@ryder, just curious, have you listened to the LFD NCSE 3 by any chance?
SStock, I haven’t listened to the LFD NCSE 3. I just read about the experiences of other folks who have upgraded from the LFD Zero to the NCSE. If I’m not mistaken all reported an improvement - a fuller, more robust and dynamic sound, and better bass response.
I have not compared the LFD to the Naim directly (hence my assessment isn’t accurate) but my gut feeling tells me that the Naim does the rhythm and timing better than the LFD. On the other hand, the LFD will sound sweeter and more tube-like than the Naim, more illuminating.
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Thanks Ryder, so it sounds like depending on your own personal tastes, your kind of music.
I had Super HL 5 the older ones not the newest ones. I think you need to listen to the Harbeths with the Naim… I used two amps with them, a Plinius 9200 and an Ayon Spirit MKIII… I ended up moving the Harbeths along for Proac D30R… and kept the Ayon… Better match to my taste.
If one predominantly listens to vocal music without much going on in the background, the Harbeth Super HL5 and Plinius amp combination would do fine. Otherwise, it’s a combination made in hell, in my case. Play some fast rock and complex music it just sounded wrong. The Super HL5s sounded a lot better with the Naim 202/200 as pace and rhythm were restored to a more orderly state. Hard hitting bass lines sounded much cleaner and tidier with the Naim. With the Plinius amp, the lower register got into a mushy mess as everything was veiled in the low to mid bass up to the midrange.
FWIW the Super HL5 Plus is a much improved speaker than the older Super HL5. The biggest difference is in the bass quality or response. Much cleaner and tauter bass with the SHL5 Plus with improved coherency from top to bottom due to better integration between the drivers.
I run a Harbeth/Naim system, bought for very much for acoustic and vocals, (200/202 P3ESR) the two seem to work well but I do wonder if the SN3 will bring out the best in the Harbeths ?
I’ve read quite a few reviews where Luxman amps were a highly recommended pairing with Harbeth speakers. But I’m really anxious to hear comments about the new NAIM Supernait 3. Especially as to how it sounds with Harbeth speakers.
No one owns one. You can’t even buy it yet. Waiting to hear personal reviews may take several months or more. Depending when the unit was purchased and how much use its had it may not have burned in fully anyway so the review will be only partially accurate to what you will hear in the end. If you are waiting to hear personal reviews with specific speakers then you maybe waiting quite a while!!
Strikes me that you want to read as much as possible and then make a blind purchase. This is fine of course, but maybe choose products that you can get info on! SN2 perhaps. Better the devil you know and all that…
I bought a second hand SN2 on E Bay about a month ago . It drives a pair of Spendor A6s. Previously had an XS2 . I’m very pleased with it . A new SN3 would be nearly twice the price - can’t see it being twice as good but haven’t heard it of course . You will need a decent source to get the best out of it .
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Steve, the hard reality for me is it’s about a 1500 mile drive to my dealer to hear any NAIM product. I get that the best way to choose any component is to hear it live. I get it. But there are many of us on the forums that just do not/cannot have that opportunity perhaps because of time, distance, cost, etc. This is especially true for those of us in rural communities. So doing our due diligence/research and “buying blind” is sometimes (although not always) a necessity. I am tentatively planning a trip to my dealer’s store sometime this winter. That will help me to, if nothing else, confirm my choices. But I will need to have a good grasp on my choices even before then as weather may not permit the trip. We’ll just have to see.
I have about 5 months before I need to start focusing on a single amp. Right now I’m looking closely at the SN3 and a couple Luxmans. That could change over the next 5 months. I do have one dealer fairly close to me but they are not carrying the brands I’m currently interested in.
I think I could hardly go wrong with any of the Luxmans but I read a lot of positive comments regarding NAIM products (among many others). And there are just so many top quality, top name, products out there right now. It seems to be more of a matter of which type or “style” of sound do I like vs can I find a single great sounding amp or speakers. If a customer can’t find a great sounding product these days, even with a “blind pick” maybe they need to pick another hobby. A trial home audition is somewhat standard procedure with many stores. So, perhaps a live audition is a possibility after all.
G’day bluegrassphile,
I too live in a rural location though not as isolated as yourself. If you are in Australia I would guess you are at Mt. Isa. I drove my Celestion 6SLis speakers with an dBSPL of 84dB. These are a current hungry set of speakers that just barely tick the box for producing lovely music with enough headroom for my listening environment. There are formulas around the web that will say you require 14dB headroom for 80’s soft rock, 20dB for classical and I have been told by one manufacture they recommend 23dB Headroom.
I purchased a Naim XS 2 with flatcap. This was in another category compared to my last amplifier an Amber 50b.
I believe that if my Nait XS 2 is able to produce such beautiful music a SuperNait 2 or 3 would do so much better allowing for greater headroom.
If you have already purchased your loud speakers could you please tell me their nominal wattage and dB SPL rating please.
I am a technician and work off numbers and listening experience. There maybe better amplifiers and components better than NAIM and that is part of the journey. Though I believe that I have now my retirement system of a Naim CD 5XS CD player, a Nait XS 2 amplifier and a pair of Celestions SL6si speakers. If I am to change anything it will be the speakers. Though it is going to cost a lot of dollars AUD to find something better. Even as inefficient as they are.
Headroom is the ability of an amplifier to play music at say a low level for instrumental intricacies and then have enough spare amplification to play the loud passage peaks. Industry stand is to allow for 23dB in headroom. If you listen to soft rock the demand is less. Bluegrass is not my speciality so I am out of depth here and would recommend the 23 dB of head room. If I had my time again and know what I know now. I think I would of gone for SN2 or possibly separates that allowed, spare headroom of 200 watts out put for my speakers. Not that I would listen this loud. Though the capacity is there for my current hungry speakers.
I find I normally listen between 68 dB SPL and 78 dB SPL which can be done by down load an app on my iPhone. dBX APP. The capacity of my Nait XS 2 with 84 dB SPL speakers is a maximum output of 102.7 dB SPL. Which provides me a headroom. of 24 dB. Just inside recommended headroom specifications for Classical. I would still like more.
I hope this helps. Others milage may differ. Go for the SN3 if you can afford it. If price is no option the set of separates with 200 watts capacity of headroom might be comforting to you that you will not work you amplifier too hard. Though this maybe all unnecessary if your speakers are more efficient. I am sitting in about a nine foot equilateral triangle with respect to my speakers and sitting position. Your room and sitting position may differ. Larger or smaller.
Warm regards,
Paul.
G’day to you! I’m the proud owner of Harbeth Super HL 5+ 40th Anniversary model speakers. So I have that part of my new system complete. Now I need an amp and some streaming hardware/software and I’ll be set. BTW, I think the sensitivity spec on my Harbeths is 86 dB. But they are also 6 ohm (as opposed to 8 ohm) speakers which helps sensitivity a bit. I’m anxious to see what the power rating will be on the Supernait 3. The Luxman 905x is rated at 120 watts x 2 at 8 ohms. The new McIntosh MA 9000 is rated at 300 watts x 2 at 8 ohms. BTW, you might have noticed I’m looking primarily at integrated amps with at least 80 watts x 2 at 8 ohms. I prefer something more like 120 watts + x 2 into 8 ohms. The MacIntosh MA 9000 mentioned above and the Mark Levinson 585 yield excellent power for transient peaks without distortion, at upper volume levels. But I’ve read highly positive comments on the SN2 especially when paired with Harbeth speakers. So, I’ll have to await the release of the new SN3 to see the power rating specs. I’ve not heard any of these amps and there are so few NAIM dealers that I’m not sure I’ll even have an opportunity to audition a SN3. My dealer does carry NAIM but he’s also 1500 miles from my home. So, I’ll just have to await the SN3 and see the over all reaction to it. There is a chance my wife and I will plan a trip to Florida but it’s still in the discussion stage and very tentative. We’ll have to see. Until then, it’s just the waiting (and discussion) game.
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Bluegrassphile -
Although I do have a good dealer close to me, I’ve had to buy blindly a number of times. The last was for harbeth 30.1, which has worked out very well. My dealer believes in his products, but the reverse is true also, their are alot he will not carry . His choices are very limited. I would guess that you would be very happy with any of the new or even newest of naim pieces. I haven’t heard any luxman in years, but it is still a company that I would buy on faith. To me the big advantage to Luxman is that they include tone controls - in theory detrimental to ultimate sound, so is a less than perfect listening room, which most of us have to live with. My system is completely LInn, Naim , Harbeth. Very happy with it but my listening room is a series of compromises that I think judicious use of tone controls would actually help - no not ready for a bsr 10 band equalizer, but a “tilt” for both bass and treble would certainly not hurt at times.
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@bluegrassphile congrats!
I like to “sponsor my own unlimited demos” rather than “buy blind”. Feels nicer. 
Enjoy.
Nick
I wouldn’t think the sn3 is going to change drastically from power of sn2 maybe 5 to 10 watts max if at all. But watts don’t tell the entire story so don’t get caught up in that. Most listening is not near as many watts as you may think. A good quality 50 watts is all you need in most cases.
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The announced improvements to the driver stages plus the new 400VA transformer - I dont think anyone need to worry.
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When you’re buying such expensive system you should give yourself a proper listening session for at least a several houres since something might impresses you at first but in time you could differentiante the sound better and get a better insight. One important input about new NAIM gear (and SN3 is new one) - it will sound optimal only after a while like all the NAIM gear. For me it was over a month when I clearly heard that opens up. Fresh out the box it is still good but it needs proper run-in and it must stay on all of the time. It should be plugged directly into the wall socket acording to my experience.
So if you have decided to spend so much time in investigation, make the final step and listen - after all, you’ll be listening this system for a very long period so why rush? Give yourself a time. From my perspective, both amps are excellent but it is up to personal taste and no one can give you the right answer. The only thing for sure is that chosen amplifiers are certainly excellent and they will drive the Harbeths…
Anyone evaluated this combo yet?
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