Despite the fact that there are neither buttons nor a screen on the Naim player, it is one of the best choices in this price range. As a music streamer, it lacks almost nothing else, and although it is in its fifth year since the launch of the ND5 XS 2 in 2019, it still leads better than most in its class.
Behind the matte black chassis hides well-thought-out technology, which stands in stark contrast to the pleasant exterior. The Naim player supports most file formats except MQA files from Tidal, but plays them without MQA decoding or problems of any kind. It also supports high-resolution 24-bit 192 kHz playback from Qobuz, and with four digital inputs on the back, it can also act as a DAC for other audio sources.
Streaming can take place over Wi-Fi with the included antenna, or wired via the Ethernet input on the back. It also has Bluetooth, and a USB input both at the front and at the back. The Naim streamer supports both Airplay 2 including multiroom, and Chromecast, and with DLNA/UPnP you can stream high-resolution 32-bit/384 kHz sound from other devices in the network.
There is no doubt that a screen and some basic buttons on the front, similar to a Naim NDX, would make the streamer more user-friendly. But it saves on a very good app with more functions than most people need. The app can also control other products. Like a Naim Mu-so speaker in another room.
You set up an ND5 XS 2 in the network in a few minutes. We’ve never had significant problems controlling Naim products via the app, and right here where the app is the only thing that gives you music, it’s crucial that everything works.
Sound quality
Our experiences with other Naim products have always been positive. This is largely due to the fact that Naim amplifiers and streamers are able to engage us from the first beat, and the ND5 XS 2 is no exception. It has the same enlivening, dynamic drive that characterizes Naim’s philosophy.
The Naim streamer brings out the piano sound in an exemplary way. The sound is more warm than neutral and there is more snap in the dynamics compared to HiFi Rose. – A little more life here, I feel, says Geir. Perhaps a bit typical of Naim, which is known for a dynamic and lively sound image. The bass on the Sudan Archives Loyal is superbly defined with proper weight and very good definition. – Tighter and fuller bass reproduction, says Lasse. – Reminiscent of Auralic, but a notch more weight in the strokes, says Geir.
The vocals on Exile do not appear as airy and focused as on Auralic, but the Naim streamer reproduces the vocals with a touch more warmth. – It’s almost as if the speakers have been moved a little closer together with Naim, says Geir. Which points out that the Auralic streamer delivers a sound image with better defined perspective. Here we miss a little openness and better focus, especially from the midrange upwards, but there is perfect balance in the sound image. The Naim streamer is perhaps the one here that sounds the most ‘analogue’, some would say musical.
Conclusion
You can’t go wrong with an ND5 XS 2. If you can live without a screen and buttons on the front, you get one of the most well-played and engaging music streams in this class, in Naim’s ND5 XS 2. It is far from the most advanced or the best equipped player out there, and the design seems minimalistic at best in all its brushed grey-black appearance. But press on the completed Naim app and put on music, and all the colors of the rainbow fall into place.
