HDX

Posted by: Lars I on 28 January 2009

I thought it might be a good idea for us HDX owners to share some experiences of this new beast in the Naim product line. I have been able to enjoy mine for a couple of months (together with Supernait and Allae) and am impressed by the "life" it is able to breathe into music - even without an external PSU. A few days ago my dealer demontrated what the new Powerline could do with a HDX and I was absolutely stunned by the authority the HDX is able to present when fed with a Powerline. Next step will obviously be an XPS2 or 555PS. The SN was also upgraded with a Hicap which also made a huge improvement overall straight out of the box. Knowing new Naim products I rest assured that things will get even better over time as the new kit settles in. One particular feature of the HDX which I highly recommend is to make use of its ability to play hi-rez formats. It's easy to download (and pay for) hi-rez music from various sites and use any of the USB ports of the HDX to play it. Give it a try - I did and it certainly opened up a whole new world of listening pleasure.
Posted on: 23 February 2009 by u5227470736789454
quote:
From your recent posts, the worst case scenario is that you'll be $3K poorer and 1 DAC richer. What's a DAC amongst friends? Whichever you choose, I'm sure that you'll make the right choice for you and you'll have a terrific system.


Amongst Friends........

This is my 500th post, and it seems appropriate to include this reply, I have learned an awful lot from you folks, and I appreciate your generosity of spirit whether it was about audio, or advice about vacations to the US.

Thank you one and all, I think I have met some kindred spirits, and I look forward to meeting with some of you over a drink sometime and somewhere in the future

Barrie
Posted on: 23 February 2009 by Graham Russell
quote:
Originally posted by kuma:
In *Naim terms* a DIN connection always sounds better. ( I certainly prefer it that way )

That said, if you are using a non Naim pre, you can play around with different RCA/RCA leads ( as they can sound different lead to lead ) and find the one suits your system.

Ayre normally recommend a Cardas wire. If your shop has one, they might worth a try as well along with a DIN/RCA HiLine.


I'm sorry but I don't agree. Between CD555 and 552 I am currently using an Atlas Mavros RCA cable and is sounds miles better than my Hiline. From experiments with alternatives including Chord Indigo I think the characteristics of the cable are more important than the connector technology.

Everyone who had heard my system agrees the Mavros is better than the Hiline. I really don't think DIN is a technology to get hung up on.

Last week I tested (again) an Indigo DIN cable compared to the Mavros RCA. They were different, which was to be expected, but both sounded better than Hiline.

Graham
Posted on: 23 February 2009 by kuma
Graham,

You ought to try Atlas with DIN termination and see what you can hear.

I wasn't suggesting a HiLine ( sans DIN ) will be always superior to others. But rather, as a connection as a whole I much prefer DIN over RCA.

Since the cables come in many different flavours, it's no surprise some listeners might prefer them over a HiLine even with RCA connections.

The leads you prefer over the HiLine can be a complete disaster for some systems or taste.

Cables, as a whole, are often used as a tone control which I don't object per se.

There's nothing wrong with someone wants to take time to experiment with other aftermarket leads over what's recommended by the manufacturers.

I've suggested Cardas to the poster, because that's a next logical choice next to the HiLine since the Ayre recommends with their kit.

There are a ton out there to try which can be a bit overwhelming for most.