Swap NDX in place of nDAC & US: will sound quality go up, down, or sideways?

winkyincanada posted:

Tallan posted: 

The USB input on the nDAC has printed above it "For iPod, iTouch, iPhone and USB memory only."  In another Forum thread I was told it does not support server or computer input, so it doesn't sound promising.  I've never tested it, however.

Of course there is optical TOSLINK input, but I'm not sure if my Mini has optical out via the speaker/headphone port, which is a fairly recent feature and in any case TOSLINK limits the resolution to 96kHz and I have quite a few music files encoded at resolutions higher than that.

Mac Minis have had the Toslink for many years. It's not a recent feature. Don't worry about the 96khz limit. You won't hear any difference between that and 192khz.

The optical MAc Mini output is better than using its electrical SPDIF unless the nDAC has very good RF filtering, but not as good as bypassing the MM's sound card and using USB output and USB/SPDIF converter (or converter/isolator unless the RF removal of the nDAC is known to be exemplary).

Adam Zielinski posted:

Tallan posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

Just to be clear: Bluetooth functionality came in to NDX in the autmn of 2015. But a 5-6 year old NDX.... good that you've passed on.

ND5XS - if you are going to use it as a digital transport - good move.

Yep, that's the plan!  I'm going to mate the Auralic Aries Mini with a pair of powered Audioengine speakers I have in the TV nook as a little mini-system; should do nicely.

I presume you will connect the ND5XS to your nDAC (say, via DC1). With an XPS on the nDAC you will have a very good streamer.

Two points worth noting here:

1. If you like FM radio, you can actually get ND5XS with an FM/DAB module. Even if it runs via a digial connection, FM broadcast will still be playable. That is how I run my NDX with an FM module.

2. To ge the best of the nDAC a 555PS is needed. Ideally a pre-DR version. You can see a thread on this in the HiFi corner.

 

Thanks, Adam.  I actually had the FM module in a NAP 172 for the few months I had it and I was anything but impressed; perhaps the DAB/FM is much better than the module we get here in the States (no DAB, just FM) but what I experienced with the 172 was vastly bettered by a $400 NAD FM/AM unit in terms of tone, selectivity, sensitivity, spurious rejection, musicality, channel separation, dynamic range, signal-to-noise ratio, basically everything but convenience.  It was very disappointing.

As for the nDAC it is currently powered by a non-Naim XPS; if in the future I can find a good used 555PS at a reasonable price I would move that to the ND5XS and happily pop the 555 onto the nDAC.  Of course "555PS" and "reasonable price" don't really go together comfortably in a sentence, do they?  But it's definitely something to aim for! 

Tallan posted:

As for the nDAC it is currently powered by a non-Naim XPS; if in the future I can find a good used 555PS at a reasonable price I would move that to the ND5XS and happily pop the 555 onto the nDAC.  Of course "555PS" and "reasonable price" don't really go together comfortably in a sentence, do they?  But it's definitely something to aim for! 

I actually managed to find a pre-loved 555PS (non-DR ) for the same price as a new XP5 XS. I deliberately searched for a non-DR version - works better with an nDAC.

Adam Zielinski posted:

Tallan posted:

As for the nDAC it is currently powered by a non-Naim XPS; if in the future I can find a good used 555PS at a reasonable price I would move that to the ND5XS and happily pop the 555 onto the nDAC.  Of course "555PS" and "reasonable price" don't really go together comfortably in a sentence, do they?  But it's definitely something to aim for! 

I actually managed to find a pre-loved 555PS (non-DR ) for the same price as a new XP5 XS. I deliberately searched for a non-DR version - works better with an nDAC.

 

I'll keep an eye out.  But overall I've noticed reading these forums that you folk across the pond seem to have a much bigger and more active market in used/demo/trade-in Naim goods than I see here in the States.  Having been burned too often I won't buy off the FleaBay, and really prefer to stick to reputable dealers who theoretically at least test and vet 2nd hand equipment before selling it on.

That's how I got my 555PS - from a reputable dealer.

Could members please be respectful of forum rules with regard to unauthorised modifications (which includes the use of  non-Naim power supplies on Naim equipment).

Innocent Bystander posted:

Sorry, I had forgotten that limitation with the nDAC: I remembered that only one of the Naim DACs had a usb input, and so had a quick look at a picture of the nDAC and, seeing usb socket, assumed it was that one. Now it comes back to me, Richard Dane's current evaluation of the Gustard U12 is as a USB converter that can connect usb sources to the nDAC: so a Gustard is also needed (but it is neither expensive nor a big box, though clearly requires an expense ro trial)

Agreed. There should be an asynchronus USB/BNC or spdf renderer between Mac and ndac. There are other producers as well; T. Pardo (which I use with excelent results), Yellowtech (which is the most hyped one these days), Gustard and Audiophilio (which is used in the dac v1). You connect the Mac to the device with a good USB-cable (like raved and reviewed chord silver 90£) and the device connects with either BNC or spdf to ndac. Load down Audirvana (which sounds and works excelent and is fully NAS and TIDAL integrated and can be controlled by mobile-app) on Mac mini or MacBook air (like me), then you can compare Ndx vs Ndac, I think!

Fred

Tallan posted:

So after due consideration today I called my dealer to ask if on the off chance he has a demo NDX he'd sell, and he does!  "But it doesn't support Bluetooth..."  "How old is it?" asks I, warily.  

"5 or 6 years..."  Yikes!

Long story short it is too old to support BT or more importantly Tidal without a long trip back to the factory, and I decided to go with a new ND5 xs instead, so that's streaming and Tidal sorted.  My space concerns were alleviated when I realized that the ND5 will mean I can stream from my US via any convenient Ethernet connection, of which I have many, and it will no longer need to be within BNC cable length of the nDAC. 

I figured the biggest differences between the NDX & ND5 is in their DACs, neither of which I'd use.  In any event the ND5 has been glowingly reviewed and I'm positive it will be a big step up in SQ and convenience from what I'm using now.

Thanks to everyone for their input!

Glad it all worked out and that your dealer gave you the correct information that, as per my earlier post, not all NDX models are Spotify, Tidal or HD audio compatible.  Which was the reason I made the point at the time.

King Size posted:

Glad it all worked out and that your dealer gave you the correct information that, as per my earlier post, not all NDX models are Spotify, Tidal or HD audio compatible.  Which was the reason I made the point at the time.

Indeed your post kept me from making an expensive or at least time consuming mistake; many thanks.  Even my dealer was unaware of the issue and needed to call Naim for verification.