Naim CDX2 CD Player (2006)

When CD first came along in the early eighties there were a number of manufacturers who were, shall we say, a little slow or reticent to join the party. For many years they stuck to their guns, analogue was their thing, and nobody was going to change that! In a way now they have perhaps been proved right with the current upsurge in vinyl, but in 1991 British stalwarts Naim Audio decided to enter the fray. Here we have a splendid CDX2 CD, launched in 2002 in the “Classic” style casework, replacing as it did the “Olive” CDX. It is a single-box CD player, with another novel design twist from Naim. It features a CD transport that sits in a manually swing-out CD tray, and a special CD puck magnetically holds the disc in place. In very good condition, with a couple of tiny marks, it comes in original packaging (poor condition), with remote control, mains cable, SNAIC, Burndy Plug, CD Puck, manual, and our standard three month warranty.
Also, you can turn this into a two box configuration by adding a Naim Power Supply. Please note this is an early version of the CDX2 and does not feature the digital output that later units were fitted with.
Naim Say….
Designed well, a product should have many years of useful life. The original Naim Audio CDX debuted in 1999, and the revised CDX2 shares plenty of design DNA with its predecessor. Its radial arc disc tray is classic Naim Audio. It is different from the motorised assemblies used by other players, but undoubtedly better, with superior isolation and resistance to resonance. In its latest incarnation, the CDX2 has incorporated some useful new enhancements, including an extra low-noise clock regulation. After all, being able to do something well shouldn’t stop you from trying to do it better.
Integrity and stability of the signals read by the laser were prime design considerations for the CDX2’s development. A suspended transport and low mass magnetic clamping system ensure that the disc spins accurately and silently, unhindered by mechanical resonance.
The mass of the custom-made glass reinforced front-loading drawer mechanism has been carefully calculated to optimise rigidity and isolation. Additionally, the internal shielding has been improved bringing about further upgraded performance and lower noise. Paths between critical components are as short as possible to preserve delicate signals and each stage of the circuitry is powered by a separate regulated supply.
The CDX2 has a fully double-regulated power supply with 20 low-noise, regulated power supplies on the main circuit board, plus a separate supply on the servo control board and another on the display board. The CDX2 is easily upgradable via the XPS ultra-low noise power supply to provide a substantial improvement in sound quality.
All main control functions are handled by a microprocessor running Naim Audio-written software. Every aspect of the servo controller/decoder functionality is under software control: Naim Audio-written codes allow maximised performance in all areas. For example, the transport parameters are optimised for each disc as it is loaded.
Features:
Suspended transport with low-mass magnetic clamping mechanism to resist resonance
Anti-vibration resonance-controlled feet plus cast and extruded anti-magnetic chassis to further counter vibration
Fully double-regulated power supply with 20 low-noise, regulated voltages on the main circuit board, plus separate supplies on the servo control and display boards
User-selectable DIN and RCA analogue outputs
Specifications:
De-emphasis: ± 0.1 dB referred to main response
Line Outputs Fixed (level): 2.1 V RMS at 1 kHz
THD + N: < 0.1 %, 10 Hz – 18 kHz at full level
Load Impedance: 10 kΩ (min.)
Output Impedance: 10 Ω (max.)
Analogue: DIN, RCA
Frequency Response: 10 Hz – 20 kHz, + 0.1 / – 0.5 dB
CD Formats: Red Book
Disc Compatibility: CD, CD-R
Supply Voltage: 100 V, 115 V, 230 V; 50 or 60 Hz
Dimensions: 432 (W) x 314 (D) x 87 (H) mm
Weight: 10.8 kg
Upgrades: Power Supply – XPS or 555 PS

For a review from Hi-Fi News (also featuring Naim DAC & Power Supply) please click here