Hi all
I recently bought a Supernait 3 that’s connected to both an ND5XS2 (new) via DIN and my previously owned Project Debut Karbon via RCA
I note the sound from the turntable is a less full than that from the streamer. Its very clear and there’s no hum etc. Just no oomph. I changed the interconnect to the Project Silver RCA . Its definitely better than previously but still not quite there…
The interconnects come with a blue band each that I have positioned at the amp end
Any suggestions please??
Is the sound loud enough? Are you hearing what you perceive as compromised performance?
It maybe a little quieter.
Bass is definitely less than from streamer
Having heard the project debut carbon through a nait 5i I will then say that perhaps your streamer is just a better source.
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I suspect you may well be expecting too much from a £300 turntable/arm/cart compared against a streamer that costs many times as much. And when combined with a £3k amp, all it will do is expose any and all weaknesses in the source.
Don’t get me wrong, the Project Debut Carbon is a very good turntable package - for the money. However, in absolute terms, spending more on a deck/arm/cart will give you much, much more. In the context of the rest of your system you should be looking at something like at least a Rega P6 or price equivalent as a starting point.
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There is a huge gap in quality between a Naim ND5XS2 and a humble Pro-Ject (I am not being sniffy about Pro-Ject , they make excellent products) I would humbly suggest something like a Clearaudio Concept or Rega 6 might produce the sort of sound you are looking for.
I used to run a Rega 3 through my Naim 200/202 sometimes it was good and sometimes the amp showed up the shortcomings , sometimes not.
So I have been where you are in terms of imbalance between source and amplification
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Thanks all
I kind of expected this. The turntable sounded ‘better’ with my previous Arcam integrated/power amp and quad 22L2 speakers!
Thought I should ask you experts before I began shopping
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Yes, it would sound better, as the previous stuff wasn’t showing its limitations. I have a Rega 6 with Ortofon 2M black i to my SN3 and it sounds great.
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Fwiw I have a Rega P6 with Rega ANIA Pro. Tons of oomph. And on my Star I definitely find good vinyl pressings to outperform the digital alternatives with this TT and cart combo.
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I agree with all that was said here. Your streaming source is simply better than your analog. Now that you have a superior Integrated, it is showing the 'table’s limited nature. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you perceive these things—e.g., upgrades), you’re going to have to climb the ladder a bit to at the very least match the ND5 XS2, but surely and likely surpass it so there’s that. The Rega and Clearaudio suggestions are solid ones. There are so many incredibly performing TT/cart combinations out there around this price point that you likely won’t go wrong, but it becomes quite quickly a slippery-slope. Soon you’ll want to match your new combo with a better phono stage, etc., at least that’s what I tend to notice. Vinyl is so addicting that it’s easy to get caught up in, but I’ve always tried to take the positive attitude route and felt it can be part of the fun, too.
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Hi, Nigel. Can you comment on the 2M Black versus the Rega competitor Exact or Elys? You passed them over for a reason, no doubt. I tried both on my old Planar3 and found them good. I have never heard the Ortofon.
Just curious. Thank you.
Nick
The Rega has a moving coil? Do you have a separate pho stage?
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Yes and then I will find my speakers don’t quite match up! 
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Yeah it’s an MC and I have Moon LP 110 V2 phono stage. Gives some great bang for the buck I think.
But that is with the Star’s capabilities. For Naim separates one may want to look at a Rega Aria or such.
What about if you swap it round?
Hi Nick. I was previously using a Rega Ania with the Fono MC, with the change to MM being promoted by getting the SN3 with its built in phono stage. I talked to my dealer about it and the Ortofon was suggested as being a good match and better than either of the Regas. They’d fitted a 2M to a Rega 6 previously and thought it was a good combination. So that’s it really. I’ve never owned an Ortofon before and rather wanted to try something new.
I was listening to the LP of Nick Cave’s Idiot Prayer last night and it was lovely, with voice and piano sounding very natural and engaging and I’m very pleased with it. It fits into the Rega arm with no need for spacers, which makes fitting very easy. It comes with a nice little stylus brush too!
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I’m glad you’re settling in nicely with all the recent changes, HH. One question I have though is about the swap from the Ania to 2M Black. I’m surprised no spacers were deemed necessary, since the Ortofon cart is quite a bit taller than Rega’s cart’s, and given the almost universal opinion out there that the 2M Black (with it’s superb but apparently very VTA fussy Shibata tip) needs to be held dead level to work as it should.
Normally a little bit of tail-down slope is not a problem - certainly I have that situation using a 2M Bronze with RB1000+1 spacer / LP12 , but the Bronze is meant to be more forgiving over VTA. I’ll soon be needing to renew the stylus and might consider the Black but for all the talk of it being very fussy. Would be interesting to hear how you think it compares with your previous setup. Tricky I know due to multiple other changes. Happy listening!
I have a P8 with 2m Black. It was suggested by the dealer as a great match for the P8, because I had no MC stage at the time (though now I have the Aria). They set it up and it’s a good dealer so I trust they did it right. It sounds fabulous anyway. I see no spacer as such under the arm, but the bottom of the arm seems a bit farther away from the the plinth than I see in most P8 online pictures. Not quite sure though. (When they set up my previous P3 with a non-Rega cart, they did put a visible spacer under the arm)
I did ask about the spacers and was told it looked ok. But with an LP playing it does look like the cartridge is a little closer to the record than perhaps it should. Rega say on their website that it’s only an issue if the cartridge actually touches the record and of course if you add too much height at the pivot end then the counterweight will hit the lid, which I have shut when playing records. The Ortofon is 4mm taller than a Rega and as it’s better to be tail down that tail up I’ve ordered a 2mm spacer. It’s only a case of removing five screws - what could possibly go wrong?!!! As well as the cartridge, the whole vinyl chain other than the deck itself is new - amplifier/phono stage, speaker leads and speakers. It’s different, smaller and cheaper, but I’m enjoying it very much.
I had a Quintet Blue and Black in a Rega a few years back and they required spacers. No idea if they are taller than the 2M range.