Idly wondering (NDX, NAP 300), always dangerous

Today:  

ND5 XS / 252 DR / 250 / NACA 5 very nice System!

Next Year:

NDS / 555 PS / 252 DR / 300 DR / NACA 5  Serious Shit! 

2018:

NDS / 555 PS / 552 DR / 300 DR / Full Loom   Super Serious Shit! 

Its Easy Spending someone's else's Money!  

You can't go wrong with source first. But... since you'll only be using the streaming section of the NDX, will it really be much of an upgrade over that of the ND5X ?

Staying with source first, I would look at trying an RCA to DIN Super Lumina in place of the HiLine. An expensive cable, but as musically significant as a box upgrade, to my ears anyway. I have the DIN-DIN version and it literally transforms the two sources I've tried it with (nDAC and CDX), compared to the HiLine, feeding the SN2.

Also, you could investigate different *digital* cables to the DC1.

Jan

The NDX does an excellent job of reclocking the stream that he ND5X doesn't do. There are a few Hugo users out there that have kept the NDX for its ability to do this for a perfectly timed jitter-free stream.

That said, I am not sure anyone would actually buy one just for that. Some prefer the NDX, others, the Hugo. If you are happy with the Hugo I might be inclined to stay with that and get a bargain on an 300 (2008 model will need recapping soon as well as DR and recapping costs are not that cheap).

My feeling is also that, if you hypothetically did prefer the NDX sound, a bare NDX on a 252 is not quite the source a preamp that revealing needs. An XPSDR brings it up to the right level. So NDX+XPS2+DRing the 250 would be a very compelling way to build a balanced system for similar cost. But you need to be really sure before letting go of a Hugo. And I think Allante93 is dead right when hypothesising about where you might be in a few years. If that scenario seems realistic then don't worry about a building a balanced system today. Go for the blocks needed to go to the NDS 5xx system as and when you get the chance.

Ah. Thanks for the info. Not to derail the thread, but what other DAC-less streamer would you recommend to provide an equivalent reclocked data stream. Is the Auralic as good?

The Hugo does not need any reclocking from the streamer. Upgrading from ND5XS to NDX to feed a Hugo is not a good use of your money.

I use a squeezebox touch from the optical output into Hugo and it sounds fantastic to me.

The only DAC that will replace a Hugo in my home will be a better one from Chord, everything else is just not in that league that Chord has reached.

So I would advise you to get the 250.2 to DR upgrade, and then buy as Jan-Erik correctly advised a new interconnect for the Hugo (SL RCA-DIN)

The 250DR is one of those truly jaw-dropping moments in life where it will simply amaze and delight you how good it is.

and then once you get the 250DR and SL,  call it a day and enjoy the music even more.

Having used both I can't agree with this Analoguemusic. The NDX makes enough difference to truly reveal the qualities of the Hugo ime.

G

Rob Watts who invented the Hugo states categorically that the Hugo reclocks the signal and is not sensitive to better streamers. Even if there is some perceived improvement, it is not a good use of money

Any differences heard are due to noise injected into the hugo.

Graeme are you using the optical input on the Hugo? That is the one that Rob Watts recommends.

Ah, that may be where the difference lies. I'm using SPDIF BNC-RCA.

Rob Watts also said a 2Qute is a Hugo in terms of SQ mind....Again, I did not find this to be the case.

G

Yes - SPDIF.

G

Nick

The 250DR is a major improvement on the 250.2. Upgrading to NDX will not yield anywhere near what upgrading to 250DR will yield. Sorry for repeating myself, but I am a big fan of the new DR amps.

the 250DR just gets out of the way (much like a Hugo does, but even more so) and lets you enjoy the music.

It doesn't draw any attention to itself, and all you are left with is that Naim rhythm and timing, and the music emerges from a very silent background, it is one fantastic music making machine.

If you have seen an OLED TV compared to a Pioneer Kuro plasma, you will understand, the colors just pop more on the completely black background of an OLED. The plasma is still extremely good, but the OLED has achieved total black background.

That is what a DR amp does, complete absence of any noise, just more music, more groove, more fun.

Enough to justify the NDX to my mind. It really needs an extended home dem.

I sold my NDX and got a S/H ND5 figuring it would be the same into a Hugo.  Suffice to say, via another Qute 2 diversion, the NDX returned.

G

There is some good advice coming from Greame and analogmusic - the only thing I'd take issue with is the acceptance of everything Rob Watts says as the absolute truth. Rob Watts is in the business of selling equipment, and his view that the streaming source makes no difference if one uses a Hugo needs to be seen in that context. Graeme's findings, that the NDX sounds better than the ND5, when played into the Hugo, are infinitely more valuable than Chord marketing piffle. 

So I'd get an NDX. This has the benefit of being the same size as the rest of the boxes. 

To the amplifier- I have owned a 250.2, a 300 and now a 250DR. I never liked the 250.2 but loved the 300. The 250DR is, as analogmusic says, something of a game changer, and to me it's far more like a 300 than a 250.2. Its ability to get out of the way and let the music through is just amazing. 

In my view, therefore, the 250DR would be all you need. But before getting it, think hard about whether you ultimately want a 300. It's not about need, but want. And if you think you will want to get one at some point, go for that now rather than DRing the 250.2. 

Well, his last name is Watts.

Isn't that what it's all about in the world of hi-fi?

Ha! It's a good job he's not called Robert Talking-Bollocks....

I think there are other users here too that find, regardless of what Chord say, the Hugo to be improved by reclocking for UPnP rather than feeding it directly from a PC or something.

I can't remember who but I am sure there are a couple members who do direct digital to Hugo except when they do UPnP and they then use the NDX. I won't argue the point further since I am personally not a Hugo user. Give it time and more users will pipe in to confirm their findings.

Just remember, it won't be the first time a manufacturer claims something makes no difference while their customer base thinks otherwise. Take Naim and cables for example. That went on for a long time until SL came around.