Upgrade to NDX

My advice is to keep it simple:   Use NDX alone,  it’s internal DAC & it’s application is better than DAC V1 and the added connections that are required with an external DAC just add to less SQ.

Will NDX be better than Audirvana,  only your ears and your sonic preferences analysing it against NDX on your system in your own listening room can give that answer

Agree with Mike - just gor an NDX. It really is a great streamer.

It has one cool feature - it can be had with an FM/DAB module.

What Adam said.  

I had both NDX and NDX-FM.  Both sound great/the same, to me.  FM sounds better than same station over iRadio, on the NDX.  So, if you have an FM requirement, NDX-FM is the best Naim streamer you can get with that capability, as new ones may never support FM.  

Try other DACs if you want, for fun.  Not required.  I use Naim DAC, but only because I already had it; I like the extra inputs.  Naim DAC plays well with System Automation; DAC-V1 does not, good as it is.

Nick

Agree with the keep it simple, the NDX will sit well with your system. Move the DAV-V1 on. and yes, a great time to get an NDX and yes, confident you will hear a step up.

IMHO, NDX does not sound better than Mac Mini, Audirvana, Meridian Explorer 1 through Naim DAC, at par with NDX through same.  Both are equally pleasing-sounding.  NDX is far better to use, with System Automation controlling Naim amp or pre.  The NDX is more “plug-and-play” for easy success.  I like Audirvana for VFM; but it is more for people who don’t mind fiddling with details, and are not trying to deliver ultimate ease-of-use to housemates/family. 

If you are not married to Naim amps and pres, then choosing is much more difficult, because the premium you would pay for system integrity would not be justified — you would have a lot more options; maybe too many.

Nick

Using a separate DAC with an NDX is a popular upgrade, and an alternative to the often much more expensive PSU upgrade. I’m not aware of anyone using a V1 in this way, but there has been discussion here of the potential benefits of decoupling the DAC from the streamer. So in your position, I would keep the V1 and give it a try rather than acting on largely speculative advice from us lot.

 I would also keep an open mind on whether the NDX is a big enough improvement on the Mac/Audirvana to justify the cost - compared, say, to spending similar money on a DAC upgrade. 

For be the best thing about the NDX is it use as a digital transport and as a Naim automation hub. With the former it’s first class and can be used to drive various DACs. The good thing when using in transport mode, you can have the DAC disabled (in settings) so as to focus its efforts on providing the best, lowest noise transport stream it can. 

With automation it has two outputs, one I use to control my CDX2, and the other my 552. I like how I can configure my 552 input selection to appear in big letters on the NDX display.

That’s interesting Simon, not sure you can disable the dac in the new streamers. I just checked my ND555 and it’s not obvious in settings that you can disable. Perhaps those with others streamers like NDX2 and ND5XS2 can comment.

Interesting if you can’t do that.. so there is no ‘analogue output disable’ option on the new streamers?

Do they have the digital output enable/disable option ?

Simon, you can disable rca, din, rca&din, and bnc outputs. So would disabling rca, din and the rca&din then disable the dac section?

angelodipa posted:

I would like to upgrade by buying an NDX (mk1) .

I think the fundamental question is what you mean by ‘upgrade’.

In terms of sound quality, as this boils down to two things: 1) whether the rendered output of the NDX sounds any different from or better than the output of your Audirvana setup, and 2) whether the NDX’s DAC sound better than the V1.

You might find that few people have tried comparison 1.  I can tell you tha to me Audirvana as I have it set up sounds better than the renderer in ND5XS, but then I understand NDX’s probably does as well. How is your Audirvana set up? Is it fully optimised as per Audirvana’s guide, including direct mode, dedicated USB bus, and running headless? (If not, it could be worth trying further.)

As for 2), I guess there Will be some people who have compared, so you might get responses. There are of course other, non-Naim DACs that are popular on here, for example the Hugo has been reported by quite a few people as a good upgrade for the NDX. But if you consider a Hugo, it is vital to use good RF isolation between it and the Mac Mini as it doesn’t have galvanic isolation (I used a Gustard U12 when I had this setup).

Otherwise what the NDX offers of course is a) a matching box and system automation, b) more significant perhaps, the Naim app for control instead of Audirvana - which to me is the one thing I miss from when I had an ND5XS, it was much more tolerant of imperfect metadata than is Audirvana.

At the same time changing to NDX means having to send the music over a network instead of the renderer being in the store - many people have no trouble at all, but a small proportion seem to have problems getting the network to behave well, and then some people fret about whether network cables, switches and their power supplies make a difference to sound quality.

At the end of tge day you’ll have to have a listen.

Gazza posted:

Simon, you can disable rca, din, rca&din, and bnc outputs. So would disabling rca, din and the rca&din then disable the dac section?

I have used my NDX2 with BNC enabled (with Native selected) then output into nDAC via DC1 BNC cable. I assumed that the NDX2 internal DAC was bypassed in this setting.

However, I found a better SQ with the NDX2 powered by 555PSDR using the internal DAC (with DIN output selected). I’ve now upgraded to SL interconnect into pre and it has produced an even bigger step up in SQ compared to digital out into nDAC.

bongoman posted:

Gazza posted:

Simon, you can disable rca, din, rca&din, and bnc outputs. So would disabling rca, din and the rca&din then disable the dac section?

I have used my NDX2 with BNC enabled (with Native selected) then output into nDAC via DC1 BNC cable. I assumed that the NDX2 internal DAC was bypassed in this setting.

However, I found a better SQ with the NDX2 powered by 555PSDR using the internal DAC (with DIN output selected). I’ve now upgraded to SL interconnect into pre and it has produced an even bigger step up in SQ compared to digital out into nDAC.

So, exactly as anticipated then ?  

It would have been worrying if you'd found anything different, wouldn't it ?

rjstaines posted:

bongoman posted:

Gazza posted:

Simon, you can disable rca, din, rca&din, and bnc outputs. So would disabling rca, din and the rca&din then disable the dac section?

I have used my NDX2 with BNC enabled (with Native selected) then output into nDAC via DC1 BNC cable. I assumed that the NDX2 internal DAC was bypassed in this setting.

However, I found a better SQ with the NDX2 powered by 555PSDR using the internal DAC (with DIN output selected). I’ve now upgraded to SL interconnect into pre and it has produced an even bigger step up in SQ compared to digital out into nDAC.

So, exactly as anticipated then ?  

It would have been worrying if you'd found anything different, wouldn't it ?

Yes Roger exactly. I’m pleased with how the NDX2 is sounding now after running in for around 5 weeks. The nDAC is now with our mutual dealers ready to be sold on.