My System no Longer Needs Upgrading and it feels STRANGE!

Your avatar shouldn’t be Innocent Bystander, but @Rational. :joy:

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I’m currently listening to Spendor S8e speakers and have also run Spendor A1. In line with my experience and what I’ve read they respond well to system upgrades clearly signposting any upgrades back through the chain.

I think the point I’m trying to make is that I’m not convinced you’re missing out on anything with the A4. If your system works for you, then it works for you and going big on another pair of speakers could be a step backwards.

Our A4 speakers have clearly shown our streamer and cable upgrades and they work well in our room.

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Hunting for the best sounding releases of your favorite albums is an upgrade path in itself and a very enjoyable and addictive one.

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Congratulations. It took me over 20 years to get to a place where you are now. Upgraditis is a condition that gets quelled for a while, then it just comes back. It sounds (no pun) like you have a great system put together. With the fantastic NDX2 you have…just start listening to all the different types of music you now have at your fingertips’. Relax and enjoy what you have.

It’s a good feeling when you get to a spot where your system sounds great and you don’t feel the need to tweak it. After some years of upgrading and tweaking I’ve again (finally) landed at a happy place with my system. This is the first time I’ve been content with Naim’s black boxes. Long overdue.

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The Exact is a nice cartridge. I had one for 5 years.

Given how infrequently I listen to Vinyl, the Exact into the SN3 for my Rega P9, suits me fine. If Rega were to release a better MM in the US, I would consider it.

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The ND3 is Rega’s new MM, might be worth keeping an eye out for it in NA? Ooh, and the ND7.

Ok, it’s clear I don’t know what I’m talking about. I thought they just announced the ND7, but the ND3 is listed as new on their website :person_shrugging:

I’m assuming the ND7 is better than the ND3.

Don’t worry, the need for an upgrade will come back soon. An additional power amp for bi-amping, then perhaps an upgraded PSU, maybe a change to a separate pre-amp, which will then entail a second power amp, etc…etc…etc…
Hi-Fi, like life, is a never ending journey.

Except I have no more shelf space on my two racks. Separate Pre snd power amp components, assuming they would benefit from PSU, would not be an option. Also my new system was chosen because the integrated and CDP are easy to operate with buttons. Due to disability, Naim’s newer LCD based components are sometimes more difficult for us. Lastly, our room cannot accommodate a third rack. There can be a natural stopping point when the system is really good and other limitations kick in. If Naim released a new integrated that had the same ease of operation and improved SQ, I might consider it. Otherwise we are done for the foreseeable future.

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That’s good to know, there is an end in sight. :grin:

I haven’t made any changes in my system for 10 years now.
For me there are times when listening is not in the top 10 activities that appeal for me.
This could be a twitching that an upgrade could scratch. Looking for weaknesses that might be behind a loss of interest in listening.

Thankfully a good listening session restores the faith and satisfaction, with still the shock of the new reappraisal of the measure of things

Aye, I assumed that too. I recalled the announcement of the ND7 earlier in the year as their new MM, but was also expecting it to be on their website. That appears not the case yet. I think the ND3 and ND7 are replacing their existing MMs (couldn’t see anything obvious about any ND5).

Anyway, from what I recall of the ND7 launch material, it should be a useful uplift on their previous top end MM.

Which all sound like perfect reasons to stick where you are. Hopefully any negative feelings associated with that are subsiding?

Yup

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Good thread and all good replies. I am sure most people here would have gone through the process.

To me, there are two scenarios. First is whether the system sounds satisfactory to you. If it doesn’t, the owner will need to make a change (or few changes) by upgrading the components and/or speakers until the system delivers a level of performance that meets the owner’s expectations. In this case, an upgrade is necessary.

The next scenario is you have reached a stage where your system sounds splendid and an upgrade is not necessary. However, people sometimes are curious and just want a change, the temptation of seeking new experiences. There is no end to this game actually. One can choose to stay content and leave it as is. If one gets bored with the sound of the system (although it sounds terrific), has some surplus money to splurge on something or an itch to scratch, then an upgrade may be necessary.

Currently I am satisfied with the sound of my system and consider all my components and speakers as endgame pieces. Nevertheless, I sometimes still look around. The only thing that’s stopping me from getting new stuff is I don’t own a money printing machine.

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I have the same electronics and speaker wire. I run wilson tunetots with a subwoofer and have found it to be more resolving and musical than the spendor a4s which i demoed. Hmmm

@Dfreshness Elliot at Innovative Audio is a big Wilson TuneTot fan. I would not want a sub woofer in our living room. I wonder how the Tune Tots would sound on Wilson stands without a sub? My husband did not like the look of the Tune Tots when I showed him a picture. Also Wilson does not recommend stand mounting for these. From what I understand they were designed for desktop office use.