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Naim XS2 upgrade from 5si

N

Naim that tune

pfm Member
Recently bought an XS2 from eBay to replace my nait 5si amplifier. After a week or so of listening I'm just not getting on with it. Lots more detail coming through and a better soundstage but finding it a bit harsh and fatiguing after a while.

Total balance seems much more biased towards vocals and treble and doesn't seem as musical as the 5si.

I have tried moving the speakers around to tone down the midrange but hasn't made any difference.

The only thing I've not tried is different speaker cable - should I give it a go or is the issue perhaps the tonal character of the amp?
 
Oops - forgot to mention the rest of my system:

Rega rp8/Aria

Naim cd5si

Monitor audio bronze 5 floorstanders

Atlas hyper 3.5 speaker cables
 
Hi - I've heard the XS2 on numerous occasions and that's not my experience. I would certainly ask your friendly local dealer if you could try some Naca5 or Chord Odyssey but I'm wondering if it's an amp/speaker synergy issue.
 
I suspect the amp doesn't get along with the speakers as you say, but I do have a set of chord speaker cables in a draw somewhere so perhaps worth a try as a last chance before the amp heads for eBay! The irony is I couldn't have found a nicer xs2, it's a year newer than my 5si and just like new.
 
Do you have the old XS-2 (with "XS-2" on the box but "NAIT XS" on the back panel) or the current XS 2 (with "NAIT XS 2" on the back panel)?
 
Naim that tune said:
Recently bought an XS2 from eBay to replace my nait 5si amplifier. After a week or so of listening I'm just not getting on with it. Lots more detail coming through and a better soundstage but finding it a bit harsh and fatiguing after a while.

Total balance seems much more biased towards vocals and treble and doesn't seem as musical as the 5si.

I have tried moving the speakers around to tone down the midrange but hasn't made any difference.

The only thing I've not tried is different speaker cable - should I give it a go or is the issue perhaps the tonal character of the amp?
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Your experience mirrors my own when I went from a 5i to xs, thought the xs was well overrated, while the 5i was a gem. Soon sold the xs on.
 
I've never owned anything by Naim but whenever I've heard the Nait XS I've thought it to be super value for money. IME the original XS was significantly better than the original Supernait in back to back demonstrations.

I've not heard the 5i, maybe it's a giant killer but those MA Bronze are very ordinary. The Rega RP8 deserves much better. Change your speakers before you change your amp.

Cheers BB
 
Often, the simpler amps with less developed power supplies do have that little bit of 'magic', which can be lost when you move up the range. Yes, you might get more 'control' and less 'strain', but less 'musical'.
 
Yomanze said:
Often, the simpler amps with less developed power supplies do have that little bit of 'magic', which can be lost when you move up the range. Yes, you might get more 'control' and less 'strain', but less 'musical'.[/QUO

That's my experience and now ditched Niam carousel.
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Yomanze said:
Often, the simpler amps with less developed power supplies do have that little bit of 'magic', which can be lost when you move up the range. Yes, you might get more 'control' and less 'strain', but less 'musical'.
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Exactly correct. Though I do have fond memories of a 72/HC/250!

Amazement - Ditto ditching the Naim carousel.
 
Bob Edwards said:
Easy. Sell the XS-2.

Enjoy the 5si.

Why would you care what anyone else thinks?
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Yes most likely will stick with the 5si and spend more money on music!

It just occurred to me today that I hadn't tried different cable so thought I could give it a go out of curiosity more than anything else. Just a little niggle in my head that I haven't quite given the amp a fair chance.

Interestingly I had demod the xs2 with same cd5si and bronze 5 speakers at a local dealers demo room and didn't experience any harshness. They were however using some eye wateringly expensive chord speaker cables, hence my thoughts about cabling!
 
XS does not need expensive cable to sound good. If NacA5 doesn't work, don't blame the amp, there is nothing inherently harsh about it at all. I'd look elsewhere for the problem.
 
Naim that tune said:
It's the new Xs2 with 70w (2015 model)
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It may be that you just prefer the sound of the NAIT 5si, but I suspect that you are now hearing the limits of your speakers. Before you get rid of your NAIT XS 2, you might want to give something else a try, if only to find out what happens. Whereabouts are you based? I might be able to lend you something suitable.
 
I'm based in York, very kind of you to offer. I agree with you, may as well experiment a little with the xs2 while I have it!

It could be that the speakers work well with the 5si which being an entry level amp is less fussy of partnering speakers than the xs2, and as you suggest the xs2 is highlighting the limitations of the speakers.
 
Naim that tune said:
I'm based in York, very kind of you to offer. I agree with you, may as well experiment a little with the xs2 while I have it!

It could be that the speakers work well with the 5si which being an entry level amp is less fussy of partnering speakers than the xs2, and as you suggest the xs2 is highlighting the limitations of the speakers.
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You're not all that far from me. Please give me call on 01942 803363 and we will work something out.
 
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