Naim ND5 XS - beginners set up advice.

Posted by: Giles Dudley on 07 November 2015

My Naim arrive yesterday, just looking for advice on a basic setup that would get the most out of the device?

 

Such as, do replacement power cords make a difference? I know Naim sell them for £500, but others will do them for <£60.

 

Also, I assume it better to link the ND5 via ether net cable? However, how much quality do you loose, i thought half the reason for getting the it was that everything could source music wirelessly.

 

 

Please keep suggestions low cost! 

Posted on: 07 November 2015 by Mike-B

Welcome to Naim, you can't fail to enjoy the ride.

Don't get involved with mains cables yet, OK they might do something but you will get far more bang for your buck by getting the basic set up right first.

Wireless is OK but depending on the environment it's working in, it is susceptible to drop outs & unable to carry high density signals such as 24/192.

Ethernet is the best by far, ND5 to the router - or even better a switch & a branch off the switch to the router - &  another  Ethernet to the NAS or whatever storage system you have.

 

Posted on: 07 November 2015 by Simon-in-Suffolk

As above, and if you have issues with discovery with the Naim app on the iPad, then plug an Apple Airport Express wifi access point into the switch and use that wifi network ID for your iPad.

Simon

Posted on: 07 November 2015 by David Hendon

Hi Giles

 

i would suggest you don't waste your money on replacement power cords for the time being.  The one Naim supplies works fine and once you know what your ND5 XS sounds like you can start to think about power cords if you want (many people never do).

 

Wired ethernet is better than wifi mainly because you get no problems of insufficient wifi throughput caused by interference, weak wifi signals or competing wifi uses by other family members. You can certainly start with wifi, but if you get any breaks in sound or other such issues, then trying an ethernet cable just laid across the floor will tell you whether that sorts the problem.  For the best sound quality people use ethernet cable but others stick with wifi for the convenience.

 

So give it a go as it is and you can play around with these other things later.

 

Also don't forget that new Naim kit has to run in for a few weeks before you are at full SQ potential, so I suggest don't rush into anything in the early days.  You need to establish your baseline.

 

Enjoy!

 

David

Posted on: 07 November 2015 by hungryhalibut

What other equipment do you have? Adding details to your profile can made advice more focussed. The very first thing I'd do is ensure you have a decent quality stand, if you don't have one already. 

 

Regarding mains leads, the one in the box is very good, and there is certainly no need to replace it until you have the rest of the system optimised.