Nait 5si Speaker Upgrade

Hi everyone,

I’ve been granted access to the family silver by MrsPickles; I have £1k to £1.4k to put in to my humble little system, and looking to move up a level from the Quad S2’s.

My system comprises;

Nait 5si
Quad S2’s
Bluesound Node (N130/2021) - will be pulling the trigger on the Teddy Pardo PSU/upgrade kit. Not part of the above budget.

Audiolab 6000CDT
REL T/5x
Atlas Hyper 2.0 SCs
Wireworld Matrix 2 power strip with WW Stratus 7 PC to wall
C7 AudioQuest PC in to Node
Optical firewall between router and Node - Supra Cat 8/Telegarten connectors into Node

I was looking at Sonus Faber a while back, but have had my head turned by ATC SCM 7 or 11’s, which my dealer sells so will be easy to audition. The SF’s would have had to have been a blind buy, which I’m not going to risk. Can do without the faff of returning by courier etc. Otherwise too far to travel to audition.

I was wondering if anyone could advise if either ATC mentioned would pose a problem for my 5si?

I currently run the REL from the sub-out on the Node. I understand REL recommended high level connection, but for me the benefit of using the sub-out, and the Node’s sub crossover, outweighed using the high level method. I did try both.

I mention this as to my feeble mind, cutting the LFs from the Nait/speakers (80hz crossover) is freeing up power and allowing the Nait/speakers to not have to work as hard.

If I were to use this set up with the ATCs, would they be an easier load on my 5si?

I believe (maybe incorrectly) that the 2 ATCs are difficult to drive, and I may be barking up the wrong tree by looking to pair with my 5si. My dealer also runs ProAc, Neat, Spendor models at my level/price point if so.

Any advise and suggestions very much appreciated.

Kind regards

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I use a pair of Scm7s with a Nait 5si. The room I have my system in is tiny so it works well as the Nait sounds nice when it’s pushing a bit. If I had it in a bigger space I would be looking at a more powerful amp, probably a supernait as the SCM7s can soak up as much power as you can push down them. Can’t comment on using a sub, one of the reasons I got the SCM7s was the LF is a bit restricted which is an advantage for the placement of the speakers I’m having to use.
The mids and top end are sublime on the ATCs, the new tweeter is one of the best I’ve heard in any conventional speaker!

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I had SCM11’s on the end of a 5si and it worked ok as long as you didn’t need loud…

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Thanks for your replies. My room is approximately 14ft x 12ft. My listening position is about 7/8ft from speakers.

I play at low to moderate volume, only now and again do I like to let rip.

Mostly listen to Jazz, acoustic/vocalist music. Now and again I revisit my youth with a dose of Pixies and the like, but not often. A lot of the old 90s stuff sounds horrible on decent equipment.

Thanks very mych

I’ve got Kef Ls50 Metas and Kef kc-62 on the end of my SN3 and it’s a stunning combination, so could well work (the ls50s) in yours.

Given the brand’s your dealer stocks many laud the Proacs and when I’ve had them they are easy to drive so could gel well with your amp, room and music choice.

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I reckon, if push came to shove, with your £1,400 budget then one could move the 5Si on and look for a quite recent pre-loved XS 2. Sell on the Quads and go for the SCM7s. Obviously at that point I would look at your sources. A ND5 XS 2 is an obvious contender here…

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Same room set up as me so should be perfect. My scm7 are sounding great on sn3 but the 5si would be father fine too…

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I have not owned a Nait 5si but started my Naim journey with a Nait XS 2 (70w) with a Pair of ProAc D2 speakers and it sounded sweet! As a suggestion you may want to take a look at the ProAc Tab 10 or Tab 10 Signature speakers for your Nait 5SI.

I do own a pair of ATC 7 SCM speakers but they running with my 282/250 DR at the moment and they sound fantastic. I have read that they do require a bit more power and some have said they believe that the SCM 11 are easier to drive.

If you use the search function and type ATC SCM 7 in the search box and press the enter key then “50+ results for ATC SCM 7” theads are available to review. A lot of great information buried inside the forum threads.

Good luck with your search and decision. …as others have mentioned since I have been a member, a demo at the dealer and then at home is the best option prior to purchase. Not always possible I know but I have been fortunate with a dealer close by who has always been accommodating.

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Unless your speakers are a mismatch to your room, I would focus on upgrading your source then amp before even thinking about speakers.

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Thanks nicnaim, definitely food for thought.

However, I’m not really planning on a programme of upgrading my system per se; I just have an amount of spare money I’m going to use to maximise what I have.

I won’t be embarking on the nac/nap etc journey again, and whilst I would love a SN3 or XS 2, the cost is prohibitive at this time.

I re-kickstarted my hifi life, on a limited budget again last year after some 20 years out of the loop. The 5si gave me the chance and opportunity of having the Naim experience again, but without breaking the (my) bank :blush:.

So yes, I appreciate your point: re upgrading the source first, and I guess I have to determine where the £1 - 1.4k will give me the greatest benefit.

Generally speaking, I intend to stay in and around my current level of components/price points, but given my budget I have to spend, bearing in mind my intention of modding the Node with the Teddy Pardo kit/PSU, would you advise to upgrade the streamer altogether and not bother with the TP upgrade?

Thanks very much for all thoughts and suggestions, really appreciated :+1:

Yes

I’m not sure, having read the instructions, that I’d want to get the Teddy upgrade if it meant bastardising the insides of the Node. Your system seems complicated to me, but I’m a simple soul. I’d be asking whether I needed a CD player if I had a streamer. I’d then be wondering whether I needed a subwoofer if I had some better speakers, or if the fancy cables really make a difference. My little ProAcs fill a room the same size as yours admirably. By taking your £1,400 plus the £300 for the TP stuff, and selling bits you don’t need you could assemble a really nice setup. An ND5XS2, and some good speakers is where I’d be looking. Even better, you could pick up a Nait XS2 for £800 and have a whole new setup. The ND5XS2, Nait XS2 and the ATCs would be pretty fab.

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That’s what I was thinking. The XS2 is a big step up, and the extra power gives more flexibility with speakers.

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You guys are a bad influence :wink:, but I can’t deny the logic/sensible advice. I’ve contacted the XS2 seller :thinking: so see what happens

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Just missed the XS2 by an hour :pensive:.

But, found another, a 2020 unit for less than a new 5si. Arrives Wednesday :+1:

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Hi guys,

My Nait XS2 arrived this morning :+1:.

I’m glad I took your advice, the difference over the 5si is significant - much better control, tighter grip on music and more headroom before things start getting a bit messy :blush:.

I’m going to live with the XS2 for a spell before looking at speakers and source. Very happy :blush:

Just need to sell the 5si now :+1:

Thanks again for all of your advice, very much appreciated :pray:

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Excellent. It’s a really nice amplifier.

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I ran a ND5 XS 2 with a NAIT XS 2 for a while. A fantastic combo capable of a seriously high end performance. Enjoy.

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I have similar room size and Nait 5si, pressures from wife not to dominate room with speakers took me to the Neat Iotas which both look great and sound great at all volumes.

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I feel your pain :blush:. I somehow managed to wrangle one room to use for hifi purposes. Still not sure how this happened; I’m sure I’ll pay for it at some point. :grin:

Saying that, even though my better half has no reason to really go in there, she takes every opportunity to mention how much she hates the acoustic panels, especially the free standing bass traps :grin:

The Neat Iota Alpha’s really intrigue me, not considered the Iota non-Alpha.