Im planning on buying the KEF R7 Metas which require 4 ohms to drive. I have the original Naim Nova which im hoping to part ex. But im not sure what to get going forward. I do really like the Nova and so the Nova PE does make sense apart from it feels like such a waste to have to replace the entire unit.
My primary listening is through Roon,
This is why im thinking of going down the separates root. What Naim separates would i need to get to the equivalent of the Nova PE?
thanks 
I moved from the SN3 to the system 300. This may be more than you want to spend. If so, consider the system 200.
I love the Nova PE
Price wise, a Nova PE = NDX2 + SN3
If you are looking for a significant improvement on the Nova, the NSC222 and NAP250 are the obvious candidates. They cost more than the Nova PE but will be a lot better and more future proof.
Butā¦. the Nova is excellent so why not look for some speakers that match it well?
Itās worth investigating what speaker specifications actually mean. The Kefs donāt ārequireā 4 ohms to drive. Their 4ohm specification means they are low impedance. A 4 ohm speaker will draw twice as much power from the amplifier as an 8 ohm speaker, which is why some amplifiers struggle with them. But the Nova might be ok and it must be worth trying. But, reverting to the above point, why not look at different speakers?
Iāve driven LS50 Metas, R3 Metas, and the R7 Metas with a 155XS and a 200DR. Theyāve all sounded fantastic with either. I donāt know that you need to change out the Nova basis the previous - best try and audition the R7s first in your room and see if you like it. If you need more cowbell, a SN3 would be an extremely cost effective option
i was looking at thr series 300 but i need HDMI input too
I looked. I canāt find separates with HDMI. Good luck. The closest I came was the Atom HE. I think you can add an amp to the HE.
For a few Ā£ you can get an hdmi > stereo rca converter.
Hi and welcome,
I donāt know Kef speakers except by reputation, but would suggest there arenāt really equivalencies between the Novas, and the OC and NC ranges, conceptually theyāre different products albeit there is supposedly a Naim signature. I havenāt heard a Nova PE but Iāve heard a Nova with Focal Sopras 1 & 2, and with Kudos 505 and 606, and it really is a compelling sound. But put a NDX2 and SN3 and Iām sure 222/250 in the frame and youāll be into a different league. Now personal/subjective plays a big part in this, for some the Nova would be just the ticket and theyād quite likely find the separates not really worthy of the extra outlay.
For me I find my NDX2/555 utterly compelling but Iām fortunate enough to have some pretty high end amplification as well.
So what youāre getting here are opinions, thereās only one way to decide and thatās get into a dealer to hear some options. One final point donāt rule out a used or ex dem NDX2/SN3, it might just be what youāre after.
Good luck.
If HDMI is a dealbreaker your only Naim option is a Uniti. Personally I donāt bother with it, as I find SPDIF or Bluetooth more reliable when connecting a TV. You do lose a little in convenience that you get with HDMI when it works properly.
I guess you need to consider whether sound quality or convenience when watching TV is your priority
And Nova PE is one box only.
Otherwise, I prefer the 200 series to the 300 series.
thanks! iām thinking the Nova PE probably ticks all my boxes.
although iām looking at speakers that donāt have such a low impedance such as B&W 702 s3 signature.
To be honest, despite more power, I strongly suspect the regular Nova handles low impedance better than the PE.
4Ohms isnāt particularly unusual and I donāt believe thereās a Naim amp in existence that has every broken a sweat simply because the speakers are nominal 4Ohm. If anything, driving difficult low impedance loads is where Naim amps have traditionally thrived to see off the competition.
Requiring loads of power and handling low impedance are not the same thing. I would work out whether the speakers need more power or more grip first. Otherwise you might slot in a PE and be underwhelmed.
In real world terms, the difference might not be important as I would expect both to handle a 4Ohm load just fine, but Iām curious why youād think that? But if we want to rank them, based on what I know of the Purifi modules, I would say itās likely the exact opposite.
You could be right. Absolutely .
I just donāt know of many class D modules that are super happy in the sub 4Ohm range. And a 4Ohm speaker is only nominally 4Ohms. It will likely dip well below that.
I just want to make sure the OP thinks about this and this isnāt just some misunderstanding based on the fact the specs sheet on the Naim site mentions 4Ohms for the PE and not the Nova, which is almost certainly not really indicating anything meaningful.
NOVA PE :
NOVA :
I have the regular Nova and have used it to drive both ā simpleā Focal Ariaās 906 as well as SF Olympica Nova 3ās.
I have no complaints with both. Sure extra power would benefit driving the SF but i am sure the Nova PE is made for speakers that require more power.
But having listened and compared the trio Nova, Star and the XS3- ND5-X2 ( picked Nova) and more recently the NC series, Naim hierarchy is difficult is sometimes difficult to grasp.
Like amplification ( sound, not power)
Atom
Star
5i
Nova / PE
XS3
SN3
NAP 250
NAP 350
And then streamer quality.
All unitiās
ND5 XS2
222
NDX2
333
If the separates streamer supports Airplay or Airplay 2 as all the newer Naim streamers do, you could airplay from Apple TV directly to the Naim streamer over your network rather than needing to use HDMI or Toslink. The sound quality is really quite good especially if you can connect both the Apple TV and the streamer to the network with Ethernet cables instead of WiFi.
Yes both Chromecast and airplay will do 24bit 48Khz. Most modern TVs can even do either Chromecast direct or Bluetooth audio direct with no additional box. My kids link their Qbs as output devices this way for their computers. Itās utterly seamless. My TV in the kitchen Chromecast direct to the hifi too. I donāt even remember setting it up so it must have been simple.