ND5XS vs NDX, anyone compared both?

Allen,

A very comprehensive and interesting read. Thanks for doing the comparison. 

One thing i did wonder, given your comments on the NDX dig out and PSU is why on the NDX adding an external PSU removes the need for the internal PSU. A quick look at the internals and the Burndy pin configuration makes me wonder why the internal PSU wasn't used for the streamer section / digital section, with the DAC / outputs stages using the external PSU. I'm sure in the standard Naim configuration, this results in improved earthing arrangements and the additonal benefit of the removal of the internal NDX transformer field.

Is this the same arrangement for the CDX2 when upgraded in this fashion ?

James

Allen,

A very comprehensive and interesting read. Thanks for doing the comparison. 

One thing i did wonder, given your comments on the NDX dig out and PSU is why on the NDX adding an external PSU removes the need for the internal PSU. A quick look at the internals and the Burndy pin configuration makes me wonder why the internal PSU wasn't used for the streamer section / digital section, with the DAC / outputs stages using the external PSU. I'm sure in the standard Naim configuration, this results in improved earthing arrangements and the additonal benefit of the removal of the internal NDX transformer field.

Is this the same arrangement for the CDX2 when upgraded in this fashion ?

James

Really good write-up Allen, interesting as always.

However, never satisfied,  can we look forward to your thoughts on the current version of HDX sometime soon? Would be very interested to hear your thoughts of how it stands up feeding the nDAC.

Thanks again,

Peter

I compared ND5XS to NDX and the NDX is more analog sounding and offers simply more of everything. Adding a DAC via DC1 to the ND5XS changed everything around - more PRaT, more details, deeper and more acurate bass and a better soundstage than a bare NDX... Due to my wallet I did not try the DAC with the NDX

run the 5xs via the ndac, cant fault it through electrostatics at all.. no additional power supply.  it appears there will be a 5xs power supply for the 5x before xmas.

for my system and my pocket to spend upto 5k on a powersupply is not an option.

maybe naim are working on the fact the nd5 and it power supply which will be a total 4K package would sell more.  i believe the new power supply can only run the nd5xs streamer

Better get a 2nd hand XPS or 555...

Thanks Allen, whenever you can get around to it of course. Will be very much appreciated.

Peter

Hi Allen

Thank you so very much for taking such trouble in your assessment. Both my wife and myself find your reporting extremely easy to follow and have found in the past that we find ourselves in agreement when we have auditioned kit following your appraisal, so this is very helpful to us.

I have to say that I am not really surprised at your findings. We have only had the opportunity to hear the HDX, NDX and 555ps at the Summer Sound event that we attended. Not an ideal setting and the only kit we knew in the set-up were the 250-power amp and nDAC, but none the less it was very useful. Our attention was immediately grabbed when the NDX, 555ps was demoed, no question that the NDX would have been our choice, but things move on and this is not now an option. In the less than ideal situation of the hotel we were not struck by an obvious improvement with the HDX over what we have now, probably why we have not followed up on one other than to find out that the closest one is 100miles away.

Perhaps we will stay with the kit we have, pretty good sound as it is, and look elsewhere for sound in our other rooms.

Thanks again Allen,

Peter 

Hi Allen,

It's interesting; my results with HDX(HDD version) and NDX dig-outs were just the reverse of what you describe. In fact, I would describe almost with the same words; but in my case, HDX being less "edgy". Some other members, if my memory does not fail me, had described HDX as being more "organic", which I agree, according to my assessment with both devices connected to nDAC+555PS, as well as connected to my Kondo DAC. For that reason, I had proposed that if somebody already has HDX, there would be no reason for interest in NDX.

I don't think it is because we hear differently or because of different tastes. Your descriptions are very informative and exact. I suspect, because these devices use different protocols for retrieving music data from the network, they may be susceptible to influence by factors of network configuration and load in a different way, which may have sonic consequences. In fact, I hear the sonic difference between them increase or decrease in different situations.

It is nice to have these disagreements. They are food for thought and also an opportunity for looking again: I will try this comparison again now before getting rid of my NDX; and I am curious to know if things will change after your HDX has burned in completely.

Hi Allen,

I have experienced that HDX dig-out would benefit from extensive burning-in as well as sufficient warming-up for each session. However, you're right it would not make any sense if you are not going to use even its dig-out. I wonder why you have opted for NS01 instead of UServe as ripper/server.

ps. is your trial HDX with the latest PCI card/RAM specifications (from serial number 290540)?

Hmm, sounds like a wrestling championship!

I am sorry to hear that you were having problems lately with your system. Your US had served you for a long time. I hope you will be happy with your newest choices. I wonder what kind of problems you would encounter if you had decided to use your Naim store on your NAS with a third party server?

...and I should start thinking about back-up options for my rips. I have yet only one copy in the internal drive! Problems occur, however rare they may be...

Allen, Aysil,

FYI, I was at the TomTom event a few weeks ago. There was a naim R&D guy there who specialises in the streaming products. I can’t remember his name unfortunately. Like all of the naim staff present he was a really nice chap, a music fan first, kit geek second and very happy to field questions.

One question posed was: what is currently the best naim front end, excluding CDPs? To paraphrase the answer: either HDX-SSD/nDAC/555PS or NDX/XPS2/nDAC/555PS. Some people at naim prefer the latter others prefer the former, it really comes down to personal preference.

Gav