Any love for a Nat06?

again, i think it would be indelicate.
but maybe @Richard.Dane could give an avail?

I’ve got no problem with members discussing other brands of kit so long as there’s no particular agenda at play.

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thank you, Richard.

@NickSeattle you can pull the trigger. :slight_smile:
@james_n , don´t get me wrong sir, i understand your reasoning…

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Did you know the BBC transmit the radio signal to their transmitters in digital.
They changed over to digital in … 1983 I think it was.

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I’m glad the forum is an open place which allows these discussions (within the AUP) to take place. Naim make a lot of great kit which not only works well together (unsurprisingly) but with other equipment too so we get to read about a wide variety of interesting setups and experiences. It’s always poor form to come and criticise other people’s equipment choices if you moved on to something else though, especially on the manufacturers forum. This tends to get called out and sometimes it turns out that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side…

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no, didnt know that: i´m in Portugal. :stuck_out_tongue:

Indeed. I, as a consumer, tend to respect all manufacturers, because in all fairness, each one has its pros and cons, when trying to reach Nirvana.

That said, I prefer the Naim sound, and one of the reasons I created the NAT0x thread was because of the desire for coherence Design and Sound , over the range, by adding a NAim Tuner.

Yes, but curiously BBC Radio 3 FM particularly, and some other stations too, can still sound better through my NAT01 than any other source I own.

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Proves how good digital must be !!

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Hi, @Paul_C . Who would not agree the variety available from digital stations is desirable? I think it is wonderful. My preference is to have both options.

In my particular case, the stations I want to listen to most of the time happen to have strong local FM signals, and a digital option.

On my NDX-FM, I can as easily play either via selection in the Naim app. I find the FM version sounds obviously better, and has the benefit of playing in time with portable radios around the house.

I sometimes experience time-outs when streaming for a long time — a minor annoyance.

I also have a NAT05XS I like to listen to when I want to focus on a program, but the Naim app cannot control it, which is a problem for me in my whole-house setup; and the Naim app cannot currently change the NAC 552 Record-Out (lower row buttons), necessitating a walk to the Living Room to change anything analogue.

My dream tuner would be a “NAT500” that can play seamlessly through an NDxxx via via onboard A to D converter with full Naim app functionality. A pure analogue option would be expected and nice to have, too.

I think one of the appeals/joys of the Hi-Fi hobby is pursuing relatively attainably perfection on one’s own terms. It isn’t always about maximizing efficiency, or even absolute sound quality, for every hobbyist, at every time of life, is it? :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Nick

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I have not had an FM tuner for many years. At one time I lived in an remote and hilly area where despite my mast being a danger to low-flying aircraft reception was mixed.
I would love to do some FM and digital comparisons.
My friend has a NAT01 that he is always raving about so maybe after the lockdown.

I cannot understand why the digital source should not be equal or better.
The difficulty is finding valid and equal comparisons e.g. BBC radio is of a “digitally rubbish standard” of mp3/128 (recently downgraded from mp3/192). Although I am presently listening to BBC R3 in aac/320 which sounds pretty good (I thought it had gone).

My recent Internet Radio listening has been to the increasing number of flac stations which would be a fairer basis of comparison but requires stations to be available in both formats.

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I am with you, Paul. It could be that my local stations don’t do digital optimally. I am only comparing a handful of local stations, after all. I admit I have not spent much time recently exploring hi-res streams, the way I did when the NDX was new.

The practical issues that bother me affect a very small subset of Hi-Fi hobbyists, I am sure. When the urge arises to explore the whole world of broadcasts, and/or where good FM is unavailable, digital radio over the Internet is progress, by any measure.

Best,

Nick

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I should clarify in reply to my own post that I stopped being an “mp3-snob” when I found my goto station “The Jazz Groove” streams in mp3/128. Wonderful it is. I am in complete disbelief at the quality.
But if we need to have a valid quality comparison we need to use lossless flac.

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I still listen to radio on a regular basis. However the lack of space means it is hard to justify a standalone tuner.

My current solution is internet radio on the NDX2 and I am just hoping that high res content will come mainstream eventually.

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Having had a Magnum Dynalab and a NAT03 (still in the rack) just added a Nova - it fulfils the main task I wanted - the ability to listen to R3 for hours without getting hacked off , in the same way I do with over-compressed rubbish

In fact looking at my system now, I can listen to Skybox, Nova and NAT03 all via one amplification system.

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Let’s not forget that Nova still offers the optional module FM dab.

I feel that, at least, Naim should consider keeping this option on other ( future) streamers.

Cardozo

Did the FM module for the Nova ever see the light of day though ?

My Naim dealer thought not !

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don’t give me the creeps: I want to buy a Nova. and in the catalog it was always reported that this option was available. if it turns out to be fictitious … ( got to reconsider the buying)

It’s a legitimate option, £250 extra for an FM module .

It’s a plug in option that has been around for a while, reputed not to be as good as a dedicated Naim tuner but still worthwhile for that.

Must admit my yardstick is ‘’ can I listen for hours, without feeling fed up ?’’ i.e from a Sat Dish direct into the audio system and not into a quality DAC and then into the audio system .

With a Nova (yesterday) or a NAT03 (today) both passed the test .

I haven’t compared the Nova with the thirty year old NAT03 yet … and unless the NAT03 is serviced by NAIM I wouldn’t consider it a fair comparison

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IT’s on the back of the ex-demo Nova I bought two weeks ago.

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