dac or dac v1 ?

That depends ;

How much you want to spend?

What functionality do you want?

Is SQ your priority .... etc. ?

let's assume money does not matter, I have stored all my cds in the hdx and my local naim seller suggested that i buy a dac, but i see that there is a dac v1 out, so i was just wondering. what do you mean by SQ ?

Thanks

Don't buy any DAC at all, the HDX doesn't need one as the built in DAC is pretty good.

In fact you will introduce a new element of jitter and spend more money trying to fix this new issue.

I would buy a XPS2 or PS 555, to improve it.

OR sell the HDX and buy a NDX/XPS2.

NAS disk drives are pretty cheap nowadays.

I suppose your retailer has advised you to buy an NDAC.

Don't do it that's my advice.

If price not an issue, then go for NDS (and sell the HDX)

The advice above is entirely sensible in my experience of HDX/ndac:555PS and now HDX:555PS.

G

Thanks a lot analogmusic !!!! and GreameH

that was a useful advise, I will check the NDS

Have I got it wrong. If Georges replaces his HDX with an NDX or NDS, won't he require some means of ripping, storing , serving his music.

Aren't the NDX and NDS just music players.

A 555PS as an upgrade to the HDX yes.

I believe the nDAC is superior to the HDX dac particularly when attached to a 555PS.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Adding a 555PS would seem the most logical thing to do. Depending on the rest of the system of course.

For the NDX and NDS : Synology NAS Drives can serve the music and have built in UPNP server

I somehow think the HDX is slowly becoming obsolete.

As for NDAC being better, yes, but the HDX costs a small fortune, and is the NDAC some 2500 GBP better?

each one to decide based on their wallet, but I would not personnally use HDX and NDAC together due to cost reasons and inefficient use of money.

There is better and cheaper nowadays : computer transport USB --> audiophilleo  (replaces HDX) into---> NDAC and ethernet (NDX/NDS) with NAS storage

Hi Georges, the HDX obviously has a DAC built in, so you don't say why you want to change it.

The NDAC is currently Naim's reference DAC but it is sensitive to what feeds it. I was never entirely convinced with a loan HDX into NDAC/555PS. I significantly preferred the NDX into NDAC/555PS, don't ask me why..but I have my suspicions.

So if ultimate SQ is your option, then you could use HDX to stream and secondary play out and use the two current. SQ kings;

NDS/555PS ( option of further additional 555PS)

NDX into NDAC/555PS (option of replacement PSU on NDX)

Clearly the former is less boxes, but audition carefully, I did over many weeks, and I preferred the latter because of its rhythmic balance and increased dynamics, but the former sounds perhaps more detailed and smoother and is perhaps closer to the CDS3,type sound. It depends what you want mainly from your music and how much you listen. Both NDAC and NDS are based on. Naim's current state of the art. DAC/DSP/filtering/i2v architecture and design. The NDS does benefit from improved mechanical isolation so (in my experience) is easier to set up and position than the fussier NDAC.

Simon

I mean these are 2 alternatives

either NDAC with audiophilleo and computer transport. Which by the way would be much less expensive than NDX feeding the NDAC. And might even be better. 

or NDX/NDS alone

I don't like the idea of wastage and redundancies, especially when it makes no financial sense

I would like to thank you all for your inputs !

While my ideas are not entirely clear yet, you gave me most useful indications and I have now a clearer picture !!

I own already a HDX so that is a given and I will try to build it from there, maybe replacing the HDX and buying a NDX with a PS555 when I hit the jackpot in the lottery !