n-DAC/555PS against the NDX2/555PS

Hi Crackie, could you share a few more detils in the comprison you did her: NDX2/XPS to 272. How would you describe that comprison? Did you like the NDX2? Iver

It tells me something that dealers are apparently reluctant to demo the 555+nDac against the 555+NDX2.

Peter

if it was me I would ask the dealer to set up the NDX2 on your current set up which looking at your profile is  555/252/SCDR/300DR and then listen

I have heard the NDX2 bear through 252/SCDR/250DR and it was very good - week later heard it through 282/HCDR which sounded even better to be honest, the sound stage had really owned up with NDX2 being run in for a week

from what I have read the NDX2 offers more then the current range of DAC - but that does not mean in any way the current range can not fill your system with music

Iver, the one big difference was the soundstage grew and just sounded bigger with the NDX2/XPSDR vs the 272 DAC. 

It was a bit more interesting too, a bit more detail on offer. 

Antony, apparently this is the only one in Australia ATM and it is going to a few more naim product events this month too. But yes, I would love to get one for a home demo. - whenever that may be.

And that coukd well be a while,  as I don’t know when full stock for dealers will be available and/or if my local dealer get a demo. unit in to lend out. 

Another option is to try and snag a used/demo. NDS I suppose. Then again , that really would be an impossible comparison to make where I live...................

crackie posted:

Just wondering if anyone has yet had a chance to see how the NDX2/555PS fairs against the n-DAC/555PS.

We had a glorious naim event here in Perth, Australia, with Daniel (naim export/overseas manager) from naim HQ and the Australiasian importer Chris Murphy with the NDX2 on demo.

They could only pair the NDX2 with a XPS2 and A>B with the 272 internal DAC at the naim dealer. It did sound so very fast and clean (unfortunately  only with the 272 DAC as referance point for comparison ). 

I was so gratefull that we naim owners here at the ends of the earth could actually hear a NDX2, so I am now very interested to see other members opinions on how the n-DAC/55PS stacks up against it. 

Cheers,

Peter

 

* edit sorry, fat fingers and the title - please edit the correct this to 555PS if you can Richard.

Moderator: Edited.

Hi Crackie,

I’ve just come back from my dealer. I compared the NDX2 > nDAC > 555PSDR to NDX2 > 555PSDR. I already have the nDAC with 555PSDR. I have the NDX2 on order so I was keen to find out any differences in SQ and whether I should keep the nDAC. Personally I preferred the NDX2 with nDAC and 555PSDR. However, it all changed when I heard the ND555. It sounded awesome with the superlumina interconnect (apparently it comes with the hi-line included). I’ve now arranged a home demo with ND555 in a couple of weeks. I expect it highly likely that I’ll cancel the NDX2 order, sell the nDAC and go with the ND555. 

Very interested to hear your findings. Please post. I heard the ND555 into the statement at the Naim Factory last week (after a wonderful  2 hours with Roy George and Mark Raggett, and also a guest appearance by Paul Stephenson).

I have never heard a source sound as good as the ND555 into statement. Back in the real world since we have a HDX, DAC and XPS into 552,250  am very keen to see if the NDX2 can sub the HDX AND DAC or Just the HDX on its own.

also a big affinity with Perth WA as my wife from there and we go most years.

best wishes Devraj 

You had very elite company for listening

Hello Bongoman, was having the DAC a big difference 

bongoman posted:

crackie posted:

Just wondering if anyone has yet had a chance to see how the NDX2/555PS fairs against the n-DAC/555PS.

We had a glorious naim event here in Perth, Australia, with Daniel (naim export/overseas manager) from naim HQ and the Australiasian importer Chris Murphy with the NDX2 on demo.

They could only pair the NDX2 with a XPS2 and A>B with the 272 internal DAC at the naim dealer. It did sound so very fast and clean (unfortunately  only with the 272 DAC as referance point for comparison ). 

I was so gratefull that we naim owners here at the ends of the earth could actually hear a NDX2, so I am now very interested to see other members opinions on how the n-DAC/55PS stacks up against it. 

Cheers,

Peter

 

* edit sorry, fat fingers and the title - please edit the correct this to 555PS if you can Richard.

Moderator: Edited.

Hi Crackie,

I’ve just come back from my dealer. I compared the NDX2 > nDAC > 555PSDR to NDX2 > 555PSDR. I already have the nDAC with 555PSDR. I have the NDX2 on order so I was keen to find out any differences in SQ and whether I should keep the nDAC. Personally I preferred the NDX2 with nDAC and 555PSDR. However, it all changed when I heard the ND555. It sounded awesome with the superlumina interconnect (apparently it comes with the hi-line included). I’ve now arranged a home demo with ND555 in a couple of weeks. I expect it highly likely that I’ll cancel the NDX2 order, sell the nDAC and go with the ND555. 

With an offboard DAC, I would be tempted to go in the opposite direction and try an ND5XS2 if using it as a transport only. I have a suspicion that it might perform as well as an NDX2 when used like this. 

Dev B posted:

Hello Bongoman, was having the DAC a big difference?

Hi Dev B,

I found the NDX2 with 555PSDR very good but I preferred the NDX2 with digital out into the nDAC with PSU. The difference wasn’t huge but I heard a slightly bigger sound stage and extended bass with the nDAC. I would recommend a home demo to do thorough comparison and extended listening.

crackie posted:

Just wondering if anyone has yet had a chance to see how the NDX2/555PS fairs against the n-DAC/555PS.

We had a glorious naim event here in Perth, Australia, with Daniel (naim export/overseas manager) from naim HQ and the Australiasian importer Chris Murphy with the NDX2 on demo.

They could only pair the NDX2 with a XPS2 and A>B with the 272 internal DAC at the naim dealer. It did sound so very fast and clean (unfortunately  only with the 272 DAC as referance point for comparison ). 

I was so gratefull that we naim owners here at the ends of the earth could actually hear a NDX2, so I am now very interested to see other members opinions on how the n-DAC/55PS stacks up against it. 

Cheers,

Peter

* edit sorry, fat fingers and the title - please edit the correct this to 555PS if you can Richard.

Moderator: Edited.

As I mentioned in another thread, I think that the crucial question is whether

Ethernet > NDX 2

sounds better than

Ethernet > NDX 2 > DC1 > nDAC

for some decent amplification. This was not the case for the NDX and in the past many Naim users have deployed the NDX as a transport into nDAC, Hugo, etc. If the NDX 2 alone turns out to sound significantly better than the NDX 2 into the nDAC, then perhaps the times for the old nDAC are really over.

If not, nDAC users will probably look at alternative transports to feed their DACs. Upgrading from the NDX to the NDX 2 only to use the device as a transport seems a little bit of a waste of resources, let alone money.

bongoman posted:

crackie posted:

Just wondering if anyone has yet had a chance to see how the NDX2/555PS fairs against the n-DAC/555PS.

We had a glorious naim event here in Perth, Australia, with Daniel (naim export/overseas manager) from naim HQ and the Australiasian importer Chris Murphy with the NDX2 on demo.

They could only pair the NDX2 with a XPS2 and A>B with the 272 internal DAC at the naim dealer. It did sound so very fast and clean (unfortunately  only with the 272 DAC as referance point for comparison ). 

I was so gratefull that we naim owners here at the ends of the earth could actually hear a NDX2, so I am now very interested to see other members opinions on how the n-DAC/55PS stacks up against it. 

Cheers,

Peter

 

* edit sorry, fat fingers and the title - please edit the correct this to 555PS if you can Richard.

Moderator: Edited.

Hi Crackie,

I’ve just come back from my dealer. I compared the NDX2 > nDAC > 555PSDR to NDX2 > 555PSDR. I already have the nDAC with 555PSDR. I have the NDX2 on order so I was keen to find out any differences in SQ and whether I should keep the nDAC. Personally I preferred the NDX2 with nDAC and 555PSDR. However, it all changed when I heard the ND555. It sounded awesome with the superlumina interconnect (apparently it comes with the hi-line included). I’ve now arranged a home demo with ND555 in a couple of weeks. I expect it highly likely that I’ll cancel the NDX2 order, sell the nDAC and go with the ND555. 

Ah, righto then. Cheers for your thoughts. Looks like I may be only up for a sideways move at best then. Because I would have needed to sell the nDAC to free up funds for the NDX2.

As Chrissu suggested I may well be just as satisfied with a HDX>ND5XS2>nDAC/555PS.

Or perhaps a second hand NDS to better my nDAC/555PS. 

It starts to hurt my head the more I look into the possible streamer/DAC combinations...............

I moved from NDX NDac 555 to NDS - as soon as I plugged it in it was obvious the NDS was preferable. 

Whilst there are one or two forum folk that may prefer the NDac route they are in the minority.

For a very good but simple naim source the NDS is very good. 

Ill leave it to the early adopters to get their heads round the new offerings from Naim and get my 555 DR’d and enjoy that  for a while. Hopefully the hierarchy of Naim source will be clear by then.

Gary

Hi Gary

i think the question here is a tricky one as the NDX2 is supposed to beat the NDS due to a number of things (new streaming board) generally in Naim a suspension and better powersupplies win  the day so NDS should be better, but as we found when the Ndac was released that a CDS3 XPS was bettered by a cdx2.2 ndac XPS combo.

regards 

I'm quite surprised that people find nDAC better than even the NDX2. I've used nDAC as my main source since 2011. Meanwhile I've also tried NDX in my system but it was outperformed by nDAC and NDX was quickly sold. I was certain that NDX2 would finally easily outperform nDAC but it seems to be a close call(?) Maybe second hand NDS is the killer deal at the moment. 

When I enquired my dealer said they had not stocked nDac for last couple of years.....no demand.

My dealer told me yesterday that the nDAC is now discontinued and he isn’t carrying stock. 

Alba1320 posted:

I've noticed a few dealers selling their demonstrator nDacs at the moment - imminent discontinuation, or replacement, I wonder?

There’s a good half dozen on “that well known...etc”.

Patu posted:

I'm quite surprised that people find nDAC better than even the NDX2. I've used nDAC as my main source since 2011. Meanwhile I've also tried NDX in my system but it was outperformed by nDAC and NDX was quickly sold. I was certain that NDX2 would finally easily outperform nDAC but it seems to be a close call(?) Maybe second hand NDS is the killer deal at the moment. 

Then again there are people like me who think a CDS3/XPS2 is a far more musically satisfying machine than an NDS (no matter how many 555PSDR's you stick on it). I happen to also like the NDac.

On the topic of NDac’s (which I’m now seriously contemplating), could I power it with my Olive XPS, or does it have to be a later (black) one?

Suzy Wong posted:

On the topic of NDac’s (which I’m now seriously contemplating), could I power it with my Olive XPS, or does it have to be a later (black) one?

Olive XPS is fine.  This is what I use.

Guinnless posted:

Suzy Wong posted:

On the topic of NDac’s (which I’m now seriously contemplating), could I power it with my Olive XPS, or does it have to be a later (black) one?

Olive XPS is fine.  This is what I use.

Good answer! Thanks.

bongoman posted:

My dealer told me yesterday that the nDAC is now discontinued and he isn’t carrying stock. 

That's also what I have heard although https://www.naimaudio.com/digi...-analogue-converters still lists the nDAC. I am not sure that the user demand and the amount of PCM1704 that Naim have been able to secure justify a nDAC2 based on this chip. But if a nDAC2 would improve on the nDAC in the same proportion in which the ND555 has been found to improve on the NDS, I would certainly be interested in the device. On the other hand, the ND555 white paper suggests that the ND555 is possibly the last device to rely on the PCM1704 and a nDAC2 would be a good opportunity to introduce a new DAC design.

Suzy Wong posted:

Guinnless posted:

Suzy Wong posted:

On the topic of NDac’s (which I’m now seriously contemplating), could I power it with my Olive XPS, or does it have to be a later (black) one?

Olive XPS is fine.  This is what I use.

Good answer! Thanks.

It makes a nice difference too.  Much like a Hicap upgrade on a Pre.

I’m looking forward to insights. A Swedish Naim source has told me this weekend that 

1. ND555

2. NDX2 

3. ND5XS

4. NDX

i heard a ND555 this week and it was unbelievable. I never got on with NDS and we have 2x NDAC in both our systems so I’m keen to hear reports from the field