Fair points Max. No doubt Naims top systems are for the super rich which at least begs certain questions. However, I do not feel like being judgemental about it. I do hope they listen to music rather than it just being another ‘statement’ though.
Maybe it’s just because they love music and have prioritised their spending accordingly. I have never understood how the purchase and use of music replay equipment can be considered to be any sort of hobby; it is merely a means by which to experience music in the home. Whilst you might consider Statement level equipment an example of conspicuous consumption, it has generally been the case, at least with Naim Audio, that the higher priced items deliver the more faithful reproduction.
I finally got round to borrowing the Aria this weekend. Yes, it’s a big step up from the Stageline but we’re getting unacceptably loud humming from the speakers. Waiting for suggestions from our dealer.
Graeme, yes I have stopped upgrading… I guess you get to point you stop fretting and just enjoy your music… I guess after a while you get your system to match how you want and you find immensely rewarding… and you hear relative shortcomings on other people’s systems. However curiosity drives you to try things out… but after repeatedly you find they don’t ‘do things’ in the way you prefer you start to loose urge to try those things after a while.
My latest upgrade was my Naim streaming transport… instigated in part to the failure of my NDX screen… and glad I did… this has allowed me to be introduced to Roon which encourages you even more to focus on your recordings and musicians rather than the equipment you are listening to it on.
My system I have settled on:
Fraim
NAC552DR
NAP250.2
NDX2
Hugo
NAT03
CDX2
Hiline interconnects
NACA5
ATC SCM19
Russ Andrews speaker stands.
Roon.
Thanks Adam,
I’ve got it below the NDS and above the 252 so no nearby power supplies. It’s plugged into the hi for mains so I could ittry on the household ring.
Glad you have the Aria, not glad you have humming! All my gear runs from the same twin socket and is connected to a multi-port gang switch so I don’t think it will matter if it’s on a different circuit or not as your TT. I would start with the interconnect if it were me. Presumably the connectors are firmly home and the DIN end secured properly, if so I’d try a different input on the amp and if that didn’t do it then I’d look to borrow another interconnect from my dealer. If humming is still present then the finger of suspicion would be pointing at the Aria. Let us know how you get on.
Well I thought I was done in 2018. Ended the year with:
ND555/PSU555
Unity Core
Recapped/serviced my Krell KSA 80B after 30 years (not my years)
Townshend DC 47 Autotransformer Preamp
Townshend Podiums and f1 Fractal Interconnects
Now in 2019 things in the que
Restoring and updating an Apogee Scintilla One Ohm
Townshend f1 Fractal Speaker Wires
Roon
Nucleus or Nucleus+
Already accomplished
Sony Blu Ray Player–done
Ceiling Mount of Samsung 55"—done
Discovered new artist–Brothers Osborne—done
All the while enjoying the Music along the way with at least 2 hours per day of listening.
Don’t sell it. Just try to make sure the kids and their pals don’t damage your kit or stick their fingers into anything live. My kids are now aged 6, 9 and 12 and are enjoying my Tidal membership and the hifi.
Then, all the element “Black” until 252 / 250.2 / CDS3 full Powerline, at this time I did not agree with this musicality that took me away from my music.
I redid the way with the devices “Olive” since Nac92 / nap90.3 until 52 / 135 / CDS then a last change of the 52 by a 72.
Speakers, Intro2, Credo, NSats, Ovator S400, IBL, SBL
Currently, I live happy with my full active Olive Naim on SBL
Earthing issue… btdt with a TubeDS phone stage. Tried earthing to the earth tag on the SN2 and it didn’t help. In the end an earth from the phono stage to the earth pin of a mains plug sorted it. I spoke to NAIM and also the TubeDS people and got nowhere. I then starting playing with earths and fixed it.