Any love for the Nac N-172XS?

My guess is that we don't read a lot about it here on the forums because it's more of an obvious starting point than upgrade for most of the folks here.

Again, my guess, is that most folks here who want to move into the 21st century and play networked music at home often have a perfectly good hi fi to which they can add a streamer product; they may have no obvious want or need for a different preamp.  Adding a streamer to an existing hi fi does not immediately 'cry out' for a preamp change.

And with the N-172 being in the XS range . . . not that many folks "upgrade" TO an XS level, save for those who might want to move from a Nait 5i.  At least the vocal posters here love their 5i's and would be happy to add an ND5XS.  And if they are moving from a 5i to an N-172XS they also need to buy a power amp and that may be too many changes at once.

But for someone starting out from owning nothing, it might be a perfect place to start in the XS range with separates with 2 boxes to do streamer, preamp and poweramp.

That's my theory.

Totally agree with Bart on this. I really can't see who this is aimed at.

A 5i streamer would have been a better idea or a ND5XS that could of taken a flatcap/Hicap power supply.

I would have bought one if it had come out 6 months earlier - as an upgrade (in functionality even if a sideways step in SQ) to my 112.

News of the 172 broke just after I finally, after waiting FOREVER for a Naim to bring forward a pre-amp with some digital capability, jumped for a s/h 202.

So sticking with the Sonos for streaming duties for the time being.....

Olly 

Nothing wrong with Sonos, I use mine on the front of 252/300 and it doesn't give huge amounts away to the CDX2.2/XPS2. Excellent user interface too, although I believe n-stream is finally closing the gap. 

If I hadn't managed the huge jump up to my current system I'd definitely be tempted to swap my old 112x for this new streaming pre-amp. Looking forwards to the NAC N-272 to go with my Supercap 

Sonos has a great user interface .. Sonos support is good too ... You can even have it modified with a top notch digital output as a feed to the Naim DAC .. it doesn't play high resolution files, but for many of us that is not important. 

The new 172XS is a strange entry to the range, but Naim will have thought through customers who would want this. Me i'm waiting for the Reference DAC with a volume control and DSP room correction - it may make the traditional pre-amp a thing of the past. 

Does anyone on here know (or have a view) on how the 172 would compare with a NAC 102? If I traded "up" to the 172 (to get the streaming functionality) would I be losing anything in SQ?

Also I see no mention of a phono input on the 172?

Similarly, any views on how the DAB/FM module available in various Naim streaming products compares with an NAT03 (I'm making a rash presumption that all of the units use the same module of course...)

I have a Superuniti, but would have considered the N172XS had it been around at the time. I would have thought it's that sort of product that would bring new customers to Naim, as the Superuniti did with me. My need was to build a compact system with high performance and convenience, with streaming included. I don't use any analogue connections at all (though wouldn't want to be without at least a couple) for safety. Therefore, I see a preamp/dac/streamer product as very relevant.

Agreed on both counts.

Whilst the 172 XS is not quite right for me, I think it is on the right track as a new product for Naim and offers a good proposition to many coming to Naim.

in my personal story I don't think it would be a step-up in pre quality over what I have. Also don't need the streamer facility. Finally, i believe it cannot run with an external PSU.

Still think it is good though and as Maxi Me says I am looking forward to the next installment in the same vein.

nd5xs + nait 5i or nac 172-xs + 155XS would be the question. Best answered by an audition I guess.

Here's something I don't quite understand.

Naim hasn't offered a flatcap like device that powers both the nd5xs and nait xs on the grounds that analog and digital need different kind of powerng and they can't put both in a single box. (Ala flatcapxs for naitxs, cd5xs).

However, once and if more upscale streamers+pres start showing up, will they recommend two different PSUs to be attached to them? One for the streamer section and one for the dac to analog + pre? Or will they to a turn around and offer something that can indeed power both sections...

Re streamer/dac/pre all-in-one:

In my view the streamer section does not really need a separate PSU. Kettle lead to mains will do as it is just a network card, cpu and some memory. Maybe just my perspective but I can't see how regulating the power supply could make any real difference in this section.

The DSP / digital section of the dac perhaps does not need a separate PSU either.

The analogue section of the dac and the pre could then benefit from a single separate PSU.

So, I think you might have the kettle lead for the streamer and D of DAC sections. A separate single PSU for the A of DAC and pre sections.

No my bag, baby. I don't want anything to do with the nightmare, twonky world of so-called UPnP streaming.

A digital preamp that combined something like the DAC and 282 in a single box would entice me to think about separates. Naim should leave the computer stuff to computer companies IMO.

Although I already have separates this is my view exactly - really couldn't agree more. High quality DAC/Pre in one box. All day long.

Mango - Yep, what next for the power supplies is an interesting question. Will the 272 need both my SC and XPS? A 3 box "simple" system!!

Does a preamp that is in essence a 'digital volume control' need a preamp?

Also if the 272 carries better regulation on-board is a DR PSU needed?

Thinking it would be an active pre with analogue vol control but you're right it could be digital. Don't understand all the implications of the choice.

I heard one a couple of weeks back along with a SuperUniti. I can't remember what the power amp was but the cost was about the same as the SU and thought it sounded really great, actually a bit better than the SU. Ultimately I liked the one box and (heretically) like the fact there isn't much upgrade options on the SU but it was a close call.

Hi,

Entering the streaming audio world recently, I did a 1 to 1 comparison between SuperUniti, 172 & NAP200 and 172 & NAP250, powering B&W 804 Diamonds. For me the clear winner was the latter combination, and I'm enjoying it everyday.

Whether this product makes sense is a subjective matter: SuperUniti is a great '1 box' solution but no options to upgrade. On the other end of the scale, you can have your pile of black boxes with separate streamer/preamp/power/PSU and keep on pondering on which element to upgrade... a clever marketing strategy!

What I liked about the 172 that it is a very decent streamer+preamp, and it allowed me to select the best power amp to feed my speakers. Because IMO a HiFi system should be designed from back to front, starting with the speakers as the key element in the chain.

I can express some love for the 172. Actually I'm going to take one home in ca. two weeks. I listened to it together with nap 155xs on very interesting Polish speakers called Equlibrium. I was delighted. The problem is that the speakers cost around 7k EURO.

all i can say is this:

if MUSIC is all you want, ND5/nait5i will be everything one might ever need.

it might not be the most revealing, the most dynamic and refined combo in the hifi world for the money, but, again if MUSIC is only what you're after, then this couple will bring the smile on your face!