CDS1 to CDS2??

Posted by: Charlezz on 22 June 2001

I have heard it was possible to upgrade a cds1 to a cds2;
How exactely? What about the XPS? How much does it cost? Is it really better?

Thank you.

Charles

ps: I also would like to know how the cds1 does look like. Could anybody send me a picture of it.
Thanks in advance.

Posted on: 22 June 2001 by Arthur Bye

Charleez:

I suggest you do a search on this as it has been discussed several times before.

In the US you can have a CDS1 upraded to a CDS2 head unit with modified Burndy cable for about $4,000. The CDS1 power supply is kept and used in place of an XPS. Not quite a CDS2, but very close.

You local Naim dealer should be able to give you prices in France.

Arthur Bye

Posted on: 22 June 2001 by Charlezz

"Not quite a CDS2, but very close."
Yeah, that is what i wanted to know....

Posted on: 22 June 2001 by Bob Edwards

Charles--

The CDS1 to CDS2 upgrade is really a swap of the CDS1 innards for the CDS2 innards. The only piece remaining is the case.

You can then, if you wish, change the CDSPS to to an XPS and you then have a full-fledged CDS2. The CDSPS is not quite as good as the XPS, opinions vary on exactly how close.

Cheers,

Bob

Ride the Light !

Posted on: 22 June 2001 by Don Atkinson

In the UK the cost of changing the transport part of the cds1 to a cds2 is about £1,600. As said above, this is achieved by Naim replacing everything except the case (which I think is slightly modified as well to suit the cds2 laser/cd spinner). They also modify the grey Burndy cable to make it compatible with the new cds2 transport.

In a recent post, Paul Stephenson (reluctantly) put 80% of the cds1-cds2 sonic upgrade down to the above modification.

If you later buy an XPS power supply (just over £2,000), it comes with a black Burndy and the XPS/black Burndy adds the other 20%.

You can then sell your old CDPS and modified grey Burndy for about £500 to a CDX owner who thereby gets (say) 50% of an XPS upgrade for a quarter of the price Nice

Some people claim the original cds1 sounds better than the cds2 and no doubt others will claim the 80% quoted by Paul should be more like 90% and others claim it is just a matter of taste, like whether you prefer coq-au-vin or chateaxbriand.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Don