To be fair Nils Frahm - All Melody sounds simply stunning. Recommend for anyone who’s not heard. (Favourite track Human Range). Using Qobuz on Roon for 24bit version. If anyone has any good music recommendations for the NDX2/supernait 3 throw them my way. My music taste is vast. Ps hello everyone. Enjoyed the thread so far!
Also for the buzzing SN3, are you playing vinyl? Have you made sure the input is grounded? Also any wires are free from each other? Mine has been on 24/7 and is very quiet so if it’s making a lot of noise you should demand they change it. The noise reduction transistors are made so the box is silent, that’s why the whole point. You’ve spent a lot of money don’t be afraid of complaining if it’s not right…
Hi @Mon, welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new system. Sounds like a nice setup. Some systems have taken 9 months to sound their best, but as you say they are great out of the box.
Lots of great music here
And few specific threads also like jazz, blues, rnb etc.
I really like how Dire Straits, ‘when you and your friend’ sound on my setup. Also Melody Gardot album Currency of Man is very nice.
Enjoy
Welcome to the forum Mon and congratulations on your new NDX 2 and SuperNait 3. Did you pick up the Chord Epic Reference Cables and Dynaudio Special 40s at the same time or changing up your system configuration?
My current configuration is NDX 2 > SuperNait 2 > NAC A5 > NAIM Ovator S-400. I have been demoing a XPS-DR for the past few days and loving what it brings to the table.
A couple of album recommendations: Liz Wright (Salt), Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (Raising Sand), Kandance Springs (Soul Eyes), Patricia Barber (Cafe Blue), Boz Scaggs (Fade into Light), Prince (A Piano & A Microphone 1983), The Gloaming (3), Charles Lloyd & The Marvels + Lucinda Williams (Vanished Gardens), Elina Duni (Patir), ok, I am rambling now… oh and Melody Gardot (Currency of Man).
I’m looking forward to hearing how you are settling in with the SN3 in coming months.
Do you have any prog?
Dream River is an excellent album, good choice sir.
Thanks for the recommendations, really enjoying all of the above… especially ‘vanished gardens’ Saw Robert Plant last year, big fan obviously! Dire straits too The powerlines seem to be settling down now, was unsure about getting them, so glad I did now. So happy with current setup, so enjoyable, getting so immersed gotta remember to join the real world sometimes thanks again for the suggestions, roon radio is taking me down a pleasant path too
Sounds to me like a nice concert to attend with family, dinner included. Make a night of it
Sorry forgot to answer your question, the SN3 and NDX2 are replacing my roksan blak - as good value as It was lacked timing and sounded muddy sometimes. The instruments on the naim are so separate, isolated, cleaner, great timining, highs, mids and low end all excellent…feel like I’m there… was worried the 80W output on the SN3 wouldn’t drive my speakers (the roksan was 150W per channel) how wrong I was… each day is getting better and better!! Thrilled
The XPS DR… what improvements have you seen? Also do you have the hicap? The XPS DR is definitely on my to do list. Been offered a home demo on an ex demo one…
Dynaudio special 40s at present
See my posts @ 92 and 143 above.
Thanks for your reply, I am happy that your migration to NAIM has worked so well for you and you are enjoying your system!
I have had a XPS DR demo unit in my system since last Friday evening. I have found it to be an upgrade to the NDX 2. There are albums that I have heard several times and and now hear a wider soundstage, better separation of the instruments, the base is enhanced, simply put the recording have more clarity. As others have mentioned for all the high quality recordings that I have ripped or HiDef files I have downloaded to my NAS it was like discovering and hearing something new. There were some albums I played where I do not hear any enhanced sound or detail and as others have mentioned in streaming threads the NDX 2 or Power Supplies cannot enhance a poor quality recording. The scales are weighing favorably of having an XPS DR added to my system permanently.
I do not have a NAIM HiCap at this point in time. In a earlier different configuration, ND5XS >NAIT XS 2, I had demo’d a HiCap but the change in sound of the music did not justify the cost at that moment in time. I will need to demo the HiCap at a future date with NDX 2 > SN2. I would not plan on doing a HiCap demo until the XPS DR is purchased and bedded into the system. I would like to be able to distinguish what changes the HiCap would bring to the table when the demo occurs. The other reason (for me) is I would rather spread cash outlay over time.
Keep on checking in and let us all know how that SN3 is settling in…
Nice speakers, Dynaudio can sound little heavier on bass so I guess Powerline might have accentuated that while it runs in. Things will settle with time.
SN is rated at 80W. But in reality it’s up in 90s. That’s at 8 ohms. S40s are 6 ohms so your 80W is delivering between 100-120. To be honest Naim amps somehow always deliver more than what you expect based on their paper spec.
First night I put the NDX2 on standby for the night (not playing it on low throughout the night) and sounded a little flat the next day. On and off periodically.
So a question, the NDX2 has a built in power supply (the XPS DR improves that), so my question is when not playing vinyl (solely the SN3) and using the NDX2 is the power supply in SN3 obsolete? Or does it power the preamp in the SN3 that the NDX2 uses? I’m only thinking this because the NDX2 sounds as good as my vinyl in most cases, I opted for the SN3 to save space and it had MM phono input built in. I’m questioning whether maybe I could’ve got a second hand/ex demo 282 or 252 preamp to support the NDX2, in doing so selling my records/player. Maybe I’m questioning because I’m a little frustrated with the flatness today and being impatient with the run in. One minute it’s stunning the next not so spectacular. But I’m new to naim and all the boxes available can be a bit confusing, just wondering if I’ve made a rookie mistake? sorry if I’m sending too many messages on message board. Not trying to sound negative, just a turbulent sounding day and with the money involved want it to be right, hopefully the run in phase or maybe the upgrade bug is constantly gnawing away at me and I need to go to Naim rehab…
Leaving the NDX2 in standby is fine, but the SN and XPS DR should be left on all the time to stay warm. It will take a few months for the new system to burn in, and likely 9 months to be fully on song.
Sorry to add, in your configuration the SN3 is self powered for both the pre amp and the power amp. The NDX2 is self powering unless you add the XPS DR which then powers the NDX2. If you add a HiCAP to the SN2, that powers the pre amp stage in the SN2. It takes a bit of getting used to.
I actually notice the same with my NDX 2, coming out of standby its little flat and muffled. Soon after it lifts and we are back to normal. Still not bad enough to justify leaving it on all the time like the SN. This also means I usually pick a great recording to get it going as poor recording make this sound even worse.
Reality is that most forum members report run-in taking 9-12 months on most Naim gear.
You have new SN 3 and NDX 2, so both of them will take time to realty run in. I expect SN 3 or any other new Naim poweramp / preamp will take months to fully run.
Even after they are well run-in, cold sources like cold engines will not perform at 100% until at operating temperature.