In praise of the NAIM ND5XS

Adding a power supply (i.e. XP5XS) will add extra weight to the music and improve all the good aspects of the ND5XS.  It is not necessarily a ‘must have’ upgrade, but worthwhile if you want to extract more from an already excellent machine.  

Pixies, I notice you also have a flatcap on your NAC152XS. It's early days for me as my units have not even run in yet. I want to take some time getting to know what I've got before adding power supplies but.......

What does the PSU add to the pre amp and, in your opinion, if you were adding the PSUs one at a time which would you do first ?

Hi IanG.  You are in an interesting position regarding next steps so will have the opportunity to demo and decide for yourself.  The XP5XS was not available when I bought my amp set up and the FlatcapXS was purchased at the same time as the pre/power amps, so I have not tested which has been most beneficial. Logic would say focus on the front end, allowing you to also add power lines etc before the Flatcap, which of course adds another box to be housed.  My full set up sounds great and I think is the best value for money within the Naim range. Take your time and enjoy the journey!

Cheers

Hi Thorsten

Thanks for this informative post.

How would you compare the Streamer to the NDAC?

xp5 fed into ndac with 5 psu is the most effective naim streamer. just added audioquest £25 700mm cat7 cables and netgear powered switch further improvements have been made

After a very long listening session with a good friend of me (music savant, too) we came to the conclusion that this machine is better than the nDAC.

My friend heard the nDAC in my house when I had it and we both had a fantastic sit-in with his Ipad and my music collection.

EVERY kind of music in EVERY kind of codec (FLAC, WAV, MP3,...) sounded absolutely breathtaking.

The nDAC is fine, but the ND5XS has this "I will put a big smile in your face"-groove which the nDAC had not in this amount.

?????

I heard digital music never in a better way for the price-league and some hifi-magazine preferred the ND5XS over the NDX...

Hi Thorsten,

It is very nice to read your post, being so enthusiastic !! Haha

I have a similar set up like you. Before adding the ND5XS, I already upgraded from a Nait5i into the 152XS/150XS pre- power combo. After a few months I added the FlatCapXS feeding the 152XS with a "dual-feed". The upgrade impressed making the 152XS an extremely relaxed and detailed pre-amplifier with It was exactly with this upgrade where I learned how important the pre-amplifier section in a set up was. The pre amp almost "carries" the whole set up if you know what I try to say.

A good year later I purchased the ND5XS. When demoing it, there were also the nDac and XP5 available so I could listen to all different variations and combinations. The nDac was very, very good but to my opinion a bit too direct and too detailed to my ears (and in my set up) compared to the ND5XS. That is why I opted for the latter. Just guessing, but maybe the nDac becomes really of value add in a better set up than mine.

What also impressed my was the "extra" the XP5XS gave to the ND5XS. It made things even more mature, with more punch and weight. I did not buy the XP5; it is probably an upgrade for me for the summer. On the same wish-list are other speakers, maybe Allaes, Harbeth of Ovator, but I will keep all options open.

Recently I have put some efforts in room acoustics (described in another thread) which brought me some absorbtion panels and probaby the best upgrade of all.

Enjoy your music !

Iver

Dear Iver!

Nice post...interesting.

I had the nDAC here for some months with the CD5Xs on it, through the Supernait/HC2 and the Arivas then.

The nDAC is very good indeed, but IMHO not as "musical" as the ND5XS...

No matter with what you "feed" the ND5XS, the sound is just fabulous.

And that comes from a vinyl-freako...

This evening we listened via the IPAD and my PC (wav + flac + mp3) all knds of music...Nirvana, Zeppelin, Female Vocals, Classic, Jazz (Tord Gustavsen), Pink Floyd, Charlie Haden,....so much stuff...and all the time we had these FAT smiles in our dumb faces...

Unbelievable value-for-money!!!

Hi Iver

I use a similar setup to you with 152/155xs with flatcap 2x doing dual feed duties on pre. I would audition a pair of allaes, sound great driven by this amplification and a bargin in the second hand market. 

cheers

Sean

Iver,

save up for the Ovator S-400...incredibly good!!!

Iver, good for you. I bought the ND5 xs and took me time to get it all together but it's a wonderful piece of equipment.  On iRadio I listen to Paradise Radio and it's just incredible, I'd loaded lots of my CDs on an iMac and was amazed at what I heard.  But got burgled when away on a trip so time to get that setup again. Thankfully they only took the iMAC Left my much more expensive stereo alone. I think it was the snake nest of cords in the back.

Amazing and CDX2 and a tuner didn't sell for much, a sign of tsunami to come with total digital entertainment systems. I'm borrowing a TV until Apple pots out the iTV because this new iMac is stunning to work on and see visuals.  That's the only good thing out of my event, and BACK THINGS UP!!!!!!!!

Oh, I forgot, they also left the sweet small landscape painting I bought out in Palm Springs this winter and it's in a wonderful white gold frame.  They should have stopped and looked at my apartment but they have no taste.....

Old woman across the street saw young woman and guys taking things out. The police are onto it.

I vote for my Harbeth SHL5, that 12 inch woofer is amazing sound from the speakers.

You mean CD5xs feeding a bare ND5XS without XPS5XS is 'musical' & better than nDAC?

Where did I say that???

The ND5XS is IMHO more musical than the CD5XS into the nDAC. 

Whatever it is, i just got into vinyl with Pro-ject Debut III and at the same time the CD5xs. Clearly my vinyl is more involving compared to the CDP.

With new music such as pop/rap/techno etc, I would rather look through digital version. Thus, either nDAC or ND5XS will be on the way most probably next year.

Perhaps when you said "No matter with what you "feed" the ND5XS..... so I thought, I should keep the CDP instead. Your review on the streamer is interesting thou.

Cheers.

I remember my early 5 series kit as being really wonderful I'm sure now that there is a whole XS series the "lower" naims are great 'entry' kit.  My friends are amazed at the cost but several have really been amazed at the wonderful sound i have.  A bit frustrating not having access to my CD collection now but I'm going to go for a Synology Raid for UPnP.

How does everyone else have digital front end? I need to know how it's connected and all.

Ali

What source are you now using with your 202/200 NAPSC ?

Have you moved on from your ipod and other thing yet?

Regards,

Stu 

You have to qualify that statement Thorsten, the NDX they tested the ND5XS against had the old streaming board, so not the current 24/192 version. It's probably not that clear cut with the old NDX either but rather a question of preference. Suffice to say the ND5 is a great product all around.

Enjoy

tp

Have you listened to both in an A/B comparison or is your opinion based on recollection of what the CD5XS/nDAC sounded like back when you owned that combo?

I got both the ND5XS and nDAC at home but haven't done any comparison of the two yet, not enough spare time at the moment. Might do this at some point though and report back. I'm quite curious to hear for myself how the ND5 stacks up.

T and his mate are going from memory .

Dont pick a fight.

T always waxes lyrical about changes in his system.

No sign of  the Blacks being Blacker though

Stu.

Not my intention Stu. Just trying to get a more balanced view on it. However, at the end of the day it's not all that important anyhow, I'm sure the ND5 is very nice all by itself and just as good a resting place as any.

Cheers

tp

TP,

Same as when you were doing your testing.

Its just better to let people be happy.

And don't question.

You wont win the race.

Stu.