NAX : a Glimpse of the Pinnacle of Network Audio

My Journey into Network Audio and the Evolution of LAN Cables I started engaging with network audio back in 2008. I was one of the first people to jump on board. The previous year, I had tested Linn’s newly released KLIMAX DS, and after listening to the high-resolution files offered by LINN RECORDS and the HQM Store, I was deeply impressed by their sound quality. Although it was a bit of a stretch financially, I decided to purchase this network audio player.

Seventeen years have passed since then. In the early days, I used general-purpose NAS (music servers), switching hubs, LAN cables, and the like. But I often experienced operational troubles, and I couldn’t fully satisfy myself with the sound in my listening room. As network audio gradually entered its mainstream phase, people began to recognize the importance of noise control in the surrounding network environment. Audio-dedicated NAS units, audio-grade network switches, and specialized LAN cables began to appear, and by carefully selecting and integrating them, the sound quality of my home network-audio system improved dramatically.

One upgrade that made a particularly large impact was AIM’s LAN cable “NA9.” Replacing my ordinary LAN cable with the NA9 greatly enhanced low-level detail (the fine delicate decay of sounds) and the stereo image. Listening to simply and meticulously recorded sound sources, a soundstage with width, depth, and height would open up, giving me a vivid illusion that my favorite musicians had descended right before my eyes. I found myself thinking, “Can a LAN cable really make this much difference?”

This autumn, I received an announcement that AIM would be releasing the successor model to the NA9, the "NAX". My initial thought was, "It would be difficult to surpass the sound quality of the NA9. This must just be a marketing ploy to grab the attention of audiophiles with a model change." Yet, I proceeded with a comparative listening test of the NA9 and the NAX with a sense of skepticism... and the difference was striking.

The NAⅩ delivers sound quality far beyond what I once believed was the ultimate performance of the NA9. Everything is different—everything. Listening to high-resolution symphonic recordings, the scale becomes more expansive, the low-frequency instruments gain presence and emotional power, and Sonny Rollins’s tenor sax becomes thicker and more lifelike. On the remixed version of The Rolling Stones’ 1976 album 『BLACK & BLUE』, the funk tracks bring out the intricate brilliance of the guitar’s subtle rhythmic cutting with even greater clarity. Do not underestimate the LAN cable. I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend the "NAX" to anyone who wants to catch a glimpse of the pinnacle of network audio.