If you have a limited budget, search here on the forum for views on boxes that are well established.
There are some terrific bargains from naim dealers, from time to time, get the best streamer within your budget, then add a supernait or separates - for the best vfn, it may take patience and a bit of time, but will save loads or another view, sound terrific. If you either don’t need Qobuz or you are happy with a work around, then NDX remains a great streamer at a great sh price. Use optic from tv to streamer, HDMI is unnecessary without full av imho.
Don’t hang about if you are considering a nait 50, the build run has ended and there are a few in shop windows but that’s all.
You can find a dac for £20 or less that would suffice for tv sound optical out > dac > nait. Try Amazon.
Or connect to back of nd5xs2 optical input.
That is certainly an option but I am wondering how this works in practice. Do you need to use the Naim app to select the correct input on the ND5XS2 or does it switch automatically when it detects a signal?
You’ll need the app.
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A Uniti Nova would be an excellent choice, paired with stand-mounts or compact floorstanders that you enjoy listening to - audition at the very least, home demo for preference.
If looking for s/h best value, the question becomes considerably more complicated - how much of your proposed system can you get from one dealer, devices with screens, eg SuperUniti, NAC-N 272, etc. may require servicing and/or replacement screens, power amps may also require service, spare’s availability, etc., etc. - it all mounts up quite quickly.
Dealer purchase, whilst not essential, will provide the best warranty and access to Naim service, again you pays your money……
On a positive note, Original Classic, ie the past 20 years, prices are continuing to fall following the introduction of New Classic, so careful shopping around should reveal some good bargains.
Hope this helps,
ATB, J
Something like a Nova all-in-one would be ideal. Just plug in, use and forget. And superb quality.
If you dislike tweaking and messing around with cables etc. then avoid separates. That way lies madness.
Not sure quite what you mean about over-digitised sound. Forget analogue and digital. It’s a tired comparison. You’re aiming for realism and both can achieve it. Use whatever takes your fancy. If you’ve got a lot of LP’s to play then fine. Buy a Rega 3 or something and a phono stage.
But above all if you have a dislike of what I term ‘messing’ then don’t go the separates route IMO. You’ll regret it.
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Good points - helped clarify what I’m after on couple of fronts.
I prefer analogue for listening sessions, then streaming for casual use and entertaining, particularly for multi-room streaming to the Muso 2, which will be in the kitchen/diner.
I’m excited about picking the hobby back up, but the tweaking aspect was less about fidling and getting the best out of the kit, and more about wanting to avoid those sensitive systems that require a lot of locking after, need warming up and prefer to be left on. Sounds like these newer setups, in either scenario help. Of course, some are somewhat unavoidable when I go down the turntable rabbit hole.
I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of options to explore, either way, only a test well tell. Increasing the budget to achieve either:
A) Brand new XS series (XS3/ND5); or
B) Used Classic Series (SN3/NDX2).
With quality to match bookshelves.
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Some systems,as you point out, seem to need a lot of attention in order to give of their best. Having said that, it really depends on how fussy you are or how much you can be bothered to devote the time and attention.
When my wife and I were both working we were exceptionally busy (as I guess are most working couples these days) with hardly a moment to ourselves. During that time I ran a pretty high-end Naim set-up (high end for those days anyway!) and I know it was far from being optimally set-up and tweaked. I just didn’t have the time or quite frankly the inciination to think about it or to fettle it. There were many other priorities that demanded my thought and attention. But it sounded fabulous nevertheless.
Active systems are notorious for being hyper-sensitive to set-up details, but they rather seem to have gone out of fashion now anyway.
So I would say explore all your options carefully. And remember that when it comes to your time and how you want to use it then you are the boss not the hi-fi!
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@finchtime indeed at this level electronics are sensitive, hence the great sound, and yes they require warming up and will sound better when left on, there is a whole “eco” thread about this.
Have you considered (re)starting with something simple? A brand new Rega System One, with an extra Rega interconnect, and a Bluesound Node (has HDMI), may perhaps be all you need for now.
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