Is it okay to stack Naim audio equipment or do you have to use racks?

That pic brings back memories when I had that exact setup (but with the CDS/CDPS and NAT01/NAPS) several years ago. Had it all racked on 3 stacks of Quadraspire racks. The Isobariks were on their stands of course.

can I use self that made from glass (5mm thick) ?

I stack. I know I should not. Don’t have the space for a dedicated rack.

Does it sound broken or bad? No.
Could it sound better? Probably.
My guess 10% better.

At the end it is a compromise on performance and not equipment longevity.

8 Likes

Stacking is no problem. I never heard any difference. Only trust your own ears. Opinions are only opinions. Anybody has one. Do what is best en convenient for you.

9 Likes

Big no no! NEVER stack Naim components any hi fi rack will do

Unless your living situation won’t allow it. I have a rack, but some may not have the space or a willing spouse. Domestic harmony trumps hifi.

1 Like

Rubber feet, especially on the older models, do deteriorate over a number of years, and can leave icky black marks on the unit underneath…

….or on a pale beige lounge carpet, even if the unit in question (a CD3.5, IIRC) was only resting on the carpet for about ten minutes. A “humour failure” subsequently ensued from a third party, and I spent a good half hour trying to remove the marks; even so they can still be seen, albeit faintly!

I now use small pieces of printer paper under the feet of any items that need to be stacked.

2 Likes

Ladies & Gentlemen, I give you the entire Naim forum in miniature.

Mark

17 Likes

How about room-acoustics and equipment placement.

If the Fraim & contents is getting vibrations by being placed exactly where the room-modes collide compared to just stacked Naims but in a relatively quiet acoustic place in the room?

Perhaps a Fraim should be 50cm from nearest wall?

1 Like

Agree. You can only do what fits with the space physically and aesthetically. And I suspect there is a reason why the components come with rubber feet. But then I only have 2 components stacked (Streamer and streamer PS) and then they both sit on an acoustically dead manufactured stone base).

1 Like

The issue here is that by stacking the NDX2 and power supply you are negating one of the big advantages of the additional power supply, which gets the big transformer away from the sensitive analogue bits, or in your case doesn’t. It’s also important to let the Burndy lead hang free. Sometimes I think that if you cannot do it properly, you may as well just stick with the more basic system in the first place.

3 Likes

Especially when you factor in how much money you’ve spent on moving the power source and cabling outside of the source, only to then place it basically on top of where the internal supply is.
Certainly where Naim seperates are concerned, there’s a quantifiable and audible difference between just plugging it all in and switching it on vs actually setting it up as it was designed to operate.

So trying to understand the logic of some of this committed feedback, Is the argument that the electrical field emitted by the power supply, despite case shielding, interacts with the analogue stage? If that is the case how much space between is enough and does it follow that the analogue component benefits more from isolation than the power supply??

1 Like

So you spend say ÂŁ10k on some highly engineered electronics to provide class leading musical performance and you compromise it by not investing in some appropriate shelves. Okay!

Sneering condescension comes cheap, but does ignore the question.

4 Likes

Basically yes, keep separate.

Not only to reduce the electrical fields but also, heat. Others have also mentioned about feet marking the casework.

Attached are a couple of photos from the Naim Amplifier Manual which may help.


1 Like

There isn’t any case shielding per se. You ideally need them 30cm apart at minimum. One above the other is ok if there is a sensible vertical gap, even 10cm or so. The NDX2 has various designs for isolation, which putting it on top of a vibrating power supply completely negate.

The large transformers in Naim boxes will mainly radiate vertically, meaning that they will affect items immediately above or below them. This is part of the reason Naim advise that you shouldn’t stack boxes, in addition to potential issues with heat buildup, vibrations, and cosmetic damage from feet.
A rack puts some distance between boxes, or putting them side by side would reduce such effects even more.

Naim power interconnects are the length they are for a reason, if you are going to the expense and effort to move a power supply into a separate box from the electronics it’s designed to power, you should have them as far apart as you can, up to the extent of the Naim cables between them.
Taken to its logical extreme is to have two racks side by side, one containing the brains and the other the brawn as its often referred to, where the brawn is the power supplies in this example.
Use the SNAIC cables to their fullest extent to maximise the benefits of your investment.

Okay it certainly wasn’t meant that way. @Mr.M and @anon4489532 have explained it far better.

1 Like