naim CD5XS Digital out

Posted by: justin65 on 18 October 2016

Hi,

Im glad i have discovered Naim Hi-Fi Audio. I have just aquired a Naim CD5XS Cd player and the sound is as smooth as silk. Right on with my question, I run the audio output from the player into a Amplifier and because I like to listen to lots of music through my grado PS1000 Headphones I route the digital output from the player into a chord Mojo headphone amplifier, All bliss so far. The only complaint i have is that when i want to change  back and play through my speakers the player is on a hifi rack and i have to pull the player out and fiddle with the switch everytime, I dont want to add an external dac the sound is great for me thankyou very much. i understand that naim have not made it an electronic switch because of degradation to the audio signal but it seems so much hassle. I know a device could be made that would switch it over mechanically, i wonder who i could get in contact with who likes making electronic bits and bobs. Im sure theres many others on here who would gladly pay for such a device, it seems unlikely naim themselves will do it. What do you think. Thanks

 

Posted on: 19 October 2016 by james n

Hi Justin,

You don't say what your amplifier is, but i take it that it's obviously not got a headphone output as you use the Mojo. Bit of a difficult problem - you could get the switch moved externally to make it more accessible but then that would mean modifying the player, loss of guarantee, value etc. It was really designed to give you the best SQ when adding an external DAC and not for regular swapping (hence the relatively difficult access) between the analogue and digital outputs.

One possibility would be to get another headphone amp. You have two analogue outputs on the CD5 - RCA and DIN and can switch between them using the remote. Connect the headphone amp to one output and the main amplifier to the other. 

Alternatively just get an amp with a headphone output. 

James

 

Posted on: 19 October 2016 by hungryhalibut

Why not just put the CD player somewhere else?

Posted on: 19 October 2016 by Judge
james n posted:

You have two analogue outputs on the CD5 - RCA and DIN and can switch between them using the remote. Connect the headphone amp to one output and the main amplifier to the other.  

This would provide a switchable option.  

Or you could use the second headphone socket to output from the Mojo to your amp. 

 

Posted on: 19 October 2016 by justin65

The cd player is wired to a onkyo home cinema amplifier and it does have a headphone socket but unfortunately the sound quality does not come close to the chord mojo, I know i could send it by analogue to a dedicated headphone amplifier but how will i get anything aproaching the sound quality of the chord mojo  for the same price. MMMMM

Posted on: 20 October 2016 by Gavin B

It looks like the Mojo has two headphone outputs. Could the second one feed your amplifier instead of the CD5XS's analogue output? That way you could leave to Cd player in digital mode permanently. You'd obviously have to find a suitable cable. 

(Doh! Should have read Judge's reply more carefully!!)

Posted on: 27 October 2016 by Salmon Dave

Maybe he likes the sound of the audio output (as I did) but wants to use the dig output as a secondary source (as I did).

This bit about the new dig-out CD players always bugged me. Naim thinking they know better than the customer again! (I know what's coming)