CD play options?

I have CDX2, and am trying UnitiServe SSD and Core at the moment. All playing through nDAC + XPSDR. Relevant to the thread, the CDX2 is the best followed by UnitiServe and then Core. I have yet to try a linear PS as suggested above. Playing Melody Gardot’s My One and Only Thrill one the UnitiServe and it’s sounds beautiful. 

[@mention:56335183628232089] what linear PS do you recommend, and what price?

I’m also a convert to the DC1, which I am demoing with these. Thinking about a ND5XS instead if it sounds as good for streaming. Worried about the old range being obsolete.

Phil

Filipe posted:

I have CDX2, and am trying UnitiServe SSD and Core at the moment. All playing through nDAC + XPSDR. Relevant to the thread, the CDX2 is the best followed by UnitiServe and then Core. I have yet to try a linear PS as suggested above. Playing Melody Gardot’s My One and Only Thrill one the UnitiServe and it’s sounds beautiful. 

[@mention:56335183628232089] what linear PS do you recommend, and what price?

I’m also a convert to the DC1, which I am demoing with these. Thinking about a ND5XS instead if it sounds as good for streaming. Worried about the old range being obsolete.

Phil

i found an improvement with an nds/555dr streaming from the serve when i added a linear ps to it.  I have an expensive one , that had good reviews in a lot of forums:  uptone audio js2. I has 2 outputs, so you can power also a switch. I do also that.

But you have good ones for less, like wyred , sbooster, hdplex....The israeli one is not enough for the serve, i had one before.

I tried the uptone, knowing that i could return it. But it stays.....

Nd5x/ ndac/ xps2 streaming from the serve should be better than unitserve/ ndac/ xps2/dc1, but i have not tried.  Some members in the forum here find that unitserve/ dc1 is not the best way but other are satisfied....You have topics on that.   Simon in the suffolk preferred ndx/ ndac/ unitserve vs unitserve/ ndac in dc1....by a good step.

Anyway i recommend you the nd5x second hand and try the linear ps of your choice, and return it if you don’t find enough improvement for the price. For me it improved significantly, but nds/555 dr is more revealing....

Dr_J posted:

Sloop John B posted:

Dr_J posted:

Having given the options some considerable thought, I have settled on a CDX2 .

Some, perhaps many, opinions might indicate this to be a ‘bonkers’ choice, but having had a lengthy listening session with a 272 + XPS DR + 250 DR vs 272 + 250 DR + CDX2, I know which my ears preferred, so I decided to go with that. I don’t plan to change it in this lifetime, and, lottery permitting, I can always add psu’s at a later date.

Many Thanks to all for their advice and wisdom, you know who you are.

Happy New Year to All,

KR, J

I think the 272 may be the bonkers element here, if you’re not going the streaming route you’d be better with a 282. Always get the best pre you can. 

Frankly this seems a silly shortsighted system to me and your dealer is doing you no favours.  

.sjb

And if, as I said, I happen to like it........? Mostly I stream, but from time to time I like to spend a late evening spinning CD’s, which indeed I still buy.

And, indeed, my dealer discussed the possible ‘issues ‘ around adding a CDX2 to my current, streaming centric system......

Although, it’s true, I am quite short sighted ...... but not silly enough to take the above personally.

More and more threads on this forum seem to be tending towards an unhealthy, hectoring tone, and subsequently ever more ‘thanks and goodbye ‘ posts. Keep this up and there’ll be no-one left to talk to!

TTFN,

KR, J

I'm just trying to point out where I think you may be going wrong. I could have just clapped your back and said Hail fellow well met, but decided to give you some "views/experience/opinions" which is what the OP actually asked for.

My experience is of selling a CD555 at a healthy loss as I was getting better sound streaming into a DAC. I have CD5x then CDX2 then CDS3 then CD555. I went form 202 to 282 to 552. I have "views/experience/opinions" on what gave the best improvements.

If you're going to ask for "views/experience/opinions"  and you don't hear what you want to have enough grace not to accuse someone who is trying to be helpful of hectoring.

/rant

.sjb

Dr_J posted:

Sloop John B posted:

Dr_J posted:

Having given the options some considerable thought, I have settled on a CDX2 .

Some, perhaps many, opinions might indicate this to be a ‘bonkers’ choice, but having had a lengthy listening session with a 272 + XPS DR + 250 DR vs 272 + 250 DR + CDX2, I know which my ears preferred, so I decided to go with that. I don’t plan to change it in this lifetime, and, lottery permitting, I can always add psu’s at a later date.

Many Thanks to all for their advice and wisdom, you know who you are.

Happy New Year to All,

KR, J

I think the 272 may be the bonkers element here, if you’re not going the streaming route you’d be better with a 282. Always get the best pre you can. 

Frankly this seems a silly shortsighted system to me and your dealer is doing you no favours.  

.sjb

And if, as I said, I happen to like it........? Mostly I stream, but from time to time I like to spend a late evening spinning CD’s, which indeed I still buy.

And, indeed, my dealer discussed the possible ‘issues ‘ around adding a CDX2 to my current, streaming centric system......

Although, it’s true, I am quite short sighted ...... but not silly enough to take the above personally.

More and more threads on this forum seem to be tending towards an unhealthy, hectoring tone, and subsequently ever more ‘thanks and goodbye ‘ posts. Keep this up and there’ll be no-one left to talk to!

TTFN,

KR, J

i understand that you prefer the cdx2 vs streaming from 272 to the unitserve. But you have not tried to compare the unitserve/ ndac in dc1 vs the cdx2, with xps2 on both.  It was your initial question: take a cdx2 or add a dac to the unitserve.  The ndac is not the dacV1, the dacV1 is inferior and similar to the dac inside the 272.

French Rooster posted:

Filipe posted:

I have CDX2, and am trying UnitiServe SSD and Core at the moment. All playing through nDAC + XPSDR. Relevant to the thread, the CDX2 is the best followed by UnitiServe and then Core. I have yet to try a linear PS as suggested above. Playing Melody Gardot’s My One and Only Thrill one the UnitiServe and it’s sounds beautiful. 

[@mention:56335183628232089] what linear PS do you recommend, and what price?

I’m also a convert to the DC1, which I am demoing with these. Thinking about a ND5XS instead if it sounds as good for streaming. Worried about the old range being obsolete.

Phil

i found an improvement with an nds/555dr streaming from the serve when i added a linear ps to it.  I have an expensive one , that had good reviews in a lot of forums:  uptone audio js2. I has 2 outputs, so you can power also a switch. I do also that.

But you have good ones for less, like wyred , sbooster, hdplex....The israeli one is not enough for the serve, i had one before.

I tried the uptone, knowing that i could return it. But it stays.....

Nd5x/ ndac/ xps2 streaming from the serve should be better than unitserve/ ndac/ xps2/dc1, but i have not tried.  Some members in the forum here find that unitserve/ dc1 is not the best way but other are satisfied....You have topics on that.   Simon in the suffolk preferred ndx/ ndac/ unitserve vs unitserve/ ndac in dc1....by a good step.

Anyway i recommend you the nd5x second hand and try the linear ps of your choice, and return it if you don’t find enough improvement for the price. For me it improved significantly, but nds/555 dr is more revealing....

@French Rooster Yes, the uptone Audio js2 is quite expensive so unless my dealer happened to have it I would not take the chance particularly with the replay being very very enjoyable. Likewise the others.

I have noticed that the Chord Clearway digital seems to remove the harshness from the Core that was present with the DC1. The UnitiServe SSD seems good with both ICs, and as I have said the CDX2 sounds more vibrant and warm with the DC1.

CDX2, UnitiServe and Core are all very enjoyable to listen to with the right combination or cables. Even the cheap Ethernet cable in the Core at the moment doesn’t seem an issue.

Strange thing this HiFi!

Phil

.  It was your initial question: take a cdx2 or add a dac to the unitserve.  The ndac is not the dacV1, the dacV1 is inferior and similar to the dac inside the 272.

I Was hoping that some new cdp options would pop up in this thread 

cd2x vs non Naim new generation Player such as bryston, Hegel,methronome etc.....

is cd2x still the best option for spinnig cds ?

leaving the streaming vs cdp topic aside  

I use a Naim CDS / CDPS such a beautiful piece of kit a very involving analogue sound. The only down side is that Naim service department  are no longer able to support the product.

As with most products produced under JV tenure built to achieve the closest sound to analogue. To this day Naim equipment has continued in the same vein. I’ve been a Naim user since 1980.

Regards,

Martin

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Finkfan posted:

Glad to hear you’ll be enjoying the sound of the CDX2. I’m very reluctant to move mine on at the moment. When I initially got my 272 I felt that streaming files from my laptop was on a par with the CDX2, but after streaming and spinning discs, I just can’t get away from how much better the CDX2 is at making music.

Well the CDX2 is one heck of a player... for me it’s just the right device for certain CDs... elsewhere I use a non Naim DAC fed by my Naim NDX transport... however there is multitude of choice to suite taste and mood. BTW the CDX2 uses the same TI DAC chip device as used in the NDS and NDAC... however component  selection and implementation are different, but the CDX2 uses the renown ‘Pacific Microsonics’ DSP... really stonking  for CD.

[@mention:1566878603876589] Do you use the standard Naim DIN cable from your bare CDX2?

Phil

Dr_J posted:

.  It was your initial question: take a cdx2 or add a dac to the unitserve.  The ndac is not the dacV1, the dacV1 is inferior and similar to the dac inside the 272.

Thanks FR, I’d  also come to that conclusion, which, in part, drove my decision to go with the CDX2; a) after listening to it, b) finances not running to both an n-DAC and a CDP, remembering that I did want to spin CD’s. 

So I thought it better to get the best Naim CDP still around.

 

Just my conclusion of course, other may and do differ. 

 

Thanks again,

 

KR, J

[@mention:52956390258894856] I reckon you won’t regret choosing the CDX2. I’ve just switched my bare CDX2 back to analogue output via the standard DIN cable and it’s probably as good as using the DC1 into nDAC+XPSDR (which has SL IC) with some interesting differences that are refreshing. 

Phil

Filipe posted:

[@mention:1566878603876589] Do you use the standard Naim DIN cable from your bare CDX2?

No - I use a DIN Hiline

Arthur Lee posted:

I use a Naim CDS / CDPS such a beautiful piece of kit a very involving analogue sound. The only down side is that Naim service department  are no longer able to support the product.

As with most products produced under JV tenure built to achieve the closest sound to analogue. To this day Naim equipment has continued in the same vein. I’ve been a Naim user since 1980.

Regards,

Martin

Martin, to be fair, I think that Naim can still service and support the CDS in all bar the Philips laser mechanisms, stocks of which - even Naim refurbed - are now exhausted.

Hi Richard,

Apologies i’ve been miss informed I was under the impression that weren’t but it’s good for me.

Regards,

Martin

So the CDX2 has arrived, definitely a heart over mind decision, a basic, well fairly basic, red book CDP at the start of the 21st century.

But the sound, even out of the box, is just STUNNING ! I know there were smarter choices I could have made to upgrade my system, choices that would better repay me for future upgrades, but I really don’t think any of these would give greater musical pleasure. A very special component indeed.

So thanks to all for thoughts and opinions, and advice, even if I didn’t take all of it .

KR, J

I'm lucky enough to now own a CD555 but the CDX2 is one of the two best ever pieces of Hi-Fi equipment I no longer own, the other being much more recently departed Sonus Faber Grand Piano loudspeakers.  I got both at the same time and it was the first time I actually thought I had a system that could make music sound special.

Iconic product - loved mine.  For the record - pun not intended - I still prefer the performance of the Naim CD players over the streamers.  

Regards,

Lindsay

Dr_J posted:

So the CDX2 has arrived, definitely a heart over mind decision, a basic, well fairly basic, red book CDP at the start of the 21st century.

But the sound, even out of the box, is just STUNNING ! I know there were smarter choices I could have made to upgrade my system, choices that would better repay me for future upgrades, but I really don’t think any of these would give greater musical pleasure. A very special component indeed.

So thanks to all for thoughts and opinions, and advice, even if I didn’t take all of it 

Enjoy your new CDX2 Dr_J.
I did a similar thing and bought one last year going against the perceived wisdom that buying a cd player is investing in dinosaur technology. I get why people say this is not a 'wise' choice but I love my CDX2 and agree it sounds terrific.
I like the act of putting on a cd; it is an intentional act of mindfulness that slows me down.  I also like that my patience will not be tried with inevitable intermittent internet problems.

Like the Supernait2, it can sound 'hard' until it has been properly run in, but once it has a few hundred hours on the clock, the sound will bring you a lot of joy for many years.  For me I am more than happy with it as it is - no need for a DAC or external power supply. I do recommend a Hi Line for it though.

I just recently changed the optics after almost ten years....

still thinking if I should add a xpsdr or not

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Iconic product - loved mine.  For the record - pun not intended - I still prefer the performance of the Naim CD players over the streamers.  

Regards,

Lindsay

Me too (though the ND555 might chance the game).

CDX2 is a beast, congrats and enjoy ???? 

Hi  , I'm a new member of the forum and would like to add more to Arthur Lee's reply in December. I've owned a CDS1/CDPS for many years (with an ND5 XS/82/HiCap/135's/SBL's). I've recently had the CD and power supply serviced , including fitting a new laser. Arthur Lee is correct the CDS is an amazing piece of kit and I think the sound is better than the streamer

JimH posted:

Hi  , I'm a new member of the forum and would like to add more to Arthur Lee's reply in December. I've owned a CDS1/CDPS for many years (with an ND5 XS/82/HiCap/135's/SBL's). I've recently had the CD and power supply serviced , including fitting a new laser. Arthur Lee is correct the CDS is an amazing piece of kit and I think the sound is better than the streamer

Amen

Alba1320 posted:

You never know, perhaps Naim will see the 'error of its ways', abandon ND555, and bring CD555 out of retirement instead?

Should that be 'the error-correction of its ways'? Sorry Alba; I couldn't resist.

I love my triple five shiny beer-mat spinner, and the CDX2 is a beauty too. Grab it while you can folks. WIGIG.

John.

I have the CDX and it still sounds incredibly well in my system. I hope it continues like this for a long time.

J.N. posted:

Alba1320 posted:

You never know, perhaps Naim will see the 'error of its ways', abandon ND555, and bring CD555 out of retirement instead?

Should that be 'the error-correction of its ways'? Sorry Alba; I couldn't resist.

I love my triple five shiny beer-mat spinner, and the CDX2 is a beauty too. Grab it while you can folks. WIGIG.

John.

I did ,no regrets.