Streamer upgrade path

Posted by: Wals79 on 07 April 2018

Hi guys am after some advice i currently have the following equipment,

ND5xs

202pre with napsc/hicap dr

200amp

PMC twenty five 24....

Chord shawline cabling

Chord Epic supertwin speaker cable

The general accepted rule is always start with the source as an upgrade I completely get that, my future plan is to trade the 202 for a 282 but thats way off yet. So that being said i would like to ask what is the best way of upgrading the ND5 xs i am really tempted by the ndac but dont know if a psu upgrade would be a better option, i very much like the nd5 but feel its performance can be bettered with a staged relatively small outlay.... i dont mind about box count and i really want to keep to Naim. Opinions please, has anyone performed thiese upgrades themselves?

Posted on: 07 April 2018 by Mort2k

inadded an XPSDR to my ND5 and it was a transformation, I tried the DAC and found it was a different sound and not to my liking. That said I moved to an NDX next and that really showed up the ND5’s shortcomings. I would be tempted to go bare NDX over ND5 with PSU.... or do both ????

Rob

Posted on: 07 April 2018 by Wals79

To be honest i had given the NDX consideration but then with a psu on top thats big money

Posted on: 07 April 2018 by Wals79

Mort2k posted:
Hi
inadded an XPSDR to my ND5 and it was a transformation, I tried the DAC and found it was a different sound and not to my liking. That said I moved to an NDX next and that really showed up the ND5’s shortcomings. I would be tempted to go bare NDX over ND5 with PSU.... or do both ????
Rob

When you say the dac changed the sound could you elaborate a little?

Posted on: 07 April 2018 by ChrisSU

I would either keep the ND5XS with an external DAC from Naim, Chord etc. or change it for an NDX. There are quite a few options, and personal preference/experience means that you are unlikely to find a consensus here as to the best way to go - you really need to listen and decide for yourself.

Your amp is plenty good enough to justify this sort of source upgrade - I would certainly recommend a 282, but not until your front end is sorted.

Posted on: 08 April 2018 by Adam Zielinski

As above - I’d either get an nDAC for the ND5XS or go for the new NDX2. Both are PSU upgradable in the future.

Posted on: 08 April 2018 by Innocent Bystander

I started my streaming career with ND5XS, which I did like. I then tried upgrading with an XP5XP power supply, but the marginal difference was disappointing and not worth the cost IMO. I swapped the XP5XS for a Hugo DAC, fed by ND5XS, and it gave a marked improvement to my ears, more natural sounding (some say analog-like). I later moved the ND5XS on, changing to a Mac Mini running Audirvana, as a combined store/renderer, not a major increase in SQ, but less costly than a silent NAS+ND5XS, and no longer streaming files over a network (that move was spurred by a need to change my NAS for something silent). Then changed DAC to Dave and heaven! My own preference is for the sound of the Chord DACS, however, noting your desire to stick to Naim components, then perhaps NDAC - but I suggest only secondhand as it is old now and possibly could be up for renewal soon (but that is pure speculation), otherwise the soon-to-be-released ND5XS-2, or NDX-2, or NDX secondhand when the NDX-2 has been released and there may be more around. However re NDX, people still seem to prefer it just as a renderer, into either nDAC, Hugo or higher Chord, so maybe it is not a cost-effective upgrade unless very cheap.

Posted on: 08 April 2018 by Adam Zielinski

Good sum-up from [@mention:41551091830475636].

Just one add-on. I compared NDX vs ND5XS as transports into nDAC. There is some difference, in favour of NDX. However both work extremely well when feeding nDAC via their digital-out (used NAIM DC-1 bnc-bnc cable).