I need a CD player and I would appreciate some advice from the wiser community. I have an all olive Naim system' 250, 72, a hicap and SBL's. I'm considering either a secondhand CDX or a CD5X. Whilst the CDX would look at home in my present set-up, I'm not averse aesthetically to the CD5X. Any thoughts gratefully considered.
CDX or CD5X
Posted by: Johnny M on 15 June 2017
Posted on: 15 June 2017 by DrMark
Interesting, because these are the 2 Naim CDP I have owned in my life. I owned the CDX with my old olive system, and then when I started into black boxes I had the CD5X. When I had Olive, I had the exact same electronics & speakers as you do, and I just LOVED the sound of that system.
I would imagine any CDX you find will either had to have been serviced (a good thing) or need to be serviced (not as good) - it always seemed to me to be one of those Naim pieces that a lot of people weren't so "loving" about, but i thought it was really good.
That said, I also liked my CD5X a lot, and sometimes regret selling it, but i needed to do something to help recover cost when I moved from CD5X/FC2X/SN/HC to the 272/250DR.
I would say the CDX is a bit more "forward" than the CD5X, some might call it harsh. (I didn't find it so, especially with the Olive electronics.) I did not use a PS on it, and I tried the CD5X with and without the FC2X, which I didn't feel added much if anything.
I guess it would depend on what are your source listening habits overall (will you ever include streaming?), whether the used CDX has been serviced or is at a price that makes it worthwhile irrespective of having had or needing service. And perhaps Richard Dane can chime in on the availability of the transport - I don't think that Naim has any more of the Philips VAM 1205 transports, but I could be wrong (I am pretty good at that), or they may have something else that can be subbed in if the time comes.
In short, based on my experience, you won't regret either choice, and when I had the CDX with the same system as you have I was a happy camper. But the CD5X is also a great piece...I just never used it with the Olive components back when I had them.
My 50 cents worth of free advice...or opinion.
Posted on: 15 June 2017 by Johnny M
Thank you, well worth 50 cents.
Posted on: 15 June 2017 by Innocent Bystander
This seems to be a duplicate of another thread with only the name 'Naim' omitted from the title...
Posted on: 15 June 2017 by mlauner
Serviced CDX is superior to CD5X. XPS takes it to another level.
Posted on: 15 June 2017 by Richard Dane
Johnny, you appear to have two threads on the same subject running concurrently - must be something in the air today. I'm going to close this one and let the other run.