@gthack thanks and glad the little one was unharmed. The graphic imagery here is painful 
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@gthack yes that’s my feeling as well. Feels like a lower priced entry point to get started and then see if I want to add the ND5XS as a second step (vs. the other way around).
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@JanW thanks for the input. I need to demo some equipment to discern the difference - ideally at home.
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@jlow thanks so much. Yes, when I first auditioned Naim gear way back, it was the Supernait I think v1 and it blew me away. That’s definitely where I’m headed and now with the v3. I’m also excited to check out Bison in addition to the Signature One’s. The NDX2 is certainly the dream and at that price, it’ll remain a dream for a little longer 
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Hey all, quick update on the system. I purchased a barely used Chord Qutest a couple of weeks ago and am running plugged in through my iPad. Been experimenting with both Tidal and Apple Music. Huge step up in performance - most music I’m familiar with almost sounds entirely different - much more detail, separation etc. and just highly enjoyable. I can see how many folks have commented that the Chord sound doesn’t allow for rocking out in some cases - DAC in general is much better with vocals, acoustics etc. That said, the results have been very satisfactory. I had a chance to demo the Totem Forest Signatures yesterday and those speakers are incredible. I’m sticking with my plan to upgrade to the Supernait next, and then will upgrade speakers at some point down the line (maybe by year-end if I can justify). In the meantime, just enjoying the system. Also ordered a Naim RCA-DIN interconnect to replace the cheaper AudioQuest RCA interconnect I’ve had all this time. I was interested in exploring Chord Company interconnects but they’re pretty hard to source in Canada. Keep you all posted and thanks for the feedback.
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I’ve never tested any Chord DAC so I can’t comment there, by the way I guess you do appreciate resolution, clarity and soundstage considering that you’ve also gone for the Totem Sttaf (I have the Sky Towers and absolutely love the Forests).
If I may add something, I highly suggest you to try Nordost cables (starting at least from the Blue Heaven/Red Dawn both for speakers and power) as they totally changed my experience enhancing the characteristics that I love from Totem speakers paired with Naim boxes.
I agree with what other people pointed out in previous posts, a SN3 would be a great all rounder that you could further improve down the line. If you didn’t buy a Qutest, I would have suggested to try an NDX2.
The Forest Signatures are great, but I’m not fully convinced that they are worth the stretch compared to their standard version, but this is only my personal point of view according to my experience. It’s up to you to decide.
Glad the youngster was OK.
When I had stand mount speakers, I always used Blu-Tak to keep them on the speaker stands.
If you haven’t got it repaired yet, a furniture restorer would be able to repair that and you probably would be able to see it.
DG…
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Thanks DG, appreciated. They were mortified when it happened, I think they thought I’d be upset, I don’t think youngsters realise that damaged things can be replaced, or lived with, injuries might not be so easy!
Anyway, I used it as the final straw to commit to building my own cabinets. I think I’ll sell the SX3s once that’s done, and assuming the new speakers suit their environment.
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@Blacknote Thank you. I’ll do a side by side comparison (Signature vs. Regular) when I get more serious about buying the speakers. The premium for the Signatures is not insignificant. PS, the NDX2 is the dream…
for me this seems like a big limitation, I see no point investing in Supernait until you can position speakers relatively free in the room
please do not underestimate 2 things in such case: high quality usb cable and re-clocking with ddc converter, both make a significant impact on sq
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I can confirm that these things MATTER. I experimented extensively when I was using my Qutest with my SN3.
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That’s a factor to consider even though in your country prices might be better than in Europe.
By the way a person I met changed his Forests with the Signatures and after one year he didn’t seem fully convinced. He told me that bass was not as deep and the mids/highs were just a touch better. However as I said before only your ears can judge.
I forgot to tell you that now I’m using the NDX2 and it had a profound impact on my system. My Totems became so alive and articulated with lots of nice details, a real joy! Lately I’ve tried Totem Beaks, you might want to try them too… If your room configuration is optimized, you can have some interesting benefits.
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@Phystech indeed I’ve moved past the bookshelf idea. Incidentally I have gotten more comfortable with floor standers and my son seems untempted to horse around within vicinity (for now). I’m going straight for the Forests (which are larger and more stable than my Sttafs).
usb converter from ipad output to spdif, in general I would recommend to decide what’s your goal regarding the streamer. If you plan dedicated streamer then no need to spend on those but if you consider using usb-output of the ipad (any apple or pc device in fact) then a converter may massively improve the sound. I used several, best of all was Berkeley Alpha but it is not cheap and benefits from expensive cables.
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No excuses needed. I used the Denafrips IRIS DDC (DDC = Digital to Digital Converter. Usually USB → SPDIF.) first. Then exprimented briefly with the Singxer SU-6. Settled on the Denafrips GAIA DDC for the longest time. Then branched into using the Audiowise SRC-DX along with upscaling via dual-BNC.
It all matters for SQ.
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I used to have a Qutest and SN3. I fed the Qutest direct via USB from my Roon Nucleus and it was a good combo. The Nucleus is expensive, but they have a new more affordable version just out now. I can also recommend the ND5 with SN3, which I eventually upgraded to before moving on even further but what you have is really very good already 
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