HDX is here - GFFJ your prayers answered.

quote:

an ethernet connection (the one thing really missing from the Supernait) so you can directly connect to your own NAS.

An alternative would be to have a removable disc. You could perhaps store one album per removable disc and insert which ever one you wanted to hear in the player and just press play.

Do you think it could ever catch on?

Given that a disc has two sides - might it not better better to store half the tracks of the album on each side. You could "turn" the disc over halfway through.

Total non-starter.

quote:

Originally posted by Adam Meredith:
Given that a disc has two sides - might it not better better to store half the tracks of the album on each side. You could "turn" the disc over halfway through.

Total non-starter.

Nah can't see that catching on and even it did it wouldn't last!!!

Hi All,

Could anyone hazard a guess if there is likely to be a Naim LCD tablet style remote with a decent sized screen that could be used in association with the new HDX? This type of device could be a logical partner for the HDX.

Or a possibly an alternative brand that could be successfully used?

K

There is a Naim LCD tablet you can buy, I think it's around £1000 ish.

Alternatively, as the interface is flash controlled, you could use any PC or Mac. Or for instance the Nokia 800 / 810 internet tablets, at around £150-200.

Or you could use the Netstreams 4.3/7 or 9 inch wall mount controllers from 400quid.

Roy.

While the HDX is probably just what some have been waiting for I suspect the majority of us would rather have a seperate Naim DAC. I can't help but think the company is really missing the boat by not giving us the option.

quote:

Originally posted by Edot:
I can't help but think the company is really missing the boat by not giving us the option.

It is not as if we have been sitting on our hands over the past few years.

Within a Naim system a separate DAC only has use with 3rd party products. While it does now seem reasonable to offer one - previously there were more pressing needs (see ... SuperLine, NaimNet, HiLine, and so on). Several years ago - a DAC would have primarily been used with a separate CD transport - not a design path we have chosen to follow in our own range.

Some people seem to want everything (or, at least, what they want) today - others seem to wish we'd stopped developing products back with the Olive (or CB) series.

The DAC in the SuperNait was a (2nd) response to the plethora of DAC-able products now beginning to be used by our existing, and new, customers.

I have not heard it, but it seems like a good design for its market.

I bought a new CD player last year [not Naim but similar in cost to a CDX].

I could probably build an as good or better CD player for a lot less [basically a PC without fans, super quality DAC etc... -- read each PC into memory and then play it] but I did not because of the user interface -- I did not want to have to have a PC screen, operating system etc to deal with every time I wanted just to listen to music.

With my CD player I just put in the CD and press play [rather than my hypothetical design of load cd, rip and play -- all controlled by a laptop using some sort of wireless protocol to talk to the PC/CD player].

I paid extra for convienience [obviously I got great sound quality].

The new HDX is aimed at people who dont know or care what NAS stands for ... they want quality and convienience.

I believe you can get better value in loudspeakers by building your own but few bother -- the same applies here .. the HDX is a good solution for people who are not computer professionals.

James H.

I think the HDX is a great product. I have to say I really like the way Naim is adopting the future and moving to where the market is going. It will be good to see them leaders with new technology for letting us listen and enjoy our music.

I guess we have to remember that the show the HDX was launched at was a hi-end show. Not surprising for them to release the HDX there.

Personally at 4.5k it's a bit expensive for me. But, something sub-3k would be nice and I'm sure there are more products coming

I think Linn have hit it on the head with the SneakyDS product. Ethernet attached, plays from NAS etc. £1k. They will sell a lot of those.

Now, if Naim can do a box with no power amp in it at £1k, with an optional internal HDD at £1.5k then they would fly off the shelves.

Roy.

quote:

Originally posted by Adam Meredith:
Within a Naim system a separate DAC only has use with 3rd party products. While it does now seem reasonable to offer one - previously there were more pressing needs (see ... SuperLine, NaimNet, HiLine, and so on).

Halleluja! A fresh wind, changing times! (perhaps).

A clear explanation Adam, and a hopeful one.

quote:

Originally posted by daddycool:

quote:

Originally posted by Adam Meredith:
Within a Naim system a separate DAC only has use with 3rd party products. While it does now seem reasonable to offer one - previously there were more pressing needs (see ... SuperLine, NaimNet, HiLine, and so on).

Halleluja! A fresh wind, changing times! (perhaps).

A clear explanation Adam, and a hopeful one.

Maybe a digital coax out as well from the spinners as well...?

quote:

Originally posted by Cjones:
Maybe a digital coax out as well from the spinners as well...?

Now that would be heresy...therefor not reasonable.

Please don't spoil the moment by pushing it too far

quote:

Originally posted by Adam Meredith:
Several years ago - a DAC would have primarily been used with a separate CD transport - not a design path we have chosen to follow in our own range.

The DAC in the SuperNait was a (2nd) response to the plethora of DAC-able products now beginning to be used by our existing, and new, customers.

Way back when, a separate DAC would have been primarily used with a CD transport but it's been many years now that the majority of us here have been using music files on our computers and have had to look to other companies to get the most from them. While the DAC in the SuperNait is a welcome addition, it's not much use to the Naim customer that already has a superior separate pre/power amp system.

quote:

it's been many years now that the majority of us here have been using music files on our computers

I still use real records and CDs.

Heard a Mac Book through SN DAC and was underwhelmed - CDX2 was much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much better, IMHO of course.

ROTF
I spin records and CD's too. Each of the formats has it's place including MP3's, AAC's and the various Loss Less formats.

quote:

Originally posted by robert-:
Adam, what about a naim turntable?

Let us get the nPOD out first.

That is unnecessary/excessive quoting Adam!

This looks like good product. I'd love to hear one.

A few questions though;

How do you manage large music collections? Mine just fits on a 1TB disk in flac format. Can you plug an external hdd in through the usb port instead of an iPod?

How does the Naim Extended Music Database work? In wav format you can't store tags. Can anyone access Naim Extended Music Database or only NaimNet customers?

Do you have to rip all your music again? or can you import from an external drive somehow?

This from the HiFi Choice website:

"It uses a ‘secure’ rip system, meaning the player will take at least two passes at every disc to eliminate all but the most tenacious errors. The bad news is this means it takes longer to rip a CD than most hard disk products; the good news is that – unless the CD is brand new – it will likely sound better than the CD itself."

Are they really telling us that CDs 'go off' when they're no longer new?!

If that's true, instead of ripping our old CDs to a hard drive, we'd be better off going out & buying new ones....

If they release has not been deleted. George

quote:

Originally posted by rupert bear:
Are they really telling us that CDs 'go off' when they're no longer new?!

It depends on how well they are treated.

Sometimes, CDs stored in booklet type of filing system, every time you remove it, it creates tiny scratches.

Or if they are stored in high humidity or extreme temperture changes ( inside of a car, for instance ) they can, over time, develope some anomalities on the surface.

Finger prints are easy to clean, but you can't take out the scratches. ( it means that CD player's error correction works harder )

They do not sound as bad as badly treated records, but a cleaner CD does sound better.

Bare Metal Plastic Polish - from good quality model shops or Google it to buy online. About £3 for a small bottle.

The underside of a cd is very robust. If it's scratched, just polish it out. You have at least 1.5mm of clear plastic to play with.

However it is critical to keep the top surface scratch free. If you scratch the transfer off the top face, the data is lost and you end up with a clear scratch if you look at it with the light behind the disc.

Originally back in the early 80's the data layer was sandwiched between two skins of clear plastic. Somewhere along the line the top plastic skin evolved into a micron thin transfer that is easily damaged. Be aware.