The streaming section of the ND5 XS 2 uses the latest Naim network technology and the interference-resistant, high-speed LVDS digital standard. Due to the high clock rate, all HD audio formats up to 32 bit/384 kHz or DSD 128 can be played. However, our new streaming board does not use the source as a digital clock, but the master clock of the D/A converter used in the ND5 XS 2. The data is processed by oversampling in a SHARC DSP with an extreme accuracy of 40 bits before being fed to Burr Brown’s PCM1791A digital-to-analog converter.

Developing the new streaming platform was one of the biggest challenges we have ever faced. Naim engineers from a variety of departments including electronic, manufacturing, acoustics and mechanics worked closely together over three years to create a system that makes the most of online services such as TIDAL and Spotify, and is open to future applications via integrated Chromecast technology. This stable platform supports higher data rates via dual-band WLAN and the latest 802.11ac protocol, and is designed for maximum quality in every respect.