NDS upgrade

DavidR,

I recently replaced my DAC with an NDS, powered by 555PSDR, and i am very pleased with the music replay.  I feel the NDS is more communicative of the recorded musical performance, which I appreciate.  

If I were in your position, I would install Asset UPnP server on the MacMini, with the music remaining on your existing hard drive.  Both the NDS and MacMini should be wired ethernet to a local ethernet switch.  You will likely use an iPad or smartphone on WiFi as control point.   Your ripped music files and hi-res files, on the MacMini's USB drive, will be served via UPnP over ethernet to the NDS.   Whatever digital output you have been using into the Naim DAC should now go into one of the digital inputs on the NDS, which is how you will play music from iTunes, YouTube, etcetera on the MacMini.  If at some point you decide to acquire a NAS (which has been suggested) that can easily be done at any time.

This is likely an improvement in sound quality for your ripped files, and perhaps also the MacMini digital output.  Of course, if the sound quality is not improved in your opinion, you would not proceed with the "upgrade."  You would have the possibility to play these files from your MacMini as you have been (through the digital out into the NDS - using the NDS only as a DAC) using iTunes, Audirvana+ or other applications.  I will be interesting to read you report of how the sound quality compares between this and using the UPnP.

A possibly important difference is the control software.  If you use the NDS only as a DAC (digital SPDIF from MacMini to NDS) you will continue to use whatever software control app on the MacMini as you have used with the Naim DAC.  If you stream your files from Asset on the MacMini via ethernet to the NDS, then you will use the Naim app on a smartphone or tablet.   This difference may be as important to some people as the sound quality differences.  There will likely be some learning curve before you can confidently compare the two.

Charlie 

MDS posted:

Davidr posted:

...sorry.please forgive my ingorance ...H word?

Hugo.  A portable Dac made by Chord.

D'oh!

nigelb posted:

MDS posted:

Davidr posted:

...sorry.please forgive my ingorance ...H word?

Hugo.  A portable Dac made by Chord.

D'oh!

Oh dear, what have I started? Sorry!!

nigelb posted:

MDS posted:

Davidr posted:

...sorry.please forgive my ingorance ...H word?

Hugo.  A portable Dac made by Chord.

D'oh!

There is always one isn't there! I am not an expert in this field and for a respectful question and admission of ignorance NigelB finds it necessary to feel superior. 

Once again thank you all for your expert advice adn the time you took to reply.

Davidr posted:

nigelb posted:

MDS posted:

Davidr posted:

...sorry.please forgive my ingorance ...H word?

Hugo.  A portable Dac made by Chord.

D'oh!

There is always one isn't there! I am not an expert in this field and for a respectful question and admission of ignorance NigelB finds it necessary to feel superior. 

Once again thank you all for your expert advice adn the time you took to reply.

I don't think so -- it's more of an 'inside the forum' joke.  The "H" device in the past has been the subject of thousands of posts and rather polarizing at that.

ChrisSU posted:

Simon makes a good point about the comparative sound quality of the NDS vs your current system. We were all a bit too bogged down with discussions of functionality to mention this. (Back in the day, the thread would no doubt have been diverted by use of the H word too!)

I surely miss the H....discussions. It would be the right time to have some serious discussion about the merits of the ND555 against a H....., it would bring back some fire in the discussion...

Well Dark Bear in his original post compared the ND555 to Dave with Blu upscaler......and decided he preferred the ND555 with two power supplies. I know he was not trying to be provocative......but there were no fireworks, which was nice, how it should be.

Bart posted:

Davidr posted:

nigelb posted:

MDS posted:

Davidr posted:

...sorry.please forgive my ingorance ...H word?

Hugo.  A portable Dac made by Chord.

D'oh!

There is always one isn't there! I am not an expert in this field and for a respectful question and admission of ignorance NigelB finds it necessary to feel superior. 

Once again thank you all for your expert advice adn the time you took to reply.

I don't think so -- it's more of an 'inside the forum' joke.  The "H" device in the past has been the subject of thousands of posts and rather polarizing at that.

Exactly. David, you are reading way too much into my little jest. Very open to non-Naim gear and several well respected contributors on here have used 'H' to great effect.

In inside-joke that doesn't translate. 

Relax, my friend.

Actually re-reading your response it seems you believe I was teasing you about a lack of knowledge. I can promise you nothing could be further from the truth. It was simply a toungue-in-cheek comment about the endless previous threads about the Hugo.

I started out my Naim and streaming journey with zero knowledge. This forum has been a great source of information to me so I would never tease others for being in a place I used to be in. And I always try to offer advice based on experience. The only reason I did not advise on this thread is that others had already said it all and I could offer no more.

Thanks for clarifying, yes you are correct that was my assumption.

Am now trying to demo an NDS.......again thanks to everyone

The written word does have the potential to confound, confuse and to be misunderstood. It is often a temptation to be too brief that can add to the risk of being misunderstood.

Let us know how the NDS demo goes, David. I won't say anything yet as I am an NDS owner and am biased. Luckily you need no advice here, only your ears.

Good luck.

1. Yes. It's some way ahead of the DAC/555PS. Been there, did the upgrade.

2. The latest Firmware and the latest iteration of the App is all the servicing it will need.

Have fun.

So I had a demo between an NDX2/XPS2 & a NDS/PS555DR with a 252/SupercapDR, a 300DR and Sonus Faber Olympica 1's

There was no competition, there was a massive diffference, even the dealer was really surprised........

Care to share who won?

I'd be surprised of it wasn't the NDS/PS555DR  

Tell us, please

Bert Schurink posted:

I surely miss the H....discussions. It would be the right time to have some serious discussion about the merits of the ND555 against a H....., it would bring back some fire in the discussion...

Well I have compared the two, and for me it is still the Hugo. The PCM1704K has a particular trait.. and yes it and it’s Naim implementation is attractive, and I love its implementation on the CDX2,  but I find it’s ultimate lack of insight and ‘Mandelbrot effect’ compared to the Hugo something I would miss andtake away from the mouth watering enjoyment of many of my recordings. However there is more to the ND555 than just its DAC of course, and the Hugo can’t compete there.

To me it’s quite interesting that device has stood the test of time... and in my opinion still exceeds or holds its own against later Chord devices. I have mused with its designer, Rob Watts, over this subjective observation. The DAVE is interesting, but I don’t find it sufficiently pulls ahead of Hugo, it’s just different. I must admit it wasn’t until I got my 552 that I realised how incredible the Hugo is... and I might discover even more with it with a Statement NAC... but that is something I have not tried and listened to..... yet.

looks like there has been a hijack

Davidr posted:

looks like there has been a hijack

Ah, you were being hijacked, which is what caused you to abandon your post comparing NDS and NDX2. Now you’re back, presumably you’ll complete it.

And how do they compare with the other source options suggested?

NDS was a handsdown winner, just no comparison. I have not had a home dem yet and I will see if i can arrange that.

I was very very impressed

Is an NDS with an XPSDR a waste of time,or still really good?

I just swap NDX with second hand NDS . Still use XPS DR and there is big step up. But I plan to upgrade next year to PS555DR

Thanks Martin,good to know.

OK I have done all the tests at home and i am in trouble.........nothing compares. 

When I did the dem I got goose bumps. now need to find the cash

Now the proud owner of an NDS.....what an upgrade....wonder how long the warm up time is?

All very interesting.

I have been considering my next upgrade and narrowed it down to either NDS/555DR to ND555/555DR or 252/SuperCapDR to pre loved 552 (DR if possible). Either way I would decide after a home demo.

DAVIDR's experience with the (presumably pre loved) NDS, SiS's reminder of what the classic 552 brings to the party (with a 250DR like mine) and Gazza enthusing about just how good the ND555/252/SuperCap combo is (albeit with a 300DR), adds intrigue to my decision and tells me I am probably looking at the best options. In the end though my ears will decide.

Good to see that 'mature' Classic separates are still doing the business, and will continue to do so once the fuss about the new kids on the block dies down.