Simple streaming hi fi

Hello all
It’s been a decade since i left these dark shores of often black (and chrome) magic but find myself needing to ask your help. Having recieved the all clear for the moment off my specialist (and the wife) I wish to re-discover music,but with a modern take. I first looked at the forum whilst enjoying my most …too me musical system LP12/ittock/dynavector.72 hicap 250 neat elites. A few years later LP12/aro /17d 282 supercap superline cd3/ps 250mk2 allaes I wasnt enjoying it i found myself overlistening if you catch my mind. So I sold the LOT . Then when illness struck and the world went upside wrong just before covid was born, I lay in bed in the spare room just me 5000 odd LP’s 1000 cassettes and thought i want to listen to all that at least once before the old turntable in me stops turning.
I’m going to speak to Cymbosis in Leicester (even though they dont know it) and they can sort and set up a decent LP12 for me. NOW…I need a streamer ,integrated amp . I did attend approx 10 12 years ago i think a Naim Steaming day @ Audio counsel (hi dave).but i cant remember what the boxes were and going online looking at stuff gives me headache.The reason i say this is because financially if older stuff of a higher level is more me than brand new basic.Speakers im going Neat again. If anyone has got this far then thanks I hoping for some help narrowing the naim field down a bit from those whohave seen a few generations of equipment.
Regards
Michael

Hello Michael. I’ll first make it clear that I never recommend what I own unless it’s appropriate, but in this case I feel it is. An NDX2 streamer and Supernait 3 amplifier make a fantastic combination and are probably all you need. The latter has a very good inbuilt MM phono stage or can power a Stageline should you want MC. You can link them through system automation, making it possible to control the amplifier from the streamer remote, or the Naim app.

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I have had an NDX and supernait 3 and they were very enjoyable. The NDX2 should be quite a bit better but I have not compared with NDX. I would have no reservations about an NDX being outdated - I would call it usefully cheap!

Have also had nd5xs a few years earlier but I should have gone for NDX instead with hindsight. NDS is much better of course but needs separate power supply which is getting complicated / more boxes.

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Hi, it depends on which neat speakers you are considering and how much overall is the budget. The choice of speakers might dictate the requirements of the amplification. A supernait should handle most neats happily. If you are ok with skipping the latest and greatest then probably a supernait 2 is all you need. Plus a stageline appropriate to your cartridge. If lp will be your primary source then you can go with an nd5xs2 instead of ndx2 (or older model ndx). The current “2” streamers mean you don’t need extras to get eg qobuz working.
Or even consider non Naim for a streamer eg Blusound node 2i will give you access to every streaming source out there (deezer etc) which aren’t supported by Naim streamers. That gives plenty more scope ie £ for the amplifier.

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Ahem, Naim streamers do support Deezer - and many other streaming services - via Chromecast. Also Apple Music via AirPlay. As well as Spotify Connect, TIDAL (including TIDAL Connect imminently) and Qobuz

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Sorry Clare! I forgot chromecast opens up other possibilities. I meant natively in the app.

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Firstly pleased to read you have got the all clear from you consultant, I know what that is like and wish you continuing good health and enjoyment of life.

It would help to know what budget you have. A second hand 272 and 200 or 250 might fit what you want. Another route as said above could be a Supernait 3 with an NDX 2 or if the budget a bit tight then a NDX5 2.

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Hi, I too am pleased to hear you’ve had good news from your consultant :+1:

Cymbiosis just happen to have an ‘ex-dem’ 272 in at the moment - have a look in their ‘offers’, that & a nice power amp :+1::+1::+1:

Stay safe & well

Hi I’ve got 3 grand earmarked…seen lots of "first generation " stuff but that would depend on service history and how far firmware and updates will take them.
Thx for taking time to reply

For £3k I would get a supernait 2 and ndx. Though I suppose you would also need a phono stage, which I know almost nothing about

Looking at say 272 level I don’t have that money to throw at it…supernait stageline look like amusing
So I’d guess leaving 1500 tops for some kind of strwame either full or half box…

I have seen 272s for as little as £1800. Add a 200 for around £800-£1000 and you have streaming and amplification sorted in two boxes - still need a stage line. I haven’t looked into phono stages for say an atom (available used/ex dem for under £2k) so don’t know how feasible that might be

The 1st gen streamers, including NDX and 272, support Tidal and Spotify. Although there are some workaround solutions that can get them to play Qobuz, and possibly other streaming services, it’s going to be a safer bet to get a current gen. streamer if you want ongoing support for a range of streaming services.
If you just want to stream your own locally stored music files the old models are fine, and then it makes sense at the much reduced prices they now sell for.

I was at that streaming event. Awful until we got to NDS and power supply. Totally put me off streaming for a decade. Got to agree with @anon4489532 here though. Whilst I didn’t I’m the end choose an NDX2 it would be an excellent choice in your scenario.

Glad to meet you again…
The first hour was pointless for me considering what I had at home ,but I couldn’t remember the boxes.just the last one withe optional ps sounded nearest to my lp12…but I did grasp the concept when the naim guy plugged in his usb with lossless music on…thats the way forward I thought

They worked their way up the then new streamer range until we hit NDS. There must have been quite some panic as there was no-one really believing they were expecting to sell any until we hit the NDS and began to hear music for the first time. I was quite vocal in saying that the Naim assertion that an NDX bore comparison with my CDX2 was ludicrous.

Can’t honestly say I understood it was sold on the concept at the time but more than anything I could have been sold on the concept of I’d heard music. Buying an NDS plus 555PS to come somewhere near a CDX2/XPS2 didn’t cut it for me. Thankfully music with the second range of streamers starts with the NDX2.

Streaming for me means playing my music stored as FLAC files on my Qnap NAS on a Naim 172.
For others it means using a music subscription service like Tidal which isn’t what I do.

Currently running SN2 into Momentum SX5i with great results, previously Motive 2SX also fine.
Pretty large room and prefer SN2 without separate psu.
Will try to get hold of an Aethos to keep the one box concept.
Vinyl, CD, FM - no streaming.

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I know this is a tangent…My wife has remembered for me that I still have my spare turntable…its a pink triangle .Any recommendations for a dealer in Manchester who can set it up again…been in loft under my comics for 15 years at least

This would allow more spends on the streaming and ripping side