Need a Streamer to go with our Nait XS + Flatcap

ND5 XS would seem the obvious choice. You can upgrade it along the line by addding a power supply (XP5 XS) or external dac.

(Your next decision is where to store your digitised music; I'd suggest a NAS drive, but search around here on the forum.)

I wonder about the "cost-effectiveness" of converting the 5x to a transport. Seems you could sell the 5x, buy a decent transport, and still have some money left in pocket .... unless you're keen on keeping the look of full-size Naim black boxes on your rack?

ND5 XS 

The XS series simply sounds good together

Apple TV3 + DAC V1 is all you need if iTunes is your primary music source....

None of the streamers can be used with a Flatcap XS - it is designed to power only an amp and a CD5XS.

DAC V-1 canonot be upgraded with an external PSU, plus it visually does not match the XS series.

I would keep the CD5 XS - it is a fine player on its own, especially with a Flatcap. 

Get an ND5 XS - your upgrade path would be an external PSU, from the XS series.

Another thing you could do is swap the Nait for a 172/155. Alternatively just add an ND5xs and leave the CD player as it is. 

Indeed, you can buy a recent S/H CD5 XS that was originally designed to offer digital output to the nDAC for less than 1300£ . A better option than converting CD5x to digital out only (no reversal).

As for streaming, ND5 is the obvious path. Add then a nDAC, now greatly updated, to bring both 5XS and ND5 to a different league. All slim line. A no brainer really. I dare to write without a trial or even a demo - what a blasphem on this forum.  

Chag -

Simples, ND5 XS. Excellent streamer and a natural partner for your nait XS. 

I was in your boat a year or two ago. I'm with the others, go ND5XS, maybe a used one to reduce depreciation if you are unsure about the commitment and want out. I ended up going the route Chag is suggesting to you. I added an ND5XS to my XS and it seemed a natural partner. To upgrade that, out of curiosity, I added the nDAC later. The XS is plenty good enough to show the difference in sources. When I moved to the SN2, this source is still acquitting itself well and for further hijinx, it leaves the option to swap the ND5 for an NDX, add power supplies, change DAC, whatever. I like the flexibility Naim offers.

As for the DAC in the ND5 being better than the CD5X, don't know about that one. Could be a tossup considering your CD5X has a flatcap. That's got an engaging way about it all its own. See if you like the ND5XS presentation and if you do, you can either swap your CD5X for a CD5XS with the digital out, convert yours, pick up something cheaper with a digital out to serve as a transport, simply leave the CD5X attached as it is if you like it, or sell it and go streaming altogether. A lot of options open up with the streamer.

I think there's a nice visual tidiness to an all Naim stack. It appeals to my IT rack-mount thinking, where our chassis rack components are expressed in units of 1.75 inches. We think in "U"s - 1U, 2U, 4U, etc. The XS series are 1U boxes, the Classic is 2U, etc. Wonder if I could slip some Naim gear into our datacenter to liven things up a bit? Tell everybody they are encryption appliances?

Sorry for TMI Skip. Go for the ND5XS, I think you'll love it and it'll leave you in a flexible position.