Adding DAC to NDX. Go for used NDAC or new Chord Mojo?

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

I used to prefer the NDAC/555PS to the NDS/555PS but I was in the minority.

I'm in that minority with you, Simon

Are we really suggesting that a Mojo rivals an NDAC?  I find that notion hard to digest.  Not that I've ever heard either, just to be clear, but really?  How would you connect the Super Lumina interconnect for example?  A Maplin sourced adapter would do the trick I suppose; I am sure it's immune to any of the traditional best practices.

NDX > nDAC wih XPS.

Sounds very good inded. A very revealing source.

SongStream posted:

Are we really suggesting that a Mojo rivals an NDAC?  I find that notion hard to digest.  Not that I've ever heard either, just to be clear, but really?  How would you connect the Super Lumina interconnect for example?  A Maplin sourced adapter would do the trick I suppose; I am sure it's immune to any of the traditional best practices.

If you've not heard either, why are you so sure of anything?  My advice to the OP would be, as ever, listen to both and make your own mind up.  And if a Maplin sourced adaptor works, happy days.  Nothing to be scared of here, it's only hifi

dayjay posted:

SongStream posted:

Are we really suggesting that a Mojo rivals an NDAC?  I find that notion hard to digest.  Not that I've ever heard either, just to be clear, but really?  How would you connect the Super Lumina interconnect for example?  A Maplin sourced adapter would do the trick I suppose; I am sure it's immune to any of the traditional best practices.

If you've not heard either, why are you so sure of anything?  My advice to the OP would be, as ever, listen to both and make your own mind up.  And if a Maplin sourced adaptor works, happy days.  Nothing to be scared of here, it's only hifi

I see what you mean, and excuse my earlier sarcasm, but if the Mojo really works well enough to better the DAC section of an NDX, doesn't that make the engineering principles and whole Naim philosophy a bit null and void?  It's hard to imagine a Mojo sitting on it's own Fraim shelf.  If a couple of hundred quid DAC with two 3.5mm headphone outputs is good enough to wire up to an SN2, and deliver even 80% of the Hugo performance, then good news all round as far as I am concerned.  I just find it surprising.

Indeed, listen and make up your own mind. Not everyone, me included, thinks the sun shines out of a Chord Dac's arse.

It's not that easy... DACs sound different. It's a question of personal preferences that also comes into play.

I chose a simple route - tend to stick with Naim

SongStream posted:

dayjay posted:

SongStream posted:

Are we really suggesting that a Mojo rivals an NDAC?  I find that notion hard to digest.  Not that I've ever heard either, just to be clear, but really?  How would you connect the Super Lumina interconnect for example?  A Maplin sourced adapter would do the trick I suppose; I am sure it's immune to any of the traditional best practices.

If you've not heard either, why are you so sure of anything?  My advice to the OP would be, as ever, listen to both and make your own mind up.  And if a Maplin sourced adaptor works, happy days.  Nothing to be scared of here, it's only hifi

I see what you mean, and excuse my earlier sarcasm, but if the Mojo really works well enough to better the DAC section of an NDX, doesn't that make the engineering principles and whole Naim philosophy a bit null and void?  It's hard to imagine a Mojo sitting on it's own Fraim shelf.  If a couple of hundred quid DAC with two 3.5mm headphone outputs is good enough to wire up to an SN2, and deliver even 80% of the Hugo performance, then good news all round as far as I am concerned.  I just find it surprising.

You may be right but I just wouldn't rule it out without having a listen I guess. Who would have thought, a year or two ago that the Hugo could deliver what it does at its price and the Mojo has the same chipset I believe.  In the end it's all good because it pushes the price for great music down and forces others to up their game.  Let's be honest, most of us would be damned happy with an Ndac, or a Hugo and if push come to shove we could probably live with a Mojo iif that was all the budget we had.  We are a little spoiled at the moment I think for good quality dacs

One more point in favour of an nDAC - system automation.

I use two digital sources into my nDAC - NDX and CDX2.2 - switching inputs and sources is all automated via NDX remote control. Easy

Indeed, I wouldn't want to use several inputs into a Hugo, would be a pain, especially as mine is hidden at the back of all my kit.  Horses for courses

True, although my Hugo is accessible, it has to shelf on a Fraim.. It's however case of cycling through the inputs and learning which colour corrospends to which input. I do use the system automation on my NDX transport which feeds the Hugo, which is a good sounding compromise.

Simon

Adam Zielinski posted:

One more point in favour of an nDAC - system automation.

I use two digital sources into my nDAC - NDX and CDX2.2 - switching inputs and sources is all automated via NDX remote control. Easy

And guess what, you can use that 555PS to power your Ndac if you choose, or that good sounding dac in your Cdx2.2. So many options with the Ndac! 

As I learned from Simon, it's a new Paradigm! No longer is just the Analog TT, Digital CD, or Digital Streaming. 

But Choice, depending on Mood, and Music! 

Enjoy your Music The Why!!!!! 

Indeed!

SongStream posted:

Are we really suggesting that a Mojo rivals an NDAC?  I find that notion hard to digest.  Not that I've ever heard either, just to be clear, but really?  How would you connect the Super Lumina interconnect for example?  A Maplin sourced adapter would do the trick I suppose; I am sure it's immune to any of the traditional best practices.

Surprising but I'm sure Andrew Everard posted on here a while back saying Mac Mini/Mojo was giving NDS/555 a serious run for its money. 

Hey kaydee,

I suspect you reside in Singapore. Which makes its a little tougher to find a used nDAC.

I'm not suggesting that you go for the chord alternative instead... I have the nDAC and have considered the Hugo. But the build, connectivity and lack of remoted put me off.

I'm glad I stayed with the nDAC. The latest firmware is really good.

I'm screwing with you again... you'll probably have better luck finding a used Hugo.

OK....who is Andrew Everard?

He's a Hifi reviewer and Forum member. 

I'm Andrew Everard and so is my wife.

SongStream posted:

I'm Andrew Everard and so is my wife.

Well, that's a turn up for the books! I feel like we're in Sparticus 

Best description of the NDac is " that its like a hot knife through butter".   Deviations here are wether you prefer a knife with a sharp leading edge, a rounded smoothed edge or for the purists a proper butter knifed edge. The butter can also be appropriated by wether it's salted or not, and by regional cow nationality.

Quite a few on these forums have raved about the sound quality of the Hugo, saying it is better than various Naim DACs including that of the NDX. As for build quality, as with all Chord products I have seen, build quality is excellent, though styling is a matter of taste - but it is small and easily hidden if you don't like it. I haven't heard Mojo, but it is a lower product in Chord's range, I believe primarily aimed at being even more portable than Hugo as well as cheaper so I guess won't be as good - but that is a guess.

As for connectivity someone mentioned, HUgo has USB and both electrical and optical SPDIF, so can connect to quite a range of  renderers .

Innocent Bystander posted:

Quite a few on these forums have raved about the sound quality of the Hugo, saying it is better than various Naim DACs including that of the NDX. As for build quality, as with all Chord products I have seen, build quality is excellent, though styling is a matter of taste - but it is small and easily hidden if you don't like it. I haven't heard Mojo, but it is a lower product in Chord's range, I believe primarily aimed at being even more portable than Hugo as well as cheaper so I guess won't be as good - but that is a guess.

As for connectivity someone mentioned, HUgo has USB and both electrical and optical SPDIF, so can connect to quite a range of  renderers .

Yes, Chord dac is built to last. Only the styling stands in the way and I can hide the Mojo behind the NDX.

AS for connectivity, It accepts toslink and digital coaxial. Rob Watts the designer prefer to use toslink as it is galvanatically isolated resulting to smoother sound. There is a good FAQ and advice from him over at head-fi.

kmchow98 posted:

Hey kaydee,

I suspect you reside in Singapore. Which makes its a little tougher to find a used nDAC.

I'm not suggesting that you go for the chord alternative instead... I have the nDAC and have considered the Hugo. But the build, connectivity and lack of remoted put me off.

I'm glad I stayed with the nDAC. The latest firmware is really good.

I'm screwing with you again... you'll probably have better luck finding a used Hugo.

Yes Singaporean I am  

Not meaning to throw a spanner in the works, but since the thread is about how to upgrade the NDX, has the OP considered an XPS.dr instead of a DAC?

It's a considerable upgrade yet retains much of what makes the NDX great. I would be inclined to give this combo a listen. Some prefer it with a different DAC; others with an XPS. There's not really any consensus on which is preferrable so you'd need to test.

FWIW I love the sound of an NDX/XPS.dr combo.

Richard Dane posted:

Emre posted:

One thing i dont get it is nDac, what does it bring to streamer/dac like NDX ? NDX has a excellent dac already, i would understand if it is chord dave - something different - but nDAc? Will nDAC is a better dac then naim streamers? 

The Naim DAC is fair way ahead of the NDX - not surprising really as it uses selected PCM1704K DAC and Naim's fully discreet analogue stage, something usually reserved for the CDS3 player, NDS and CD555.  

Cards on the table, having owned a Naim DAC when it first came out then been seduced by other, newer, more fashionable things, I've actually come back to the Naim DAC recently and I have to say that what it does well, particularly when it has a XPS2/555PS/DR attached, it does perhaps better than any other I've heard.  If you value Naim's typical strengths, yet also want all the other spatial things as well, then the Naim DAC is hard to beat.  

This is exactly what I think about it now, since I abandoned the cd player (which it improves a lot) I've never been seduced by it , until more recently with the introduction of ND5XS and especially NDX it gets really ,really sense as for  potential exposed and that's what I'd get first.

Hype in my opinion is also evident in lots of online reviews and that doesn't spare Naim too , hype is what leads former 202 owners to move to  nac272  thinking its an improvement, wrong assumption.