NDX!

Posted by: T38.45 on 08 March 2011

Yesterday evening, I received the NDX+XPS for home demo  on 252-250-S600.
After unpacking and connecting the NDX (it took me roughly 15min to setup and connect)- I could start the session. Entering the WLAN key tooks most of the time... I used WLAN and LAN directly.
My benchmark is the Majik DS+NDAC I run for months now, my music is stored on 2x QNAP with flac, mp3 and some wav (ripped cd, linnrecords, hdtracks etc)
I started with web-radio.... and I was not sure what I got here...it sounds almost too good for a "pooor" web stream! Switched on another station- and again- a wooow- "how can this be?" Music stands in my room- incredible good! It floats out of my S600 and the system is not even warm- folks, this was WEB radio...
Now to the hard stuff...I changed to upnp NAS with G.F.Handel "Ariodante" (flac cd quality). To make it short: simply not from this world....this combo swings Mr.Handel  like hell! My first impression: Naim builds his gear with body, earth, blood and sweat and soul- I have no clue how they do it, but they do it better than anybody out there! If you compare it with Linn gear ( I audit few weeks ago Klimax DS), you may find that KDS is more "airy" and very transparent. Linn reminds me on a painting from Chagall I saw on a church window...you can look through the window and see the colour...Naim is more like Caravaggio's painting: darker, lighter, colourful- and the body is there...  
Changed music to Steely Dan (Aja)...comparing with MDS+NDAC: more details, better bass- no MUCH better bass, more swing...more 3D- "Hi Walter- how are you?", and again- more body (how can I describe this,,,,?)
Through the evening Bach, Scarlatti, Manu Katche and Christina Pluhar joined me- with alomst and incredible physical presentation of their art....great!
Should I test the NDX+NDAC or the NDAC+XPS? No, I don't want because NDX+XPS is exactly what I was hoping to find....and yes- my dealer got the call this morning, the combo doesn't go back:-)

Dear Naim- thank you for the pleasure and sorry for my bad english!

Ralf
(please hurry up with the ipad control SW!!!!!)
Posted on: 08 March 2011 by realhifi
Finally.  I can see a few of the Naim folks that knew what this thing was smiling and nodding their heads....silently saying to the screen as they read this, I told you so.
Posted on: 08 March 2011 by pcstockton
are you then selling the DAC? 
-Patrick
Posted on: 08 March 2011 by T38.45
Hi Patrick,

yes, NDX comes with digi in ports, that is ok for me.
Posted on: 08 March 2011 by Data
My NDX is coming next week but Ralf, you broadly echo the experience I had a few weeks ago: good flow, swing, groove. I sold my DAC.
Posted on: 08 March 2011 by Hook
Hi Ralf -

Congrats on your NDX!   Am glad to hear that it was exactly what you were looking for.

But if you have never heard the effect that the XPS2 has on the DAC, then why not give that a listen as well?

Hook
Posted on: 08 March 2011 by realhifi
Originally Posted by Data:
My NDX is coming next week but Ralf, you broadly echo the experience I had a few weeks ago: good flow, swing, groove. I sold my DAC.
Thank god we're back to talking in music terms instead of hifi ones like "detail, transparency and imaging".
Posted on: 08 March 2011 by AMA
Originally Posted by realhifi:
Originally Posted by Data:
My NDX is coming next week but Ralf, you broadly echo the experience I had a few weeks ago: good flow, swing, groove. I sold my DAC.
Thank god we're back to talking in music terms instead of hifi ones like "detail, transparency and imaging".
These are exactly the terms which take higher level Naim sources ahead of lower level Naim sources 
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by pylod
i wished someone could comment on a bare ndx and not straight away with xps...

how does it perform against naim cd players, which i know quite well. and where in the line ?...
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by Asenna04
I would also like to know how it compares against a nDAC. Does it better say the nDAC when playing from USB on both units? One would guess the nDAC is a better since Naim suggest that the nDAC is an upgrade for the NDX. But then again we have been told to not jump to any conclusions and listern to the NDX. Does this mean that the NDX sounds better then the nDAC but when the 2 are used together the far exceed the sound quality of the nDAC.

What happens when you add the XPS or 555PS to the units?

A lot of unknowns

ASenna04
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by likesmusic
I can hear a little voice saying "voicing".
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by T38.45
Originally Posted by Hook:


       


         class="quotedText">

        Hi Ralf -

Congrats on your NDX!   Am glad to hear that it was exactly what you were looking for.

But if you have never heard the effect that the XPS2 has on the DAC, then why not give that a listen as well?

Hook



Hi Hook,

Thank you!

I don't want a 3 way solution with rendering+dac+psu.. I'm in heaven with the performance I've got now. Sorry that I didn't test all the other options- there are so many;-)

I used the NDAC mainly for MDS and some aTV. Now connecting aTV directly to NDX  (more fun than serious listening). USB port was never an option for me since I stored my music on NAS.

Hope that you'll have a chance to audit NDX soon!



Ralf
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by T38.45
Hi Allen,



My dealer picked up NDAC and MDS this morning,,,,,so sorry, some other Naime here has to compare ;-)



Nice holiday



Ralf
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by T38.45
:-)
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by lhau
Yes
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by Robbert
Originally Posted by T38.45:
Hi Patrick,
yes, NDX comes with digi in ports, that is ok for me.
Hi, how many inputs does it have?

I have a nDAC now, will it be an upgrade for me??
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by Robbert
Originally Posted by T38.45:
:-)
Please a (good)picture from the back please, with the digital inputs.
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by T38.45
Hi Robbert,

You have to listen by yourself I guess... for me, it was a big jump!

NDX comes with optical, coax and bnc



Ralf
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by realhifi
Originally Posted by T38.45:
Originally Posted by Hook:


       


         class="quotedText">

        Hi Ralf -

Congrats on your NDX!   Am glad to hear that it was exactly what you were looking for.

But if you have never heard the effect that the XPS2 has on the DAC, then why not give that a listen as well?

Hook



Hi Hook,

Thank you!

I don't want a 3 way solution with rendering+dac+psu.. I'm in heaven with the performance I've got now. Sorry that I didn't test all the other options- there are so many;-)

I used the NDAC mainly for MDS and some aTV. Now connecting aTV directly to NDX  (more fun than serious listening). USB port was never an option for me since I stored my music on NAS.

Hope that you'll have a chance to audit NDX soon!



Ralf
I would say that you are using it perfectly and I agree with your steadfast decision to listen to it just as you are.  Bravo to you for not even entertaining stringing the nDac along with the NDX!  It appears that it is as advertised; a one box (or two w/ power supply) solution to streaming and also a fine digital hub for other peripherals such as TV, etc.
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by js
I haven't heard it but I do recall Naim have shown it hooked to a Niam DAC at show so no, I doubt it's better. I'm sure they're close with similar attributes and it's config prevents the use of less than great streamers, interfaces and setup from the equation for those that thought it unimportant. It also gives a nice package to those that were just holding off and happily using their Sonos etc. in anticipation of Naim's take on Hi End value. Of course a listen is required as we haven't had many impressions but Naim seem rather confident on this one.

As has been stated, hopefully we can just get back to how well it plays tunes instead of arguing about things nobody has a full understanding of.
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by Tog
Originally Posted by realhifi:
Originally Posted by T38.45:
Originally Posted by Hook:


       


         class="quotedText">

        Hi Ralf -

Congrats on your NDX!   Am glad to hear that it was exactly what you were looking for.

But if you have never heard the effect that the XPS2 has on the DAC, then why not give that a listen as well?

Hook



Hi Hook,

Thank you!

I don't want a 3 way solution with rendering+dac+psu.. I'm in heaven with the performance I've got now. Sorry that I didn't test all the other options- there are so many;-)

I used the NDAC mainly for MDS and some aTV. Now connecting aTV directly to NDX  (more fun than serious listening). USB port was never an option for me since I stored my music on NAS.

Hope that you'll have a chance to audit NDX soon!



Ralf
I would say that you are using it perfectly and I agree with your steadfast decision to listen to it just as you are.  Bravo to you for not even entertaining stringing the nDac along with the NDX!  It appears that it is as advertised; a one box (or two w/ power supply) solution to streaming and also a fine digital hub for other peripherals such as TV, etc.
Well not quite a one/two box since it also needs integ/pre/power amp at least three boxes before naim power supplies etc etc.

Tog
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by Salmon Dave
I'm not too bothered in comparisions with the DAC - if the NDX starts getting these kind of raves, I'll have a listen and make my own conclusions.

Ralf - interested to know if your version has the FM/DAB module and what this sounds like!
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by T38.45
Hi,



I got the NDX without radio and really don't miss it (not 2years ago, I sold my NAT02 to fund Majik DS- since that day I'm totally happy with the webradio)







Ralf
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by Data
From memory, the nDAC + NDX sounded more impressive than the NDX/555 but to me it wasn't as fun or as involving. May be voicing, may not be. Usual caveats apply.
Posted on: 09 March 2011 by AMA
Originally Posted by AllenB:
Nonetheless, I would't entertain a NDX with a nDAC
I will better wait for the next streamer (NDS?) --  something like an NDX streamer with no-compromise DAC  

Most probably it will need XPS to function.

And Naim should do something with Red Book section to make it sounding softer. If they managed to build this in CD555 why not to use this experience in a streamer?
Posted on: 11 March 2011 by realhifi
Originally Posted by AllenB:
Yes, but we all want to know what nDAC brings to the NDX party, and why Naim still classify this as an upgrade.
Not all of us.  I dig the living daylights out of the idea of a one box streaming solution.