NDX2

I understand that the first customer units will be shipped within the next 2 weeks. Keeping fingers crossed as mine should be one of them.

Hi did you demo either and assume since your were star you are adding more boxes ????

gramophone posted:

Ive ordered an NDX2 and eagerly waiting for it to arrive.

I bought a Uniti Star earlier this year. Yes, wasted money I know, but not too much. I'm selling it on to someone who will cherish it cos it's a great product, sale agreed but til his flat sale goes through I've still got it. Old Arcam Solo will have to bridge any gap.

I ordered the Star last October at which point the dealer had had it on demo for a while. I received delivery at the beginning of February this year. I understand that Naim have only recently released demo NDX2s to dealers. Crikey! does that mean I'm gonna be waiting til nearly Christmas? Anyone know about the history of Naim's new product release time frames?

I am assuming you auditioned your NDX2... how does it compare with your Star? What changed with your Star after you demo’d it.. did it not improve as it burned in or did it deteriate? Curios.. thanks

Simon-in-Suffolk posted

 

 

 

I am assuming you auditioned your NDX2... how does it compare with your Star? What changed with your Star after you demo’d it.. did it not improve as it burned in or did it deteriate? Curios.. thanks

Hi Simon

I auditioned the Star. The Star is fantastic. I'm sure it did improve as run in but I find it impossible to accurately judge this kind of thing since it will improve by 100 or so tiny increments. I guess one indicator of improvement is that I continue to be impressed and delighted by the Star's sound. When I sent the 250 (I added it to the Star a few months after receiving the Star) off to be DR'd and so was again listening to just the Star it sounded perhaps a very tiny tad "brash". This might have been cos the Star's power circuitry hadn't been used for a periiod - I don't know if I'm technically correct on this as a reason though.But during the several weeks while the amp was at Salisbury I totally loved listening to the set up and soon stopped noticing any supposed brashness.

Didn't audition the NDX2. Full faith in Naim. In fact it's worse than that. You asked about additional items.  Ive bought several 2nd hand, all but one ex demo and 2-4 years old. And didn't audition any of these. My mind is made up though - they are going to sound great together (repeat this to myself as mantra).

Already had the 250 DR working with the Star. Now also 252, SuperCap DR, and, icing on the cake, a 555ps DR. All of which sitting boxed up unable to be used til I get the new source. Oh, and speakers: gone the excellent Spendor A4s. Arriving today 18 month old ProAc D48Rs.

going to sound great, going to sound great, going to sound great...

Thanks for your interesting and candid insight.

Assembling a system from unheard components is always going to be risky, but not impossible to get right. My first thought is that you need to pay attention to setup. Especially the equipment rack, but also cabling and room layout. Get this wrong, and you are very likely to be disappointed. 

The fact that you have bought second hand gear means that if anything doesn’t work out, you can always sell it on and try something else, especially the speakers. Good luck!

So any one had a proper NDX2 demo yet ?

My dealer said soon...

Tomorrow for me 

Nice one GAZZA, howey the lad, expect a nice write up please ????

You are on......just to set the stage I am returning to this Hifi maze of opportunities and I have only heard an NDX once and then an NDS vs ND555 in a Naim demo....so you need to take my comments as a very wide guidance.

Well I have just returned from my demo. We started with bare NDX2 into 252/Nap 300 PMC 25.25 with superlumina interconnects and NACa5 speaker cable. It really has a lot of detail and was enjoyable across a lot of music. I played a couple of tracks to remind me of how an NDX sounded a few weeks ago. Then for them to come alive needed a power supply, the NDX2 did not with the same music

We then put on a XPSdr.....it gave a significant uplift in performance, greater weight, dynamics and female vocals really seemed to be much better controlled at the high end when “belting” it out...read Linda ronstadt etc. We then swapped the ps for a 555ps....it gave a little more control, weight and authority, but if I was not intending on further upgrades I would stick with a XPSdr. At this point we had a quick chat about the merits of the NDX2....it really is very good, but does present music differently to the NDS. In their opinion and my very limited experience of the NDS.....it probably is still ahead of the NDX2. And at current prices a bargain.

We then swapped out the NDX2 for the ND555 and replayed the same track I had been playing by Dr John. It only took the first few notes and unfortunately my jaw dropped in front of my dealer. Although I had heard the ND555 a few times before...all were less than ideal. I then played a variety of music and it’s ability to retrieve detail and pull it together musically amazed me. I had so wanted to like the NDX2......but it’s very difficult to unlearn what you have just learnt.

Still I had one last request...try NDX2/555ps into a 552. With the same music I lasted less than one track before I gave up on that idea. I was listening to a Gary Clark jnr track, before he was very much alive and in the room......but now he had faded away somewhere behind the rear wall.

we then tried a second 555ps on the ND555...again an improvement but not earth shattering. So in summary I have ordered an ND555, and will partner with ex demo 252/supercap and trade my Nova in. Expensive even with a good deal......but something I have been planning for the last year.

Both the NDX2 bare, with PS or the NDS are by no means broken.....but the ND555 is a big step up to my ears.

Wow, what a result. Bet you can hardly contain your excitement...

Gazza posted:

Well I have just returned from my demo. We started with bare NDX2 into 252/Nap 300 PMC 25.25 with superlumina interconnects and NACa5 speaker cable. It really has a lot of detail and was enjoyable across a lot of music. I played a couple of tracks to remind me of how an NDX sounded a few weeks ago. Then for them to come alive needed a power supply, the NDX2 did not with the same music

We then put on a XPSdr.....it gave a significant uplift in performance, greater weight, dynamics and female vocals really seemed to be much better controlled at the high end when “belting” it out...read Linda ronstadt etc. We then swapped the ps for a 555ps....it gave a little more control, weight and authority, but if I was not intending on further upgrades I would stick with a XPSdr. At this point we had a quick chat about the merits of the NDX2....it really is very good, but does present music differently to the NDS. In their opinion and my very limited experience of the NDS.....it probably is still ahead of the NDX2. And at current prices a bargain.

We then swapped out the NDX2 for the ND555 and replayed the same track I had been playing by Dr John. It only took the first few notes and unfortunately my jaw dropped in front of my dealer. Although I had heard the ND555 a few times before...all were less than ideal. I then played a variety of music and it’s ability to retrieve detail and pull it together musically amazed me. I had so wanted to like the NDX2......but it’s very difficult to unlearn what you have just learnt.

Still I had one last request...try NDX2/555ps into a 552. With the same music I lasted less than one track before I gave up on that idea. I was listening to a Gary Clark jnr track, before he was very much alive and in the room......but now he had faded away somewhere behind the rear wall.

we then tried a second 555ps on the ND555...again an improvement but not earth shattering. So in summary I have ordered an ND555, and will partner with ex demo 252/supercap and trade my Nova in. Expensive even with a good deal......but something I have been planning for the last year.

Both the NDX2 bare, with PS or the NDS are by no means broken.....but the ND555 is a big step up to my ears.

DON'T say that- just ordered NDX2+555ps..... :-)

Oh no GAZZA - that is my worry, if you listen to the ND555 its all over 

I was hoping the NDX2 would fair better, but think your on the money, love the write up, simple and decisive 

Don,t worry it is wonderful......Just don,t listen to the ND555....if I had never heard it and followed up in this demo.....I would be over the moon with an NDX2. The NDX2 bare is a significant step up to my Nova......I just had planned to go further if need be.

Good that you were ale to cover every combination you had wanted to. 1 box being replaced with 4 is also going to mean extra Fraim and cables. An expensive day. I don't think I dare ask for a demonstration.

I had already had 4 Fraim spaces ready....I had bought them second hand from my dealer a while back in anticipation. A hi line comes with the ND555, just needed an extra power line. Expensive, but a good deal.

Everardt ( Hifi news) and now Gazza, to say than nds is still ahead vs the ndx2, with both ps.

The nd555 is well ahead.    But nds not broken still....

Richard Dane posted:

Wow, what a result. Bet you can hardly contain your excitement...

Yes excited.....but the moment the first note was played on the ND555 was “oh dear” or words to that effect.

Gazza posted:

Well I have just returned from my demo. We started with bare NDX2 into ...

Congratulations and many thanks for the informative write up! Enjoy the ND555 and, until it arrives, its anticipation!

Gazza posted:

I had already had 4 Fraim spaces ready....I had bought them second hand from my dealer a while back in anticipation. A hi line comes with the ND555, just needed an extra power line. Expensive, but a good deal.

Hmmm 4 spaces ready ???? top man ????

Like you GAZZA I'd just skip to the end game, which does make the incremental steps in between a major financial loss, so sometimes best to say f##k it and do it, in your case it is probably fr##m it ????

Gazza posted:

Richard Dane posted:

Wow, what a result. Bet you can hardly contain your excitement...

Yes excited.....but the moment the first note was played on the ND555 was “oh dear” or words to that effect.

That's ominous.

Great feed back Gazza and thanks for the detail, just the comparisons I am interested in.

It seems rather clear that you much preferred going from NDX2 to ND555 (with a 252/SupercapDR) than going from 252 to 552 (with a NDX2/555DR). That is a surprising result but not entirely unexpected.

Can I ask, did you listen to the ND555/552 combo?

Bet you can't wait!

Gazza posted

Yes excited.....but the moment the first note was played on the ND555 was “oh dear” or words to that effect.

Gazza, glad you had a good demo I'm using a NDX with a XPSdr but had a home demo of a 555PS on the NDX with a view to changing the NDX for a NDX2 and then a ND555 at a later date. (I did have a NDX2 on order)

The dealer then swapped the NDX for a ND555 and like you my jaw dropped, that was three weeks ago and I don't think its closed properly since.

Just counting down the days till the ND555 and 555PS are delivered will be using it with much the same as your purchase today.

Naim seem to have cracked it with the ND555 it is something rather special ?

Oohhh....Gazza, forgot to ask. Are they now giving away a pair of those fetching green Naim underpants with the ND555. That could just swing it for this fashion-conscious Naimee!