Naim Dac or power supply?

A third path might be to look at the Teddy Pardo power supplies. I just ordered a TeddySuperCap for my Naim SuperLine. MUCH cheaper than the Naim unit; it has been shipped but not here yet. Path no. 4 is to buy a Metrum Octave DAC; I have one and it is great.

I have not heard the DAC, but the XPS2 absolutely transforms the CDX2 into another player. All of the musical textures are richer and more complete, with significantly more bass weight. If you like the CDX2 now, you will love the upgrade. No substitute for those big power supplies with Naim gear. IMO of course.

It seems that people either really like Naim or dislike them. I can't say that I dislike them; but the truth is I really don't trust them. The reason is this. I was thinking to buy the same CD player you have, so I went to the nearest Naim dealer for a demo. When I tried the external power supply, not only did it make a difference, but a really big one. In my opinion, too big. I can't help but think that they made the CD player not as well as they could have in an attempt to sell the power supply. I could be wrong, of course, but I can definitely confirm that the PS will make a substantial improvement.

BLK25 I am not sure that is fair. I am not an out and out Naim lover, but as I understand their philosophy, it includes giving a clear upgrade path, to help purchasers. You start at a given level and can add to it incrementally without losing your initial investment.

Secondly, as I understand it, they believe power supllies should be separated from the music part of the equipment, for sound quality reasons. This means power suppies are in a separate box. Rather than forcing you to buy the power supply with the origonal kit, there is a basic supply in it, to get you started. That seems to make sense to me.

To answer the origonal questions, it is axiomatic that upgraded power supplies always make a big difference with Naim, amp, pre or CD player