In that case you should try borrowing some properly terminated A5 from your dealer, or maybe an alternative such as Tellurium Q Black. Running a £4,000 system with cables from Amazon really isn’t a great idea.
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Again it’s this same old interesting subject and I am with you HH however again in this months Hifi Critic Andrew Everrad and Martin Colloms do an extensive test of cheap vs top end chord and admittedly can’t hear any differences to distinguish one another.
If Bartos doesn’t try, Bartos will never know.
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The Nd5 have the same streaming module than the nova. The dac is better is the nd5xs and the integrated amp is way better in the SN3 than the Nova. The more you separate the component the more the music is better with Naim.
The Nova is an excellent machine for sure ! If you cant go for a separate for a reason or an other the Nova is a very nice all in one !
The SN3 is a very different beast than the Nova, less noise, more resolution, punch, detail and coherence for me.
Sounds familiar and electronic conduction is really quite simple, I just doubt the NAIM cable will suddenly do miracles for bass. But true, if I never try I’ll never know. It is not brandless btw, theyre ‘Dynavox perfect sound’ cables, the Goldkabels I tried were the ‘Single Chorus 2 meters’.
Hi! Thanks for these encouraging remarks 
I indeed would love to keep them, but I wish the bass output was more constant and better integrated. What amp you have driving them?
I will consider that, thanks! The cables are ‘Dynavox’ by the way and as mentioned before, much more expensive cables from Goldkabel made no difference whatsoever. I believe the signal is properly conducted and free from interference. Also bi-wiring is often believed to be a bit of nonsense and just makes cable retailers happy (isn’t that why naim doesn’t allow for the option in the first place?).
Supernait2
As I said, great speakers. Use the stock Naim A5 cable or a Chord etc. But they need more amplification, a Nova if staying all-in-one or a SN2 or SN3 with a Naim streamer and you are in delightful territory.
If I was getting a single box set up, I’d be going Nova with Totem Sky Towers, it’s a dream combination.
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Thanks! Will keep it on the list for now. How were they holding up on lower volumes?
Thanks! I’m adding it to the list of possible solutions. One thing I forgot to mention is how I feel the totem speakers are also a bit off when played on lower volumes. How is that in your view with an amp like the SN2/3 or maybe even the NAP200?
Forgot to ask, how you experience lower volumes in the sky towers in your setup? Is everything well audible? Thanks again for thinking along!
Yes very good at low levels, a lot my evening listening is at low levels as I have a 5 & 1 year old daughters asleep after 7pm.
Both my systems with Totems are fine at low volumes, though this would also be an amplification issue.
Your experience is fairly similar to my Naim journey as it happens. My first Naim system was with a UnitiQute2 with a NAP100 and Totem Hawks, which is a fairly equivalent system to the Atom and Sky Towers. The Hawks are well capable of delivering a lot more than the UQ2/NAP100 can provide. When the new Uniti’s came out and I wanted to upgrade, my dealer encouraged me to “get more out of those Hawks” and eventually I got the Nova, which indeed delivers a lot more. But I still got 5 years of great service from the UQ2/NAP100 until I was ready to upgrade.
Since then I have grabbed a pair of Totem Forest Signatures and upgraded the front end to a SN2/NDX2 system with power supplies, so quite a step up. The Nova and Hawks are now my second system in my office.
So, you actually have a good system to work with despite the bass issue. Firstly play with speaker position as HH mentions to get the system performing as well as it can in the room. You then have a few options: stay with what you have until you have funds to move up to a Nova or SN, then trade in the Atom or move it to a second system. I think it would be unwise to move the speakers on, they are to good - stick with them until you can upgrade the amplification.
Some people do run the NAP200 with an Atom, but personally I think the Nova is a better option, as they are designed as all-in-ones. If you had a long term plan for separate pre and power amps, then adding a power amp would be a good option though I think.
Good luck.
There is also this thread that you may find helpful:
Thanks! Super helpful insights here. How was your ‘bass experience’ once you upgraded to the nova? I am increasingly thinking to keep the speakers and instead buy either an SN2 (as they’re auctioned for around 2200 GBP) and connect it with the Atom for now, or upgrade to the Nova that I saw for around 2400 GBP). Money wise the nova upgrade would be easier given that I could sell the Atom, but at the end of the day SQ matters most to me and if adding an integrated amp will do magic, I might do just that. Choices choices…
Yes, indeed, choices and decisions. Been there, have the post card…
Here’s my take. Firstly, the Nova will deliver great bass, the SN2 will be quite a bit better though. But for best SQ with the SN2, you really want a dedicated streamer, the NDX2 is the natural partner and is well ahead on the Nova as a streamer source. But you are then at twice the cost of a Nova. I’d only run an Atom with the SN2 as a temporary step.
So, I think, as is usually the case, it comes down to what you want to spend. The Nova is great at its price point, the SN2 and NDX2 is significantly better (and has upgrade options) and more expensive as a result. Having both systems, I think they are both excellent at their price point, so you can’t really go wrong.
If you want to keep the Atom @timbre is running Totem Dream Catchers with an Atom and reports good bass performance. I’ll tag you in the post.
Dont forget the ND5xs2 !
If you dont plan to add an alim on your streamer the Nd5xs2 is a really amazing piece and i personnaly think you have more bang for your buck with it.
The difference with the NDX2 and the ND5xs2 inside is just a little bit bigger transfo, an added circuit for the screen and the remote receiver, the upgrade alimentation and the wire for the din and RCA plug vs direct mount on the pcb for the Nd5. The rest is tottaly identical.
With a Nova you cannot add a cable like the Hi-line who make a big big difference on the sound.
And the resale value is always better on an integrated vs an all-in-one.
The NDX2 is way better than is little brother if you wanna add him an alimentation. But the price is very different too ! an xps new is 8500 cad ! and the NDX2 is 9000$ Cad ! so an 17500$ streamer vs 4500$ for the nd5xs2.
And finnaly the price for an SN2/3 with an Nd5xs2 is not that far from a nova but tue sound quality is totaly in a differenr league.
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