There’s always a healthy trade and availability of Nova’s (considering UK dealer network and auction sites), usually coming and going around the £3k mark on average in current market, depending on age and condition. Assuming there’s no Nova 2 released in the time you own one, you’d expect it to maintain a decent resell value for a reasonable period of time (it remains a current product after all).
Considering you’re coming from a 5 Series NAIT and first generation digital source, a Nova would be a nice step up in its own right, regardless of what follows it, assuming a full 200 Series system.
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Thanks for that ……
Thanks. I had a SN 2 driving the Kanta 2s for some time and that worked very well. When I upgraded to a 282/250 DR that was even better. The speakers respond well to better amplification. But there are lots of good choices. Enjoy the journey.
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I believe that’s referring specifically to Tidal. The ND5XS can of course play high res files stored locally.
Yeah I get the limitations of the ND5 - I just replaced mine earlier in the year.
But can your ears actually tell the difference - within your setup - of FLAC vs higher compression, 24 vs 16 etc etc?
I cynically think marketing often get us chasing the next big thing, when actually there’s no/minimal audible difference without some quite significant kit that can expose those differences
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Yeah, was wondering about that combo… however the Gryphon is dual mono and all in a single box which I like. I’m trying to find somewhere I can demo the Pass Labs INT-60 too.
I heard the 200 streamer/pre-amp through the 250 into the Kanta’s and preferred the sound of the 333 into my SN2… which is why I ended up with the 333 (I actually went to the shop to audition headphones!!).
So, I’m assuming I don’t like the sound of the 250, albeit I’m unclear how much the 222 may have influenced the final sound. the naim site bangs on about the 222 being the perfect partner for the 250.
Apologies for taking your Nova thread off track somewhat @Captainforbes !
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I have yet to hear the 333 myself (booked in for Jan 2024) but for me the 222 / 250 needs the NPX 300 to really sing. The 333 / 332 ought to be better, but for me a home demo is the only way to decide if it’s worth the extra.
I used to think that and still don’t subscribe to source is everything pov. However to answer your question, I have in the recent past experimented with streamers and tried to eliminate my own confirmation bias, most expensive must be better.
I have a Nait 2 feeding some basic speakers, Rega el8- kytes in floorstander boxes.
I compared node 2i, node 2i plus gn ds 10 dac, ds10 stream and dac, auralic vega g1, and finally aries plus vega g1.
The result is that I could hear a difference with each step and that difference could be heard with each when changed between 16/44 cd qual and 24/192 ( norah jones).
Which is better may be subjective, and I wouldn’t advocate a 4000 pound streamer should be used with a Nait 2 and Rega el8/ kytes but to answer your question, yes the difference can be heard with ‘lesser’ kit.
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Interesting.
I asked the OP because I personally could hear negligible difference with an SN2 into Kanta 2’s and my old ND5 source. The key difference I remember with 24 bit files was it wasn’t as loud.
I think I’ll try again now I’ve got the 333, as there’s a very distinct difference in clarity and soundstage over the ND5, so perhaps I can now also hear the difference with better quality files too.
I think that is probably a good idea. I suppose that I am not alone in this crazily expensive hobby in spending large amounts of money for small improvements. I do try though to maximise the gain I get from the spend and am always reluctant to buy the next big thing unless I can hear a difference. Whether that often small difference is worth the cost of admission though is a personal choice. Fortunately so far, my better half has accepted that it is a hobby that I get satisfaction from if not always value. 
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ha! well I just had a go at 24 vs 16 bit and obvious difference on the first song - Peter Gabriel’s excellent cover of My Body is a Cage. Clear additional complexity and reverb on the bass immediately apparent
Glad you said you could hear the difference, as my 5 year old experience may have coloured my belief for the rest of my listening!!
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McTaff…… no I have not directly a/b’d 24 v 16 bit files, but I can’t imagine moving up in capability from 16/44.1 to 24/192 is going to sound worse ……
agreed, but it might not sound noticeably better to your ears in your system, that’s my point!
whilst I just did a test, and yes there was some difference between 24 and 16… it was minor to my ears… especially when compared to the large difference new speakers or a new amp provide.
Of course the Nova gives you a new DAC with high res Tidal capability, as well as a new amp, so a great route forward if you think it sounds noticeably better than your ND5/5i combo… that said the price point seems about equal between your existing kit and the nova, so I don’t imagine it will be significantly better.
seems like a good deal if you get your money back on the future upgrade though.
My experience as well @bruss that the Nait 2 responds very favourably to improvements in the source up to a very high level.
As I wrote elsewhere, these better sources are able to get the best out of the Nait 2. But it will take a better amp again to get the best out of these sources.
In any case, it was what shaped my source first (within reason) preferences.
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Gryphon Diablo 300/Marten Parker Duo - my combo. Incredibly good mixture. Of course, one doesn‘t need the huge power of the Gryphon in a 40 square meter room. But it helps to create a top notch soundstage. Fast, effortless, but precise and full of control. I had T&A and then Accuphase/Gauder at home. The Gryphon with the Marten are another level and hard to beat. To get an even better performance you have to invest a huge amount of money into a pre-/power amp combo.
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yes! I tried the 300 with the Parker Trio Diamonds, and oh my, it was breathtaking.
I’m doing a Diablo 120 and 300 back to back on thursday to see if I can tell much difference… and to see if I want the extra 4.5k outlay and the 50% more electricity required to power it…
Also going to try the Parker Trio vs the Diamond version. Not in a position to swap the speakers in the near term, but want to take the opportunity to compare anyway, as I’m pretty sure it will be the Marten’s as my subsequent upgrade.
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As far as the speakers are concerned, I was comparing the beryllium and diamond tweeter versions directly at my dealers show room in Brussels. There was a difference with more pure definition of the trebles in the diamonds, but the basses on diamonds were lighter and my overall judgement was that I preferred the cheaper version, which still cost 13 000 Euro (stands included)nonetheless. So the word cheap is of course relative for these wonderful speakers from Sweden.
I used to use one… it plays 24/192 just fine from local ans S/PDif sources.
… or are you specifically meaning from Tidal or Quobuz?
In my experience, there’s more to amplifier power than how well the system works in a large room. The amp packs on my active speakers are 240 wpc but my room is a good deal smaller than 40 sq m. When I first got them I did wonder whether so much power would just be wasted in my room. What I’ve discovered is that even when not playing loudly, it’s dynamic swings that really benefit. The rapid dynamic change from, for example, a piano key struck hard is reproduced with a degree of realism that makes the listening experience that much more enjoyable, to me at least.
Roger
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