Finally. I’ve done it. My first Naim purchase arrived today.
The Nait XS3 was purchased to replace a circa 2013 Sugden A21ai Series 2.
Speakers (also a recent purchase) are PMC TwentyFive 22i. Sources are Rotel Diamond DT-6000 CD/DAC, Rega P6, Bluesound Node130.
Back to the XS3. Obviously it’s new and there’s all that business about honeymoon period, but…wow.
It’s doing everything I expected and then some. The Sugden is no slouch but the XS3 is more articulate at all volume levels, less treacle like. Bass is faster, easier to discern and follow. I don’t know, words are inadequate but this is a major improvement for my tastes.
Great to read this, I’ve had a XS3 for a year or so and love the music coming from it!
The A21a was an amp I always wanted in my youth, I think I did once hear one at a dealer on Tottenham Court Road back in the 90s, and recall being startled at some tinkly bells it rendered beautifully
[edit: not a very interesting story I admit, but that memory stuck in my mind for some reason!]
Sugden is a class Act (see what I did there? ) but a different sound and approach altogether. Truthfully I wanted something with a bit more slam and frankly a bit less of a radiator, especially in the Australian summers.
Congrats, cracking amp, how’s that CD player? (Read some very positive reviews) and my last Rotel was an absolute giant killer, the RCD 965BX, what a player that was for £300 I think back in the day. Still going strong in my parents system made up of lots of my spare parts.
Congratulations, my introduction to NAIM was with A NAIT XS 2 and loved the sound!
Watch out, it started me on a slippery slope with more NAIM products at a rapid pace. Now retired and have reached my final system configuration… at least that is what I tell myself!
Fantastic amplifiers the XS series - if you have not done so already, may i suggest you have some NAC A5 speaker cables made up by a ‘die-hard’ veteran expert. Read the manual, it’s all there. Enjoy!
Congratulations. Doubtless a wise choice. I bought my sn3 a year ago and it sounded great out of the box but it has just got better and better. Hope you have the same experience.
If I’m being honest, I should have kept my XS2 a little longer. Knowing what I know now I should have upped my source at the time.
Don’t get me wrong I love my SN3 it’s just that at the time I probably didn’t know what my xs2 was fully capable of. If I would have had a better source at the time perhaps I wouldn’t have traded it for a SN3. Lesson learned.
) but a different sound and approach altogether. Truthfully I wanted something with a bit more slam and frankly a bit less of a radiator, especially in the Australian summers.
) configuration?