CAS vs ND5xs as transport

Posted by: Zinger on 30 September 2012

CAS vs ND5xs as transport

 

Has anyone done a proper comparison of a typical CAS (non-Mac computer as source) setup versus ND5xs as a pure transport?

 

Home demos are not available in where I live, and I find it very difficult to compare equipment properly when there are too many other variables -- i.e. different room treatment, speakers, equipment placement etc all together between my home and the dealer.  It's not like I could bring my CAS to the dealer to compare.

As background info, I'm currently using the Naim DAC, and am contemplating whether a ND5xs used merely as transport would provide noticable upgrade to the typical CAS-setup.  Right now  I have:

 

- barebone PC
- booting off Windows Vista
- with SSD
- running nothing else except for iTunes
- feeding via Furutech GT2 USB cable
- into an Audio GD SPDI/F converter
- rest of the system is DAC/555PS-DR/SC-DR/282/250.2 with Powerlines, NACA5 and DC1 as cables


I plan on ditching the nDAC later, and consolidate into the NDS.  However, I'm not ready to shell out 10K USD within the next 5yrs or so for this.

 


// What's wrong with CAS
Just too messy, and things aren't as "musical" as the NDX/NDS streamers I heard.  I realized that I need to start looking into external PSUs for the SPDIF converter, and that different USB cables started to matter.  And something just doesn't sound right when I need to pay 400 USD+ for a USB cable to try things out and get improvement.  I'm not willing to drop money in that anymore.  Not to mention, all those extra cables and space needed as a result of having a PC sitting next to the rack.

 


// Why not NDX
The DAC makes life very confusing. I don't like how half my 555 isn't put to use, and that I'll need to run two external PSUs and three power cords, and also feed signal through an SPDIF cable to get a new NDX to work at its optimal level.  That just sounds plain silly at that price.  Last but not least, it looks so messy on the rack as well.

 


// Looking for medium term solution
So I thinking of having a 2nd hand ND5xs at a much lower price than NDX just to get me going for the next few years.  I like the Naim sound from NDX & NDS I heard before, yet do not want to give up anything that a CAS provides.

 

So the question is, whether the ND5xs would actually bring any improvement into the party.  I understand there is no way anyone here would know exactly how my setup sounds like, so I'm only looking anyone's experience with comparing CAS and ND5xs as transport only.  Feedbacks are much appreciated ...

 

Thanks guys

 

Posted on: 02 October 2012 by Felix H

If a home demo is not possible, with another system you can still listen for whether that system as a whole sounds "good enough". And what is good enough for you is of course something only you can tell.

 

Various transports on NDAC do make a big difference! You've probably read the previous ND5 XS as transport threads. Maybe others can comment more on how their ND5 XS has performed as transport VS their PC?

 

BTW have you had chance to hear 555PS with the other boxes that it can power: CD players, NDX?

Posted on: 03 October 2012 by Zinger
Hey Fedor,

Mmmmm the problem is that I find things often to be quite different by the time they get home due to many varaibles.  So I have no idea how "good" my CAS sounds (to me) relative to the ND5XS.  So I'm sorta relying on comments from others to make a decision.  At the same time, I don't wanna sink money into a used ND5XS if other don't find it to be beneficial to a normal CAS setup to begin with.

Put it this way. The difference between DAC and DAC/XPS was similar at dealer and at my home. But then the DAC itself sounded different at the dealer than at my home ... So dealer audition is good for testing differences like that

As for the 555PS ... I haven't had time to listen to other sources yet.  My friend went from XPS to 555PS-DR, and is having a good time with his CDX2