HI, I purhased my first ever bit of Naim kit a few weeks ago in the form of an ND5XS streamer. I had a demo along with a Linn Majic DS and and marginally preferred it over the Majik. It was close though, and the Linn did some things better, noteably the high end. Later I had a demo of the ND5XS with XP5XS power supply and didn't really notice much (if any) improvement - I would qualify this by explaining that both units were straight out of the box, so no time to burn in (not sure if I really believe in burn in anyway). The Akurate DS I compared alongside this combination definitely sounded better. I feel that good though the ND5 is, somethng important is missing at the top end.
I don't know if anyone on the forum is old enough to remember hi-fi in the 70s and a fad for a dynamic range expander called DBX. I bought one of these units at the time and it sounded great for a couple of days until I realised that alongside the dynamic range enhancement and what was at the time the seemingly amazing silence between LP tracks, it had removed something from the top end. I can only describe this as the difference between a brand new set of acoustic strings and a set that has been played for a week or so. That magic ethereal quality at the top end had been lost. In my opinion, the ND5 sounds a bit like this - although admittedly still very good.
Having read almost exclusively good things about the Teddy Pardo DAC, I am now tempted to go down this route as well, and finally after a rather long winded intro, here is my question.
If I use the ND5 XS with a separate power supply and a separate DAC, is there anything left of worth in the ND5 XS that could have any effect whatsoever on sound quality? Will I simply be left with a very expensive (but admittedly very well built) streamer that provides Internet Radio access, but that really contributes little or nothing to the quality of the sound?
I would still be tempted to hang onto the ND5. I like the way it works, I like the n-stream app (except for mysteriously disappearing playlists), and I really like the Naim excluse 320k Radio Paradise Internet Radio station.
I'd be interested to hear your views.
Moderated Post: Discussion of modifications to Naim products, including 3rd party PSUs is not allowed - please ensure you have read and understood forum rules.
Posted on: 11 February 2013 by Hmack
HI and thanks for the reply.
I guess I could move to a Mac Mini, but I do actually like the ND5 and its integration into my (non Naim) system. I already have a very good power supply (edited out of my original post) which has improved the sound. I'm now very happy with the combination. I just wondered if the streaming component makes any significant contributoin to the sound or whether the only really important components are the DAC and power supply.
By the way, I am using a Synology DS212 NAS, and my amplifier/speaker combination is Primare 928 Pre-amp, Primare 928 Monoblocks (from the original Danish era) and Magneplanar MG 2.6R speakers.
Posted on: 11 April 2014 by Hmack
Hi Iver,
You may have noticed that my original post was moderated. It was moderated because I included details of a non NAIM power supply - I don't want to repeat the offence, but from the text of my original post, you can probably work it out.
When I originally had a demo of the ND5 vs the Linn Majik (I marginally preferred the Naim) I listened briefly to the ND5 with the XP5 SX, then the ND5 with nDAC/XP5 SX and was not won over by either combination. They didn't seem to appreciably change the sound. However, I did only listen briefly, and in my experience, longer listening sessions are really necessary.
The power supply I eventually added was one I picked up 2nd hand on Ebay without a chance to audition. I really didn't expect it to make a difference, but I found that it significantly improved the overall sound, particularly the high end. Now this certainly wasn't what I had expected, and it may well be that the Naim power supplies would have had a similar (or more dramatic) effect had I had the chance to listen to them at home. The fact of the matter is that I have significantly (I believe) improved the sound for a pretty small financial outlay. I subsequently had a chance to compare my set-up with a Linn Akurate DS/0 I borrowed from a friend for a couple of weeks. I prefer (marginally) the Naim combo to the DS/0.
As you may see from my profile, I also had the chance to borrow a Linn Klimax Renew DS from the same friend. This was a marked step-up in sound quality, and I ended up buying this from him for my main system. His new Klimax/DS/1 sounds even better, but that's another story.
I have to say that I still enjoy listening to my Naim ND5. Many people would have you believe that the lower end models from Naim and Linn aren't worth having. That just isn't true. You pay a large premium for mostly subtle improvements in sound quality. Mind you, if I had the money burning a hole in my pocket.......
Sadly, I have not had the opportunity to listen to the NDX or NDS, and I would love to have the opportunity of trying the nDAC out again, this time on my home system.
Cheers,
HMak
Posted on: 11 April 2014 by Iver van de Zand
Hey HMak,
Nice story, and thanks for the write up.
When purchasing my ND5XS, I also "compared" it to the nDac alining at using a Squeezebox I owned at that moment. My preference went to the ND5XS over the nDac by a small margin, but especially bearing in mind the rest of my gear being XS range and no classic. Within my set the ND5XS just seemed to fit a bit better (there is a thread on that audition in this forum).
In the same audition I also heart the XP5XS connected to the ND5XS and it impressed me. I am now in a position to purchase the PSU, so I probably will go back to the store and redo the audition before purchasing.
Cheers,
Iver
Posted on: 13 April 2014 by Wadkri
Originally Posted by Iver van de Zand:
Interesting, please share your conclutions after the audition Iver
Hey HMak,
Nice story, and thanks for the write up.
When purchasing my ND5XS, I also "compared" it to the nDac alining at using a Squeezebox I owned at that moment. My preference went to the ND5XS over the nDac by a small margin, but especially bearing in mind the rest of my gear being XS range and no classic. Within my set the ND5XS just seemed to fit a bit better (there is a thread on that audition in this forum).
In the same audition I also heart the XP5XS connected to the ND5XS and it impressed me. I am now in a position to purchase the PSU, so I probably will go back to the store and redo the audition before purchasing.
Cheers,
Iver
