XD5 XS Run in?

My NDX sounded fantastic cold from new box,  it improved over a week or so,  but it was never dry, thin or less than iRadio

How is the streaming set up - wireless or wired - & what are the connection details 

Hi mike

Set up is a wired connection, although it is through a Netgear Powerline 500

Network connections are;

Router > Powerline > Powerline > ND5 XS

Router > Synology NAS

I don't have any problems with drop out or such so have not added a switch to isolate the streaming etc

Powerlines are not my favourite way to connect ethernet,  lots of chat & some techie stuff if you search the forum,  plus search www info on EU standards & compliance issues, some have been banned for non-compliance.  That said, as far as I can see the Netgear Powerline 500 is OK.  

I am also not a fan of using home wireless router as a switch, most are not really switches & although they will stream 24/192 OK they can't identify the source or intended destinations of the information received & they send data to all the devices connected to the network, including the one that sent it. They also can’t send & receive at the same time & this together with data distribution limitations makes them slow & overload is a potential problem.  

So I expect you can guess what I would advise to do.

As an experiment,  can you load a 24/192 album,  or even just one track, on a USB stick & try playing from that & comparing the same track from the Synology.   If it sounds better than your streaming setup,  that has shown you

(a) If something is really wrong with the ND5 streaming 

(b) how good a wired network should sound.  

Excellent response Mike many thanks.... I will drop above said album onto USB and listen at length tonight

Cheers

Chris

I agree with Mike as to how to test, however i'm not sure that the album you mention is the best to try. I find this album a little thin myself.

Also iradio and the NAS will both be coming across the Powerlines so both should be effected.

My ND5 and NDX were also never thin, even straight from the box.

Graeme

I'm wondering if it's a little psychosomatic in terms of the set up i've moved from and it's sound characteristics and what I should be hearing now?

Good point re: the choice of album Graeme.... Silly of me really as I don't really 'know' the album as it's one of a few I bought ready for the ND5 XS and it's ability to be able to play hi res music (schoolboy error I know)

Easy enough to drag any number of albums to a USB stick for comparison. I did exactly that, found an improvement, and then moved my NAS to the listening room to get a fully wired Ethernet setup through a switch, which closed the gap. I still use WiFi to connect all that to my router for iRadio etc. via an Airport Express.

Very interested in your ND5 XS and how it sounds...  Please let us know.  

I tried the Powerline route and it seemed to now work well.  I put all my Cds on a USB stick and that sounds best to me.  I put a 4 port wireless network bridge at the Hi-Fi and connect my Server and Qute at that point.  Still think that for critical listening the USB sounds better, but for general music enjoyment the uPnp is fine this way.

Could be that we're barking up the wrong tree here? Apart from possible burn-in issues, how is the ND5 set up? Is it on a decent rack, and what's the rest of your system?

System wise I using;

ProAc Response D15 Floorstanding speakers

Roksan Caspian M2 Amp

Naim ND5 XS (obviously )

Chord Odyssey 4 speaker cable

Mark Grant HD1500 interconnects

All sat on a 'resonable' stand (Sound Organisation) not brilliant but it's stable.

I have three sorbothane isolation blocks under the ND5 XS (really just because I had them under my CD player which is now replaces by the Naim)

Might well be the wrong tree Chris,  if the benchmark is OK with Radio,  its the same system for UPnP.

But valid considerations for system optimisation even so.  

Unfortunately too far to route at the minute (35 feet to the Router) I wish I could get the house wired with some Cat6 but thats another job...

I'll have a look at the transcode option thanks

Think I need close listening comparison.... I'm stuck as to wonder if the little radio I've listened to just 'sounds punchier' due to all the boost they put on the compressed music these days (if that makes sense)

Really ? I foolishly just thought 'more isolation = better' ..... 

Don't change too many things at the same time, one change & try that

Man with one watch knows the time,  man with two watches is not sure  

I used the same Sound Organisation table for 25 years until I replaced it with an Isoblue last year. It was a much bigger sound quality upgrade than I was expecting. Worth looking out for second hand, as they aren't cheap. Also look out for Hutter or Naim Fraim Lite. Also, see if removing the Sorbothane helps?

Good point ..... noted 

Cheers I'll have a look at those