ND5XS or SBTouch + nDac?

Posted by: MangoMonkey on 18 January 2012

Has anyone does this comparison? I'm currently running my sbtouch into a rega dac. For my next upgrade, just wondering which route to go. It's time to sort out my digital front end.

Posted on: 18 January 2012 by Simon-in-Suffolk
Hi, I have tried similar to what you ask. The Squeezebox Classic into nDAC via SPDIF RCA and Toslink and it was mediocre ( actually quite horrid ), and not at all enjoyable to listen to except for MP3 for whatever reasons which i can only speculate on. There was glare and it sounded mushy. The standalone NDX was  enjoyable and a great improvement.
Simon
Posted on: 19 January 2012 by MangoMonkey

Yeah, I've got the sb touch though. Supposed to have a better digital out than the older one, with measurably very low jitter levels. I've also got linear power supply, so that makes things better. And modded software.

Posted on: 19 January 2012 by naimUnT
I have a SB3 fed with a bespoke power supply and into a good DAC and IMO it can equal the NDX and cost less! Don't discount the Squeezebox, especially if it has a good PSU and it's digital is feeding a decent DAC. The Logitech interface is a lot easier to use than Naim's via Twonky or Asset.
Posted on: 19 January 2012 by HiFiman

I had a Squeezebox Touch, Teddy Pardo TTouch PSU with Lavry DA10 DAC, which was a great sound. Then I changed the Lavry to an nDAC, even better but sensed something was missing.

Just recently changed the Touch to a UntiQute, no compression the UQ into the nDAC is just jaw dropping.

Posted on: 19 January 2012 by Focalist

Please remember the touch is £200! And fantastic for that amount of money! Comparing to an NDX is ridiculous! Its 10x the price! A touch into a decent DAC makes a perfectly acceptable sound, in fact I would suggest there are fewer differences in transports than people might suggest. If you can only afford one way forward, go for the nDAC for the flexibility it gives you, you could always add a "better" streamer at a later date if you feel it necessary.

Posted on: 19 January 2012 by Simon-in-Suffolk
Hi, my Squeezeboc classic/SB3 has a linear regulated after market powersupply from a certain Israeli company, as well as being heavily modded with a revamped clock oscillator  and the RCA connector changed to 75ohm characteristic impedance one ( as opposed to the standard one with  that horrible ringing), but even so for WAV and FLAC there simply was no comparison to the NDX. I wish that wasn't the case, I could have saved myself some money, but alas  it sounded like a toy by comparison , but then again it's hardly surprising.. If you want a cheap streamer I would look at Apple TV2 into the ndac, it gives a respectable performance that is enjoyable.
Simon
Posted on: 19 January 2012 by Alco

quote:
Yeah, I've got the sb touch though. Supposed to have a better digital out than the older one

 

Absolutely, the SB Touch sounds much better than the SB3, both through its analog and digital output!  (I had both, and now have my SB Touch hooked up to a Naim DAC)


The SB Touch is rediculously good for its modest price.
The ndac gives a more natural sound to the SB Touch, with a little more body.


Still, I also wonder what would be better...
SB Touch into Ndac or the ND5xs as a standalone unit.

The ND5xs does have the nice bonus to be able to play music directly from USB-sticks, and control/navigate the content with an Ipod/pad/phone.

 

regards,

Alco

Posted on: 19 January 2012 by HiFiman

Decided to keep the nDac Alco?

 

Posted on: 19 January 2012 by Alco

quote:
Decided to keep the nDac Alco?


No Sean,..the ndac will have to go.

It does bring a clear improvement, but to me not big enough to justify the price.

Posted on: 19 January 2012 by MangoMonkey

I don't care much about playing files from usb stick. It's less of a hassle just to pop in  a CD.

 

Either way, the sbtouch will have to stay: wife's hooked on spotify.

 

Both the ND5XS and nDac are able to take one optical in, so that shouldn't be an issue. I don't really need all the inputs that the nDac has.

  

I guess I could just listen to both and decide. :-)

 

The consensus seems to be towards getting the ND5XS though. No bottle necks that way.

 

How's the UnitiQute as a cheap streamer+Dac into the NaitXS?

Posted on: 19 January 2012 by MangoMonkey
Originally Posted by Alco:

quote:
Decided to keep the nDac Alco?


No Sean,..the ndac will have to go.

It does bring a clear improvement, but to me not big enough to justify the price.

Alco: I suspect the SBTouch is your bottleneck. The nDac is only marginally good because the SBT is probably not giving it enough to perform at it's best. Maybe you need to do the same comparison I'm doing.

 

Also when you do the comparison, make sure that the SBT is not hooked into the Amp. I find this annoying about Naim, but any non-Naim stuff hooked in makes it loose it's balance in terms of grounding.

 

Yeah, but either way, I guess the nDac does not make much sense in your system.

Posted on: 20 January 2012 by matpip
A modded sbtouch is not a bootleneck when used as digital out, in a system like alco has, IMO.
And FYI, the sbtouch can read USB directly.
Still, it seems no one really tested a sbtouch (modded ideally) + DAC vs NDX5xs....
Posted on: 20 January 2012 by Simon-in-Suffolk

Well it then depends what mofications you have done on you SB Touch. Whois to say one person's modifications are implemented the same as someone eleses. It all gets a bit random and meaningless as a 'test' doesn't it?

 

Simon

 

Posted on: 20 January 2012 by Alco

quote:
A modded sbtouch is not a bootleneck when used as digital out, in a system like alco has, IMO.


I've done the Soundcheck Toolbox 3.0 software mods and I use a dedicated PSU for the SB Touch. (the 'Best of Two Worlds' squeeze-upgrade PSU)

 

 

quote:
And FYI, the sbtouch can read USB directly

 

In theory it could/should, but in practice... in most cases it cannot.

(tried several usb-sticks, but all of 'em without succes)

Posted on: 20 January 2012 by matpip
Sorry simon, i was referring to the soundcheck software mods (excluding all unnecessary functions such as analog out, screen and so on). In any case, a test with a standard sbtouch would be already interesting.
Posted on: 20 January 2012 by matpip
Alco, the soundcheck toolbox excludes the USB input...
When i tried mine pre_mods, it worked well with a 8GB USB flashdrive.
Posted on: 20 January 2012 by Alco

quote:
Alco, the soundcheck toolbox excludes the USB input...

 

You are right Matpip, but I tried several usb-sticks directly on the Touch before I did the Soundcheck mods. It only recognized some cover-art in my case.


Perhaps the SB Touch is sensitive to certain brands of usb-sticks ?

(sorry, to have become off-topic)

Posted on: 20 January 2012 by matpip
IME, it takes a while to the sbtouch to index all the music contained in the USB, so more music more time (30 min for a 8gb drive). I guess this is because the internal chip is quite simple and no as powerful as a normal pc...only when the process is terminated you can see your music.mi have friends using their touch with a permanent 16gb usb in the back, and no pc connection...close the off topic.
Ill try to demo sbt + dac vs ndx5 xs at dubai audio, adil im coming!