Is CDX2 digital output enhanced by an XPS? (or is it only the analogue out)

I cannot speak from experience, but I expect the XPS would improve even the digital output - after all the CDX mains plug and internal power supply is not used when externally power.  Of course, best to hear from some one who has actually tried it.

Charlie

There is very little, if no, effect of an external power supply on the digital section of CDX2. But....
The best way is to test if for your self.

I do like my CDX2 when it runs as a digital transport. I used to run it into an nDAC, powered by a 555PS (non DR). That was a seriously good player. I've never tried it into an NDS - will have to test this one.

Now for the fun of it, I'm reverting to the analogue out once I find time to put a newly arrived 555PS on it.

RJ,

Seems you have several queries embedded into your OP. Might be a good idea to contact Naim and see what they say. While there might be some theoretical, engineering logic to "unburdening the internals" of a CDP with a PSU for digital output quality, the vast audible improvement is obviously designed for the analog. If there is any advantage to the digital output by adding a PSU, seems your ears ought to be the final arbiter for VFM given the cost of the gear you have on hand. As I see it, you're simply dealing with a transport which needn't be a high-cost, multi-box venture. I suspect the interconnects could play a greater role.

But maybe you're still also entertaining direct CD replay?

I believe the 'official line' is that it makes  no difference. There is one forum member (MDS ?) who uses a power supply on the CD player as well as one on the nDac and finds a difference. The only way to know for sure is to try it. Simply removing the XPS will give the answer. 

Yes. Ditch the DC1 cable. Only effective at bringing out the flat and undernourished nature of some Naim gear (without power supply).

Better cable that costs more than DC1, but less than DC1 + power supply = happiness 

TOBYJUG posted:

Yes. Ditch the DC1 cable. Only effective at bringing out the flat and undernourished nature of some Naim gear (without power supply).

Better cable that costs more than DC1, but less than DC1 + power supply = happiness 

Do you have any suggestions Tobyjug?

Assuming they would be removed pretty quickly by the ever vigilant Mr Dane, would you email them to me at roger.staines@live.co.uk ?  Thanks.

As Nigel says above, I have some experience of this.

Some years ago when I hankered to upgrade my nDAC's performance by adding a PSU I was expecting to go the traditional route i.e. just adding an XPS2 to the nDAC.  However my very knowledgeable dealer (I think having discussed with his contacts in Salisbury) suggested we try a couple of options.  So as well as the XPS2 option the 'alternative' option we tried was using two of the then newly released XP5XS PSUs. One on the CDX2.2 and the other on the nDAC.  The cost was pretty much the same. Interestingly the two XP5XS four-box solution outperformed the three-box (CDX2.2/nDAC/XPS2) solution so I went with the former. The improvement to the digital signal source by .

Of course I've had to accept a fair bit of redundancy in my CDX2.2 as I don't use it's internal PSU or DAC but at the end of the day it's the performance of the whole system that matters. I've since upgraded the XP5XS on the nDAC to 555PS(non-DR) and more recently to 555PSDR and my four-box CD set-up has proved an excellent source as other elements of my system have been upgraded. 

What I don't know is whether upgrading the XP5 on the CDX2.2 would bring any further benefit. I suspect not as a the major benefit from simply moving to an external PSU on the CDX2.2 has been achieved but life is full of surprises.

So, Ron, as one of two others have said it's worth experimenting to see if you can hear a benefit. I did.

Mike

Ok - my view is that the best thing about the CDX2 is its DAC and output stage - and so I see no benefit in using a CDX2.2 to feed a DAC - you might as well get a cheaper transport. The DAC implementation of the CDX2 is really something special - and that can benefit from an XPS2 - though preferring mine since I upgraded to a 252DR with no external PSU

My experience is different, Simon. I've tried my CDX2.2 just powered by my 555PS i.e. using its DAC, and while the performance was good it was miles behind the performance of my four-box set-up.

I would also beg to differ on the difference that digital transports can make.  Before I got my CDX2.2 I had an Accuphase DP80-L transport which had had its internal clock upgraded by Trichord.  When new (about 1990) it cost about £4k. I thought it was pretty much the best transport I was ever likely to need.  And then one day my dealer brought round a CDX2.2 to 'try' as a transport.  Over that weekend it was very clear to me that Accuphase/nDAC/XPS2 was outperformed by CDX2.2/nDAC(bare). A very, very clear demonstration to me of the importance of the digital feed.

Mike 

Like S-in-S, a good NaimMate™ of mine has also gone commando on his CDX2.

C.

Mike - i certainly don't doubt the benefit of digital feeds/transports and I have written more than a few words about it on this forum - but I have found some very capable CD transports out there - but to my mind the magic of the CDX2 is its DAC stage - but clearly your experience differs and its great you are enjoying its goodness feeding an NDAC. I  ended up preferring  my CDX2 over my CDS3 - although the latter sounded more like a conventional CD transport and quality DAC.. or even a NDS/555.. But I have yet to find a DAC that sounds like a CDX2. My CDS3 has long since found a new home but I could never part with my X2

Christopher_M posted:

Like S-in-S, a good NaimMate™ of mine has also gone commando on his CDX2.

C.

Love the expression, Chris. Made me chuckle. 

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Mike - i certainly don't doubt the benefit of digital feeds/transports and I have written more than a few words about it on this forum - but I have found some very capable CD transports out there - but to my mind the magic of the CDX2 is its DAC stage - but clearly your experience differs and its great you are enjoying its goodness feeding an NDAC. I  ended up preferring  my CDX2 over my CDS3 - although the latter sounded more like a conventional CD transport and quality DAC.. or even a NDS/555.. But I have yet to find a DAC that sounds like a CDX2. My CDS3 has long since found a new home but I could never part with my X2

Fair enough, Simon.  I've never heard the famous CDS3, though my dealer has suggested it might be a bit too laid back for my tastes. 

Mike

Mike - yes the CDS3 was certainly smooth and can I say more 'consistent' across a wider range of music - but for me it didn't have the magic and slightly larger than life sound of the CDX2.

Much food for thought, thanks gentlemen.  I've never tried the analogue output of my CDX2, it went straight to digital out and feed the NDS, whose DAC is renouned to be something special.

Right now I'm hearing very little difference between my CDX2/NDS/555PS/Chord Music into 552  and the CD555 with supplied Hiline also into the 552.  The CDX2 setup gives a deeper sound stage - the vocalist comes to the fore more, whereas the CD555 setup gives a very slightly clearer rendition of the vocals.  I'm playing the same CD on both players simultaneously and doing what my dealer says I shouldn't - flipping between the two inputs on my 552.  The other difference in setup is that the CDX2 sits on Frainlite with Fraim glass & balls and the CD555 is sitting on fraimlite with glass and no balls.

Having liberated one of the two 555PS's that normally drive my NDS in order to power the on-loan CD555 head unit, I'm inspired by posts above to disconnect it from the CD555 and connect up the CDX2 to it.  Having done this I'm also inspired to try the CDX2's analogue out with Hiline, maybe even moving the Chord Music from the NDS to the CDX2 to see what happens... although this last move would be a move too far - I need the Music between the NDS & 552, so it isn't spare, and if it 'works'  with the CDX2 analogue then that's a £3,500 additional spend just to connect the CDX2 to the preamp... ouch!!

It's getting complicated 

Roger

Hi Roger - I use a Hiline and full fat Fraim - bottom shelf - for my CDX2

rjstaines posted:

CDX2 sits on Frainlite with Fraim glass & balls and the CD555 is sitting on fraimlite with glass and no balls.

 

Having liberated one of the two 555PS's that normally drive my NDS in order to power the on-loan CD555 head unit, I'm inspired by posts above to disconnect it from the CD555 and connect up the CDX2 to it.  Having done this I'm also inspired to try the CDX2's analogue out with Hiline, maybe even moving the Chord Music from the NDS to the CDX2 to see what happens... although this last move would be a move too far - I need the Music between the NDS & 552, so it isn't spare, and if it 'works'  with the CDX2 analogue then that's a £3,500 additional spend just to connect the CDX2 to the preamp... ouch!!

After you've done all that, will you try the CD555 again but with some Naim balls and cups beneath the Fraim glass?

C.

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Hi Roger - I use a Hiline and full fat Fraim - bottom shelf - for my CDX2

hi Simon... CDX2 - bottom shelf... you're obviously a much younger man than me.   It takes me ten minutes of loosening up to reach the bottom shelf, and then only with the help of something to lean on !    (and as for getting up again... )    So my bottom shelves are laden with NAT05 & power supplies.   But your point about Hiline is interesting... and, importantly, affordable. Thanks.

Christopher_M posted:

rjstaines posted:

CDX2 sits on Frainlite with Fraim glass & balls and the CD555 is sitting on fraimlite with glass and no balls.

 

Having liberated one of the two 555PS's that normally drive my NDS in order to power the on-loan CD555 head unit, I'm inspired by posts above to disconnect it from the CD555 and connect up the CDX2 to it.  Having done this I'm also inspired to try the CDX2's analogue out with Hiline, maybe even moving the Chord Music from the NDS to the CDX2 to see what happens... although this last move would be a move too far - I need the Music between the NDS & 552, so it isn't spare, and if it 'works'  with the CDX2 analogue then that's a £3,500 additional spend just to connect the CDX2 to the preamp... ouch!!

After you've done all that, will you try the CD555 again but with some Naim balls and cups beneath the Fraim glass?

C.

Do you think balls & cups would make that much difference Christopher?  (as it happens I have a spare set of three in a drawer somewhere - they're not used because a STAX headphone amp usually sits on the shelf where I've put the CD555)

I'm prepared to say I reckon your CD555 would sound better than it does now if it was straight on to the wood of the Fraim. I mean, just a piece of Fraim glass, no.

Chris

Christopher_M posted:

I'm prepared to say I reckon your CD555 would sound better than it does now if it was straight on to the wood of the Fraim. I mean, just a piece of Fraim glass, no.

Chris

I was wondering what to first do tomorrow... now I know, thanks.

Roger

For the sake of completeness and since you have all the boxes at home anyhow...
You could also try this combo 
CDX2.2 with 555PS with a digital feed into you NDS / 555PS

rjstaines posted:

Christopher_M posted:

I'm prepared to say I reckon your CD555 would sound better than it does now if it was straight on to the wood of the Fraim. I mean, just a piece of Fraim glass, no.

Chris

I was wondering what to first do tomorrow... now I know, thanks.

Why the sarky response? I'm amazed you are expecting the best from a CD555 when it's not properly supported, that's all.

C.

Christopher_M posted:

rjstaines posted:

Christopher_M posted:

I'm prepared to say I reckon your CD555 would sound better than it does now if it was straight on to the wood of the Fraim. I mean, just a piece of Fraim glass, no.

Chris

I was wondering what to first do tomorrow... now I know, thanks.

Why the sarky response? I'm amazed you are expecting the best from a CD555 when it's not properly supported, that's all.

C.

Sorry Christopher, no sarcasm intended... I really was wondering what to do tomorrow and having read your post, decided to do as you suggest... try the CD555 on glass & balls and on bare wood. 

And I shall also try what Adam suggests - CDX2 + 555PS + digital out.

As I said with my warped humorous head on earlier - it's getting complicated.

Christopher_M posted:

I'm prepared to say I reckon your CD555 would sound better than it does now if it was straight on to the wood of the Fraim. I mean, just a piece of Fraim glass, no.

Chris

Well I didn't quite do this but what I did do was to place the balls & cups below the glass rather than place the glass dirctly on the Fraimlite shelf...

I could have lost money on the result !  I was expecting little or no discernable difference, but what I heard was amazing !  The sound stage became altogether deeper and more focussed... just by adding 3 balls and cups.  

Christopher's suggestion that just a sheet of glass wasn't providing the proper support was bang on !

Next step - explore Adam's suggestion - drive the CDX2 with a 555PS.

And after that, explore the analogue output as Simon suggests.