Moving on from Naim

It’s a very fine amplifier , I had one , it was moved on for non audio reasons.

Plus it had no phono, and that led to additional boxes

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Hey Nobuko @kuma

If this does not get taken this down send me an email. I am curious to hear about Nagra.

Best
Gregg

You are probably right, but most use however tubes amps , low powered, with Horns . It’s not a coincidence.

I think you make a good point re: sample variation generally but my point was much more specific.

With Rega there are two issues for me. Firstly the sample variation is not merely “this one is really good” versus “this one doesn’t seem quite as good”. It’s much more “this one is wholly unengaging and really doesn’t do most of the things the other one does”. I’ve heard an Isis which was superb. I’ve heard an Isis I wouldn’t have paid £300 for.

Allied to this is the response. I have seen some of the correspondence and communications on this kind of issue and frankly, for me, it was a long way from “okay, let’s see if we can find what’s wrong”. Indeed it was so far from that it was offensive, slightly aggressive and lacking in self-awareness as to how badly it presented. Doubtless this won’t be the general experience. Nevertheless…

That aside, I’ve laid out the specifics of why it’s not for me and I won’t be deviating from that.

Bear in mind I’ve had two different versions of the Eneium amp. First one had what appeared to me to be a major fault. Second one arrived with a damaged remote and isolation feet but the bigger issue was the lack of mid range warmth and engagement. Now it may just be that it didn’t do it for my friend and I - one man’s “unengaging” is the “brilliant clarity” of another - but it may also have a quality control issue.

I would also look at a Nait 50…

Downside two inputs, no remote.

It lives up to the hype, well priced and drives my Harbeth P3 ESR

It has a wonderful warm , rich sound but can also do delicacy . I’m amazed at it

Best wishes

Ian

PS I think it is probably the best Naim integrated that I have heard

I’m genuinely interested in this as a call. As per my earlier posts, two inputs is not a downside. I need streamer and TV only. Get an optical out for the TV and it’s only one input. Lack of a remote is not a deal breaker for me. I tend to set volume manually after I’ve put the TV on and before sitting down. For music it’s a small downside but not so much.

That just leaves whether it betters the 202/200/HCDR and NAPSC. My intent is to downsize with an uptick in quality. Interested to understand where you’d position the 50 in relation to the above.

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" My intent is to downsize with an uptick in quality. Interested to understand where you’d position the 50 in relation to the above."

Exactly my aim as well - I might get shot for saying this , but I am as happy with my Nait 50 as I was with my 200/202/Hi Cap /NAPSC . All in the size of a box equivalent to a UnitiQute

Getting hold of one may prove difficult though

best wishes

Can’t argue with your happiness but are you also suggesting that it actually sounds as good?

.sjb

It sounds very, very good - I don’t have a Tardis so I can nip back and compare like for like and I don’t have the PMC speakers , but I am having a great deal of pleasure from it .

My 200/202/Hi Cap/NPSCC/Phono Stage go back to around 2002 the Nait 50 is using trickle down products from 2023

Now settled on Lyngdorf TDAI-3400 having spent a lot of money and time on Naim/dCS/ATC/Totem/cables/etc. I now see room correction as the most cost-effective and successful way to get the best sound for me.

I’m quite amazed at how few actually go down this route yet might spend thousands on more peripheral (IMO) aspects such as internet cable and rejiggers etc.

I use HAF filters via Roon which along with buying a mic cost around £250 all in. It is so manifestly the biggest upgrade I’ve ever encountered (and I’ve previously added 555PS, m-scaler, chord tuned array cables etc.).
Not an answer if vinyl is your main source but if it’s digital and the DSP is done by an expert like Thierry in Home Audio Fidelity it really is one of those “jaw dropping” improvements.

.sjb

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2019

2023

I regret not getting a Techno Arm for my Techno Dec but not the reduction in box count

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Yes, it’s a pity. Only us Canadians have Tardis’ now …

Do you have an asymmetrical room?

Do you think every system would benefit from room correction?

Tardii…surely?

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No room is perfect, no system is perfect doesn’t need to be asymmetrical to benefit, all listening areas can benefit especially from correction in the bass region however minor it might be.

Borrow or buy a decent calibrated mic and measure your room via REW and you will see how much it takes it off target and affects your room. Mine it’s huge and nothing I can do about it all. No amp or speaker change vastly affects the outcome and positioning only gets me so far as it becomes totally impractical in the best suited location and even then it’s not perfect.

A small adjustment to reduce some nodal resonances that increase certain frequencies can make a big difference. In some instances it’s a big change if you have very big bass boosts it’s not uncommon for these to be +10db or more in most untreated rooms. But you become so accustomed to them, removing them will be very noticeable. Some will instantly back away and become resistant at this point as it’s such a big change but you have to stay will it to let your mind adjust to how it should be.

It becomes a more relaxed listen from my experience. It can’t and doesn’t solve everything nothing does but it can have an impact and my experience it’s always been for the better. But less is more with DSP it’s best to adjust below 200hz, 300hz may be max after that it’s the speaker voicing and other room affects. It can really help with phase time alignment and this is we’re services like HAF come in as they can adjust both the responses of the direct sound and the reflected to even it out and this can really tighten stuff up.

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Yes.

Do you think every system would benefit from room correction?

Purely my opinion as I’m quite obviously not an expert but I would doubt many of us have perfect rooms so would think that most could be improved upon. Certainly I feel if one is thinking of an interconnect or speaker cable to improve one’s sound then professional DSP will be of greater benefit.

.sjb

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I’m one of these pragmatists but as I think you understood the type of filtering using Roon that I’m talking about cannot (easily) be added to one’s vinyl source.

.sjb

It can if you use a good d2a like the RME ADI2 pro or similar and the entry points extension will allow it. Yes you get the delay association with this but it works. It really all depends of the quality of the d2a though using a cheap one like Hifiberry which I tried is less than optimal for this.

I have used Dirac on NAD and used a Trinnov Amythist in the past. Both solved room problems. The NAD always sounded/felt a bit off (hard to put into words) but the Trinnov was very good. In the end I sold it and went for room treatement instead as, even though it did no obvious damage to vinyl replay I could not get me head around digitising an analog source and putting it through a DAC.

My treated room is by no means a perfect/flat as using room correction but I think I prefer it.