Hi All
I have been very happy with my current setup for many years now, but after listening to a setup using NDX2/Supernait3 and Dynaudio Evoke 50 that sounded astonishing I think it’s time for an upgrade, but I have no idea where to begin.
Current system:
Supernait1 + Hicap (They have never been recapped/serviced), Unitiqute2 streaming to Naim DAC and Naim Allae speakers.
I like the overall sound of my system, but I would like more details and control and air ind the entire sound spectrum.
I have enough money to buy a Supernait 3 to replace my supernait 1 + Hicap OR to change my speakers. (or maybe something completely different?) I can’t do both things.
As a fellow SN1 HCDR owner. Others may disagree, but I find it a strong amplification setup for the money. Mine is driving 20 year old Dynaudio Audience 50s. I also have Chord Qutest between ND5XS and the SN1. I would try auditioning Dyn speakers against your SN1
Thanks for the advices. They really give Me something to think about.
I guess the best way to go is to see if I can borrow some equipment and try it at home. It’s too difficult to hear at the dealer if it is one thing or the other that makes the music sound great
The original Naim DAC is outstanding and can be upgraded with either of two ps, it makes the DAC section of any of the Naim streamers short of an ND555 redundant but it deserves better than a unitiqute2 to feed it the digits, an ND5xs2 would do a fine job of this but you’re wasting it’s DAC section from the off. I’ve not heard any of the standalone streamers from elsewhere but they may bear investigation, you do lose the Naim app though.
I always found the original supernait lacking, greatly preferring the 202/200, trying the 200 on the sn pre section suggested it was the pre section that was the weakness. The supernait 3 should be better but still looks like a sideways move. Assuming your phonostage needs are covered and given that you already have a hicap then the suggestion of a 282 as the first step in upgrading the amp is a good one, followed by a 250 when the time comes.
I’ve only run allaes in rooms with sold walls and they’ve come good somewhere around 21cm from the back give or take 5mm or two, 5mm was the difference between even and one note bass in one of those room, which was square, the other was a bit more forgiving. With stud walls I don’t know how they will react. I’d be reluctant to change them for something else at this stage but why the sub and DSP?
Thanks for the advice Yeti.
I’m not sure My english is good enough to explain the SUB. I don’t have a DSP other than what is built into the sub to help adjust it.
In My room I had a big lack of bass at 50Hz and 70Hz for some reason and i couldtn’t correct it via roomtreatment, speaker placement and such, but the sub could fill the gaps and with the help of the build in DSP I could make it so it didn’t mess with the rest too much
I’m curious about your opinion of the unitiqute as a streamer. Why is it not good enough as a digital source for the DAC? Is it because of a bad digital out or is it something else?
I only have two problems with the 282. 1. In Denmark it costs more than I can give and 2. I’m not sure I want an ekstra box and Fraim shelf.
It’s the old windows based (I think) streamer, it’s OK for streaming from a local source but the new style Linux based models can bring the sound quality from qobuz, Tidal etc closer to that of streaming from a local source. The thing is to try it against a few alternatives, I could be wrong.
The bass hole is interesting, I’m about to buy a house with stud walls, plasterboard on batons over concrete or brick, is this how your walls are?
Up to now I’ve lived in houses with plaster/render coated directly onto the blockwork, brick, or in the current flat a concrete party wall behind the speakers, though some of the other wall are plasterboard. I have my alleas boxed up at the moment and NBLs in use 5.5cm from the wall. I’m expecting the NBLs to struggle in the new place, though I’ll give them a try, so was thinking my allaes would stand in while I look for something that works in free space.
Regarding Unitiqute:
Wauv, that makes SO much sense! Thank’s for that. Back when I used Tidal, I often wondered why the sound was so different from My local sources and I actually suspected Tidal for cheating with the material!
Now I only stream local stuff.
Regarding the bass:
My house was built just after WW2 in 1947 so some of the materials used was a question of what was available at the time. Three of the walls are brick walls with a thin layer of … something coating the bricks, but the fourth - the one to the left of the speakers are made from a mix of paper, plaster and something I don’t really know what is. It’s the kind of material you really can’t hang a picture or lamp on, because it crumples when you try to put a nail or a screw in it and it is rather thin -not more than 7 cm. I think. I do think though that My floor is to blame. It’s a thin layer of wooden boards between My room and the basement. I have tried to reinforce and soundproof it a bit, but that didn’t make much, if any, difference. I have also put some homemade basstraps made from Rockwool up in the corners. The actually helped more than I thought they would and when I added the Sub - everything became fine. I do have some music tracks that still reminds me of the problem, but it is not a big problem anymore.
