magentawhale
can't carry a tuna
Yesterday evening me and my mate decided to do some A/B comparisons between my NAC-102/HiCap/NAPSC-ish kind of ps/NAP-180 (on loan) and his Sonneteer Campion.
We both have been hifi enthusiasts since the last 25 years or so, and have frequently changed from Naim gear and back.
Listening started with NAC-102/NAP-180 hooked up to my ATC-SCM7's. It didn't sound bad at all, but it really started to improve once we'd connected the HiCap and NAPSC substitute. We noticed an immediate gain in bass definition, instrument separation and air. Voices became more clearly defined, and were presented with more body.
Next was a swap of speakers, replacing the ATC's with my mate's ARS Acoustica Celera. Again, a significant improvement. Instruments were portrayed in a more believable soundstage, and became more easy to follow.
Bass seemed to become more apparant as well, while gaining in control and definition.
Then came in my mate's Sonneteer. After we'd hooked the amp up, we were both staggered by the difference it made compared to the Naim amps. The sheer transparancy and 3D presentation of this combination was absolutely stunning, like we'd been listening through some acoustically non-transparent curtain before. Swapping the speakers to the SCM-7's again gave similar results, albeit less obvious than with the ARS speakers. Bass definition and image portrayal were far better than with the Naim/ATC combo.
What surprised us both most, I think, was the way the Sonneteer performed with the ATC speakers compared to how the Naim amps did. We initially thought the Sonneteer would have a hard time driving the ATC's, which are rather power hungry. Despite it's 35(?) watts, it turned out to perform significantly better than the Naim combo did.
The evening resulted in my mate having another beer to celebrate a small victory on his side, and me wondering if differences to this amount are normal. After all, there is a serious price difference in the Naim combo (with all the additional hardware) and the Sonneteer (everything bought secondhand, tbh). It also made me unsure whether or not to keep following the Naim route. I am not sure if the NAP-180 has had any service during the last years (if any), but could a recap bring the performance of the Naim amps closer to that of the Sonneteer?
All listening was done with a CD3.5/HiCap as a source.
I look forward to hearing some opinions!
We both have been hifi enthusiasts since the last 25 years or so, and have frequently changed from Naim gear and back.
Listening started with NAC-102/NAP-180 hooked up to my ATC-SCM7's. It didn't sound bad at all, but it really started to improve once we'd connected the HiCap and NAPSC substitute. We noticed an immediate gain in bass definition, instrument separation and air. Voices became more clearly defined, and were presented with more body.
Next was a swap of speakers, replacing the ATC's with my mate's ARS Acoustica Celera. Again, a significant improvement. Instruments were portrayed in a more believable soundstage, and became more easy to follow.
Bass seemed to become more apparant as well, while gaining in control and definition.
Then came in my mate's Sonneteer. After we'd hooked the amp up, we were both staggered by the difference it made compared to the Naim amps. The sheer transparancy and 3D presentation of this combination was absolutely stunning, like we'd been listening through some acoustically non-transparent curtain before. Swapping the speakers to the SCM-7's again gave similar results, albeit less obvious than with the ARS speakers. Bass definition and image portrayal were far better than with the Naim/ATC combo.
What surprised us both most, I think, was the way the Sonneteer performed with the ATC speakers compared to how the Naim amps did. We initially thought the Sonneteer would have a hard time driving the ATC's, which are rather power hungry. Despite it's 35(?) watts, it turned out to perform significantly better than the Naim combo did.
The evening resulted in my mate having another beer to celebrate a small victory on his side, and me wondering if differences to this amount are normal. After all, there is a serious price difference in the Naim combo (with all the additional hardware) and the Sonneteer (everything bought secondhand, tbh). It also made me unsure whether or not to keep following the Naim route. I am not sure if the NAP-180 has had any service during the last years (if any), but could a recap bring the performance of the Naim amps closer to that of the Sonneteer?
All listening was done with a CD3.5/HiCap as a source.
I look forward to hearing some opinions!
Better late then never, their talent and reasonable pricing deserve wider recognition.