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The combination Nait50/Intro2 is really nice:
-so much expressive
-with this unique good old Naim groove
-far enough details
-overall coherence (no bass grab the floor and on the other end no highs floating somewhere over the loudspeakers…).
Really good job!
I’m just listening Fugazi album.
Fantastic!
Heard the Roger’s LS3 etc with the Nait 50 and ND5XS2 last week, it was very good
I have been following this thread (as well as the main thread on the NIt 50) closely for a long time. I have gradually built up my system over the last few months with Nait 50, ND5XS2, NDac/XPS. Only my speakers (Vienna Acoustics Haydn) are from the previous system with the Uniti Atom. The longer I listen, the more I get the impression that they have now become the weakest part of the system. They are a bit boomy in my listening room (17 square metres). Many posts recommend Harbeth or ProAc speakers with Naim, or even Neat Acoustics or Russel K. However, these brands are not very common in Switzerland (at least not within a reasonable distance). Because I was in the neighbourhood at the weekend for family reasons and had already bought the Nait 50 there, I asked Hifi Studio Wittmann (Stuttgart/Germany) for a listening appointment for speakers with Nait 50. On Friday I was able to spend 2 extremely exciting hours there. Marius Dittert from HiFi Wittmann is a Nait50 owner himself and had connected a Linn Selekt DSM (Dual Mono) as a source (it is qualitatively superior to my system). The listening room was about 25 square metres in size with light acoustic treatment.
As previously agreed, we listened to the following loudspeakers, which should suit the size of my room.
ProAc Tablet 10 Signature, Harbeth P3 ESR XD, Harbeth Compact 7 ES-3 XD, Franco Serblin Accordo
I had initially hesitated to suggest the Franco Serblin because they are significantly more expensive than the others. I thought they would probably need better electronics than the Nait 50 to realise their potential…
We heard some titles, that I know very well, e.g.
And what was the sound impression like?
Franco Serblin Accordo: Right from the start, it was clear that the combination with the Nait 50 + Linn Selekt DSM was something very special. The sound image had an extremely open stage and especially with classical music or the vocals of Dominique Fils-Aime’s recording, not only the grand piano or the main voice was placed in the centre, but the orchestra or the polyphonic background vocals were presented with a differentiation that I have never heard before. The whole thing was then presented with a beautiful tonal coherence in all frequency ranges, including a tight bass foundation. This was not only very good in terms of hi-fi criteria, but also created a close emotional connection to the music. In many places, the music gave me goose bumps and touched me deeply. That’s how it should be.
It was perhaps an unfair break, but then we switched to the ProAc10, which only cost less than 1/3 of the Accordo’s price. The ProAc’s were very well balanced and created a coherent sound that was surprising for their size. In the bass and fundamental range they reminded me of my Vienna Acoustics Haydn, in the mid and treble range they where slightly better. Certainly a good choice for the Nait 50, but the resolution was limited compared to the Franco Serblins. Voices or lead instruments in classical music were more in the centre, but the differentiation of Background singers or orchestras remained mich more limited. The emotional experience of the music was therefore a good deal removed from the Accordo’s.
The Harbeth P3ESR XD were convincing with vocals, even more so than the ProAc’s. However, the sound image seemed rather thin and rather pale in the bass and fundamental range. I assume that they were simply too small for the room. The Harbeth Compact 7 ESs clearly improved on this and created a harmonious and balanced sound. However, even they did not achieve the coherence and resolution of the Franco Serblin Accord’s. This was immediately clear when we connected the Accordo’s again at the end. With Dominique Fils-Aime’s “Rise”, an all-round harmonious and finely resolved balance was achieved.
Lessons learnt: the Nait 50 is an extremely differentiated and balanced amplifier that delivers an extremely harmonious sound image with the right speakers. It benefits greatly from sources that are priced significantly higher and immediately passes on their quality. Even high-quality and correspondingly expensive loudspeakers can make sense with the Nait 50. What the Franco Serblins have delivered with the Nait 50 was simply impressive.
I have only ever had similarly harmonious and moving experiences with the Marten Oscar Duo (albeit with NCS 222/NPX 300 + Nap 250, not with the Nait 50). I have also heard that my Vienna Acoustics Haydn are not so bad in comparison. Harbeth P3 ESR and ProAc Tablette 10 Signature each have a different sound character. There is no doubt that they are also a good choice for the Nait 50, depending on the room and source. However, they seemed to me to be a step sideways compared to the Viennas. For a big improvement, a correspondingly large investment is necessary, but with the Nait 50, this can certainly make sense.
Thanks to Marius from Hifi Wittmann for this impressive presentation of the different speakers.
Oh, this sounds like a totally fun experience, thanks so much for the super nice and detailed write up, was very interesting to read your thoughts about both the source and, of course, the speakers comparisons.
Every time I look at a pair of Tabs 10 Sigs, I simply start longing for a pair just because they look so awesome, and I did enjoy mine for a good while.
I know nothing about these Italian speakers but sounds like they must be pretty
special. Are you taking them for a little home audition?
And possible placed too far out in room.
The wall shelves makes it impossible to place many loudspeakers correct closer to wall, strange lay-out for a shop like that with seemingly serious kit.
Thank you very much, @garcon. It really was an exciting session. But the source (Linn Select for 20k) certainly also played a role. And besides the Franco Serblin Accordo, the Tablette’s 10 were a positive surprise for me. The ProAc D2Rs might also be an option, which I haven’t heard yet.
And yes, the Accordo’s would be worth a home demo. I still need to think about it (they cost 8k… more than I actually wanted to spend…).
We had also tried the ProAcs Tablet 10 and the Harbeth P3 PSR closer to the wall. However, the spatial depth then seemed limited to me. I think the Accordos need air around them anyway and are not an ideal solution for placement very close to the wall.
Over 360 posts and I still haven’t seen a pair.
Didn’t think Naim did speakers now.
Yes, 8k is not so cheap and if you are prepared to go to and above 5k then also may by try to audition a couple of similarly priced/level contenders before deciding? Especially that you can have also speakers of slightly different size and character at a similar price point?
Frankly, I don’t know yet. So far, I thought I would get further in the price range up to 5k. But the cheaper speakers turned out to be a step to the side rather than forwards. And my Vienna Acoustics are not that bad in comparison. If I get any further, I’ll be happy to report back
I understand very well, and sometimes it’s also curiosity (well, foe me at least). When I changed to the Spendor D1 many years ago, soon after I thought I should explore others and went on to own and audition many similar in the range, only to return to the D1s a few years later - well at least now I can say I am pretty sure these for me are the best small monitor contemporary iteration!
With my main setup speakers, the Marten Oscars - I’ve now had them for several years since soon after they were launched and they work brilliantly for me and in my home environment. And, sure enough, I am sometimes curious to try something else, but so far, whenever I’ve come back home from some audition and played some music on them, it’s been a “oh yes” smile.
What you write is exactly right for me and my situation. On the one hand, trying things out is part of the hobby. I have built up my current system step by step with a lot of trial and error and with many tips from the forum (including network optimisation and room acoustics). I’m really enjoying it this evening in particular - a wonderful way to relax after a long day at work. Speakers seem to be the most difficult thing for me and home demo would be key. Also, speakers above a certain price range are very individual and depend on the room in question. They are therefore difficult to resell at a reasonable price if you have bought them new. That’s why I think carefully about a purchase. And I will also try out a few others. I’m not in a hurry. And the Marten Oscars you have are among my absolute favourites, along with the Franco Serblin Accordo.
Thank you for such an exhaustive report, I have P3ESR which with the right material sound wonderful, l have also heard the Nait 50 with Rogers LS3/5E - and that too was very good.
My feelings are the Nait 50 is very good with quality monitor speakers and needs sources like an LP12 or NDX2 ( I use a CDX 2 )
I heard mine using Chord Epic speaker cables and personally use Witch Hat Phantom speaker cable
Love the finish on the Sterling speakers
I own an NDX2… I know the NDX2 is used as example source in the Nait50 manual… but quite frankly the NDX2, good though it is, really under achieves by a considerable margin of what the Nait50 is capable of… I would at least look at the ND555 or equivalent or better non Naim source to get the best from the Nait50… it’s that good.
As such the Nait50 is hard to position in the Naim hierarchy … perhaps that’s why it was positioned as a limited edition special.
An example of its incredible performance was demonstrated a few months ago. One of the Nait50 input channels started sounding ordinary as opposed to exceptional. It was a hard one… I thought it was me, but on immersive listens it became quite obvious. One input started sounding like a regular mid tier classic amp… and the other magical. Took it to the dealer… we used a standard non ND555 level source… we couldn’t hear it. We upped the source to a DAVE level… yes we could now clearly hear the performance drop in comparison to the other channel.
It went back to Naim… initially NFF… but in the end I was told that Jason aka Golden Ears at Naim was brought in… yes he could hear the shortcoming on one of the inputs. The input DIN socket and for good measure relay was changed… it transpired one of the DIN sockets pressure contacts had a small manufacturing fault… voila super high end sources could be enjoyed again at full potential on both inputs on the Nait50
Thank you. They are Wild Oak.