Page 45 - Hi-Fi World (January 2020)

REVIEW

Two external wi-fi aerials and one Bluetooth aerial help make the NDX 2 sensitive to household router
and phone signals, aiding data speeds and reception stability. There is an array of digital inputs and
Naim's DIN socket output at right, but no XLR balanced outputs from the DAC.

I could get along with. Big and convincing, especially in sound stage bass, come here.
spacious, with Mick Fleetwood’s size and overall propulsive power. Lack of volume control is a
drums punchy and powerful; Naim The NDX 2 delivered both Rock and negative at the price, although not if
bass again. Steve Nicks sang in a Classical in dramatic form between your amplifier has it. But whatever
clean space between the XStat our electrostatic panels. Sonically it device you have with digital on it, this
electrostatic panels, easy to take in. was supremely well honed, something streamer will play – providing you are
The oft-heard brightness of this old of a reference for what is possible prepared to miss out on 24/192 from
classic translated into a pure delivery from streaming. And if you crave tight optical – no deal breaker.
from the NDX2, if one that made
clear its strong treble. It’s not warm
or reticent, but sharply defined up MEASURED PERFORMANCE
top. Frequency response of Naim’s NDX 2 pattern. There are no optional filters to
Diana Krall’s Narrow Daylight reached 22kHz (-1dB) from its S/PDIF change this. Results were identical from
(24/96) usually comes across as soft electrical input (BNC) at 192kHz sample our ethernet wired Melco N10/N100
and laconic, but the NDX 2 took rate PCM (and all lower sample rates), network server.
a different view. It saw further into where 96kHz analogue bandwidth The optical inputs accepted up to
the timbral qualities of the piano is the theoretical maximum, often 176.4kHz sample rate with our QED
and elevated Krall’s vocals by placing achieved. Naim traditionally bandwidth Quartz optical cable used in tests,
them in a pure space, her vocal limit to 22kHz or thereabouts with as well as two other cables, going
intonations made obvious. The slow their amplifiers and NDX 2 follows this silent with 192kHz. With optical this
bass line was tight and clean. Quite a FREQUENCY RESPONSE is sometimes a matter of plug fit but
vivid view, not soft or laconic. But the jiggling the plugs – which sometimes
DSD64 version of this track NDX works – did not work here.
2 showed to be soft and laconic, Distortion at peak output (0dB
teasing out the differences between FS) measured 0.0005% and at -60dB NAIM NDX 2
PCM and DSD. Arresting in the with 24bit a low 0.04%. The presence £4999.00
DSD version though was the simple of some noise resulted in a mediocre
plucked bass that came across as 112dB EIAJ Dynamic Range value, from
strong, clear yet texturally rich – no digital and network inputs, far below the OUTSTANDING - amongst
wobbly simulacrums here. 127dB claimed by Burr Brown for their the best.
I ran a test of impurity! Well, it PCM1792A DAC chip. Output (fixed) VERDICT
can be fun and ideally should be. The DISTORTION measured a standard 2.2V, similar to that A great sound, large and
Eagles ‘Somebody’, from Journey Out of CD players; there is no volume control. spacious. Does it all, almost.
of Eden, is compressed (CD) and can The NDX 2 measured well, with
sound messy, but the Naim delivered very low distortion and Naim’s usual FOR
the whirling Hammond organ and limited bandwidth. Dynamic range was - big sound stage
- strong, tight bass
Glen Frey’s vocals in clean enough mediocre however. NK - easy to use
and enjoyable form, if not warmed
and smoothed. The Naim has strong Frequency response (24/192) AGAINST
top end revelation but it pushed this 4Hz-22kHz - no volume control
track along with strength and tempo. Distortion (-60dB) 0.04% - no headphone output
- no XLR balanced output
Separation 97dB
CONCLUSION Dynamic range 112dB Naim Audio
The clincher with NDX 2 is sound Noise -1106B +44 (0) 1722 426 600
quality. What I heard was pretty Output 2.2V www.naimaudio.com

www.hi-fiworld.co.uk JANUARY 2020 HI-FI WORLD 45