Looking to Upgrade - but What?

Posted by: Musicmad on 15 December 2013

I've been streaming for a few years now and my old CD5x/FC2x hardly ever get used these days.

 

I've very happy with my present set-up but from time-to-time get that urge to change something and looking at the kit I always think it's the SB Touch which is the weak-link:

 

Music stored (FLAC Lossless) on QNAP NAS (Raid 6) - Cat6 ethernet to SB Touch - digital to SuperNait / HiCap - Naca5 to ProAc Tri-Towers.

 

I have a large-ish collection (40,700 tracks / 3,725 albums) and I can access the music easily via the SB Touch + hand control, SB Controller, PCs (4 of), iPad, Windows Surface RT and either of our android mobiles.

 

I've looked at the NDX several times as being the obvious change but wonder whether I'll regret the loss of access (I don't want to buy into iPhones) and am worried that it may lead to QNAP NAS - NDX connectivity issues.  I do not want to convert my collection again (having already converted from  M/S WMA to FLAC as the NAS does not recognise the former).

 

I've thought about adding a NAP200 to the SN but I don't need any more power and another choice is to add a Naim DAC.  But given the only use for this would be for streaming (via the SB Touch) I do wonder if this would be overkill.

 

I could look at Hi-Lines and Power-Lines but, to be honest, it's the new black box which is tempting me.  Only I don't know which black box to buy!

 

Am I missing something obvious in this set-up?

 

Cheers.

Posted on: 05 January 2014 by Musicmad
Originally Posted by james n:

Mitch, if you haven't done so already, turn off the digital output, disable any unused inputs and set the display to turn off. Some icing on a very fine cake.

Presently, the screen turns off after 2mins, the only input is the Cat6 ethernet cable from the Router, and the only output is the DIN to the SN.

 

I'm not sure if there are some settings I should change ... but the present analogue output will change when I bring the DAC into the setup shortly.

 

Perhaps I'm missing something (I'm not good at reading instructions!) and I thank you for your guidance.

 

Cheers.

Posted on: 05 January 2014 by james n

Mitch - I don't have an NDX in front of me anymore, but from memory, go into settings and from here you can do various things including enabling and disabling inputs and turning off the digital output whe n using the analogue out. 

 

James

Posted on: 05 January 2014 by james n

Look at section 4 of the manual 

 

http://www.naimaudio.com/sites..._english_issue3b.pdf

Posted on: 05 January 2014 by Musicmad
Originally Posted by james n:

Look at section 4 of the manual 

 

http://www.naimaudio.com/sites..._english_issue3b.pdf

Most kind - thank you - I'll read the section shortly.  I'm afraid my eyes tend to glaze when I look through instruction manuals ...

 

Cheers!

 

Ah, I've now read & checked: yes, I have the Digital Output setting as not-enabled.

 

Thanks again - I'll have to amend that when I set the DAC up.

 

Mitch

Posted on: 05 January 2014 by Tog
Originally Posted by dave4jazz:
Originally Posted by Louis-Andre:
Mitch, you really should not trust Naimees for making a decision on a streamer solution, as this is a very subjective topic. In my humble opinion, the SBT is one of the best bargain in audio today, and partnered with a linear PSU ( mine was made bz Paul Hynes for 400 euros) and a good Dac it delivers same or better than what you are just buying now. I strongly advice you listen first to some options, and THEN buy something your ears like. I personnally only like tha NDac when partnered to a PSU...using bare did not do it for me...

Louis-Andre is spot-on. You were obviously just looking for a Naim solution which I suppose if that is what you want, and can afford, then so be it. Me I've got no brand loyalty whether it's hi-fi or washing machine or anything else. I bought the DAC-V1/NAP100 because, at that particular price point, I believed it represented excellent value for money and I did demo other options. SBT + Linear PSU = approx. £500-600. NDX + nDAC = approx. £5,000 and people are saying the SBT solution is at the very least comparable. What was that recent thread titled "is there a Naim cult"? I think we know the answer but being a member comes at a price (Can I say that here?)

+1 You have to follow your ears.

 

I've moved from Mac to Dac to Naim streamer (Uniti) then Naim amplification and now probably back again via the very wonderful Dac V1. I've heard the NDX but the upgrade in sound was to me minimal and not worth the upgrade in price. I was hugely skeptical that the Dac V1 would make much of a difference but boy was I wrong. Although I've been relatively lucky with the Naim approach to UPnP streaming I can't say that it's particularly elegant.

 

Tog