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Review 2 of 4
Price Paid:
$5350.00
from Dealer Summary:
The CDX2 is probably the most popular player among the Naim faithful. It has the traditional Naim traits - pace, rhythm and timing, but, as part of the new lineup, it also has a very respectable soundstage and sense of depth. At $5350, it has some stiff competition in the Meridian, Esoteric, Ayre... and should definitely be auditioned carefully before purchase. It has it's own character, which may or may not please your particular tastes. For my money (a lot of it, too) the Naim has a realism and musicality i've not heard in other players. It gives me more of the feeling I get from listening to live music than other brands, it that makes sense. It draws me in, holds my interest and makes me want to listen longer. I feel like i'm in the room with the musicians. In any case, the bar has been raised on CD playback with players like the Remiyo (17K), Naim CDS3 (14K) and others. In this context, the CDX2 is still a mid-priced player and one should not be searching for the grail at this price. Nevertheless, the CDX2 definitely exceeds, IMO, the musical capabilities of anything i've heard costing less money, which makes it a relatively good buy in my book. It can be further improved with the addition of a $4500 external power supply for those who are interested. If this review sounds lukewarm, it is not. One shopping in this price range should be extremely critical, but must also realize that, even at this price, they are not owning "the best". One audio reviewer once said (paraphrase) that there are only two types of components worth owning- the best and very close to the best for a lot less money. The CDX2 definitely falls into the second category. Strengths:
Outstanding musical coherence and sense of realism. Weaknesses:
A bit quirky with its swing-out tray, but that's a quibble. Metal feet need a virtually perfect surface or they will wobble.
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