Naim HDX

[Rare Bird]

Has anyone heard one of these?

I'm assuming aswell as the Harddrive that's fitted i can connect another outboard HDD! The internal HDD isnt big enough.

http://www.naim-audio.com/products/hdx.html

I've simular from Linn (No Thanks) & McIntosch..

[aquapiranha]

I think has been done to death on some other forums, and I doubt you are going to get an honest opinion one way or the other. It would appear that the fanbois love it, and more or less everybody else thinks it is an overpriced home PC! On the face of it it does seem a little pricey considering the job it does, and I am sure there are many other less costly ways to do it (Ian's Helios for example) and if it was my money I would be looking at other options like Ian's or a Transporter or SB+ that sort of thing.

[Rare Bird]

I think has been done to death on some other forums, and I doubt you are going to get an honest opinion one way or the other. It would appear that the fanbois love it, and more or less everybody else thinks it is an overpriced home PC! On the face of it it does seem a little pricey considering the job it does, and I am sure there are many other less costly ways to do it (Ian's Helios for example) and if it was my money I would be looking at other options like Ian's or a Transporter or SB+ that sort of thing.

Yeh worse view would be from a fanboy i guess..I'm not too bothered about all the on screen display etc..I was just thinking if it would be any better than the Laptop with HRT DAC i'm using afterall this HDX uses the same BB PCM1719 DAC as the HRT!..The internal HHD in that HDX is a bit on the small side aswell. I'm not far away from using 1TB of space on mine as it is..

[DSJR]

As above.

I'm sure the HDX does everything it says on the box, but as computer hardware dates so quickly, you'll have to bear that in mind.

Other forums, such as HDD Audio, may be able to offer help to get much the same thing for around £500. It won't look as good, but it'll have a similar small PC base unit much the same as what's in the HDX and a decent sound card. Obviously, it won't have the naim on the front , but it's so much cheaper an option, you could almost write it off after a few years...

[Rare Bird]

What i was trying to get at is when i'm on holiday i'll use a small Asustek notepad running Media Monkey with HRT outboard DAC & Musical Fidelity headphone amp, outboard Hard Drive stuffed full of FLAC files..I've tried this little system connected to the hifi & was shocked how good it was.

The thing is should i spend heaps on the HDX incorporating FLAC into the hifi system or just buy a new bigger Laptop, use the HRT & Outboard HDD i already have, afterall the Laptop is only calling up the files, no internal soundcards are used..Something say like a Dell 'Studio 17' will do

[DSJR]

Personally, I'd do the latter, unless you can genuinely afford the Salisbury article, in which case, fair enough.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

id stick clear from the hdx, from what i understand, for the money it is easily beaten in terms of sq and userbility. the internal hdd of the hdx is its downfall - limited space and noisy spinning hdd inside a "hi-fi" componant always seemed daft to me! i would asume that as some point naim will be making a box for streaming to partner the dac they have just made?
i use a linn majik ds and love it, but if its not your bag there are penty of better vaule alternatives that do the same thing.
best option as far as i see it is - network atatched storage (nas) (conected via cat5/6 from another room) into streamer (liin ds, sqeezebox... whatever), then control the streamer with some kinda solid state handheld unit (to avoid hdd noise in listening room). i use my iphone to control the ds, previously used a ipaq pda

[Themis]

It won't look as good, but it'll have a similar small PC base unit much the same as what's in the HDX and a decent sound card. Obviously, it won't have the naim on the front , but it's so much cheaper an option, you could almost write it off after a few years...

Exactly.
Or you could even get a Squeezebox Touch and a (remote) server with 2Tb for much much less, and keep you dac. Or a Transporter.

[trailer]

Best way is to take your laptop & DAC fown to a Naim dealer surely and give it a listen?
If £4500 is too much (and it is for me too) then that's another issue.

I got to listen to one over the summer. It sounded very good I must say. However adding the Naim DAC (another £2000) made it sound better again. Ouch.

[Alexxus]

I listened to it. Quite good, both from hdd and the player incorporated, but far too pricey for what it is and the options it offers. Not very versatile either, imho.

PS Audio's Perfect Wave DAC looks a lot more flexible to me and a damn sight cheaper. Haven't heard it though, but they're a well-regarded stable, so...