Uniti Star - thin sounding & fatiguing

Hi-Fi Corner
22

I definitely felt slight improvement post 20h but my dealer insists it’s the 100h mark where it’s properly completed.

23

I don’t know about speaker cables in particular. However, I know of shortages across diff brands - speakers, amps etc.

I was also surprised that I could not find any dealers keeping stock of the NACA5 in London. Best I got was 1 week from Richer Sounds.

24

I will make a plug for Tellurium Q Black II. It’s a good cable, is far easier to manage than NACA5 and works well with Naim. If you order from Futureshop online they will come really quickly. Get at least 3.5m for good matching.

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25

+1 for Futureshop, I’ve had good service from them.

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26

Thanks @anon4489532 , @MaxiMe - if I pull the trigger on the TQ Black 2, it would definitely be through FutureShop.

27

Does your dealer not have any NAC A5 they could lend you say over a weekend when they’re closed?

Speaker cables can make a big difference and although NAC A5 has some annoyances many people try other cables and come back to it. Some cables can sound very detailed and exciting initially but are ultmately fatiguing., though if you go for non-Naim speaker cable it’s good to have the recommendations you’ve had so far.

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28

Hi @Alley_Cat my dealer is in Carlisle and I’m down in London. They’re fond of Audioquest, however. Yes, I think I’ll need to do a thorough test. Definitely don’t want fatiguing sound. Im going to try more dealers or branches tomorrow, fingers crossed.

29

I see, not so straightforward!

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30

@n20nine you have B&W 705 S2 and no stands? What are they sitting on?

31

If you are in London for a while it may be worth establishing a relationship with a London dealer. It’s then much easier to borrow things or get help.

Some dealers can have funny ways, such as ‘liking AudioQuest’. Just because they like it doesn’t mean everyone else will. A look at the cables used by most owners on here will tell you something - Naim, Witch Hat, Chord and Tellurium are probably the most popular. AudioQuest seem to be used much more rarely.

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32

If the speakers are 1.5 months old, are they worn in? That can often be a cause of fatigue for a while.

33

I recently bought a pair of tellurium q black ii cables. They were good. Great spatial presentation and nice highs but on my system I found the bass and attack a little lacking and it seemed to reduce the cohesion of the soundstage as a whole. My older cables are ecosse es 2.3 and in comparison the tellurium sounded restricted. I’m not saying the tellurium are a bright sounding cable but on my system they were on the bright side and I had to send them back.

34

Hi @opus , they are currently on a small AV stand.

Quick update for everyone:

  • I used the Star the whole day yesterday at moderate listening volumes and let it run overnight on softer volume, only c. 2 days of proper run-in
  • I have to say the sound is slightly more ‘refined’, the harsh highs slightly less but understand this will need a good proper burn-in, prob 100 hours but hoping to see some changes in about 2 weeks or so
  • Reflecting on comments around how different gear have different synergies and interact with the room differently, I never thought it would have this big of a difference. I am slowly experimenting with speaker placement i.e. less toe-in, bring speakers further out etc.
  • My challenge (which I know well of) is that I need a better listening room but can’t change that yet for now
  • I think given the Naim (at least from my limited experience) sound is more refined, my current placement and cabling etc. might be accentuating the highs. I probably did not hear that with my Marantz perhaps it was ‘not as sophisticated’ or was good at ‘covering it’. Still was a very solid amp.

I’ve come to appreciate the Naim more, but must thank this platform and users like yourselves who have made the ownership experience excellent. I guess sometimes it is not just about the product but the ownership experience itself, so thank you again everyone.

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35

Thanks @anon4489532 Yes, I am trying to do that, however given my purchases have been from dealers up north (primarily price based), I also do not want to waste other dealer’s time but definitely have my eyes set on one dealer near me - Sevenoaks Swiss Cottage. I did indeed pick up on those three names, which are the only ones on my list now.

36

@Mike_S I my speakers run an average of 12 hours a day, with the current working from home - definitely taking it well over the recommended 100 hours. Is there a certain type of sound/music I should play though? Mine has just been youtube music, netflix and some qobuz hi-res.

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37

Thanks @Mark84 for the sharing. The cables are on my trial list, will let everyone know how they sound…

38

FWIW I have the Star with the 702s2, and I don’t recognise the sound the OP describes. I would not say there’s a synergy issue with Naim / B&W or Naim Uniti / B&W 70x series. Of course I don’t know his exact speakers.

Why would a manufacturer underquote the number? The reverse would be more in their interest. I suspect the first 15 hours can be mechanical, loosening of surround etc. After that more likely psychological, one getting used to their sound.

39

Thanks @n-lot . Nice to hear that. I have the smaller brother - 705 S2. Out of curiosity, what cables do you use?

Re numbers - I got the 20h from the B&W literature that came in the box. 100h was from my dealer. Yea - perhaps getting used to the sound is what it’s down to.

Nice to know your 702 and Star is a good match, I believe my Star will be a good match with my 705s, just a little time to get it right :slight_smile:

40

Any music really. When I’ve got anything new I tend to leave the radio running.

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41

I think any music is fine. I know that when I got my Totem speakers, they took many months to lose the fatigue factor.

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