Soooo Confusing

FWIW Probably obvious but whatever you demo make sure you compare it to your W4S Sonos ZP90/NDAC. Having a budget of £6K to spend is very nice but I would need to be sure I was spending it wisely.

Dave

+1

6K on a digital front end......hmmm I think you would get more bang for your buck by spending less on that and spend the rest upgrading your NAP200 power amp

My ears don't detect a difference between HSX-SSD and NDX. If you are running the DAC I'm very much in the 'put the best PS you can on it' camp. The XPS2 gives a worthwhile lift, 555PS does amazingly musical things and if you don't need new you have plenty of options left with what to feed it. 

As ever, your ears will be the judge.

If you're set on keeping the Naim Dac, I'd get the best power supply for it you can afford.

If money is at issue, I'd put less money into the UPnP client and more into the power supply for the Dac; maybe a used ND5XS or a Qute??

If affordable, listen to NDX into Dac/555  vs. NDS/555 and buy the one you prefer.  NDS/555 has the advantage of being only 2 boxes. That was important to me; is less important to many others.

Thanks for all the inputs.  I was very tempted to blind buy a 555PS for the DAC as there was one at a good price, unfortunately when I returned home it had been sold.

Interesting to see the majority seem to be in favour of the PS for the DAC.

I love the sound of the NAP200, and have demoed the 250 which just didn't quite do it for me in my room.  I suppose the next step would be a 300.  But as the 200 is doing a fine job of driving my speakers, I thought it would be wise to invest in the source first.

Quite a lot to think on for now................................or do I trade my Hicap Dr for a non DR supercap..................aghhhh choices (and one very busy dealer when I finally get home )

My system is similar to yours in some ways: I have 282/Hicap DR/200 and am very happy with them. I recently traded my CDX2 in p/ex for a new NDS. This is powered by the XPS2 that was formerly used with the CD player. I rip to flac (lossless) on DBPoweramp and store the files on a Nas (QNAP HS210). This all works fine for me. I did not see any merit in getting a Unitiserve or HDX, although others will disagree with this view. I am, however, convinced of the importance of the source over (all?) other components. I heard the NDX in different systems at more than one dealer. It was fine, but as soon as I heard the NDS there was no way I would be satisfied with the NDX.  Maybe in another system I would have had a different view and could have saved a not insignificant sum of money. I could not afford a 555 power supply, so am 'making do' with my old XPS2, at least for now.

Clearly you will need to audition a range of possible solutions that will meet all your needs.

Focalist, many thanks for your input.  What would you suggest given my current kit line up?

Auralic Aries + Auralic Vega = job done and save yourself a fortune!

Well interesting morning with my dealer.  Took my dac and sonos and went to dem. Rest of system was 202 200 with pmc 23s

First up sonos into dac using chord signature digital. This was my reference. Sounded very detailed but lacked substance. I put this down to the 202 and lack of hicap. But at least I knew the base line.

Also connected to the ndac was an nd5x also connected with chord signature.  I was expecting two things

One there would be no difference digital is digital and all or

Two the modded sonos to trounce the nd5x.

Wrong on both counts oh dear. The sonos sounded detailed but thin, whereas the nd5x was warmer fuller sounding. 

So now realising digital is not digital, we swapped out the nd5x for an ndx...........

I think people realise where this one is going, the  ndx just gives more and more of everything. So I asked for a home demo but the demo unit had been sold.

So I took home the nd5x for the weekend. Set up in less than five minutes wirelessly. Playing my alac no problems, loving the naim radio choices. Using the remote only at the moment and loving it.

Hearing how the ndx sounded compared to the nd5x I have ordered an ndx which should be with me in a week. Will continue to get used to the nd5x until then.

Cat 6 cable to run to listening room, then ebay to sell my cdp and sonos.

I bought a Sonos (unmoved) for a holiday home but have always felt it lacks something. My old trusty CD3.5 beats it hands down on sound, soI'm pleased to here even your modded Sonos with DAC is still beaten by a Naim ND5X.... Makes my decision and future audition process easier!

Modded sonos + Ndac was trounced by ND5X + Ndax

ND5X + N Dac was humbled by the NDX + NDac

"Digital is the same............................................................"

Loving the Nd5X cant wait for my NDX to arrive

 Wow have not stopped listening cant wait for the ndx. On a strange note when I press info the pre amp lights come on and stay on.  Any ideas

So day three listening to the nd5xs while I wait for my ndx to arrive. What a cracking little box. Levels of detail and clarity still there compared to the modded sonos but the speakers just seem to be driven better more weight to everything.  If I hadnt got a good deal on the ndx then I would be quite happy with the nd5xs and ndac combo.

Some minor issues with folders especially compilations but thats not the nd5xs fault. Changes input on my pre when I select I radio.  Will ask my dealer about that on the instal.

Bank holiday monday is installing cat 6 cable day. Do I need cat 6 or 6a? Any recommendations on a good network switch also as want to completely separate audio from the rest

.

 Thanks in advance

this is the switch my dealer recommend to me, as I have been having issues with router (BT!!0

NETGEAR ProSafe® GS105 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch I think it was about £20 from Amazon

had NDX for little over a month - delighted with results , improvement over CDX, XPS - advice to stay with 202. 200 and hi Cap the 202 which is my next move - great sounding system - detail, focus, great low end basis - have Spendor SE6e's which works really beautifully -

rip through dBpoweramp with QNAP HD210 as NAS

Thankyou Anthony thats exactly what I want. What ethernet cable do you run, 5, 6 ?

use 6 - run ethernet from NAS via Devolo plug through the mains to music room - which does not IMO drop any of the detail -

only issue with system thus far is I need to get a switch instead of using BT HUB -

dBpoweramp is a great for ripping CD's - lossless straight onto NAS - QNAP HS 210 have x 2 "TB WB red

works well on UPnP

But will introduce a huge amount of noise to the signal.

IMHO or ears it doesn't