Hi,
I use Naim uniti Nova with Elac Vela BS403 speakers and Elac SUB 2070.
Compared to my old Sonoro Maestro audio device (much cheaper than Nova), the sound is very bright with little bass, and the midrange is also poor.
Does Nova need some time to reproduce better sound, or what could be the problem?
Thanks
Hi Goran,
I think there’s something massively wrong. I have a Uniti Nova and it sounds marvelous. I was successfully fine-tuning it a lot through the last months, but it sounded very good out-of-the-box.
Maybe you should tell us more about the cabling and the source you use. Elac Vela BS403 isn’t a bad speaker at all.
Yes, it does take a while for a new Nova to run in and it can sound a bit thin to start with, but don’t expect transformational changes.
The big question is whether you tried the Nova with your speakers before buying it. I had some ProAcs with an NDX2 and Supernait 3 and they sounded excellent. I tried a Nova with them and didn’t like the sound at all, very thin and bright with virtually no bass. I then tried some PMCs with the Nova and everything was fine. The Nova seems to need careful matching with speakers. Get it right and it sounds great, but get it wrong….
Yes, it does take a while for your ears to run in.
My Nova was fine (it was an ex-demo) right from Day 1 .
I traded it in for a Nait 50.
Straight out of the box my Nova sounded fine. But on day two the bass disappeared without trace! I thought I’d broken it! Gradually over the next couple of weeks the bass returned. All is now as it should be and I’m very happy with it.
Hi guys,
Thanks for your comments.
For speakers I use InAkustik LS-1102 cable, 1,5m. For the Elac Sub I use InAkustik Exzellenz II RCA cable.
I tried both connections wifi and with lan cable, same sound quality.
And what is very strange for me sounds Spotify better then Tidal (max or high).
Yesterday, I optimized the settings for the Elac SUB with the help of AI Copilot, and it sounds a little better.
And I plan to sell my Elac speakers and buy the PMC Twenty 5.22i.
That should give me the perfect sound for rock music. What do you think about it?
It may be that my ears need some time to properly perceive the Nova sound.
Regards,
Goran
I suspect you will need new speaker cables. This is an extract from the FAQ.
“Apart from Naim’s own upgrade cable - Super Lumina (3m/channel minimum) - alternative speaker cables cannot be recommended by Naim, however, should you still wish to try them then you should ensure that the cable is low capacitance and of moderate inductance. High capacitance &/or very low inductance cables are to be avoided at all costs and may result in damage to your amplifier.”
You’ll see that low inductance cables are to be avoided. I’ve looked at your cables on the InAcustik website and much is made of their low inductance. I’d suggest getting Naim’s NACA5, Kudos KS-1 or something from Chord or Tellurium Q, of at least 3m length.
The PMCs are good speakers. I don’t know how long you’ve had the Nova or if it’s brand new. You’ll probably find that an Atom HE and the active version of the speakers will be significantly better than the passive version with the Nova. That is what I found with the PMC twenty5.21i anyway. But whatever you do, if you are remaining passive, change those speaker cables. With active you don’t need them of course.
I will take the Chord Company - Shawline X LS cable, maybe the EpicX LS.
I hope it will makes the sound of Nova much better.
My Nova is brand new, 10 days in use.
Goran, Nova + Chord + PMC is a really good choice, it should sound optimal.
The question is, should I take Kudos KS-1 or one good cable from Chord?
I currently use Elac Vela BS403 speakers.
Kudos favoured and used Chord cables before they produced KS1, and the construction, use of silver plated copper etc. is very similar. If you like one, chances are you will like the other.
Which Chord cable would you recommend? I can buy Shawline X LS 4m for €547 in Germany. I can’t find OdysseyX in German online shops. Or maybe Chord Epic?
I like good bass, midrange, and precision.
Thanks
What is the source? Airplay, bluetooth? streaming service quality settings?
Streaming Tidal and Spotify. I must also try Qobuz.
Nova is with Lan cable connected with router.
I’d get the Kudos if you can, with Naim plugs at the amplifier end. It works well between a Nova and PMCs. If you cannot find it where you live, the Shawline should be fine.
Like myself some other people here, likely a small minority, have an aural mismatch to this construction, with a perception of “glare”. On the other hand, many likely most others think it’s a great invention. Just to say this may not always work.
Within the pure copper camp, on a budget, especially for min 4m plus lenghts, Linn K20 is a good starting point (so is used WH N2 when it pops up) but NACA5 is the factory recommended choice. In my personal opinion with good reason and well available second hand.
Besides speaker cable, the Nova benefits from the warming oomph of a Powerline cable IMO.
I am currently testing the Chord Company Shawline X LS cable.
What a difference compared to InAkustik cables, like heaven and hell.
The music now sounds perfect, with lots of detail and perfect bass and midrange. Just beautiful sound.
I will see if it can get any better when I get the Naim NACA5 from the seller to test.
A bit scared of the new Nova to arrive at our home shortly. The Star did not move my wife in a way the Uniti 2 did. But at least i will be able to start with the NAC A5 cable rather than the v/d Hull Hybrid 352 i used to play with.