The NXT5 from NS is very well made, and once the action has been raised, plays very much like an upright. Making it sound close to an upright takes a little work, but you can get pretty close, both pizz and arco. I have received many good comments on the sound from people I have played with and for. The bag supplied carries both the bass and the stand, with aditional pockets for bows and cables, and is easy to carry. The one thing that lets this bass down is the quality of the tuners, although these can be replaced with the excellent Hipshot ultralights, again with a little work.
My order took a while to come into stock, but otherwise the service from Thomann was excellent, as always!