A Few HDX questions which seem to have been lost in the other threads

Whatever the size of the hard drives [in the HDX], there is a perfectly good reason for the current choice.

The bigger the HD, the noisier it is. No doubt HD technology will continue to speed forward, and so the possible size for a given level of mechanical noise will no doubt increase with time.

That will not render any current sized machine redundant or less good, and for those with massive libraries of recordings, the option to access off-board HD storage is there. In an answer on another HDX thread, it was given out that the ripped material could be transfered off-board. I think I read that correctly, so you could have off-board storage of many TBs, if you wanted in time.

On the other hand I do think that the capacity to carry "on-board" the contents of say 600 CDs seems enough for a start! After last weekend, I have succeeded in boiling down my library to less than 500 CDs - reduction is always a pleasure for me. This is based on the possibility of listening to them often enough for it to be worth keeping them, in relation to finding Radio broadcasts of the music that are often better than the commercial recordings.

What I do think is both pleasing and amazing is that Naim is both deveoping new ways forward, and still optimising what may be achieved in the old formats. From the Superline, to the recent introduction of newly updated CD5i, Naim is catering for all normal formats at all price points from the mid-price up. There is no reason for the company to produce more budget style pieces, because not only is the competition fierce, but the quality of some of these is actually none too bad!

I really think that Naim's choices on the HDX represent a sane and thought out response, which stands the chance of fitting very many people's requirements. But today is today and tomorrow will always offer something more! But we live today, and can only hope for tomorrow. Carpe diem and all that!

George

quote:

Originally posted by Adam Meredith:

quote:

Originally posted by pcstockton:
Perhaps the best option is to add a Digital Input to one of the CD players, to use their DAC.
I would REALLY welcome that, if the Naim external DAC is unlikely for some time.
Is there any likelihood of that?

Subject to me not knowing what I am talking about - would this not be remarkably pointless?

Surely the DAC in the CD player and its implementation limit its use to DACing data from a CD transport. The BIG advantage here would be - the ability to run an external CD transport through the DAC in your (previously) perfectly well-designed and integrated CD player.

I would (subject to ...) see that as extremely unlikely.

Adam,

I can't work out whether this is your humour at work again.

Surely the advantage of being able to get to your DAC in a Naim CD player is to run an alternative source like a Mac or PC, not another CD transport.

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by Steve S1:

Surely the advantage of being able to get to your DAC in a Naim CD player is to run an alternative source like a Mac or PC, not another CD transport.

Exactly. The RA Opus 21, for example, has a coax digital input that operates up to 96 kHz/24-bit; most useful.

Hi pcstockton ... let me try to "save" you

1) If Naim was really a cult, I can't imagine why it would appeal to so many people outside of the HiFi world as well ... who have never had a chance to be brainwashed, or even told what HiFi sound should be like. Merely, it seems, they make a choice based on hearing a well set up system that musically clicks with their sense of what's right. OK, maybe a lot of people on this forum come here to share their enthusiasm for the brand, but everyone has freedom to choose...

2) The HDX couldn't be further from the description "PC in a box", although many things on the market might be describable that way.

3) There are very good audio engineering reasons for the choice of hard drives, that have more to do with the overall machine performance (sonically) than capacity. Similarly for an example, using the right sized reservoir capacitors in Naim power supplies makes more sense to the R&D guys, than to those who assume that the biggest physically possible would be best (not!)

quote:

Originally posted by pcstockton:
Perhaps the best option is to add a Digital Input to one of the CD players, to use their DAC.
Is there any likelihood of that?

It would appear to be slightly more complex than "add(ing) a Digital Input" -

"It could do nothing as standard as the clock in the CD player is not synchronised to the source clock. This is true even if the source is another CD player.
Both clocks would be 44.1kHz but will may be up to 100ppm (parts per million) different. So the source may be too slow or too fast. To get around this external DACs units slave to the SPDIF signal using a PLL (phase locked loop - i.e. a clock generated from the incoming SPDIF). This method causes audio related jitter. To get around this you need to read the data into a memory and playback using a new master clock while keeping an eye on how full the memory is. Then to get 48kHz sampling you would need another clock. Some external DACs use a sample rate converter but this method is compromised as unnecessary maths is being done.

So it can be done but it's a compromise, it would make the CD player sound worse and cost more.

Circuits to add:
SPDIF receiver
SPDIF decoder
RAM for buffering
Master clocks x2
Shut down circuits for when the CD player is being used user interface to be able to select the input.
New remote"

Adam, your explanation brings 2 questions to mind. Is the Naim HDx handling this differently in terms of the digital stream since it is a "single box solution" with respect to storage,memory, signal conversion, jitter before the signal is sent to the SN digital input? I've have been told that some companies are developing a "memory box" (don't know the terminology) which will take the digital file, convert, buffer etc... as you mentioned before it is fed to the DAC negating the need for the external DAC to sample rate convert? From a technical view does this lead to better sound quality? If so, I guess the debate becomes is the process handled better as an "all in one solution" (HDx) or multibox (memory/DAC) with storage of the files on your PC/Mac/NAS?

Final thought:With the above in mind, how is sound quality affected with the HDX, if at all,if you exceed the 400GB storage on the HDX and then need an external storage device which is connected via USB to your HDX?

Do we have answers to the questions in my first post ?

quote:

Originally posted by Exiled Highlander:
Munch

The reality is that if you have a CD player you have been listening to and living with this "digital stuff" since the moment you bought one...

Jim

Hmm!! Unless we have suddenly got devices with infinite bandwidth there is no such thing as 'digital' all signals ARE analogue. Digital signals are a construct of analogue signals ( Remember Joseph Fourier anyone?)

I doubt I'll be buying an HDX any time soon. I'm more likely to be the buyer for a used HD5i once the former owner decides to upgrade. This will take place around 2015 I'd imagine...

But I still have questions. I own more than one CD of a few albums, the worst offender being Van Halen's debut. My regular listening copy is the 1995 out-of-print DCC gold disc, but, very occasionally, I like to compare and contrast with the inferior-sounding original US CD, the Japanese CD, or the truly horrid-sounding US remaster. Is it possible to load all four on the HDX, have them all called "Van Halen", and have one be the default version for listening and the other three accessible by digging one menu deeper?

Does the HDX do "shuffle" play?

Since I've already got about a terabyte of Apple Lossless files stowed away, I imagine I'll be in no hurry to re-rip my entire collection any time soon (by this I mean any time soon after my purchase in 2015), so what I'd do, I suspect, is rip to the HDX-jr. my 100 or so favorite CDs, adding new purchases and other discs I deem worthy one at a time. So, is there a way to have the albums on the HDX and the remote streamable Lossless files appear on the same list so I don't have to remember if Doug and the Slugs is filed under D either over here or over there? And, if so, is there an indicator that this or that album is stored either here or there on the GUI? I wanna know this so I can re-rip the Bay City Rollers directly to the HDX if I find the Lossless streamed version of Saturday Night to be lacking in PRAT.

quote:

I wanna know this so I can re-rip the Bay City Rollers directly to the HDX

As I imagine all potential purchases would need to rip their BCR collections to the new HDX perhaps the entire BCR catalogue could be pre-loaded as an incentive to buy the HDX

THAT WOULD BE SO LIKE TOTALLY OMG!!!!!!!

Hi Alex,

to answer your first post!!

Accessing files through a normal network is no I'm afraid. They can be played over a streamnet (netstreams digilinx) network as per the NS's.

When the HDX arrives it will play most audio file types although I understand that AAC is possible, licensing for Apple lossless is in progress and may come in a later firmware upgrade.

Manual will be released with the HDX around the middle of June I'm told.

If you want to hear it Naim are running a summer road show visiting all of the 500 series dealers, Ill be at mine on the 31st ; )

I for one am totally smitten and have already replaced my CDX2 with an NS01, the wife and kids use the interface without trouble and to answer someone else's earlier question, a PC is unnecessary as it comes with a full function remote control.

I love it!

I am most likely missing the point here but what is the advantage of the HDX over the NS01 ?

Mainly...It's upgradeable with an XPS power supply and it features an integrated touch screen control interface.

Is that it ?

Optimized analogue output stage, to boot.

All joking apart, has the NS01 got an analogue output, I thought it had. If its just the display and PSU inputs the £1500 seems a lot of price difference. Can the NS01 play CDs without ripping them first?

I guess I'd compare the HDX more to the NS03. The NS01 is a lower cost option than comparable to the HDX.

Roy.

Thanks for that Yoda, it'll be interesting to see if Apple Lossless support comes. It would certainly make tieing it up to itunes a lot easier.

quote:

Originally posted by Roy Donaldson:
I guess I'd compare the HDX more to the NS03. The NS01 is a lower cost option than comparable to the HDX.

Roy.

Thank you Roy

quote:

Originally posted by London Lad:
All joking apart, has the NS01 got an analogue output, I thought it had. If its just the display and PSU inputs the £1500 seems a lot of price difference. Can the NS01 play CDs without ripping them first?

The NS01 has a Phono or DIN Output 1 and a Coax and Optical Digital Audio Outputs.

NS02 has three additional analogue outputs. The NS03 is the closest to the HDX, as it has a front touch screen.

Thanks.

Do bear in mind that like the pointless Linn DS devices the Naim Net servers and the HDX will provide you access to all of the music files on your attached computers via the network. The limitation is that it will not play anything with DRM.

As for performance levels I would say (having lived with a CDX2 and now owning an NS01) that the NS01 is a smidge less well performing, and I do mean a smidge, however the additional functionality made it a no brainer for me.

As for the HDX, the thing I look forward to finding out, is how much better sounding (if at all) it is. The main difference is the entirely different DAC and analogue output stage. Also the ability to attach the fabled 555ps excites me (sad aren't I?).

I have to say that the touchscreen display on the HDX is a bit pointless for me really. I use my Plasma for my NS01, and the remote control which works beautifully. Theres no way I would be able to see the screen on the HDX from where I sit!

Will report back about the dealer event if anyone is interested?

quote:

Originally posted by Yoda:
As for the HDX, the thing I look forward to finding out, is how much better sounding (if at all) it is.

Will report back about the dealer event if anyone is interested?

Yes please keep us posted.