were listening to........  etc..........

I dont need to do this of course.  Not unlike this forum, hifi in general or cars.  But I really like it. 

The fact that it works so well and PERFECTLY addressed a question posed by Guido in this thread, i dont see what the big deal is.

On the cheap you can use PP on an iOS device to add music to any room.  My iPhone 3G sits in the backyard lashed up to a pair of desktop computer speakers for music while BBQing, yard work or sitting in the sun. Would you be more accepting if it was a Qute back there?

Your references to "need", "McDonalds", "consume", "head stuck", are a weak attempt at trying to undermine my suggestion to Guido.  Whatever.........  I dont see your point.

This is NOT critical listening and therefore lack of gapless is not a deal breaker.  Especially when there are few, if any, other options.

Lastly, I dont know what is up with Mike's server but using PP as a control point for J River serving to itself (like an HDX using local output), is gapless in my world.

If you, Mike and others dont want to stream away from home that is of course fine and your personal decision.  But there is no need to call me, or Guido by extension, a mindless consumer. 

I only [correctly] answered his question and will now bow out of this strange discussion.  I am not sure why you have a stick in your asses over the discussion but that is for you to figure out.

-Patrick

Sorry.  That is supposed to read "You CANNOT setup additional transcoding servers in Naim servers".

Hi Patrick,

My post wasn't directed at you personally, so no offense intended. Certainly, didn't mean to 'undermine' your suggestions. TBH, I don't know enough about the subject to make qualified comments, it was just a reaction to what I perceive to be a service or technology that personally I see no need for, but that's just me. Maybe I am a bit old fashioned, after all I am still spinning discs, so what do I know... 

Like you say, to each their own. Or is it each to their own?

Anyways, good luck with your streaming, you seem to enjoy it and that's all that counts in the end.

Cheers

tp

Just download iTunes 10.5 and it says that it'll store my music in iCloud so I can listen to it any time, any where, any place - Martini music. 

I'm going to try Patrick's suggestion first as I'm not sure I want all my music in the cloud (having looked at them from both sides now). 

Not all music sounds good on my car system, I really need something that rocks over the engine noise. I can turn it up, of course, but when I stop at the lights and the engine stops in a green sort of way then it sounds like I'm blaring out Peter Hammill or Frank Zappa at levels to compete with the boom brigade. So I have to think what I'm going to play. You can't beat having Mary Chapin Carpenter in your car though. 

Yeah I wouldn't mind having Mary Chapin Carpenter in my car either.