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Those who have moved on from Naim.....

To those who have moved on from Naim, what did you move to, and why?


Not a Naim bashing thread please, but I am interested to find out where those who have journeyed away from Naim ended up.



SJB
Had the original Nait for several years, swapped that out for a 102/HC/180, I think then the HC for a SC. Then sold it all for a Cary 300 SEI. That was good but noisy. Now run a Modwright KWI200 which is just fabulous. Warmth of tubes but still with the PRaT of the flat earthers. There is a now a 225i hybrid I have got my eye on. LP12 throughout that journey.
 
For me it was having to have all the Naim boxes constantly powered up. I felt it was a waste of energy and the hassle of their gear having to be serviced with cap replacements etc didn't sit well with me. Saying that, I currently have a hankering to try one of their small integrated amps just for the hell of it.
 
For me it was having to have all the Naim boxes constantly powered up. I felt it was a waste of energy and the hassle of their gear having to be serviced with cap replacements etc didn't sit well with me. Saying that, I currently have a hankering to try one of their small integrated amps just for the hell of it.

Yes I can relate to this aspect, but have convinced myself that the cost of running them all the time is ameliorated enough by the carbon cost of replacing them coupled with the fact that they are still fully serviceable and likely to remain so.

Hopefully I’ll have a solar solution in the near future too.

.sjb
 
Can’t say I have moved on from Naim but in a way have. I have gone from multi box to Supernait and really just don’t much worry about my amplification any more and focus instead on just making changes and improvements in my vinyl front end. I think compared to changes I can make in cartridges and tweaking the LP12 the amp is only a small part of the puzzle.
 
To those who have moved on from Naim, what did you move to, and why?


Not a Naim bashing thread please, but I am interested to find out where those who have journeyed away from Naim ended up.



SJB
I know it's an old thread which you started 6 years ago but since some bloke just revived it, thought I'd add mine here. I temporarily moved from Naim to Sonneteer Orton due to a change in loudspeakers. The Sonneteer matched the Marten Duke 2 better than Naim 282/Hicap DR/250DR. Nevertheless, the Naim amps are still sitting around as I don't intend to sell them particularly 282/HCDR/250DR. The Naim form a wonderful combination with Harbeth Super HL5+, much better than Sonneteer.

Apart from 282/HicapDR/250DR, I still have the 202/200 and Teddycap in storage.
 
Long-standing threads like these are a testament to the cult-like hold that Naim used to have on its fans. I've really enjoyed my Naim gear for more than a decade, from the low to the top end. I was one of the first few buyers of the NAP500; it came specially packed in flight cases. And I still own and regularly use some Naim components but I have no interest whatsoever in recent Naim stuff. In fact the direction they have taken somewhat repels me.

I still like their olive gear and their (old) CD players and old speakers.
 
It thought the vinyl cards in the Naim were fairly poor compared to an external phono stage. Better than the Yamaha though. That’s why I chose the external stage for mine.
Agreed. The Naim internal phono cards seem to be a get you going thing. I'm currently using an Arcam phono stage. I'd be interested to hear the Ryan Sound Labs phono cards.
It seems to me that my Pink Triangle turntable suits the pushier nature of the Naim amp's character.
 
Is it purely nostalgia or it’s more that this combo has a little magic we can’t find anywhere else ?
Bah, doesn’t matter, as long as you enjoy. :cool:

partly nostalgia, part wanting to hear stuff I couldn’t afford at the time etc. And wanting to go back to a reference of what I thought was great at the time and comparing it to where I am now...

thought I could do a ‘winner stays on’ sort of thing and then sell it on again... but so little time

This is all as an aside from my main system (which may very well change), but have ended up with rooms full of nad/kef/tannoy/ crimson/ quad/ linn/ roksan/thorens/ AIWA/ aurex/ Celestion - oh yes I need help alright!
 
Had the original Nait for several years, swapped that out for a 102/HC/180, I think then the HC for a SC. Then sold it all for a Cary 300 SEI. That was good but noisy. Now run a Modwright KWI200 which is just fabulous. Warmth of tubes but still with the PRaT of the flat earthers. There is a now a 225i hybrid I have got my eye on. LP12 throughout that journey.
yes that new modwright hybrid looks great , at least one forum guy got one and enjoying it
 
yes that new modwright hybrid looks great , at least one forum guy got one and enjoying it

Sorry to go slightly off Topic but a mate has a Modright LS100 preamp and a pair of Consonance Cyber 211 monoblocks (7.5 watts.)
Sounds lovely to my ears.The Modright Pre is superb value for money and so transparent.
Also he's had a few minor issues with it nothing major.But he says that Dan Wright was extremely helpful on the phone and sent over what needed to be done.
 
Left the Naim fold in 89 with a 42.5 Hicap 250.
I do remember having the 42 upgraded to .5 spec and being lent a 12 preamp by my dealer and loving it with a 110 at the time.
Thought it had more air and sparkle in the high frequencies.Getting the 42.5 back was really underwhelming it just sounded really rolled off in the treble.
It was a classic case of the 42.5 must be better all the reviews say it is.But should have stopped there and got that 12 back in hindsight trusting my ears.
Pleased I didn't get hooked into that Naim upgrade ladder.
I went to a Naim Statement evening organised by my local dealer about 3 years ago and Doug Graham was hosting it.Nice guy and left Naim now.
First of all he started introducing the super lumina cables ( or super expensive ! ) into a 252 -300 system with Focal Sopra 2's.Then finally a 500 power amp.
What I thought was all so true he said " So your down at your dealers and he says we have just got these cables in i think you should try them in your system...Because we are really dealers ( Just like drug dealers !)
It was so funny as he was playing the tracks off a tablet and watching him do the dem he would start nodding his head like he was in a trance when the rhythm started.Likewise guys sat all around where tapping their toes banging their hands.
Touched by the Prat big time !
Anyway back to why I left

I then upgraded to a 250 which was good.I loved the transients and bass slam of it.But then again
It was only comparing this combination with Bryston 0.5 pre and 2 B power which sounded so much faster and easier on the ear.I always found the Naim stuff a bit forward and I sold the Naim on for a good price.
Still have a 0.5 pre a 12 B pre and 2 B power.
Have to say Brystons 20 year guarantee has been true to their word.The 0.5 pre had a lose phono socket.Dealer sent it back to Canada 3 weeks later really nice letter saying they had replaced said socket and a few other things on the circuit board.
3 years later when my 2 B power failed on 1 channel; again really fast turn round detailed list of parts new box.Really can't fault them for service
Would like to dip my toe in the Naim pool with a 12 - 110 or 140 maybe one day.
 
Sorry to go slightly off Topic but a mate has a Modright LS100 preamp and a pair of Consonance Cyber 211 monoblocks (7.5 watts.)
Sounds lovely to my ears.The Modright Pre is superb value for money and so transparent.
Also he's had a few minor issues with it nothing major.But he says that Dan Wright was extremely helpful on the phone and sent over what needed to be done.
yes had 2 modwright 36.5 inc the 2 box model. Dan always helpful. Lovely midrange on them
 
which sounded so much faster and easier on the ear.I
Thing is, as I hear Naim amps, and for my taste going up through them, the tempo somehow slows, and sometimes I find myself disengaging from the experience.
Yet they can sound great with the right speakers. I like them for their qualities though and understand their appeal.
 
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I then upgraded to a 250 which was good.I loved the transients and bass slam of it.But then again
It was only comparing this combination with Bryston 0.5 pre and 2 B power which sounded so much faster and easier on the ear.

Think this is the thing with Naim amps as you go up through them. They seem to slow the tempo down and sometimes I find myself disengaging from the experience.

This is something new to me. Naim amps sounding slower than Bryston, higher level Naim slowing the tempo down. At which level the Naim starts to slow things down? 202, 282, 252, 552?
 
This is something new to me. Naim amps sounding slower than Bryston, higher level Naim slowing the tempo down. At which level the Naim starts to slow things down? 202, 282, 252, 552?
Not a definitive on their sound, just how I hear, or like a type of sound.
 
IMHO Naim amps get smoother and more relaxed in a positive way as you go up through the range. The NDX/XPS/252/SC/300 Ovators S400 being my favourite setup.
 
I started my Naim journey in 1990 and ended in 2017. Started with a 62/90 and got to 252/300. Also had 52/135s. With hindsight I stuck with Naim speakers far too long. IBLs, Allaes, SL2s. But it was the 252 that got me thinking that I’d taken the pre-mapped route for too long. My amp is now a Sony TA-F870ES and speakers are PMC Twenty23. Never been more content with my music. Also using headphones on a regular basis to enable my late night listening. I don’t regret using Naim, just wish I’d used other speakers earlier in my Naim journey.
Peter
 


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