SN2 vs SN3

https://www.avforums.com/reviews/naim-supernait-3-integrated-amp-review.16907

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This was a great review I thought along with some interesting thoughts on how the Naim line is changing.

The takeaway seems to be that the SN3 has a much wider soundstage. Iā€™ve certainty been able to get significant lifts in the soundstage by adding an XPS DR to my NDX2 along with a S/L interconnect with my SN2.

Yup canā€™t go wrong with a Supernait!

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I had owned the SN2 3 yrs. ago. It got replaced by Teddy Pardoā€™s I80A, which played it out of the room (much more PRaT).

For a few days I am owning the SN3 now and I am all back into Naim. PRaT redefined.
Especially the timing of the SN3 - oh boy! Guess, that says it all.

Speakers: Harbeth SHL5plus all the way.
Sources: Back then HDX (Hi-Line) now NDX2 (Hi-Line).
Reference source: Rega RP8 with Rega Aria and Clearaudio MC Concept all the way.

Only downside is the missing Phono MC input to get rid of another box.

Chris

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Hi Richard

Great advice this.

Just to check - so the cold metal of a delivered machine will tend to attract condensation as it enters the warm house?

And if you plug in it and use it then, that could cause an electrical fault, e.g. because of a short circuit or other effect of water in the electronics?

But after say 3 hours it will have then hopefully warmed up enough for any condensation to have re-evaporated?

Sorry to state the blinkinā€™ obvious, but just checking thatā€™s what you meant.

thanks
Jim

Yes, thats it Jim. Probably not an issue if you collected from a dealer, but if delivered by Courier it could have been in cold transit for quite some time.

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Jim, yes, thatā€™s basically it.

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Appreciate your comments as someone who was highly interested in the TP i80a amp at one point.

So after two weeks: Iā€™m not missing anything about the SN2 and continue to be impressed by the imaging, detail, clarity, and nuance Iā€™m hearing. Itā€™s not lacking at all on the bass front. The bass control, even at low volumes, is sublime. No regrets at this point.

The only ā€œconā€ I can mention is the difference in dial position and volume output versus the SN2. My SN2 never went passed 12:00 on the dial, whereas the SN3 has been to 1:00 or 2:00 already. (NYE party!) The SN2 was loud to very loud between 9:00 and 12:00, whereas the SN3 feels like itā€™s getting started at 9:00.

[quote=ā€œGTaudiophile, post:680, topic:3825ā€]i
The only ā€œconā€ I can mention is the difference in dial position and volume output versus the SN2. My SN2 never went passed 12:00 on the dial, whereas the SN3 has been to 1:00 or 2:00 already. (NYE party!) The SN2 was loud to very loud between 9:00 and 12:00, whereas the SN3 feels like itā€™s getting started at 9:00
[/quote]
I would see that as a good thing, as long as the amp doesnā€™t run out of steam when youā€™re cranking up the volume. In some systems, 9 oā€™clock can be loud, and 10 oā€™clock deafening, with fine volume adjustments more or less impossible, so anything that improves on this is a good thing in my books.

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I think itā€™s wonderful naim adjusted their input sensitivity

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This is more gain controle?

Where i read in earlier stories, is the balance OK ?

No issues with balance for me.

I also own the Harbeth SHL5 Plus. Iā€™ve tried many amps in the past with the SHL5(non-Plus) and in the end settled with the Naim. Upgraded from Nait XS to 202/200 and now 282/Hicap DR/250DR. Sublime.

May i ask what speaker cables are used to connect the Supernait 3 to the Harbeth speakers.

I use Mark Grant Van Damme 6mm Hi-Fi Speaker Cable UP-LCOFC between my Supernait 3 and SHL5 Plus. Great match IMHO. A friend of mine got the same cables for his SHL5 Plus and also liked them so much he will purchase the interconnects from Mark too :slight_smile:

That is good to hear.

I have custom made, inakustik and Teddy Pardo speaker cables in use. They all sound pretty much the same. I will try a demo Super Lumina just for reference in a couple of days and I am about to purchase a set of Vovox Vocalisā€¦

Do update the results after you have tried Super Lumina and Vovox Vocalis. I suspect you will hear a difference with these cables. Lesser cables usually sound almost the same with some decent cables imparting some colouration to the sound.

My SN3 is a month old and has about 250 hours on it. Unfortunately, I am now having a balance issue. I need to heavily bias to the left to center the stereo image. Im not sure if this is part of the break in process or an issue with my SN3. I will give it another week before contacting my dealer. It otherwise sounds great.

How does this ā€œbalance issueā€ manifest itself? All the sudden you hear out mostly one channel when the dial is dead center?

I canā€™t report any issues but I donā€™t think Iā€™m at 250 hour either.

After the system ā€˜warms upā€™ (30-45 min), the right channel seems to dominate. Very noticeable with higher frequencies. For example, drum snare and cymbals move to the right channel. Female voices start to sound harsh. Turning balance to left (about 10 oā€™clock on the dial), centers the sound stage again and reduces the ā€˜sibilanceā€™ of voices. My primary source is a 1 month old NDX2 (I am assuming it is the SN3 creating the issue and not the NDX2).

I plan to start swapping right/left channel cables to verify issue tracks with the right output of the SN3.

Edit: by ā€˜warms upā€™, I mean playing music. I leave the SN3 powered up 24/7.