I’m using one of my Nait 50’s with:
Fully loaded LP12 ARO with Kandid cartridge /superline/ hicap Dr/lingo 4
CD5XS as transport into NDX2
Neat Petite Classics
The little Nait handles quality front ends that’s for sure, especially in small to medium listening rooms.
It will handle the speakers you mention very well indeed
Have fun 
Interesting, do you refer to Icon item playing its own DAC or via an external ?.
FWIW my Wiim is ok for the price but sound a bit thin so far, guess difference vary depending on what streaming service signed for ?
I don’t have much experience on this subject.
Well I use Chord Electronics DAVE, arguably one of the best DACs in the world, and the N50 scales wonderfully with it… I have mentioned that a few times in this thread.
It’s a marvel that the N50 is of sufficient quality to reward investment at the front end (and speakers). Ref Dave, I see that it continues to hold its value on the second hand market. Is there any obvious drawback to buying an older Dave?
Johnny, I briefly ran with an original NAIT 5 (and Flatcap 2) in my main system which was fronted by a CDS3 and it was remarkably good considering - certainly the best I’ve ever heard a NAIT 5, which just goes to show how important is the front end…
Best for me is the Chord Dave DAC into a N50, along with SL2s and SBLs. As Simon mentioned, one of the best Dacs around.
The performance is stunning using either SBLs or SL2s in a small / medium size room, N50 with an excellent source has no short falls and drives these old speakers with ease.
Dont forget, Naim tested the N50 with their own SL2s during the development.
@perf
DAC technology accelerating at a ferocious rate as well as “improvement” to the clock implementation and filter employment [e.g. the ICON electing to utilise the Qrono d2a / d2d technologies]. Good / Bad / Indifferent, who knows.
Economies of scale will help Bluesound keep pricing low, development and engineering costs well absorbed one would expect based on mass-market demographic.
Chord not operating in the same arena. Different demographic targeted.
Keeping it financially comparable, a Node ICON provides a fantastically musical streaming option into a NN50.
I’ve used both Qobuz and Tidal and can’t discern any difference. The master and the compression of the recording more likely impairs any sonic difference rather than the streaming service.
Hi Richard, Yes definitely and I suppose it’s true of all quality systems, but only to the limit of their capability. That’s what I found appealing about the N50, it seems to offer plenty of headroom to accommodate high end partners. Good old Naim..
Thanks Simon, indeed that’s quite impressive. With an NDX2?
N50 and sbls in a small to medium size room is a fantastic combination. I use it myself with a Linn lp12 at the selekt/klimax level. Full klimax level lp12 would be an appropriate source. Or the best digital front end you can afford.
How’s the 50 doing a few days later? 
I love this thread. Just when I thought I’d saved a packet on my amplifier… 
not too sure i agree with throwing money at it. i have found that correct speaker selection / room treatment offers the greatest sonic improvement and musical increased enjoyment. the disapperance of the speakers and a multi-layered 3 dimensional presentation as a result of physics in play rather than expensive electronics at play.
all my opinion of course.
Sure, you need to get the basics in the setup right first. That’s the hard work. Spending money on new components are easier.
Not really that I can think of other than regular wear and tear say of the headphone socket and perhaps eventually internal PSU smoothing and decoupling capacitors, like with any high end audio electronics. But all very easily serviceable by Chord I believe.
Though some of that 3 dimensional presentation is an abstraction or a construction of the mix and and production, as well room interaction. However I do agree speakers, and room matching is of paramount importance - and is as important as quality electronics. The two go hand in hand. The key thing supporting the two D projection into the room is accurate phase response (timing). This can be blurred by poor speaker room interaction as well as lesser capable electronics.
Thanks Simon 
Fundamental to ensure speakers match room and are unphased unfazed (pun intended 
)
If naim gave you a £ for each contribution to this thread, i reckon you could have paid for your 50!
Yes i think Simon has sold a few ‘50’s for Naim😂