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Naim Pre Dilema

linntroika

linntroika

pfm Member
Hi Everyone

I am new to (PF) and enjoying reading the posts - As my title suggests i have a dilema regarding what direction to take with my Pre amp

Background

I used to own Lp12/ekos/troika/lingo - many years ago with my 72/hicap/250-Kabers- Fabulous
Added Cd3.5 - disappointing
Have parked my stuff for the past 7 years and now want to get back into it !

With the 72 pre i find it sounds better with vinyl -(Can it sound Wonderful with CD ??? -Do i keep it??)

Recently i purchased CDX2/ Teddy Xps (Nice- especially the Teddy - What a difference).

Taking into consideration that i now want a predominately CD based system - options that i am considering are

1.Service all amps (Overdue 20years +)
2.Keep 72 - purchase NJ boards -(My 72 has no CD input using Tuner) -Any other recommended modifications ?
3.Replace Hicap with Teddycap _ which one (Can 72 run with Teddy SC?)
4.Bite the bullet and purchase 282 or 52 (again which one will sound better with CD )- Would prefer to do this option in future!! -(Presently Skint)

My music tastes are varied Rock/ Pop /Classical

Any Info appreciated


Many Thanks

Brian
 
That's a very nice turntable you have there, I suspect that the fault lies not with the 72 but with the CD player itself. Certainly the 3.5 won't come close and I doubt the CDX2/TXPS will get there either. It's not that they sound bad or there is anything wrong with them, I think it's just what you are comparing them to
 
The 72 is great but much better with NJ boards so that would be a good thing to do and I prefer Hicap.
 
The CD 3 and 3.5 are far from great CD players IMO. The other thing you face is that that era of Naim amplifier can sound harsh to some ears (cue howls of protest from Naimites) but the most dyed-in-the-wool Naimie, inoculated with the wire from a tantalum capacitor, has to acknowledge that the 80s LP12 and Naim olive gels very well, other sources less so, with many CD players sounding harsh. We don't all hear the same so I'm not going to get drawn into any arguments about "Naim amps are just revealing of shortcomings in the source components" etc, but one man's boogie is another man's harsh. In addition, tastes evolve and mature. 7 years is a long time.

I'm not going to tell you what to buy, that's for you to decide. I'd suggest however listening to some stuff outside the Naim stable before shelling out huge sums on servicing or upgrading what you have, when you don't much like its sound. If you still prefer the stuff out of Salisbury, great stuff, stay with it. If not, then accept that tatstes change and buuy something you now prefer.
 
I agree about the CD3 & 3.5, better with a Flatcap......is he not running CDX2 which is actually a rather nice player and not harsh at all.

Welcome to Pinkfish. :)
 
My experience has been that the gain of pre is too great for CD inputs. The solution if that is your problem is using an avondale product. Another alternative is to go DIY and possibly a passive pre or a buffer. I went with a buffer, the B4 of this parish. You get a very clean and easy to listen to experience. I still use Naim power amps (amongst others). I am not an expert on electronics , nor do I have so called expert ears. I personally find a mixture of DIy and Naim to be excellent.
 
My system does not sound open and engaging - when i had the lp12 it sounded airy and alive (that said its 80% there - just missing something?)

Im not knocking the CD player (its one of the best ive heard) but that sense of the artist being there infront of you is not apparent

The 3 main questions i find asking myself are
1.Do i try to improve my current setup -Nj Boards +teddycap +service
2.Will the extra expense of a 52/ 282 be worth it
3.Replace the speakers with something like s400/momentum 3i / Qm102
 
You might just be experiencing the difference between CD and Vinyl, as you say the CDX2 is a nice player, not quite an LP12 though....;)
 
linntroika said:
With the 72 pre i find it sounds better with vinyl -(Can it sound Wonderful with CD ??? -Do i keep it??)
Click to expand...

Brian,

Get the amps serviced and the 72 modded with NJ or Avondale boards, the latter make a substantial difference to CD replay but keep the vinyl performance.
 
I'm with DV. Certainly I would not get on the 82/52 ladder having been there my view is that the return is minimal. I am now back with a 32.5 and don't miss anything.
 
MVV said:
I'm with DV. Certainly I would not get on the 82/52 ladder having been there my view is that the return is minimal. I am now back with a 32.5 and don't miss anything.
Click to expand...

Yeah I agree, 32.5 is a peach.
 
Feedback so far tells me to keep my 72 and upgrade it with NJ

Question to 72NJ owners is how much of a difference did it actually make

Also what teddycap should i purchase

Thanks
 
linntroika said:
Feedback so far tells me to keep my 72 and upgrade it with NJ

Question to 72NJ owners is how much of a difference did it actually make

Also what teddycap should i purchase

Thanks
Click to expand...

Quite a step up; I used them in my 32.5, which with NJ boards is the same as a 72 with NJ boards.

More control, quieter, more detail, tighter bass. Slight loss of boogie.

I did a back to back against an 82 and this was way better to the extent the owner of the 82 got rid of it.

There is more you can do with internal teddy regs which really take it to a serious level. This is what I have and can also be found in the FlatNac 72, but this is very bespoke stuff.

Start off with the NJ 321/729, if you don't like them sell them on at minimal loss or get on Neils loaner list. :)
 
Get on Neil's loaner list and see if you like em first. NJ cards will improve your phono and cd playback, which might be enough of a shot in the arm for your system. A Teddycap for the pre will help smooth out the high frequencies and provide more texture and detail in the bass.

I've heard some rather spectacular sounding 72's with NJ cards, additional PSU mods and added NJ card modifications.
 
linntroika said:
Feedback so far tells me to keep my 72 and upgrade it with NJ

Question to 72NJ owners is how much of a difference did it actually make

Also what teddycap should i purchase

Thanks
Click to expand...

Quite a big difference, particularly to mid/top transparency. However, the NJ cards I use are not entirely as the loaner set and have some additional cap bypassing and a few different components.

Personally, I wouldn't get a TeddyCap and would just keep your Hi-Cap (to power your 72).
 
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