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CD Excitement wanted

Netley said:
I bought it used from my local Audio T a couple of years back - I think he said it had been done by Naim and could be reveresed (but I guess it might be in the same way that a vasectomy can..)
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Around the time that the Naim DAC was released (2009) Naim updated the CDX2 to add a switch on the back to allow changing between analogue output and digital output to use with the Naim DAC (some people refer to this model as the CDX2.2 but Naim always marketed the updated model as CDX2)

At the same time Naim offered a service whereby owners of older CDX2s without the digital output could send their player back to Naim and have it converted to add a digital output but this conversion disabled the analogue output. It sounds like it was one of these converted players that AudioT sold to you as the serial number of your player indicates it was manufactured in 2007.

It may be possible to send it back to Naim to have the conversion reversed but I would be surprised if it was worth it financially. You would also lose the ability to use it as a digital transport.
 
Netley said:
I wish that was mine but it was pre this

https://www.naimaudio.com/news/17017/update-cdx2
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Thanks for this. I have an early model CDX2 and one of the last made (CDX 2,2).

They do sound different but only slightly. The CX2.2 sounds pure but lacks just a little dynamically. The early one has slightly more prat but sounds a little pinched in tone. I like both but at the moment the CDX2.2 has a CD platter that has become detached so I am waiting for normality to return for it to go to HQ.

The old one came out of 5 years retirement and works fine :).
 
And remember that Bitstream was invented because it was much cheaper to produce.
Then, CD players got dull to the point of being boring.
 
ajm said:
At the same time Naim offered a service whereby owners of older CDX2s without the digital output could send their player back to Naim and have it converted to add a digital output but this conversion disabled the analogue output. It sounds like it was one of these converted players that AudioT sold to you as the serial number of your player indicates it was manufactured in 2007.
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Good to know, especially so for those thinking of purchasing an early CDX2 on the used market.

So, a nicely fitted BNC socket (with no obviously labelled digital/analog slide switch nearby) likely means it has been factory converted to digital out only.

Personally, this would reduce the value of early CDX2 to CDX2 minus reverse conversion cost. After all, these were circa $5K players over here*; why hobble one when any half decent DVD player can get every bit off a CD and out through the S/PDIF and/or Toslink optical port.

* CDX2-2 was priced at US$ 7,495 in May, 2017.
 
I agree with this - never understood why anyone would do this conversion.

Much better in my mind to sell the old CDX2 and buy a 2nd hand CDX2.2 if you wanted the digital output - the cost of doing this would probably be not much more than Naim charge to convert the old player but this way you'd have the new model and be able to switch between the two outputs.
 
Update: bought a used Wadia 302 with new laser.

That works. Excitement has ensued. Sorry, different league for me than the CDX2 & Hugo TT team-up.

Happy
 
John said:
Haven’t DAC chips gotten a lot better since 1999 when the CDX began production?
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They improved a lot from a technical point of view but are they really more fun to listen to, I’m not sure......
I’m just about to go back to a NOS (non over sampling) DAC as I’m looking for good and involving music instead of a 0.000000000015 % distortion !
 
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