Thanks! My Primare NP5 is also in there, forgot about that. I got inspired by some pictures here, I really love the look of a single Naim unit by itself. What’s great about USM is that you can build them anyway you like; that compartment has shelf but no back plate so cable dressing is really easy.
New storage unit for the growing vinyl collection arrived today. Good to not have them on the floor.
This is an oak unit and sadly the photos don’t really do the oiled wood finish justice - the wood grain is beautiful.
As a ‘lounge first’ member of the community I find it interesting that these shelves appear to have noticeably improved the sound. (Possibly because the unit is in the opposite corner of the wall facing the speakers).
That looks lovely!
Ooooh, lovely!
Thanks. ![]()
What a treat to see some new pictures of your system and your listening room. Love your new cabinet. ( and the radiator, the door, the skirting, the floors, etc). Yes, not surprised the new shelves and cabinet may have a real influence on the acoustics in the room.
Love this idea…
Good luck
R
Looks great, can you let me know the brand? Looking for something similar but maybe slightly bigger.
Thanks
Thanks @ratrat I appreciate that coming from someone who has two fabulous systems in two beautifully appointed rooms. ![]()
Hi @Ian_km
Thanks for your comments and interest.
The dark oak shelving unit is from Sun & Sons Woodcraft. They have a website and do bespoke hi-fi related furniture. They use quality woods and can do a range of colours and oiled finishes. I have no affiliation to them - I found them as a result of an internet search. They are an independent family business delivering quality products on time at a very reasonable cost. They communicated constantly with updates and were responsive to all my queries. Six weeks from initial enquiry to delivery. I cannot praise or recommend them highly enough.
I am all for supporting small independent businesses especially when they provide excellent service. I’d much rather pay a few hundred more to an ‘independent’ than to a mass-produced chain (and I fully appreciate not everyone wants or is able to do this).
The lighter oak cabinet at the far wall is from Nick James Design.
Understated and classy.
Looks great @Deebig
Have you ever been tempted to remove the bottom drawer to accommodate another box?
I have thought about that a few times and moving the components down one, it would involve drilling a few holes in the back of the cabinet to feed the Burndy cables. That’s a full strip down project when I have a bit more time on my hands I guess, but it would make sense to do so!
Great looking system and support unit Chris. I’m very curious to know how you find the Shanling CD Transport / Dave DAC and Nait 50 as a long term Naim user? Particularly how they might compare to older Naim CD players like the CDX2 or CDS3 and amplification like say a 252/250?
Thanks Pete, appreciate that
I’m loving the shanling and Dave combo, its restored my faith in cd and got me back on track enjoying music after ventures into streaming just didn’t work for me. I’ve also found the combination is a very good cure for upgradeitis if you’re prone to such things
I still like the tactile nature of loading a disc and I’m more than happy with the sound quality which I’ve found it as accurate and enjoyable as it was with my previous CDS2 and CDS3, but I don’t have any of the “transport anxiety” now
With these two small boxes up front I’ve seen quite a few changes of amp in the last 18 months or so, from 72 through 82 and 52 with 140 and latterly 250 power amplifiers, but slotting the Nait50 in was as enjoyable and detailed as the separates 90% of the time and I was a happy chap but things don’t stay the same for long and the hankering for something different has seen me change amps again in the last month or so and for the moment I’m naimless, but I’m sure that won’t be the case forever…….
…in short, I’ve tried most of the naim CD players apart from the 555 on my rack at some point in the last 25 years and thoroughly enjoyed them all, but now I’m more than happy to have the ET3/Dave in their place and don’t think I’m missing out on too much, if at all
I’d happily live with the 50 and never worry again about going back but a change in direction has put me onto valves, but when the time comes to return to the fold it will be to the 50, unless a big brother Naim integrated appears at some point, for now I’m enjoying an Audio Research VSI60
Still looking very elegant, HH. ![]()
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Only in Naim land would someone call 6 boxes a simple system.
Thanks for taking the time to explain your experiences and thoughts Chris - I appreciate that and find it fascinating. My ventures into streaming didn’t work out either, after owning a Melco N100 and then an N50-S38, both with a Qutest DAC. Can’t afford a Dave (I wish!). We’ve gone back to CD with a Moon 260D Transport which is excellent, into the Qutest.
I was a long term Naim user myself since 1985, ending up eventually with a CDS3/252/olive 250 and IBL’s. One thing and another happened in life and we then set our hearts on a pair of Klipsch Forte III speakers which are horn loaded in the mid and HF. We use these with a Moon 340ix amp and it’s a superb combination with great speed, dynamics and a very “the band is in the room” live feel. Naim wouldn’t suit the Klipsch speakers at all.
Hope you continue to enjoy your Audio Research amp. Valve amplification would suit the Klipsch very well but I’m just wary of the demands of valve amplification in terms of warm up time and valve replacement. Still I have been tempted…
Simplicity though isn’t only linked to the number of boxes. I would call a one box streaming system more complex than a six box CD or LP system. No streaming system is really a simple one box system. It involves local network and internet connectivity, with a router and possibly switches. Not to mention having to rip CD’s and store them on some sort of NAS device to access them. Having been there I can say without any doubt that it’s far from simple and it’s a gigantic pain in the ass. Give me my simple three box CD system any time. Nothing to do other than pop in a CD and press play. Bliss!




