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De-Naimification Complete!! I Feel Cleansed...or do I?

andyzeg

andyzeg

Active Member
Well after many years (most of my life actually!) of aspiring to own a Naim system....and enjoying the musical results...I decided to change direction a little while ago and De-Naim my life!

I could never hope to afford new Naim products so I bought a series of pre-owned equipment ranging from CD5 + Flatcap to CDS2 + XPS and an 82 + Hi-Cap then Teddy Supercap to Nap 250 followed by 135s. I also had a Nat05 Tune and a lovely pair of NBLs which went recently to a fellow Member.

I did love my Naim system and yes...it sounded great...but a few things made me decide to look elsewhere for my HiFi pleasure. Yes...the same old things that come up regularly on this and other forums...multiple boxes, power supply mania, component hum, the right and wrong cables, the right and wrong mains supply and plugs and sockets, and the need for upgrading and servicing and re-capping. I just wanted a change and perhaps something a little more modern.

My very last item to go was the Nat05 Tuner which has just sold on Ebay...it is now gone....and I have not even a snaic cable left..nothing...nada...all gone!

I must admit though...that I already have nostalgic pangs for my old Naim setup. It took me sooooo long to finally acquire the brand that I had coveted since my teenage years back in the 70s...so it was a bit of a wrench to part with it all really. Sniff....sob.

My replacements for Naim have been quite superb though. I started with a Lector TL 11 CD Transport coupled with a 2.24 Tube/Valve DAC. Ok...yes...I gave up a 2 box CD player system...and replaced it with a 4 box system as both items have power supplies! What was I saying earlier about power supplies? Ok...the result...? CD heaven! This is a great combination and also looks very elegant. The Lector has brought all my CDs to life in a way that I had not experienced before...so I am delighted with it. Coming in at over £5000 new...I got the package for £2200...so was well pleased.

My next leap of faith (for that is what it was) was to buy a Vitus Audio RI-100 Integrated Amplifier. I had seen one for sale by a fellow pfm Member but just missed that....and then I read all the reviews. So I managed to acquire another one... and did a side by side comparison with my Naim system (82 + 135s) and really... the Vitus knocked the spots off the Naim! So much power and clarity and soundstage! It was a bit of a "blown away" moment for me.

Next...and by far the hardest decision...was to replace the Naim NBLs. I loved these speakers...mostly because they were a work of art and extremely pleasing to the eye...and a bit cuddly too. It may sound a bit sad (because it was!) but I would sometimes just stand next to them and run my hands over the curves....still, enough of that nonsense! They sounded bloody good too...although, for me...they were never quite right. Perhaps this was due to the side firing bass drivers...or perhaps they didn't suit my room? Who knows?

I looked for many alternatives, but sort of set my heart on some Avalon Eidolons. But due to lack of funds...I couldn't even afford a decent used pair. So I took another gamble...another leap of faith! I found a rather striking pair of "remake" Eidolons in Holland. They had been made as a copy of the original Eidolon, but to a higher specification. They were the previous owner's pet project and he used the services of a top acoustic cabinet builder... and a Dutch loudspeaker engineer to produce some amazing EXTERNAL crossovers.

The result is quite stunning. They are in a rich burgundy red with matching crossover boxes. The speaker drivers are the same as the original Eidolons, but the crossovers were a re-design using Duelund components. Check them out and you will see how horribly expensive they are! The speakers also have redesigned plinths out of aircraft grade aluminium and themselves weigh 10.5 kg each! The final cost of this project came in at €25000! So not a long way off the price of new ones! Needless to say, I bought them for considerably less. (how much would be telling!)

And the speakers sound....well truly wonderful! Bands and orchestras come to life, mid-range and high end are remarkable...and they pack a massive punch when the volume goes up. Again...I am delighted with them.

So what next? Well, I now want to try going back to monoblocs...so I am selling the Vitus RI-100...not because it displeases me ...but because I want to realise the full potential of these amazing speakers. It is not an easy amp to sell because of its high value...I know there's not so much money about just now...and also because it is not so universally known and appreciated as say, Naim, or Krell or Mcintosh perhaps? But it will go to a very happy buyer at some point...and then I will move on to the next project.

I love HiFi! It has been a passion of mine since my early teens...and I have experimented with so many items..some good, some a bit rubbish and some incredible. It is also great to have a fantastic forum like pfm to join with so many like minded audiophiles and have a bloody good chat and a bit of fun to boot!

Take care all....and thanks for reading my long and slightly self-indulgent ramble.

Warmest regards

Andrew



This photo still shows the Naim Nat05 Tuner in use.

As there has been some interest in the speakers...here is another photo plus a photobucket link to several more which I took when they first arrived.

http://s1268.photobucket.com/user/Andrew_Zeglicki/library/Eidolon Remade Speakers



http://s1268.photobucket.com/user/Andrew_Zeglicki/library/Eidolon Remade Speakers
 
Excellent. I've de-Naimed too, but still deciding what to replace it with. Vitus currently sitting top of the list though.
 
I have made a similar journey... My first Naim amp was a Nait (1) which I bought on the same day as my first LP12, and my 'peak Naim' was a CDS, 82, NAXO3, Prefix, enough PSUs to sink a ship, and two NAP160s and a NAP250. As my income grew I aspired to greater and greater levels of the Naim hierarchy but the prices went up much faster than my ability to invest, so I realised that the ultimate Naim system would forever be beyond my grasp. I then had the opportunity to try Quad ESL57 and fell in love with clarity and imaging... this led on to Martin Logans, which then upset my NAP250, so I went back to valves (I had a Leak Stereo 20 at one stage) with an EAR890, and discovered that my NAC82 wasn't as clear as a cheaply built passive pot, and the Audiolab MDAC completely trounced the Naim DAC that I almost bought, so, suddenly I had almost no Naim stuff left. The Prefix then became irrelevant when I stopped using the Linn, but, as it turns out, my phono amp is self built, but is Naim MM and MC boards and a supercap PSU card in a box, simply because I really like the Naim phono stages and can't find anything affordable that does the job any better. I still have a lot of respect for Naim, and would recommend it to someone who has a lot of money to spend, but it is now a premium 'brand' like Rolex, and there are other, cheaper, ways of telling the time.
 
Don't know if it's the camera angle but the speakers look pretty close together and close to the rear wall, are they a ported design?
 
muzzer said:
Don't know if it's the camera angle but the speakers look pretty close together and close to the rear wall, are they a ported design?
Click to expand...

Hi - Yes they have a downward facing port. My room is quite small unfortunately, so the speakers are close to the back wall...however, this is a bit misleading as the design is sloped back so that the base is much further forward than the top. They are exactly 7 feet apart when measured to the bass driver centres. And they are 50" tall.
 
It is also great to have a fantastic forum like pfm to join with so many like minded audiophiles and have a bloody good chat and a bit of fun to boot!
Click to expand...

I concur. :) Great to have a place of happiness with all the other political and other crap (and associated whinging) going on incessantly.
 
I also made a similar journey. The Naim boxes of 25 years were replaced by a Graaf GM50 and then a McIntosh MA2275. The Linn Isobariks went (not without a tear) and were eventually replaced by Sonus Faber Guarneri. Agree wholeheartedly about the transformation when going to valves. The latest valve piece was the sublime EAR 88PB phono stage. This truly shows what valves can do. Amazing.

By the way Andrew - can't believe you sold my Naim CDS2! : - )
 
Linn/Naim for me was a rite of passage. I didn't start out with it, I haven't ended up with it, but I enjoyed the journey very much. I spent much of the '80s aspiring to an LP12, 32/HiCap/250 and a pair of Briks and finally got there in the mid-90s second-hand (I actually had 135s). Kind of wish I'd kept a mint boxed Nait 2 though, but no way would I pay today's prices for one! I've still got a lot of respect for the proper Vereker-era kit. It is good stuff.
 
purplepyramid said:
I also made a similar journey. The Naim boxes of 25 years were replaced by a Graaf GM50 and then a McIntosh MA2275. The Linn Isobariks went (not without a tear) and were eventually replaced by Sonus Faber Guarneri. Agree wholeheartedly about the transformation when going to valves. The latest valve piece was the sublime EAR 88PB phono stage. This truly shows what valves can do. Amazing.

By the way Andrew - can't believe you sold my Naim CDS2! : - )
Click to expand...

I'm sorry...forgive me It sounded really great...but my decision to sell all my Naim gear was quite sudden really. I did sell it to another member who lives in the US...who was delighted with it...although sadly...the laser failed on it and he had to replace it. But he says it is up and running again so all is good.Take care.
 
Good for you!! I haven't de-Naimed as such but sold everything Naim for a Muso Qb, as you say, nice to de-clutter!!!
 
Snap on the 4 box Lector, Andy (I think, but maybe mine's an older model); superb, but too much output, unfortunately, for both my old 552 and my current E.A.R. 912 pre. (which has meters which show me this !).

Lovely looking speakers, but they look taller than they are; not sure if that chest in front does any favours, but maybe the camera wide-angle is deceptive.

I went from Naim to valves, but it took about 6 years. Now only 01 left, and that's going nowhere.
 
I'm using rothwell attenuators on my audio note DAC as it pumps out a hefty 2.5V which gave me very little range on the preamp.

They have done the trick and I don't notice any difference in sound.
 
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