Recent experiments with blindfolded professional musicians and listeners have demonstarted that very high quality modern violins are preferred. The conclusion was that Strads and Guarneri (sp?) were excellent and of course worth millions, but a very good modern violin, available for a few thousand pounds, was a better instrument. However the Strads and Guarneris are the legends.
Old Naim Naits
- Thread starter Allaboutmusic
- Start date
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
It fascinates me, the strong feelings on PFM over amplifiers.
Other components of audio systems ( speakers especially ) have much bigger differences, but sometimes little is said.
Mention a Naim amp. and out of the woodwork come the opinions.
I once considered trying a Nait 3, but it didn’t have any tone controls.
A strongly opinionated PFM member asked ‘Why ever would I want tone controls?’
I bought a Quad 34, as its Tilt controls did what I wanted.
If people like Naim amps. and the 1 & 2, fair enough.
Other components of audio systems ( speakers especially ) have much bigger differences, but sometimes little is said.
Mention a Naim amp. and out of the woodwork come the opinions.
I once considered trying a Nait 3, but it didn’t have any tone controls.
A strongly opinionated PFM member asked ‘Why ever would I want tone controls?’
I bought a Quad 34, as its Tilt controls did what I wanted.
If people like Naim amps. and the 1 & 2, fair enough.
Allaboutmusic
pfm Member
Personally I've never heard any of the early naits, I've heard the 5si and thought it was pretty good.
However the nait 1 & 2 look cool in my opinion and I guess that's what peaks my interest.
Its a shame they don't make a modern version as it would interest me.
I currently have a rega brio 2017 in my system and very happy with it. I think the shoe box size is very smart looking plus the amp sounds great in my setup.
I think it might ;0)
Classical music is one of the easiest genres for a Hi-Fi to reproduce. Not what musical snobs want to hear but it's true. Rock and jazz are harder and it's here the Nait shows it's colours. It can separate piano or guitar notes and get the relationships between different instruments right as well as amps at almost any price. Can't do the body or scale but if you're trying to understand the soul of the music on a budget the Nait is a good way to go.
Or it was. When the price was sensible.
I don't believe that for a minute. Maybe a string quartet or a small orchestra, sure, but let's see a hifi reproduce the choir and the organ in Westminster Abbey.
docstocker
pfm Member
There is a suggestion that when these violins were made (1700-1725) it was with wood grown through 'the little ice age' which meant the wood was denser with rings closer together and this was part of the 'sound'
Ever hear speakers described as 'great for classical'? What that really means is they can't do anything else.
Thanks Mr Pig for putting into words what I stuggle to. It's the 'relationships between different instruments' that I seem particularly sensitive to and the original Nait in particular gets so right. The music as a whole comes together in a more meaningful way.
But you're right, body and weight are lacking, even with some reasonably efficient floorstanding speakers. Maybe if I didn't have another system to play heavy rock on then I'd have to find something else.
Me too. You're either a Nait-n-Kans guy or you're not.
narabdela
who?
Nah. This is the kind of fluff you read in a hifi magazine.
I've had several speakers in my house that sounded good on classical but rubbish on most everything else.
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
Some say that classical is the only real music.
The rest is rubbish.
I certainly don’t agree with that...
JimmyB
pfm Member
Sold a set of Castle speakers once which were awful on 'rock' but wow, were they awesome on the classical CD we had in the shop.
I also read all the glowing reviews of the Audiolab 8000, went to a demo, heard it and then the Nait 1. Went home with a Nait, which destroyed the Audiolab.
Specious nonsense.
Indeed, total rubbish. Orchestral music is rather complex and difficult to reproduce well, whereas rock and pop is rather undemanding in comparison...
JezmondTutu
pfm Member
I had a choice between a Nait 2 & an Ion Obelisk 3X / Xpak1 - I personally thought the Ion did everything better. Should probably have kept it and not upgraded to a 72/hicap2250!?
The timing in rock and pop music is far tighter than orchestral and harder to get right. Electric and electronic bass is far more demanding. I've shut down or overheat amps on rock and pop music but never on classical. There are lots of reasons why classical music is relatively undemanding but anyone can hear it for themselves. I'm sure many of us have heard systems that sounded very pleasant on classical but slow and dull with rock music. I certainly have.
Tony L
Administrator
I don’t agree at all. I suspect it is more that you don’t like classical as much so haven’t necessarily found the timing intricacies. Chances are you’ve ‘shut down’ amps on rock/pop because it is so compressed and lacking in dynamic range the amp heats up as its always on/always distorting! Have a look at a few waveforms, a good classical recording has a dynamic range and frequency response few systems can handle.
I actually find the reverse, i.e. that if a system sounds genuinely natural, spacious and dynamic on classical it can play anything maybe with the exception of really compressed and hopelessly bass-boosted modern rap/R&B that is so obviously EQ’d for cheap soundbars, cars etc.
Arkless Electronics
Trade: Amp design and repairs.
What was that you were saying on the cheap TT thread about based on my subjective opinions on gear you wouldn't trust anything I say??? ROFL