Aries vs ND5xs as digital source?

Stefan,

I cannot answer your question because I haven't had the opportunity to directly compare the two. However, I am of the camp that feels that the DAC is more important than the transport that feeds it. However, a number of people on this forum would suggest that you set your sights on an NDX rather than an ND5XS as a transport for the Chord (Hugo?).

For what it is worth, I run an ND5XS into a Chord Hugo DAC on my second system and like it very much.

I have also heard an Auralic Aries into an Auralic Vega DAC in a completely different system and was impressed by that too.

If I were you, I would focus on the music interfaces and IOS/Android Windows applications built into the two streamers and select on that basis. I have obviously used  the Naim app more, but my short exposure to the Auralic app was also favourable. One thing to bear in mind is that Spotify Premium, Tidal and Qobuz  streaming services would all be available via the Aries, but Qobuz is not currently available via Naim streamers.

If an external streaming service of this sort is something that interests you, and if your primary musical genre is either Classical or Jazz, then the Aries and Qobuz might be your best bet. Otherwise, it's likely to be a matter of preference between the two sets of interface applications.

Thanks, Hmack,

I guess there is no clear sonic advantage of the ND5XS over the Aries then.

Stefan

Stefan, have a look at Aurender as well. It may be more expensive but worth every penny. Now with Qobuz and tidal, NAS support , internet radio is on the way. Roon may be another story.

soundwise, the Aurender is the best digital source I ever had!

cheers

Ralf 

Stefan Vogt posted:

Thanks, Hmack,

I guess there is no clear sonic advantage of the ND5XS over the Aries then.

Stefan

...and, ime, a clear sonic advantage of the NDX over the ND5XS feeding a Hugo.

G

Stefan Vogt posted:

Thanks, Hmack,

I guess there is no clear sonic advantage of the ND5XS over the Aries then.

Stefan

Stefan,

I would certainly expect the Aries to be at least as good (possibly better sonically) as the ND5XS into a Hugo DAC. I would also expect it to be at least on a par (& less expensive) with an NDX into a Hugo DAC.

I can't be sure of either of these statements because I haven't compared them directly.

On comparison of the IOS/android apps, my vote would probably be for the Naim (if I did not need access to the Qobuz streaming service), but this is probably because I only had a very brief chance to check out the Aries app.

Good luck with whatever you do.

Stefan Vogt posted:

Thanks, Hmack,

I guess there is no clear sonic advantage of the ND5XS over the Aries then.

Stefan

But you may still find a very strong preference for the sonic presentation of one over the other, even if neither is actually 'better' than the other.
Trust your own ears more than other peoples worms on an internet page!

I can't comment on the Aries as I don't know it, however Mac Mini running Audirvana into Hugo gives better sound quality than ND5XS into Hugo, and as a combination that includes the music store, and virtually silent to boot, it is cheaper than ND5XS and a silent NAS, let alone using a Hugo instead of the ND5's DAC.

But please note that an isolator of some sort is required between MM (or any other computer's electrical output) into the Hugo, as latter doesn't have galvanic isolation or adequate rf filtering, and the sound quality is degraded by the electrically noisy output of computers. I use a Gustard U12 usb/spdif isolator/converter, which works well. Also, Audirvana allows you to bypass the MM's internal souncard completely, to maximise SQ.