Hdx vs cd5i as a cd player

I'd look for one of the now "old" network players (ND5XS) over the HDX and manage the digital library on your computer. (Plenty on the Forum as to how best do this)  Some real bargains out there as you say. I'd even look at trading your CD5i in for a new ND5XS2 and you will be able to set up streaming and still rip/play your CDs.   

If it's at a good price it's a no brainer. Plenty of love for the old HDX and rightly so. Ripped CDs played out from the HDX should be a lot better quality of sound than that played from your cd5i by a large margin, I think the dac to analogue setup is the same as the CDX2..

You can also play the ripped album whilst fondling the ripped cd cover and inlays if you wish.

If you can get a device that does Tidal, that ritual of looking at the artwork etc lol same as your vinyl  - takes It to a whole another digital level.

cdboy posted:

I'd look for one of the now "old" network players (ND5XS) over the HDX and manage the digital library on your computer. (Plenty on the Forum as to how best do this)  Some real bargains out there as you say. I'd even look at trading your CD5i in for a new ND5XS2 and you will be able to set up streaming and still rip/play your CDs.   

I had considered it. But if im honest I dont want to have to run a computer to listen to music. Im sortof doing that now. Ignoring the fact my main computer is in a building 30feet from the main house, Everytime i want to listen to a quick track and a windows update interrupts it it drives me mental. Also its so unstable. Both windows 10 and the latest ios are just not as slick as solid they used to be.  I own a small commercial recording studio and we got so sick of it we rolled all the pcs back to windows 7...

Im sort of looking at a stand alone unit thats dedicated to the task. Something that wont just stop working everytime a botched update happens haha. Also who want to walk to one room and start a pc and then login, then walk downstairs to listen to it.  I get it for the multiroom guys but i  will Never ever do that.  If im listening to music im sat down and thats what im doing. Often what we've recorded or referencing material. I listen to music like most people watch a tv. 

  I agree id like the option to stream from the studio PC ,the server or my laptop though. I just dont want to be tied to that if you get me. 

Plenty here cope with the issues you outline. It is really easy, if not for all. Simply keep a computer on (no sleep function activated), use a good UPnP server (Asset), update only on shut down, and you are away. Maybe visit a Naim store for a NAS style demo and go from there. 

I have owned two HDX units over the last ten (?) years.  Traded in the old one for expanded HD capacity.  To make a long story short, CDs ripped onto HDX, and then played back through the HDX analogue outputs, are okay.  HDX used as a CD player (playing inserted disk rather than ripping) is mediocre, not competitive.  But HDX rips played through the SPDIF output into nDAC or other good DAC are outstanding, totally involving.  Others may disagree, but that is my experience. However, the HDX/DAC combo may not be within your budget..  I have not heard CD5i, but I don't advise you to give it up and use HDX as a CD player.  As for your AAC albums, they could be transferred into the Downloads store of the HDX and then played with no SQ loss.

Fizzyhair posted:

Im looking to add a hdd player to my beloved nait 5i. Im reluctant  to change the amp and go to the unity. So im looking at a used HDX player  which can be had for a bargain at the moment.

Is this something that will replace my CD5I Or am i best keeping a dedicated CD player? 

I have almost a 1000 cds and i dont want to get rid of them. I love the ritual of looking through them and looking at the artwork etc lol same as my vinyl. I just also have 300 aac albums and i dont really want to put them all onto CDRs haha 

I would say go for the HDX, it’s a great player, but be prepared to embrace it for what it is. Put the CD in, and 5 minutes later it will have ripped it to its hard drive, and you can browse and play it from there. It will need an internet connection though, for metadata retrieval etc. You might just find that the artwork and other info you can access on the player replaces the need to handle the CD. 

Bear in mind that if the internal hard drive needs replacing it will not be cheap, and an old model might not be quite such a bargain. 

Fizzyhair posted:

cdboy posted:

I'd look for one of the now "old" network players (ND5XS) over the HDX and manage the digital library on your computer. (Plenty on the Forum as to how best do this)  Some real bargains out there as you say. I'd even look at trading your CD5i in for a new ND5XS2 and you will be able to set up streaming and still rip/play your CDs.   

I had considered it. But if im honest I dont want to have to run a computer to listen to music. Im sortof doing that now. Ignoring the fact my main computer is in a building 30feet from the main house, Everytime i want to listen to a quick track and a windows update interrupts it it drives me mental. Also its so unstable. Both windows 10 and the latest ios are just not as slick as solid they used to be.  I own a small commercial recording studio and we got so sick of it we rolled all the pcs back to windows 7...

Im sort of looking at a stand alone unit thats dedicated to the task. Something that wont just stop working everytime a botched update happens haha. Also who want to walk to one room and start a pc and then login, then walk downstairs to listen to it.  I get it for the multiroom guys but i  will Never ever do that.  If im listening to music im sat down and thats what im doing. Often what we've recorded or referencing material. I listen to music like most people watch a tv. 

  I agree id like the option to stream from the studio PC ,the server or my laptop though. I just dont want to be tied to that if you get me. 

Working with a Naim streamer (e.g. a 2nd hand ND5 XS), you don't have to be dependent on PC (Windows or Mac), you can rip or download audio files to a very simple low powered NAS drive that can be left on 24x7 (it can also perform Backup duty to your PCs as well).  The streamer can either be controlled via its from display using the remote or can be controlled from a tablet (iOS or Android), so playback doesn't have the interrupted by Windows updates problem.

Streaming can be done via an Android tablet and a ChromeCast Audio (£30), or for Spotify or Tidal, direct via the streamer itself (the tablet is just used as a UI device to control the internal streaming client in the ND5).

You then have a playback solution that's completely independent of the PCs, you only need to use the PCs to rip audio tracks from CDs and to download music.

The ND5 XS does work very well with the Nait 5i (and even better if/when you upgrade to a s/h Nait XS2!).

I love my HDX which I changed to from a CDS3.
Oddly, after a couple of days, I didn't miss the CDS3 at all.
After more than 5 years, I'm still enjoying my HDX and am pleased with the performance. 

I rarely play CD's, having ripped them all and, I still buy CD's, as like you, I enjoy having something to read, hold and an "actual" physical item in my hands.

On sound quality I would certainly take the HDX over a NAS + ND5XS. Also you will need a computer to access any of the NAS functions other than as a server. 

blythe posted:

I love my HDX which I changed to from a CDS3.
Oddly, after a couple of days, I didn't miss the CDS3 at all.
After more than 5 years, I'm still enjoying my HDX and am pleased with the performance. 

I rarely play CD's, having ripped them all and, I still buy CD's, as like you, I enjoy having something to read, hold and an "actual" physical item in my hands.

I had the same experience switching from my CDX2 to the HDX.  Never looked back.  

HDX + nDac was my first venture into streaming, and with the addition of the 555PS, carried over from my CDS 3 days, it all sounded just great.

The HDX seems to me to be a piece of Naim kit which transcends the more fashionable recent Naim kit, and renders CD ripping to it’s most straightforward.

Mine has recently returned home after a full service at Salisbury, which included a new 2 Tb drive, all at a most reasonable cost, and is currently not shown up at all in the company of my ND 555.

If you can get hold of one at the right price, just do it, even if you do have to factor in the cost of a full service from Naim, which will probably be much cheaper than you imagine.

I’ve had my HDX-SSD from 2011 when I bought it new. 

Since then It’s been back to the factory for a screen repair, power supply repair and a CD drive replacement. So it’s not been the most reliable of equipment. 

I’ve also been disappointed that Naim seemed to cease software development for it in 2013/14 presumably to concentrate resources on development of their new platform - though word on the forum is we may see a further update soon to correct the defunct AMG lookup delay. Perhaps Naim will surprise us with other refinements though I won’t be holding my breath. 

Despite all of this it remains a fine machine. Easy to use with (IMO) better than CDX2 sound quality (it replaces a CDX2 in my system). The app (iOS only) is easy to use and editing easy either via that or the desktop clients. 

Until Naim further develops its new platform and brings out an HDX2 I’m keeping my money in my pocket or until my unit packs in for good. 

If you can get a fairly late model second hand at a good price - with the larger internal drive or perhaps an SSD - and factor in a factory service - it will be still be worthwhile I think. 

Hi Fizzyhair.

There are no comparison between HDX and pretty much any CD player - maybe apart from the CD555 - have had HDX as main source for 10 years - it beats the CD players on all parameters