HDX end of life?

What would you expect an HDX II to do/have that the HDX doesn't? In any case Naim is very secretive about their plans for new products and so anyone on this forum who actually knows the answer to your question isn't going to be able to answer it.

best

David

No idea. And Naim doesn't communicate such things to its customers. In my view there is nothing missing from the current HDX that couldn't be implemented with a software fix i.e. Tidal and BBC HLS streams. 

Afaik no bigger drives, no DSD, no qobuz or tidal, no roon- and i think it can't be fix with a SW upgrade, guess they need a new platform. I love the concept of HDX, that's why I'm asking if Naim comes up with v2.

https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...35#48168951614475235

This is link is to where Phil Harris explained why they aren't adding streaming capabilities (he mentions Spotify but this was when that is all the streamers would do) to the servers and as far as I know, this is still what Naim think.

best

David

The HDX was highly successful as an all in one source device and to say that it's "just" a ripper/server in today's transformed market is to say that it is now very limited in its use. We used an HDX foe years and were delighted with it's facilities, user friendliness and sound quality.  Things are different now. If it doesn't incorporate all possible sources (or easy means of bolting them on) regardless of file quality, it offers nothing which could not be done for a fraction of its price.

In fairness this was always true of the HDX. But it is an X level player of considerable ability and it did everything. Now it does a few things. With hindsight we would still have been using our HDX when we did for as long as we did. But if we were setting up a system today, HDX, US. NS would not figure. They don't do enough and considerably less expensive solutions abound using identical technology. For me today, all I would need to do to get HDX functionality in my system is get dBpoweramp and install Asset on my NAS.  That's a lot of change out of five grand. If I had a desperate need to play CDs (which I don't) a good transport with a dig out still doesn't gobble up the remainder and I could even go CDS3 and be left with a fatter wallet.

If Naim are not proposing to load loads of sources on the HDX one must logically assume that significant development past treading water has ceased. But of course, with Naim you never know for sure...... unless they say for certain. So who knows? Not us.

P,S. The other thing to bear in mind is that Naim won't develop it or continue to make it if they don't sell any.

The CDS3 was adored for it's whole life. But admired and praised as it was, when it stopped selling they stopped making it.

I asked Paul at a get together why they did a Linn on the CDS3. "Because we were not selling any" came the reply.

Seemed fair enough.

Harry posted:

P,S. The other thing to bear in mind is that Naim won't develop it or continue to make it if they don't sell any.

The CDS3 was adored for it's whole life. But admired and praised as it was, when it stopped selling they stopped making it.

I asked Paul at a get together why they did a Linn on the CDS3. "Because we were not selling any" came the reply.

Seemed fair enough.

Seems a rather logical way to do business. 

SJB

Yup.

The HDX may be a fantastic product but it is mentioned less and less on the forum in the context of new systems. If that translates to low sales numbers (and it may not), then the future of it may be limited.

Given that it was launched at a transitional time where most customers were getting into streaming with a large CD collection already it was the perfect product for the time. Times have moved on and now customers are more comfortable with a dedicated streaming solution (ND*) and ripping their own music and managing their own NAS, or if not, willing to spend the extra for a US or NS01 and a standalone streamer.

That said, anyone considering buying an HDX should really be thinking about whether it is the right product for their needs rather than the immediate future for it. If it supplies the right functionality for the way you listen to music today and you like the sound, then the future of it should be irrelevent. In fact, if the HD* range is dropped, you may then find that there is no perfect match for you anymore and you missed your chance.

I only bought mine 2 years ago and many of my friends are still playing CD's, so I would have thought there are still a lot of people who haven't yet bitten the bullet and started ripping their CD's yet.

Dont forget, most people aren't as keen as the people on this forum!

Other companies still sell servers, I saw that Elac had a new server on the show in this weekend, to be released later this year. Bluesound  also has a server with the same features as the Naim servers. I think the problem is the OS. Naim is using the limitted ressources on the hardware in the streamers and dac, and not the old Xp edition that is used in the servers.

When the servers was released I believe that the custom install was a big selling point, but I am not sure very many has there houses wired with Ethernet cables anymore, but uses wireless streaming to multiroom systems instead.

If Naim had omitted internet radio and upnp streaming from the servers, the view that the server is not a streamer and services like Spotify and Tidal makes no sense, would be more understandable. If upnp streaming and internet radio had not been aded to the  servers, I would not have bought my ns01 back in  2011.

Claus   

just wonder why there are so many on a well known auction web page...

blythe posted:

Dont forget, most people aren't as keen as the people on this forum!

Well posed. I'm guessing you won't get a lot of disagreement with that statement here

T38.45 posted:

just wonder why there are so many on a well known auction web page...

Harry posted:

considerably less expensive solutions abound using identical technology. For me today, all I would need to do to get HDX functionality in my system is get dBpoweramp and install Asset on my NAS.  That's a lot of change out of five grand.