Nait 5si running in time

First post here

I’ve just added a nait 5si to my 5.1 system. My L+R are focal aria 906 on their dedicated stands. They are well run in.

I’m streaming to the nait from the rca output of an oppo 105, using qed reference 40 interconnects. Speaker cables are wirworld horizon (runnin under a carpet.)

My main issue is that I’m getting great transparency from the setup, however everything sounds bright and eventually fatiguing. I’ve experimented with speaker position with no great success.

The naim has been switched on continuously for over a month, probably has around 24 hours of music through it.

Should I expect the sound character to change with time? Or should I start experimenting with other parts or my system?

My other issue is a hum with AV pass through, however that’s a minor concern.

Thanks for any advice

Patrick

Get some SBLs, I have, and guests, NEVER found our Naim rig bright or remotely fatiguing, my guess its the speakers.

Thanks for the advice .

Any idea if the nait needs time to run in?

Have you thought about using NAC A5 cables? Maybe you can loan some from your dealer? I ran a NAIT5SI for six years and I never ever found it to be bright sounding. The speakers I ran with it were Naim Credos & Neat Motive SX2. I would say that a month of use is pretty much a good run in period already reached. Investigate your speaker cables is my advice given here.

Maybe the Oppo simply isn’t very good as an audio player and that the Naim is showing it up for what it is. Focals tend towards brightness too.

Patrick - it may be worth separating the AV and music sections of your system to get the best results. Keep the Oppo for AV duties and look at something like an ND5XS2 as a streaming front end for the 5Si.

How did you find the system before adding the Nait ?

Thanks for all if your replies.

When I stream from the oppo to the focal’s via my anthem MRX the brightness disappears, but so does the amazing stereo imaging and rhythm that I get from the Nait.

I have access to some naca5 cables, so I’ll try those first.

There’s a couple of dac options on our local auction site - a naim dac 2.0, or a border patrol se. Could they be worth a shot before taking the plunge on the naim streamer?

ND5 XS 2 is a wonderful streamer and will match the NAIT 5Si perfectly.

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The NDAC is a great option now that it’s available quite cheaply since it was discontinued. Naim used to recommend it as an upgrade to the NDX, and it can sound very good. You need to give some thought to what digital transport you will use to feed it, though.

Thanks for all the advice.

I have been swapping bits and pieces of kit in and out of the system to try and diagnose the “problem”.

After swapping cables and sources I’ve realised that it’s the focal’s that I have issue with. I will definitely look to upgrade the cables and my sources in the future, but speakers first.

I’m thinking about Dynaudio excite x18 or the new evoke 10.

Would they work ok with my nait?

I’ve just had a system change and now have a 5si brand new too and paired it with a new pair of neat sx3. Wow! Great match and synergy with no hint of brightness so I think after several weeks thus I going to be a killer combo. Highly recommend the neats

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For the sake of closure I took my 5si to a local store and auditioned Dynaudio excite x18’s and evoke 20’s.

Came home with the 20’s, very happy indeed.

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Whenever it feels bright and fatiguing I suspect the cabling. IMHO when correct cables are used and dressed properly, power not touching signal and all of that, naim house-sound is not bright or fatiguing at all, quite the opposite. Somewhere in your system it’s picking up that noise.

First step should be to get a RCA-DIN(5) cable and hopefully that will suffice, otherwise go for NAC A5 too. You wont regret it and you’ll be fine.

Try putting all non-naim equipment on a separate powerstrip, there are good ones made with filtering that takes care of noise spreading to naim equipment (do not use powerfiltering on Naim!). When I changed on my tv and other electronics it also made clear improvement on both picture and sound.

Speaker levelling and of course positioning will also make big difference on overall performance, but it wont cure the noise.

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