High end streamers, waste of money or not, please?
- Thread starter richardg
- Start date
Amber Audio
This is the Day
Borrow one from a mate or dealer. Are you asking about a Streamer or a DAC/Streamer combined?
Lol, well, their certainly a good way to spend money! It’s all subjective I’m afraid. I went from a CDS3 to an Auna streamer and was astonished at how much better it was than the high end CD player. I was further astonished by how much better the NDX was over the Auna and was again astonished at how much better the NDS is over the (astonishing!) NDX. To me, in my room, with my ears, my system and my choice of music, their worth the money.
Amber Audio
This is the Day
I had the ND5 and NDX both with nDAC and the PSU’s but moved to Auralic, which I preferred.
Out of interest, why did you feel you needed to add an nDAC to either streamer? BR’s.
Amber Audio
This is the Day
Streamer aka Network Bridge - think of it like a CD Transport but rather than disks it plays digital files from a hard disk or NAS or a service over the Internet like Spotify or Radio Paradise - Auralic Aries, dCs Bridge
Streamer/DAC - like a normal CD Player but for digital files - Naim NDX
Streamer/DAC/Amp - basically an integrated amp with the above dropped in - Auralic Polaris, Moon Ace
Streamer/DAC - like a normal CD Player but for digital files - Naim NDX
Streamer/DAC/Amp - basically an integrated amp with the above dropped in - Auralic Polaris, Moon Ace
Hi, it takes a digital source, say from a NAS or PC (audio files say, or Tidal, Internet radio e.t.c) and does the DAC and provides an output that can go onto be amplified. Some contain their own pre and power amplification.
Amber Audio
This is the Day
I prefer buy/sell rather than shop demo or home loan and wanted to try the nDAC for myself. It had other sources into it as well, not just the ND5 or NDX. IMO it was no better than a bare NDX.
Thanks for your reply. Interesting. I remember that Naim bought all the stock of PCM1704K‘s that were left, for the 555 and so discontinued the nDAC. I never heard one myself, so interesting to note your observations.
Worth noticing streamer technology move fast, yesterdays model might be tomorrows door step.
If I had music on NAS I'd look at a NDX, sometime available 1/3 price of new or less.
FWIW I have a Superuniti using as amp/radio/TV duties, but not really into streaming as I have thousands of records, not enough time to listen and not interested in ripping the stuff.
If I had music on NAS I'd look at a NDX, sometime available 1/3 price of new or less.
FWIW I have a Superuniti using as amp/radio/TV duties, but not really into streaming as I have thousands of records, not enough time to listen and not interested in ripping the stuff.
Amber Audio
This is the Day
The reason the old Naim streamers like the NDX are cheap these days is because they can’t support stuff like Qobuz and never will. I would not advise someone buys an NDX unless they are fully aware of its limits and that it is effectively a dead platform. If purely for FLACs from NAS it will do a fine enough job.
Cereal Killer
432
I effectively have both a high end streamer and a NAS with Rooncore in it. Both are connected to the same DAC. The streamer via Ethernet and Roon via USB so it also acts as the streamer. I can flick between the inputs with the same track running with a 20 second delay to either. Blind or sighted they both sound identical.
Amber Audio
This is the Day
Just my opinion, take it with a pinch of salt, fwiw I put an XPS on the NDX and didn't hear a significant difference. I do know Naim PSU's can make one cos I stuck a HiCap on a 202 and thought the difference was worth every penny.
There's more to it than just what DAC chip is used though, how they implement it end to end matters
manicatel
pfm Member
Well the NDS sounds quite easily better than the ND5XS, as long as you’re into the Naim presentation, that is.
There are easily discernible differences, put it that way.
I would say that with this, & indeed with most digital replay gear, I feel the DAC makes far more difference than the streamer section. A decent streamer may make small improvements over a cheaper model, but I reckon you could hook a Sonos Port into a high end DAC & it wouldn’t disgrace itself.
There are easily discernible differences, put it that way.
I would say that with this, & indeed with most digital replay gear, I feel the DAC makes far more difference than the streamer section. A decent streamer may make small improvements over a cheaper model, but I reckon you could hook a Sonos Port into a high end DAC & it wouldn’t disgrace itself.
Amber Audio
This is the Day
Unless you've got the rest of your system squared away I wouldn't buy an NDX unless you're into DSD - I might be totally wrong cos I'm not up on Naim specs and this is from memory, but I think your Uniti is not able to decode DSD - someone else will be along I'm sure or ask on the Naim Forum.
Not sure there are many other significant differences cos I believe the DAC tech/implementation is very similar and from the same family PCM179x
flatpopely
Prog Rock/Moderator
Serous question. Why would you use a dedicated streamer over a PC and a DAC?
To me my PC plus DAC is as good as CD and vinyl.
To me my PC plus DAC is as good as CD and vinyl.