‧£2999.95
‧available around October 2010
‧internet radio
‧on-board DAC with three inputs
‧SHARC DSP-based buffering with fixed clocks is used along with 16 times oversampling and Naim’s proprietary
‧can be upgraded with the Naim DAC and, naturally, with an XPS or 555PS power supply
‧24-bit/96kHz resolution: WMA, MP3, MMS, AAC, Apple Lossless (from iPod), WAV, FLAC, AIFF and Ogg Vorbis.
‧Wi-Fi

The NDX, which will cost £2999.95 when it is available around October 2010, is primarily a UPnP renderer and Naim envisages most buyers using it to stream ripped CDs or high resolution downloads stored on a NAS, an HDX or UnitiServe. It will, of course, provide internet radio supported by vTuner’s services and it also features an on-board DAC with three inputs. Technically, these and the design of the NDX draw significantly on the acclaimed and widely successful Naim DAC. The innovative, SHARC DSP-based buffering with fixed clocks is used along with 16 times oversampling and Naim’s proprietary, low-generated noise, digital filtering algorithms. This enables non-Naim DAC owners to connect their computers, STBs, and other digital sources – their CD player’s digital output, maybe – through a Naim DAC, as opposed to the, superior, Naim DAC.

The unit can be upgraded with the Naim DAC and, naturally, with an XPS or 555PS power supply. In an all-too-brief demonstration we heard 1) the NDX, 2)NDX + 555PS, 3) NDX +555PS + DAC, and 4) the NDX +555PS with DAC +555PS. For me, combination 3 sounded the most satisfactory through 500-Series amplification and Ovator S600 loudspeakers. (The S-600s, incidentally, were sounding the best I have heard to date: far more musically persuasive that at their launch in Munich or at subsequent early demonstrations in the UK.)

The NDX can play all common, and some not so common, audio files and stream formats at up to 24-bit/96kHz resolution: WMA, MP3, MMS, AAC, Apple Lossless (from iPod), WAV, FLAC, AIFF and Ogg Vorbis. It also recognises M3U and PLS playlists formats and supports gapless playback on all lossless formats.

As the Wi-Fi antenna suggests, the NDX does wireless “for convenience,” says Naim. Which means use ethernet if you want the best sounding, most reliable performance.

www.naimaudio.com