Upgrading NDX - would you add a power supply or DAC?

I have not heard both but many say that the DAC will give a better sound. That said, I would put my money on the power supply as it can be reused for an NDS should you decide to head up the ladder! :-)

I would suggest a demo at your dealer however I have a new system on order after a dealer demo a couple of weeks ago.

I've been using a NDX in an Olive system since the summer of last year part of the demo was adding a XPS dr power supply to the NDX this took the NDX to another level it was a very noticable in the context of the system on demo.

Thanks for the input guys, so far the score is 1-1 !

Why not go second hand and get them both? You can pick up nDacs for £1,200 and I'm sure you could find a nice XPSDR for under £2,500. 

I'd recommend the chord 2Qute (or Hugo if you're using a 202/282 preamp with high input sensitivity).

S.

On an NDX I would say that using a good quality power supply is the better option. If you were looking at an ND5XS I would say go for a DAC over the power supply, but the difference the DAC gives you on an ND5 is much greater than on an NDX.

if you are going to get a power supply I would recommend getting the best power supply you can, ideally an XPS so you can use it on a future NDS if you get there!

hope this helps!

Ryan

I like HH's reply - both !

My experience is that adding the DAC gives you a better experience than adding an XPS (and I've done both in the past).  So go with the DAC first then save your hardearned and go with a power supply on the DAC.   If you can stretch to a 555PS rather than an XPS then so much the better, it will do nicely when you get your NDS (you need to accept the inevitable).   And don't forget, the pre-DR 555's are becoming available for some reasonable prices in the 'previously loved' marketplace (don't you just hate that phrase?)   It's worth remembering that a non-DR 555PS is still a very fine power supply, easily removing the socks from an XPS-DR  (i.e. knocking the socks off).

Hope this helps more than it confuses 

Roger

Well Singslinger, seems Ryan.B and I hear the world differently... he advocating power first, me the DAC first.  So this proves only one thing...

...you're going to need to get down to your dealer and listen for your self.  The choice should be easy !   *(who am I trying to kid?)

if you are ultimately going for an NDS or NDX/nDAC/*PS, then a non-DR 555 is a great recommendation. If however you are looking to stop at a 2-box solution including the NDX, I would not bother with the 555PS - to my ears, it does not sound at all balanced or natural with the NDX. Not sure if the DR version is different in this regard however.  

My NDX is at another level with XPS & is a positive step forward.     However I would think twice about adding a Naim DAC as other DAC's such as Chord are leading the pack at the moment,  & they don't need a 4 figure add-on PSU to perform better.     

I found the Chord Hugo truly transformative in my set up (NDX/Hugo/282/HC2/250.2

I haven't any experience with the newer DR'd range, but I have used both an XPS and 500PS with the NDX. But the Hugo was the real game changer IMHO.

Hope this helps

Scot

Mike-B posted:

My NDX is at another level with XPS & is a positive step forward.     However I would think twice about adding a Naim DAC as other DAC's such as Chord are leading the pack at the moment,  & they don't need a 4 figure add-on PSU to perform better.     

Mike gets half my vote .. I tried an XPS on my NDX but was not impressed with the result and with a 500PS being out of the question I followed the external DAC route eventually choosing a non Naim DAC .. ergo no add-on PSU.  Options are great aren't they ?

............  oh ger'on what about a 3/4 vote  ??      My XPS first went on my old CDX2 & that was a real transformation,  the most upgrade in an add-on box I've ever had.  The CDX2 was moved on & NDX replaced it,  the change on the NDX between self powered & XPS powered was nowhere near as dramatic as it was with the CDX2,  but I tried it back on self powered for a weekend after it had been running on XPS for 2 or 3 months & the difference when the XPS was removed was probably more noticeable than when it was connected - if that makes sense.

As Roger says earlier, you really need to find a dealer who will let you try both options to see which one gives you most benefit.  I would expect the nDAC to give most, especially now that it has had a firmware update which gave a very nice, and free, performance boost. But then I'm a big nDAC fan so perhaps biased towards it.  I've also previously tried the XPS2DR as a potential upgrade over a XP5XS.  It was better but not by much and I stuck with the XP5XS until I got a 555PS.  So, I guess I'm also a little biased against the XPS.   You own ears ought should really decide.  

I would add a power supply. I heard a PS555 with an HDX and it was day and night difference.

NDAC with HDX, nice but to my ears not as dramatic improvement as PS555 on HDX.

Hungryhalibut posted:

Why not go second hand and get them both? You can pick up nDacs for £1,200 and I'm sure you could find a nice XPSDR for under £2,500. 

I did this (not DR) after a dalliance with Hugo & 2Qute. No regrets.

G

I owned an NDX/XPS2 for a couple of years and to be frank it was probably the most boring, unengaging source that I've ever owned. I found myself listening to my system less and less frequently. I think the problem lies with the DAC implementation which was not particularly resolving and easily surpassed by a Hugo. 

An NDX/XPS2 makes a decent digital source ( I.e. bypassing the internal DAC) but IMHO is poor value for money compared to an Aurender N100 or Melco N1A (half or less than half the price and better SQ). The DAC section was competitive 3 or 4 years ago but has now been left well behind by the competition.

I started off with ndac / unitiserve and then added a non Dr 555, to me it still sounded too "digital" and didn't have that nice analogue sound that I was getting from my old CDs2. Enter the NDX (ex demo and a good deal) in front of the DAC / 555 and I have been very satisfied to the point where I haven't explored the NDS although plan to do so this year.

Would I start with a plan for a 3 box digital source, properly not, but that's where I have landed and it sounds mighty fine.

To answer your question, yes the Ndac is a good value upgrade for the NDX although I have never tried it without the 555.

If you have the funds then buying second hand would me my recommendation or failing that do the demo at a good dealer. 

Gary

A DAC, even a  nDAC will change the character and not everyone has found that desireable. An XPSdr will significantly elevate the NDX while retaining its personality.

Personally, given that streamers are basically DACs anyway, I don't see the point in adding a DAC unless you are trying to economically extend the life of a streamer that is long in the tooth. Once you start thinking about adding a DAC to a streamer that is still a current model, I would suggest casting the larger question that is: maybe you want a different streamer?

+1 for a PS.

Sing slinger, concencus might be difficult     However I felt adding a PSU to the NDX changed its character, but to my ears not necessarily providing me more musical enjoyment..this was with an XPS2 and a 555PS.  The NDX vanilla is already very good, and perhaps its DAC/output stage is ultimately its bottleneck.

i found putting the NDAC and specifically an NDAC with 555PS transformed the NDX and definitely gave me oodles more musical enjoyment.

The NDX is a great transport for non Naim DACs as well, and I have been using mine for a little while now with the Chord Electronics Hugo and it sounds hauntingly resolving with voices and acoustic instruments as well as providing PRAT and emotion from blues and rock  that I like from my mainly Naim based system. To my ears  NDAC/555PS drives a bass line stronger than the Hugo... But the Hugo  is more immersive... all driven by the NDX.

Simon

analogmusic posted:

I would add a power supply. I heard a PS555 with an HDX and it was day and night difference.

NDAC with HDX, nice but to my ears not as dramatic improvement as PS555 on HDX.

 

we truly hear different things  .  my experience was completely opposite.  i bought both units within a couple of weeks of each other - 555 first.  It was a decent uplift in SQ giving more of everything but the NDAC - even naked - was a real enhancement in the naturalness of the sound. One of the best second hand bargains i have ever acquired.  Plugging the 555 into this, was seventh heaven  .  So if you are happy with a 3 box solution pick up a bargain but if you have the NDS in your sights maybe a 555 will serve very nicely in the interim.

I actually do own all the bits you mention. To my ears the best sound comes from:

NDX > digital out via DC1 > nDAC with XPS on the nDAC > HiLine analogue to pre. All with PowerLines. 

If I had to choose 1 additional box only for the NDX I would always go for the nDAC. 

Adam

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Sing slinger, concencus might be difficult     However I felt adding a PSU to the NDX changed its character, but to my ears not necessarily providing me more musical enjoyment..this was with an XPS2 and a 555PS.  The NDX vanilla is already very good, and perhaps its DAC/output stage is ultimately its bottleneck.

i found putting the NDAC and specifically an NDAC with 555PS transformed the NDX and definitely gave me oodles more musical enjoyment.

The NDX is a great transport for non Naim DACs as well, and I have been using mine for a little while now with the Chord Electronics Hugo and it sounds hauntingly resolving with voices and acoustic instruments as well as providing PRAT and emotion from blues and rock  that I like from my mainly Naim based system. To my ears  NDAC/555PS drives a bass line stronger than the Hugo... But the Hugo  is more immersive... all driven by the NDX.

Simon

Thanks for this Simon, and to all who've taken the time to share their experiences and thoughts. 

So far, it appears that for those who opt to stick to Naim, then adding an XPS is the (marginally) favoured route, whilst for those who've gone for the DAC option, Chord is a viable alternative to the Naim.

Certainly plenty to think about. I think careful auditions are called for ASAP.

Cheers lads!