Newbie to join naim

Hello everyone , I am considering to buy a CD5si and 5si amp to enjoy my CD collection , the question is , if I prefer the ProAc T10s speaker , is it a best way to use the naim cable cable ? My friend recommend to use tidal or roon that kind of wireless music ,I feel abit frustrated and I don’t wanna streaming music at this moment ,am I foolish ?and if I want it some day ,is it a best way for me to buy this system right now? Need your advice all you guys ,thanks a lot

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Hi and welcome. If you can get Naims own NACA5 speaker cable would be best.
As for streaming, that’s up to you. There are many that don’t and just use CD or vinyl.

Cheers

Popeye

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If you want to enjoy your CD collection then the system you suggest is a good place to start. You could easily add streaming functionality later - lots of options here. You could even look at comparing the separates you mention with something like the Uniti star which has both CD and streaming functionality built in. Get yourself to a dealer and have a listen to your chosen combination and see what you think.

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Thanks Popeye !!

Thanks James_n ! Since it’s only have the CD5si only now ,do you think it’s worth to buy a higher grade Amp rather than 5si ? I feel it’s difficult to using streaming music … membership ,external drive ,ripping CD…

When streaming music from services like Tidal you just need the membership, but not necessarily an external drive or ripping CDs - the latter would only come into play if you want to rip your own CDs.

As for the membership fee, it can actually save a lot of money depending on your CD buying habits. It did for me, as instead of buying lots CDs/Vinyl that I rarely listen to, I only buy the music that I loved on streaming and that has become important to me. (Downside: Most artists get paid peanuts from streaming, but Tidal is at least among the best, I do not know about Qobuz. https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/12/25/streaming-music-services-pay-2019/)

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I’d stick with the 5si for now. It matches well with the CD player and should work well. Best go and listen for yourself though. Your ears, your money :slightly_smiling_face:

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Hello, if you have a desire for CDs that’s fine, many of us prefer physical ownership. I do, several reasons - one being that I know the artist is being fairly paid .

That system sounds a really good starting point , years ago I started with a Nait 3 a CD3 and added a Nat 03.

The Nat 03 is still in the rack and the CD3 is upstairs, long replaced by a much better Naim CD player.

If you are in doubt an alternative would a Naim Atom and I believe Cambridge Audio do a well priced (inexpensive) CD transport. As a pair I think they would come out much the same price and you would get streaming.

As for cable, I found the Naim cable stiff and unwieldy - it’s the only Naim product I disliked -and that’s after 30 years of ownership

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Thanks ,I try Cambridge audio before ,I do feel the sound is too flat ,I feel naim is more warm and feeling comfort ,by the way there are only have CD5si inside Hong Kong unless I buy a second hand gear

My Naim journey began with a 5i and and CD5 CD player and I found them brilliant - speaker cable was some that I happened to have at the time, I don’t recall ever thinking it was holding the music back. Be wary though that you’ll start to wonder what all this talk is of 200, 250, 300, 272, 555… It’s a rabbit hole. :slight_smile:

Streaming. It’s as easy as signing up to a service and having a streamer to access it. Tidal is good, and will work with a wider range of Naim gear; Qobuz needs the later hardware. Once you’ve signed up and installed the Naim app on your phone or iPad it’s a million times easier than listening to CDs - selecting a track or a full album is just a matter of prodding the screen, as is changing sequences, adding & removing queued tracks. Difficulty isn’t a part of streaming once the basics are in place - broadband connection, account with a music service, streamer connected up.

Hi, I would always buy a better quality source than amplification .

The Cambridge Transport is just that, it will use the Naim DAC, all it does is spin the disc and send the signal, it’s the Naim electronics that decode it

Hello and welcome to the forum,

Im sure Naim NAC A5 will do a fine job, unfortunately its not very flexible you’ll find more info in the FAQs.

If you want a more flexible cable then look at Witch Hat N2 which I have used and is very good. My son now enjoys it on his system as I have their Phantom cable which is excellent.
If thats the ProAc Tablet10 you refer to in your post, they are absurdly good imo.

Im sure plenty of others will fill you in on streaming, some new fangled wizzardry to me! So, yes I’d just buy those for now and a streamer when you feel the time is right.

I had Cambridge 640A and 640C (I have the same opinion to yours) before replacing the amp by an Atom. I kept the Cambridge CD player and it sounds great with the Atom. You can buy the Amp and try with your actual CD player before buying a new one.

The other option is to consider the Uniti Star : streaming and ripping cd’s is all in one box.

Ps. Ripping cd with your Mac / Pc is also a very accessible option.

This is, by the way, the case everywhere, as Naim stopped building/selling all other players

I’m fairly new to streaming, and my understanding of it is limited but I am building a final system ( my age is up there). Anyway,i went all in with a ndx2 . I have yet to rip any cd’s. I have both tidal and qobuz and basically use it like a giant jukebox. I do have to buy at least one subscription service but no longer have to buy any cd’s so it basically saves money and space - which I’m out of.

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Welcome Firehon!!! The 5i and 5si are a wonderful introduction to the Naim sound - my first Naim product was the CD5 and it gave me many happy years. My listening is at least 90% CD, I like the organic involvement of selecting a disc and reading the liner notes plus I am far more likely to play an album all the way through as it was intended. When you look at forums like this and the ones on social media I see far too many people who stream with software/firmware/connection issues. I use Spotify for a convenient playlist or to look for artists who interest me, but CDs are so cheap nowadays especially second hand sometimes it’s worth a few pounds on a hunch!!!
With regards to your other question, speakers should be the last thing you upgrade. The NACA5 speaker cable is designed for Naim gear and is fairly reasonably priced, there are plenty of manufacturers offering alternatives, but for me with cables above this price point ‘better’ or ‘worse’ doesn’t exist as an argument - only your ears can tell you which is the right one. Good luck!!!

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I started off my Naim journey with a Nait 5si and CD5Si, the same as you.

It’s a great start into your Naim journey. That was about 4 years ago or so. Been alot of changes since then.

Stick with your choice and enjoy the music, will be a lovely system.

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And a lot more changes dreamt about I presume…???
The beauty of entry level Naim kit is an outlay of a few hundred pounds on a used power supply or power amp really makes a pleasant difference. Then the upgrade bug just keeps biting… :joy::joy:

Just been calculating how much I have spent in last 4 years on my system. It’s a fair bit so say the least.

Going from CD5si and Nait 5Si, the 250, 82 and hicap got things going big time. Major uplift. The rest is another story of upgrades upon upgrades. And an LP12 to fettle with!!!

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I was in the fortunate position last year to go from CD5/122x/150x/flatcap XS to CDS3/555PS/282/250DR/HiCap. Quite a leap, but for the first time ever I’m just enjoying my system without thinking of any ‘what ifs’… Plenty of rungs on the ladder left, but if this is my endgame system then I’ll have no complaints!!!

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