I must say - janerik has no idea how many SN2 he helped sell.
I've always shared the best drugs
Rega Elicit-R vs Naim XS-2?
- Thread starter Jodet
- Start date
I've always shared the best drugs
Sorry, I wouldn't know where to place the Elicit-R, as I've not lived with it.
Not on par. As I said, they (Elex-R and SN2) major on different aspects. The Elex-R is definitely closer in style to the XS2 though (excitement, wide-open soundstage). A head-to-head comparison would be interesting.
gary yeowell
pfm Member
In a three way demo i did at my dealers i placed the Nait's as follows.
Last) SN2
2nd) NaitXS2 70W
1st) NaitXS2 60W
A fellow Naim buyer who was with me placed them:
Last) SN2
2nd) NaitXS2 60W
1st) Nait XS2 70W
He bought the XS2 70W on the day, even though he could have bought a used SN2 for not much more.
Last) SN2
2nd) NaitXS2 70W
1st) NaitXS2 60W
A fellow Naim buyer who was with me placed them:
Last) SN2
2nd) NaitXS2 60W
1st) Nait XS2 70W
He bought the XS2 70W on the day, even though he could have bought a used SN2 for not much more.
Maxbertola
pfm Member
I have compared the Nait XS and the Elicit (not R), and they were very similar, only the rega was somehow more luminous and less meaty, definitely pleasant although in the end perhaps a little less globally convincing.
But recently I have heard, in the same place, an Exposure 2010S (costing half the XS or the Elicit) driving Harbeth M40.1s (!), and having never heard an Exposure properly before I'd say I was rather impressed.
If I had to start anew, perhaps I'd finally have an alternative to Naim which I actually like.
Ptah
pfm Member
+1.
I compared the two (as per thread title) when I bought last year. The Elicit-R will appeal to many and has the ability to take you right inside the music, but the SN2's sense of authority and scale won it for me, coupled with a unique sound (the internal DR?) which I'd not heard before in a Naim pre/power amp.
positive_energy
pfm Member
That just sounds like a bunch of excuses, and you seem to be coming at it from a negative perspective from the outset, almost expecting not to like it. Weird. Feedback on the i80a has been very very positive, placing it well above the mid range Naim offerings you are looking at, and none that have purchased it on here have returned it from what I have seen! I wasn't quoted anywhere near $500 shipping last time I enquired.
The i80a is certainly what I will be replacing my Supernait with when the time comes. I prefer the Supernait without PSU.
Naim is nice, but having been up and down the Naim "upgrade" path myself (and would always defend Naim here and elsewhere) I eventually came to realise its just expensive and you can get a lot better for a lot less $$. If you don't want to try Teddy Pardo's products then the Exposure 2010S mentioned by Max above is also very good value. Better than Naim.
That ranking doesn't surprise me for a store demo, as the SN2 doesn't impress as much at first as the XS2. The SN2 takes its time (which you don't have in a store demo), but ultimately shows you more of the music.
per flemming
Registered User
Sometime the brain need lots of time to get used to another performance or reproduction, we all get fooled by that issue
positive_energy
pfm Member
Yes, same as eating out at a restaurant where the food is very rich. Impresses immediately, but try eating it at home every day and it soon becomes tiring.
gary yeowell
pfm Member
Having owned the XS2 for the last 5 years, and having taken home the SN2 for a week previously, i think i gave it time
If it takes weeks for the charm of an amp to be realised, then it hasn't got any, your just getting used to it. Reminds me of my previous encounter with the SN1, where after 6 months of ownership it was still boring. Then people claimed i should have waited another month as SN1 only really comes to life after 7 months of burn in...... Funny that as my 552 rocked my world after it came out of the box.
My recount of the store demo only re confirmed what i already knew, however i was interested to see where the new XS2 (70W) was in all this.
positive_energy
pfm Member
Gary, we all hear things differently I guess. One man's lively is another mans coloured and over the top.... Given the cost of a 552 I think most would be surprised if it didn't deliver!
gary yeowell
pfm Member
Positive, many expensive amps have not delivered from the Naim camp for me, 202/200, 252, SN being some of them. In fact i'd sooner listen to my Nait 2 in preference, but yes it's down to personal opinion of course. The 552 should no doubt be good, and it is.
positive_energy
pfm Member
Naim really should rationalise their lineup IMO... Far too many products, that seem to fit a price-point rather than an actual significant step up the ladder.
gary yeowell
pfm Member
Agreed.
teddy_pardo
Trade: Teddy Pardo
The trial period is 14 days from the moment you receive it, and in the unlikely event of doubt after that period it can be extended.
We don't sell through dealers as our margins are too low to allow it. I wish we could set a network of volunteers in the US, but it's not a small country. Even if we find a volunteer in the US, he may be 6 hours flight away from you...
Being most of my life at the buyer side of the table and paying high prices for hifi, knowing that 10% of the price is manufacturing cost and 90% is selling cost, I decided that with my own company I'll take a different approach and offer the value for money I would want as a buyer.
Buying without a demo may seem risky, but aren't you taking a higher risk when you buy after a demo at a hifi store, and then realize that it sounds completely different at home? and then you have paid 3 times more just thinking you avoided a risk...