advertisement


what are upgrade options for Naim Unitilite?

F

Fin

pfm Member
Hi guys,

My first post here, seems like a great active forum! Just to introduce myself, I'm 28 and am from Dublin, Ireland. I currently own a Naim Unitilite and am wondering about the upgrade options, by the way I'm a relative newcomer to the hifi world.

1. per the Naim website, they recommend a Nap 200 to add as a power amp. So i would be using the unitilite as source and preamp and bypassing the internal 50 watts to use the 70 or 80 watts of the nap.


2. I wonder could i buy a supernait and therefore use the unitilite as a source only and use the supernait as preamp poweramp and dac? So the unitilite becomes a source only. Is it possible to do this?

just wondering what would be the better option?

thanks!
 
Unitilite is a lovely all in one, nicely balanced sound with great facilities. If you are going to add more boxes then IMO you should have started with another box in the Naim line, something like a NaitXS. I have a UnitiQute in my office, sounds sublime, but i would not add anything to it as it misses the point.
 
gary yeowell said:
Unitilite is a lovely all in one, nicely balanced sound with great facilities. If you are going to add more boxes then IMO you should have started with another box in the Naim line, something like a NaitXS. I have a UnitiQute in my office, sounds sublime, but i would not add anything to it as it misses the point.
Click to expand...

Pretty much what I was going to say!
 
Thanks for the replies but i guess i am where i am now. and i could always split the system in two down the line. any opinions on my two suggestions?

Thanks
 
The SuperNait would be doubling up on a pre-amp and DAC, which seems a little bit of a waste. What speakers are you using?
 
As they say in your part of the world, if I was going there I would be starting from there. (I'm a lost soul from Galway)

+1 & 2 wot Gary & Glaus said. You have kinda set your place with not many serious upgrade ways to go.

With a Unitilite it is designed as a "life style" all in one box & that is kinda the end of the road.
Add the 200 & it can be a pre/power of even bi-amp, but that really is the end of the road.
If you go Unitilite as source only with Supernait, fabulous amp, but isn't that wasting 75% of the Unitilite.

You need to think were you want to be in xyz years ahead & plan for that now if upgrades are in that plan.
 
Where do you buy your stuff mike?

So, a good option would be to return the unilite to my dealer and add some cash for a supernait?
I actually only have the unilite a few days! The dealer did not have the super or xs or 5i in stock. It's the time of year i guess. The unitilite was an impulsive buy!
 
You really have to ask yourself, as Mike said, where you want to end up. If you have only just got the Unitilite and are asking about upgrading it already, i'd say it is not for you. There's no way i'd put a 200 on it or combine it with a Supernait.

Sonically a Nait 5i is better IMO, but then what will be your source? If you want CD then a really nice combo is either CDX2/Nait5i or CD5XS/NaitXS/Flatcap2X.

What is it exactly you don't like about what you already have?
 
Fin, many of us have started with Uniti or Qute and decided to upgrade with good results - ignore the naysayers.

Adding an external power amp is a great start as the Uniti firmware allows you to disable the internal power amp, providing a cleaner and more dedicated supply to the source and pre-amp features. The NAP200 or 250 will provide a significant upgrade but will more than double the cost of your system if buying new.

I have used a 200, 155XS and 140 with my Qute and settled on the 140 in the end as the best value upgrade. You can also compare the older and newer Naim sounds this way.

Some will suggest a PowerLine but you are less likely to hear the benefits of this (if there are any) and they cost more than my serviced 140 did!
 
Well i don't feel that the unitilite is getting the most out of my speakers, due to lack of power. When i auditiondd the unitilite, i also heard avery powerful integrated drive my dynaudios, think it was 150 watt, i loved the sound especially the grip on the bass. Unfortunately this wasn't available and was for comparison purposes

So this is what i want and don't have a requirement for a cd player as long as i can feed from my pc, that's fine
i really want to be getting the most from my speakers, and so have a well matched system
 
Give the thing back to your dealer and buy the wanted stuff or change those speakers to something more easier driven
 
Will keep my speakers..

So I will return the Unitilite, so now, which to choose:

1. Superuniti (Greater choice of sources but sonically inferior to 2. perhaps?)

2. Supernait ( More limited in choice of sources, increased upgradeability)

3. Nait 5i + DAC (possibly too expensive)

4. Nait XS + DAC (more than likely too expensive)

What do you think would be the best in SQ terms?
 
Really does depend on how well your chosen amp works with your speakers. If the Nait5i/XS worked well i would be tempted to stick there and buy the best source you can, however only you can decide by listening.
 
There is also the NAC-N 172XS which would provide all the functionality of the SuperUnity and allow you to choose your poweramp. I've heard this coupled with a NAP 200 and a NAP250.2 driving a variety of speakers to great effect.
 
One thing that I find when listening to the Unitilite, is that low volume level listening is less than impressive. What is this most likely to be due to? I'm assuming that this has less to do with wattage, more likely to do with the DAC quality?
 
Very important to find an amp that will drive your speakers to the level you require if you are keeping the speakers as dyns do like power ,get this correct and you have a start to build on
 
peter bj said:
Very important to find an amp that will drive your speakers to the level you require if you are keeping the speakers as dyns do like power ,get this correct and you have a start to build on
Click to expand...

true, they are 4 ohm speakers. Just wondering if the xs would be sufficient as it's not much of a step up from the unitilite.
 
Fin said:
Where do you buy your stuff mike?
Click to expand...

Hi Fin, sorry I need to learn to write intelligibly
I am ex-galway - my company & main factory was located there & it was my office but I worked all over the planet.
Now living & retired in Oxfurdshy'r
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top