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Naim or Rega amps

Y

Yani

pfm Member
Hi guys.

Been pondering my next upgrade.

I bought a Saturn 6 months ago & love it. My amps are orig uk spec Audiolabs (800 lx intergrated + 8000px power). These bi-amp large Celestion A1 standmounts. Room is a small 11ft square spare bedroom used only for listening to music.

Considering an amp upgrade next as I still love the sound of the Celestions.

First question would be, is it worth upgrading to something more up to date i.e would a Naim XS or Rega Elicit beat my exsiting combination ?. Not sure it would be the case.

If yes, then what amp would probably give me the best sound ?.

Obviously the Elicit would be tempting for system synergy alone but I am ware Naim have always made so classy amplification.
The Naim also gives me an upgrade path by adding the Flatcap.

Also quite fancy the Primare I30 or at a push the I32.

Any views on this ??.
 
Are you thinking new, or s/h? For the price of a new XS you could probably (just...) find a 72/HC/140, which I suspect might be a bit better than an XS. Or one of the Rega pre/powers, which go for less s/h, would be even better vfm, but harder to find.

My Saturn loves Naim amps.
 
Hi Tim

I was thinking new but am open to suggestions with regards pre-owned or demo stock.

Just wondering which Naim amps are you using & did you consider any of the Rega amps ?.
 
Yani said:
Hi Tim

I was thinking new but am open to suggestions with regards pre-owned or demo stock.

Just wondering which Naim amps are you using & did you consider any of the Rega amps ?.
Click to expand...

I have a full Rega setup/Audioquest cables. The synergy between the Saturn and the Pre/Power is amazing. Maybe this could be an option instead of the Elicit or Naim XS...:p
 
joarfeve said:
I have a full Rega setup/Audioquest cables. The synergy between the Saturn and the Pre/Power is amazing. Maybe this could be an option instead of the Elicit or Naim XS...:p
Click to expand...

What pre / power are you using. Cursa / Maia or Exon ? Are your speakers Rega also ?.
 
I would certainly sugest you at least listen to a Cursa/Power against a Elicit. If you need the extra grip on the speakers then a pair of exons, if the speakers are a easier load then the Maia. If much prefer either pre-power combo over the elicit whatever the load.
 
dudywoxer said:
I would certainly sugest you at least listen to a Cursa/Power against a Elicit. If you need the extra grip on the speakers then a pair of exons, if the speakers are a easier load then the Maia. If much prefer either pre-power combo over the elicit whatever the load.
Click to expand...

How about a Mira + Mia power for bi-amping. I.e along the same lines as the Audiolab setup at present but possibly with better synergy than the a/labs give at present ??.

Could this be an alternative & or would it be a step down. Bi amping certainly helped bring out the best in the Celestions. With the Cursa / Maia I would only have single power amp but possibly a better pre.

Opinions ??.
 
Are you sure you need an extra grip for the celestions? The combo Cursa/Maia has enough for small/medium rooms depending on your speakers and listening habits. Yeah, right... if you need "extra grip" on low frequencies, go Cursa/Exons. I heard once a Mira/Maia combo in a bi amping setup... fine sound but I prefer the Cursa to handle the Pre function..;)
 
Yani, I'm using 72/HC/140 and the amps complement the Saturn perfectly. I'm not sure at what point in the Naim hierarchy I'd need a better CDP, but it's probably slightly north of 82/180.

I haven't heard a Rega amp for years I'm afraid. Would love to try their pre/powers.
 
Run my Saturn through Naim 200/202/FC2/NAPSC combo: think they work together pretty well. Use the Couple from cdp to amp. Does all I need and, for the first time in quite a few years, have no further plans to upgrade.... at least for this part of the kit.

K
 
Robert is right, the Audiolabs are very good and better still when you consider their price. I'm still kicking myself for blowing up the 8000A that was my first "proper" hi-fi amp! I think the Nait XS is better (though that is from memory, I've never heard the two back to back), but I'm far from sure that what you would spend upgrading would be justified by the improvement. 2nd hand Naim pre/power as some are suggesting might be a more cost effective improvement, but be sure to try it with your kit in your room before you buy - though Naim does have a house sound it has evolved over the years...
 
Robert and djftw may have made a good point. I don't know whether the Audiolabs are closer in sonic signature to the Rega or the Naim. I guess the former. The differences between the Audiolab and Rega may be subtle at best. The Naim sound quite different from the Rega though.

Yani said:
If yes, then what amp would probably give me the best sound ?.
Click to expand...

I am not familiar with Celestion speakers so can't really say which amp will sound better with it. Nevertheless, I guess you may have known that "best sound" is dependent on the listener's preference. FWIW I tried the Rega Elicit and it didn't work out in my system as well as the Naim, with my speakers and to my ears.
 
I have owned Celestion bookshelf speakers before. To my ears, they are just an average speakers showing a bit aggression in the top-end with its titanium tweeters. Its presentation is on the dry and lean side not so much enriching in the mid-range compare to the KEFs which I upgraded later. Care should be taken to pair the Celestion speakers to a warmer equipments. During that time, some like to pair them with NAD electronics. If you choose Rega or Naim, I suggest you look for more establish speakers. The Celestions (although gain some reputations) are not in the same league as the duals.

Pairing the Celestions to Audiolab will exhibit more dry sounding system. NAD or Cyrus is more suitable to drive them.

Just my take. Cheers.
 
I spent a very very long time trying to find an amp to replace my 'pre-Tag' 8000a - there was nothing I could find that gave me the balance of detail and smoothness. Until I discovered the Meridian 557 which, with a 501 gave me an "8000a plus" sound.
 
Not too familiar with the Rega amp range but I did hear a pair of Rega monoblocks on my system about 5 years ago that were very good. They worked really well with my ARC SP10, which opens up the possiblility of using a valve pre amp. Something like an ARC SP8 and those Rega monos (sorry, can't remember the model, but there can't be that many Rega monoblocks, can there?) would make a very good amp setup and would be a huge upgrade for you.
 
With Rega introducing the new DAC and Brio with a restyled case, they should be updating the whole range shortly. You could find their top pre/power at discounted price shortly.
 
Thanks guys for all the input.

I am fairly happy with my set up but as I have had the amps well over 10 years I do wonder if there is better out there (within my budget that is). The Celestions are not aggresive in my set up at all & tend towards a large robust warm sound with tight bass.
Imaging is also very good. I really do like these especially with female vocals.

My budget would probably be £1500 - £2000 max. Will try and get some home demos as per the Saturn. I actually took the Saturn back after the weeks trial. Tried to live with my Marantz 63ki but found it rather 1 dimensional after the Saturn. Good way to check if the upgarde is worth it. Go back to the old unit and see what you miss.
 
Can anyone compare 1000 pounds amp setups

Naim Nait XS (+maybe FC)
Rega Cursa3/Maia3 or Exon3 mono's
Audiolab (UK) 8000q + 8000M mono's

How they sound according each other?
 
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