Funny you should say that as I am renovating my new home while living in my old one. My main system is at my old place, but about a year ago I wanted something for the new place to use while I was doing it up (it's several projects in one so it's not sitting amongst rubble or the likes). I was stuck as I realised I just don't know much about other brands so I ended up with a Naim CD5XS/Naim 5Si/Linn Ninkas which sounds pretty good... this will eventually swap with my main system as we are keeping our old place for occasional use, but I was thinking I could experiment a bit more with this system in the future.
Hypothetical Naim system replacement
- Thread starter tiggers
- Start date
Funny you should say that as I am renovating my new home while living in my old one. My main system is at my old place, but about a year ago I wanted something for the new place to use while I was doing it up (it's several projects in one so it's not sitting amongst rubble or the likes). I was stuck as I realised I just don't know much about other brands so I ended up with a Naim CD5XS/Naim 5Si/Linn Ninkas which sounds pretty good... this will eventually swap with my main system as we are keeping our old place for occasional use, but I was thinking I could experiment a bit more with this system in the future.
Thanks, this is the sort of thing I have no knowledge of really. Back in the day I sort of knew every major specialist brand and what they did well and didn't do well.... fast forward 20 years and it's all changed.... except Naim are still great of course
gryphongryph
pfm Member
You could go PS Audio route, their top line pre amp and 250w Stereo amp or mono amps if needing more power. Their dac gets very good reviews too.
this is the sort of thing I have no knowledge of really. Back in the day I sort of knew every major specialist brand and what they did well and didn't do well.... fast forward 20 years and it's all changed.... except Naim are still great of course
I did exactly this: Went to hear some new-fangled DSP active speakers simply because I what I'd read on PFM.
Net result was that I flogged off all of my Naim gear & now have a system that vastly exceeds the capabilities of what I had previously. An additional benefit was clearing the living room of multiple black boxes that gather dust +++ after 40 years of Naim ownership.
Ultimately, it's not at all difficult. Read up on here. Make a short or long list: Go and listen to it. No obligation.
What did you end up with?
Purité Audio
Trade: Purite Audio
Steve has I believe Kii THREEs.
Keith
Keith
Stemcor
I should be listening to music
Perhaps it’s a question of which part of your system you want to change.
The best naim system I have ever heard was a phonosophie p3 / p3 armageddon / aro / dynavector xx1l into a prefix / 52 / 2 x 135 and a pair of Epos Es14s. Quite superb.
Alternatively, the best pair of naim speakers I have heard was a pair of sbls driven by a squeezebox / Teddy Pardo squeezebox psu into a Teddy pre and 2 x MB100s. They really did make the speakers sound good. I appreciate that Teddy no longer makes amps and that they will probably be a tough second hand find but they are well worth seeking out. I would imagine that if you do not like them then there will be little or no financial loss involved in selling them on.
Another alternative is the NVA range. I moved from Naim to Teddy Pardo and a hearing problem meant that I needed a amp with a balance control. I tried the phono 1 from NVA as a “suck it and see” when I got back into records and now have a full NVA amp and speaker package. I even bought a turntable from the proprietor ! They sell via eBay and offer a money back guarantee so you get to use them in your own home and can return for a full refund if not happy. In my opinion it’s a bit of a no-brainer. Which other manufacturer or dealer is going to offer this level of service ?
And finally. Good luck with your search.
The best naim system I have ever heard was a phonosophie p3 / p3 armageddon / aro / dynavector xx1l into a prefix / 52 / 2 x 135 and a pair of Epos Es14s. Quite superb.
Alternatively, the best pair of naim speakers I have heard was a pair of sbls driven by a squeezebox / Teddy Pardo squeezebox psu into a Teddy pre and 2 x MB100s. They really did make the speakers sound good. I appreciate that Teddy no longer makes amps and that they will probably be a tough second hand find but they are well worth seeking out. I would imagine that if you do not like them then there will be little or no financial loss involved in selling them on.
Another alternative is the NVA range. I moved from Naim to Teddy Pardo and a hearing problem meant that I needed a amp with a balance control. I tried the phono 1 from NVA as a “suck it and see” when I got back into records and now have a full NVA amp and speaker package. I even bought a turntable from the proprietor ! They sell via eBay and offer a money back guarantee so you get to use them in your own home and can return for a full refund if not happy. In my opinion it’s a bit of a no-brainer. Which other manufacturer or dealer is going to offer this level of service ?
And finally. Good luck with your search.
Frankiesays
Rats is life.
I used to be a Naimee, I'm not sure how I became one, it might have been walking past that Audio T window all those years ago, when I was young and skint, and just gazing at that 102 or 52, whatever it was, and thinking THAT IS THE ONE! I've had 72/140/hicap, 102, 250, 180, Nait 5, RSL cards etc. The sound was ok, the power supplies barely lifted it, a marketing scam and little more. I've just moved to Quad, first a 306, more than the equal of a 140 (and no need for a superfluous power supply), and now a 909, both of these with a dirt cheap passive that i shall be upgrading (?) very soon. The 909 is outstanding for its going price of £500 used. There are guys I know who have the best system they've ever had using a home made DCB1 as a pre,think about it! Why must one have Naim? Daft really, as soon as you leave you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. There are so many other amazing brands to try, why limit yourself to an overpriced run of the mill one?
If you like the good old Olive Naim sound and are happy with it, that is all that matters. You don't need to take comments or suggestions from people on the forum too seriously. There will surely be suggestions to get rid of your gear and try X, Y or Z, stuff that are claimed to sound better at a lower cost. If you are curious you can try some. Or perhaps you crave for a change or have the desire of trying something different after using the Naim for so long.
Nevertheless, I don't really see the need to change if you are satisfied with the sound quality of your system especially if you have lived with the system for a long time. If you are bored with the sound and want to try something new, that is comprehensible. Few folks will go through the phase at some point of time in their lives, either performing a change in their system or downsizing to something simpler and less complicated.
I see few good recommendations here. FWIW the type of speakers and specific preference on how your music should sound like will usually take precedence (unlike few who appear to think that neutral systems are the only solution not knowing that there is no benchmark to measuring neutrality). There are people who went from Naim to Rega, NVA, Exposure and other amps but I switched from those to the Naim.
In summary, the message I'm trying to convey is you may already have the best sounding system to your ears.
SteveG
pfm Member
I've replaced my Naim system in my main room, however rather than sell it I'm going to use it in another room as given it's given me great service for 15 years there is every chance I'll come back to it at some point and I suspect I'd regret selling it. The replacement system has reduced the box count a lot, which is one factor I like.
Sloop John B
And any old music will do…
SteveG
pfm Member
It's a work in progress! Amp is sorted (Krell KAV-400xi) as is the CD/DAC (Cambridge Audio 840C) and the TT set-up (LP12/SME3009Mk2/ShureV15/Project Tube Box) across a Mana wall shelf, rack and table (all phase 2). I've also got a Chromecast Audio streaming into one of the optical inputs of the 840C which sounds amazingly good considering the cost. The only real thing to sort out is speakers. I was still using the Naim Credos but have temporarily switched to a set of Acoustic Energy Aegis Evo 3's that were spare from my home cinema set-up, however I'm looking for something better to finish the system off. Using either the Credo's or the Evo 3's it's already the best sounding system I have although the potential spanner in the works is that I've finally bought another NAP140 so I can active with the Credo's (using an IXO I bought about 10 years ago but haven't used) which might mean there is a Naim fightback. The Krell is a lot better than the 32.5/SNAPS/140 though and the 840C (which only arrived today) seems significantly better than the CD3.5/Flatcap.
Mr Underhill
pfm Member
Hi Woodface,
I have been listening to a pair of SBLs on the end of a non-Naim system and I think they are great. There are certainly things they don't do, but what they do more than makes up for the slight losses, and that is running them passive. If you think of moving on then perhaps retain the SL2s.
I never got along with Olive Naim, finding it more detailed but less musical than CB. Overall I prefer Classic. That said I am running a Nord One Up NC500 with SI 990 en Op Amps into the SBLs, and they are singing.
Like others here I suspect that whatever move you make would end up being sideways.
Personally I think one of the main ways to fend off audiophile nervosa is to go to Bake Offs.
WRT the Kii and D&D I went to a demo with a couple of friends. We liked the Kii 3 & D&D8c, preferring the D&D. We all felt that while they were excellent VFM they would have been a sideways move for us. One of us arranged a full home demo of the D&D and didn't change his mind - swings and roundabouts.
I have been listening to a pair of SBLs on the end of a non-Naim system and I think they are great. There are certainly things they don't do, but what they do more than makes up for the slight losses, and that is running them passive. If you think of moving on then perhaps retain the SL2s.
I never got along with Olive Naim, finding it more detailed but less musical than CB. Overall I prefer Classic. That said I am running a Nord One Up NC500 with SI 990 en Op Amps into the SBLs, and they are singing.
Like others here I suspect that whatever move you make would end up being sideways.
Personally I think one of the main ways to fend off audiophile nervosa is to go to Bake Offs.
WRT the Kii and D&D I went to a demo with a couple of friends. We liked the Kii 3 & D&D8c, preferring the D&D. We all felt that while they were excellent VFM they would have been a sideways move for us. One of us arranged a full home demo of the D&D and didn't change his mind - swings and roundabouts.
Andrew C!
Been around a while....
Fair point. I also think Its about personal taste, and if you are recognising your tastes are changing. No harm in listening to different kit, but especially with some of the kit you have, it cries out for careful home auditioning before changing anything, IMV.
Mr Underhill
pfm Member
Absolutely - if possible. Bake offs are a great way to listen to a range of systems that have been set up by a fellow audiophile, you can then get a better ide of whether the grass is really greener, or just different.
In the Naim Forum, there was a thread some little time ago about where to go if there wasn’t Naim, and Vitus did indeed get some attention as a suitable Naim alternative...
duckworp
pfm Member
I went from a 6 box Naim system to a 2 box Vitus system. The entry level Vitus one box integrated amp was so much more enjoyable to listen to than the 4 box 552/300 combo - more natural and musical are the two words which spring to mind. And the Vitus is under half of the cost new. The Vitus CD player was a big improvement on my CDS3 - both were smooth and non-digital sounding but the Vitus has a much deeper soundstage.
I still keep a second Naim system (CDX2/82/180) which certainly has a raw foot-tapping quality about it, but I have never once regretted switching to Vitus for my main listening Hi-Fi.
Suffolk Tony
Aim low, achieve your goals, avoid disappointment.
Vitus have certainly done a good job with their tactic to actively push their kit as a "Better" sound than Naim's. It's certainly convinced a few people to buy it. I'm not immune to advertising - I borrowed a Vitus integrated (can't remember the exact model without looking it up) as a possible candidate for my second system. It was OK...But my DIY dual-mono Avondale "Voyager" amp & (then) Naim V1 DAC was a fair bit better in that system.
The important thing here is - listen in your own system, at leisure, without pressure to judge too quickly. Forget bake-offs (fun though they may be), dealer demos etc. You've got a great system - if you want to build on that sound it really is worthwhile listening to Avondale. Teddy kit is very good (I've used lots of his ST regulators in the past) but it definitely sounds different to Naim; a bit too soft for my tastes.
The important thing here is - listen in your own system, at leisure, without pressure to judge too quickly. Forget bake-offs (fun though they may be), dealer demos etc. You've got a great system - if you want to build on that sound it really is worthwhile listening to Avondale. Teddy kit is very good (I've used lots of his ST regulators in the past) but it definitely sounds different to Naim; a bit too soft for my tastes.