Seeking advice, please. CDX is dead, long live...

I am told that a Qute wired up to a 200 sounds very fine indeed and the 250 is hugely enjoyable. I am also told that people are doing this. Past that I can't say.

Hi Madrid,

With a kit like yours, the Qute would be far from the ideal at replacing your CD source. I would suggest you to go for a ND5XS as a strict minimum, or idealy wait for the "rain" of preloved NDX to fall when the NDS will eventually become available.

Also, I would suggest you to try the Squeezebox Touch + Naim DAC combo. Disclaimer: I'm a little biased on this one.

Bye.

Hi Madrid,

Sorry I can't answer all of your specific questions, but I was intrigued by your predicament!

I once had a system identical to yours except speakers. It is a very nicely balanced system indeed.

I think you are absoluely right to abandon the CDX - I don't know if replacement mechansisms are still available but even if they were it would be throwing good money after bad IMO.

Where you go from here really depends on your long-term objectives. If you intend to stick with a multi-box system and possibly upgrade in the future then I think that integrating the UQ into your existing set-up is not really the way to go. Better to look at seperate streamers (Naim or otherwise) or possibly a computer based source. Or even another CD player if you would like to stick with CD.

I have never advocated building a multi-box system around the UQ. It was designed as a one-box stand-alone system and that is how I feel it is best used. Just my personal opinion.

Having said all that, if I were in your shoes now then I would sell all your olive kit and buy the UQ! It won't sound the same, the Naim sound has moved on since the olive days. Some will no doubt tell you that it will be huge step down, but there have been many very favourable reviews of the UQ and you may actually find that you prefer it. You would have a neat little system that sounds excellent.

Why not arrange to get a demo of the UQ and see what you think?

Peter

I have a unitiqute, and have the opposite problem, and I'm wondering what system to build around it.

I don't think you could really connect a unitiqute to an existing system using analogue connections because the only line outs are after the unitiqutes built in preamp (which is designed to feed into a power amp), so in effect you would have two preamps. You could of course add a dec, but for this money you'd be better off with a ND5XS.

I think ultimately I may have to trade mine in and get a separate streamer.

Steven,

This is really the point I was trying to make above. I think the UQ is at its best as a one-box solution, which is what it was designed for. OK you can add a power amp, but IMO this really defeats the whole point/concept of the UQ. So I think if you are intent on going down the seperates route then trading in your UQ and starting from scratch will ultimately be a much better solution and give you more flexibilty.

Peter

Many thanks to all of you for your constructive suggestions.

@ Peter: Indeed, I should arrange a demo.  Only problem is that, since purchasing my olive kit, I fell in love with a Spanish woman and now reside in Madrid.  Only Naim distributor is evidently well to the south (Malaga), so perhaps I need to visit London...

Madrid,

I see your point. Visiting London just to audition the UQ would be a very expensive demo! Maybe you could combine it with a long weekend holiday for you and your lady? Or you could just take a chance and buy the UQ and then decide what to do with your olive kit (ie. to sell it or not). If I were in your shoes I think to be honest that's what I would do, provided of course that I had the spare cash. I think it is very unlikely that you would dislike the UQ - you will either use it as a source for your existing system or use it stand-alone - and you would have plenty of time at home to decide which. Worst case scenario is that you will sell the UQ which should be easy to do.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

Peter

Thank you, Frank.  I have contacted Gordon at Hometech.  Evidently, there are Naim dealers in Madrid, but they are "old school" and are not set up to demo the streaming options. I may have to visit London (or Malaga) with my wife!