Basic advice but worth sharing - Check your speaker cables are connected correctly to the Nova. If you have Naim plugs make sure the red socket is with the little + tag on the plug (on the outside in both cases) and each cable goes to correct left and right speaker. Left is on the left looking at the speakers.
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Ah thanks
Kimber cable is possibly the least compatible speaker cable you could use with Naim amps. See here for cable specs that you should look at:
3.40, 3.51, the sound began to go to the modern sense, lost the charm of Naim, I Nova original version is 2.61, I think this sound is good, but I do not have this firmware version, how can I get 2.61? Which version are you installing now? My nova is now installed in version 3.20. (I found that the firmware changes the sound, which has a great impact. So I looked for the forum and read the post about firmware update changing the sound.)
My speaker cable is Naim A5, 3.5m, the plugs are all original, and the power cord is also original. But I plan to get a Naim flagship speaker cable. The A5 speaker cable is too hard to run
It is getting underestimated all the time. You can carefully bend it into more or less any shape and it stays this way. This is actually very helpful in installation if you work with it instead of against it. (As long as you don’t need to run it under carpets). Example from my installation: click link
Naim Super-Lumina on a Nova is excessive and you would most likely get larger improvements by investing the considerable expense somewhere else.
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You’ve got to love this. My Nova sounds terrible, but I’m ignoring your advice and won’t speak to my dealer. Now I’m thinking of getting Naim flagship speaker cable. Really?
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To some people that is, others have never really heard a big difference (including myself).
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Me neither, nor have Naim confirmed differences to my knowledge. What they did say, as far as I know, is just that they are tuning the releases to minimize processing load and hence this may have an effect on minimizing electromagnetic interference, but this does not explain big differences in sound signature. I have also not heard any difference between the beta versions of the firmware, which are known to not have this tuning. Nevertheless, for every beta release there are two or three people commenting on significant differences they are hearing. I don’t, and Naim staff is not commenting on it. (And as we know, some people also hear sound differences when ripping CDs after applying magic fluid …)
In any case, any such differences seem unlikely to be causing the “terrible” sound that tanxin97 is apparently experiencing.
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The OP seems to want his nova on firmware version 2.61.
Reading between the lines, my inference is there is absolutely nothing wrong mechanically or electrically with the nova. The OP can hear differences in firmware versions, and doesnt like what he hears with v3.2. In which case neither a dealer nor naim can help. He should take it back / sell it and start again with something else. Or wait to see what he can hear with the next firmware version release, but the results of that are unpredictable.
So is this a confirmation that Naim does in fact change the sound signature significantly between firmware releases (and that I have cloth ears) and that just because you liked the sound with firmware x it is no guarantee that you will like it with firmware x+1?
Not at all. I no longer work for naim and I dont speak on their behalf. The OP claims he can hear a difference. I am guessing from what has been written is that the “terrible” refers to a difference the OP has heard with a change in firmware.
Unfortunately there is no download site to access older versions, and there seem to be many reasons for this. The only way you might be able to get your preferred version is to contact Naim support directly, but as others have said it could be a hardware issue and it would be best to contact your dealer to compare with theirs if feasible.
I still maintain firmware can have a significant effect on sound but I think it often relates to synergy (or not) with the rest of your system.
The one I used to revert to was 2.3.8574. It is now quite dated and lacks several newer features including Qobuz support and is more flakey with UPNP.
As noted newer releases sound very good to me again though still different. I’m currently running a beta so can’t really comment on that.
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That’s a fair point and as noted above I think it’s all to do with synergy (or not) with the rest of your system/room characteristics etc.
Also fair to say there are many older threads on this - some detect no differences between firmware, some find adverse changes for them and some find they prefer new versions.
In essence any code changes between versions can subtly alter timings and noise (Simon in Suffolk explains it well in an older thread), which affects the overall sonic signature.
The first step is to appreciate Naim are not trying to make existing devices sound worse, but code changes can inadvertently alter the sound, they could apparently ‘tweak’ the sound via software in the past, and the beta testers will generally comment if there are adverse issues with sound or other things, but these things are subjective and in the context of a particular system/room.
The majority with older streamers had very positive things to say about their last updates.
In essence I’d say that’s correct, though Naim do not set out to change it, it’s simply a side-effect of code changes to implement improvements/bug fixes altering things sonically - these may be good/the same/worse in an individual system, and naturally there are innumerable combinations of systems which cannot all be tested, let alone room differences.
I read a lot of Naim forum materials, Naim is very difficult to cook, I must roll play, cook a pot, see the results, and then consider the follow-up processing
I sent an email once support@naimaudio.com I wanted Nova version 2.61, but rejected me. Is there any better communication skills?
FFS just contact your dealer, it’s really not difficult.
A subtle change in the sound signature of firmware isn’t going to change it from sounding brilliant to terrible.
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I do get that accessing an English language forum can be difficult and that a translator is being used, however is this a prank.
I wonder what the responses are being translated like:)
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I’ve been wondering the same thing …