I have just bought a Naim ND5 XS2 to replace an Auralic Altair G1, it was a close run thing but the Naim sounds just a bit more varied and capable of making me listen more than the Auralic (which I was wanting to replace mostly to get away from iOS only software now they’ve gone bust).
It’s made me wonder if adding Naim amplification might do more of the same. My current amp is a Rega Elicit-R and speakers are kit built Bastanis Wildhorns (approx. 100db sensitivity) which I ran valve amps on mainly until an accident meant a remote control became essential.
The speakers are reveal upstream changes quite easily so I’m thinking decent preamp with a lower output power amp. Budget is probably £1k plus the value of the Rega, what would you suggest looking for or trying to listen to?
@des.p I started out with a SN3 and ND5XS2 and Spendor A4. Worked very well together. I don’t Knox what is available as dealer demo or used that might lower costs
You do not say if you are wiling to consider used models. If you are then a Naim NAC202 and Nap200 combo is very nice and will cost around £600 each. Also if you would prefer a integrated design then a Supernait of any version will be good too. If you want to go old school Olive boxes then a NAC72 + Nap140 is very nice.
All the above can be serviced to bring them up to spec if necessary and if buying used it can be better to get them from a Naim dealer who will offer a 3 month warranty (in the UK). Units that have been recently serviced can be found too and although they may command a little higher price they can be worth going for.
All my Naim amplification kit was bought used and I have not had cause to regret it.
Those highly efficient speakers are a slight issue with any Naim amps bar the nait which lacks remote in some generations of the amp. The thing is such sensitive speakers are usually ideally matched to low output valve amps. If you want pre and power with remote then NAC102/NAP180 is a bargain combination and under £1000 secondhand. I still have a NAC102 I had factory serviced prior to upgrading to the NAC82 which I sort of kept in the loft as a backup pre and it’s a good entry price for naim separates.
I think your first priority should probably be to borrow a naim amp to try with your speakers to see if it rings your bell.
That was partly the reason for joining the forum, some of the Naim amps seem to have all of their gain in the first quarter of the volume pot. The Rega Elicit-r has plenty of travel in the volume pot to give fine enough control and is pretty much totally silent at the speaker end.
I’ve been down the low powered valve route and they struggle to fully control the large widebander drivers properly. I like the Rega but now want a bit more as I know the speakers will show any improvement I can make in either source or amplification.
The Naim xs3 doesn’t offer anything extra over the Rega so my thoughts went towards pre/power options.
Hi in my main system I have a pair of diy Frankenstein Bastanis Mandala’s open baffle speakers which use two free range 12” Bastanis Crystal drivers with a non Bastanis Vifa tweeter and a 15” Eminence bass driver per channel. Efficiency is circa 100db.
I purchased a Nait 50 in February this year (my first Naim product) I have normally run valves and occasionally solid state with the speakers. The Nait 50 has been a really very enjoyable pairing and been a perfect substitute for when the weather gets warmer and it’s to hot to run my 8W 300B valve amp in the room. I really like it and think it’s a steal at current discounted pricing. It’s easy to see how some here have ended up with two or even three of them! I’m tempted to get a second myself it’s a slippery slope…..
I have never found the lack of remote volume control a issue as my dac has a variable volume control so can use that or control via streamer so just set volume on amp and then fine tune up or down from upstream devices via remote or app on phone.
Edit does the Naim ND5 XS2 have the option for controlling variable volume out or only a fixed line out?
Unless you have a really high end Uber revealing system and treated room I doubt you will ever notice any signal degradation if there even is any.
Well that’s been my experience but obviously it depends on Naim’s volume implementation. It’s something a lot of N50 owners do if you follow the N50 thread.
Probably nearer £1700, I found a recently serviced NAP200 for £585 and a NAC202 for £575 on eBay but some of the comments in the thread are giving me pause for thought. I think I’ll try and get a loan of the Nait XS3 to do a direct comparison to the Rega before going any further.
I don’t find the Rega to be particularly lacking in tone or soundstage compared to similarly priced valve amps and the volume control implementation is very good compared to most amps I’ve tried.
Might be a time to just sit and enjoy and build some funds whilst trying to demo amps I think might be a suitable partner.
I’m not sure the speakers are uber revealing but changes made elsewhere are very obvious, sometimes I’ve caught myself listening to the kit rather than relaxing and letting the music do its thing.
This might be why I occasionally go through spells of “what if?” and end up looking for alternatives to the current electronics. Wanting to move away from an expensive streamer/dac made by a now defunct company led to the ND5XS2, the difference in the ethos of Auralic and Naim made me wonder if more was available without spending a fortune.