nordost thread will come when the time comes hehe… this thread will keep going with more inputs as it’s only the beginning I enjoyed reading this thread, the journeys of putting one’s first hi go to the upgrades, pursuing for the sound they after , experimenting and owning different gears Ali g the journey and finally may come to a stop for some .
What I seek ? Hmm a lot … haha … in the pipelines are Valhalla 2 , Odin 2 ,Ansuz and a Rossini dac . One at a time while I enjoy running in and the components I had assembled so far … very enjoyable , especially w the Valhalla 2 power cord .
I wonder, do you mostly look for a product upgrade or do you have a particular vision for the sound presentation you want? No doubt your system is very enjoyable, especially with your new cables
By far the sound that I seek are very close to what naim had delivered for me now - music and Hi-Fi . When I start my journey, I am very into fine details and when you are after very fine details , you lost the enjoyment of music when your ears are too busy separating and catching fine details. And I got very tired one day and asked myself , am I after sound or music ? And my answer is - both . And I got to naim late , couple of years back and when I demoed the naim products - impression was very deep and I know - yes that’s what I am after . And to fine tune music w the details , i put on my nordost , and it sounds just what i am after , and hence i am very into nordost cables cos it gives what i am after . Music and fine details . Nordost cables has this “voodoo” that keeps you wanting more cos it’s that alluring w the sound that it gives out and you never get tired w them ,to me . And it has this hard to explain relationship when I hook up to naim gears . So I will be focusing on my cables as priority to boxes .
And thereafter I am only into naim products for pre and power and along came the NC , just in time for me to continue, gods gift
I am still learning and experimenting this hobby and it’s still a loooooong way before I “graduate “ from it . Meaning putting a stop to my persue
There’s no perfect systems , only personal preferences systems .
It’s not easy to put a system together , towards one’s preference , especially when I listen to all kinds of music , from classical to heavy metal , hence fine tuning is tough.Now I am at least 70% to what I am after .
And from naim forum , I am able to absorb good knowledge and learnt from my seniors and friends
Last week my dealer sent me these pic new arrival of odin gold odin2 and Valhalla 2.. it was soooo tempting for me but I have to put a stop for now . The $$ too hard to swallow for now . Especially when I am still running in my Valhalla 2 power cord . Wife gonna kill me
In the same vain, at the moment I have NAP 350s a NSC 222 and a NPX 300 and I am looking to change the NPX300 and NSC222 for NSS333 and NAC332, I keep looking at th spec sheets and driving myself crazy, what should I gain, has anyone done the same thing I am driving B&W 802’s. Thanks
If funds allow, go for it … it’s always good to have a stand alone pre … I feel . And I demoed at dealers , but not w b&w speakers … for B&w speakers , no issues pairing. I would say there’s a balanced sound. Speak w your dealer for a demo
Keep the 300 and buy the 332 and 333, using 300 on the 333 would be my advice. I was going to do this when I upgraded my 222 but got offered a second 300 at a price too good to miss.
I auditioned 222 with 300 and 250 but bit the bullet and went 332/333/350. Also tried 300 on the 333 but I couldn’t notice much difference (although to be fair all the kit was straight out of the box) so if you want to save a little do what you suggest and trade in both the 222 and 300. I´m feeding B&W 804s and I’m delighted so I think you will be too as you’re feeding the big brother B&W. 300 is always a future upgrade option
Over the last 15 years or so I’ve box swapped relentlessly from a very humble low budget set up to something I thought was good enough for me (Harbeth, Naim, Clearaudio Chord) I was happy with this and only tinkered with the dacs and streaming. Anyway in the last 18 months or so I’ve been through a very messy divorce and had to sell the Naim kit (taxman) and the rest has been in storage.
I’ve gotten by with just a Sonos one then an old Nad 3020 and JBL bookies (which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed)and it’s given me a lot of food for thought.
I’m back on my feet again now in a new home and just sorting a hifi room - I have plenty of money to spend and the temptation has been to go a lot higher end but I’m going to recreate the exact same system I’d got to 18months ago and just continue to enjoy the music.
Back in 1990 I decided I want to buy some real HiFi.
After months of auditioning it was literally a toss up between an Olive Nait2 and a Musical Fidelity A100. I decided to buy the A100 as I preferred the Xerxes to the LP12 and the Xerxes seemed better suited to the A100.
I was very happy with the sound for years. The only downside was the amp ran super hot and fried itself three times so I decided enough was enough.
At this point I got into Naim. The biggest “problem” with Naim is how easy the upgrade path is and I got on the slippery slope of upgraditis. At least until I got to 252/300. At this point I decided I was super contented with my system and didn’t need to go any further.
I guess everyone is different in where they decide that end point is, but it’s great fun along the journey.
Funny thing: the first time I listened to Naim gear I didn’t like it at all (I think it was a 272). The problem was the dealer, he didn’t present the product the right way. However some years later I got introduced to the XS2, XS3, SN2, SN3, NAC202, NAP200, NSC222, NAP250, etc. and I really got to love the brand and its sound. So far I haven’t found any other brand with this kind of signature and presentation. I think it gives you both the Hi-End experience and the connection that music requires. Music needs to be emotional; if it’s not, your senses will never get moved. And Nordost cables, in my experience and according to my taste and preferences, do enchance the Naim sound and help to dig out the soul of music. I do enjoy a detailed and punchy presentation, but it has to be emotional as well. I think we both had a similar journey and approach, we are just at different levels.
You never end up learning and experimenting, do you think you can really “graduate”? And it’s never easy to create a system all together, every step has to be well pondered in order not to alter the general balance. When I change things I always try to keep that in mind, I don’t want to end up in a bad position.
This forum is a great place to share experiences and gain knowledge in a friendly way, what’s not to love!
PS. Your dealer likes to play with fire ahah. Valhalla is already very expensive, but the Odin… that’s in another league for sure! If you pull the trigger, just don’t tell your wife haha.
Very similar experience here Steve. I bought a Xerxes in preference to a Linn in ‘89 I think. Demoing amps from Linn, Naim and Exposure I opted for Exposure.
I eventually converted to Naim and never looked back. The new LP12 is a different beast to the early one and that came into my system in 2016. Happy to say that I am now done!
Interesting reading.
I wonder how many of us are in the ‘Emperors New Clothes’ loop ? How many of us could tell in a blind test which system/maker/source we were actually listening to?
I bought my current speakers in 1999 for about £700. To buy new speakers of a similar level is now between £3,500-5,000. Can my 63 year old ears actually hear the difference - if there is any difference ! If my current system was stolen/lost due to fire etc would probably cost £10,000 to replace at current values. Could I honestly justify that ? Yes I could, as it would be insurance money. If it were my money, I’d baulk at that amount.
I wander into that room, select music, sit down and listen and enjoy. I sometimes select modern tracks with unbelievable low frequency bass just so I can listen to the speakers reproduce those notes. Not because I particularly like the music. What’s wrong with me …… I listen sometimes to remind myself how good the system is, not because I like that artist/song, and that’s totally wrong. How many of us are guilty of that I wonder.
In summary, I wonder exactly why we upgrade sometimes. ‘Learn to be satisfied’ may be an expression we’ve forgotten.
Yes Stuart, I recall the LP12 being nowhere near as nimble and dynamic as the Xerxes back in 1990. But I remember hearing one at a demo 20 odd years later when the Keel came out and thinking to myself “if I ever change I must audition this deck”.
nordost thread will come when the time comes hehe… this thread will keep going with more inputs as it’s only the beginning 
I enjoyed reading this thread, the journeys of putting one’s first hi go to the upgrades, pursuing for the sound they after , experimenting and owning different gears Ali g the journey and finally may come to a stop for some .
And it’s never easy to create a system all together, every step has to be well pondered in order not to alter the general balance. When I change things I always try to keep that in mind, I don’t want to end up in a bad position.