Hello all
Been asked by a member to give my report on the vitus sia030.
But before i do, can i ask if anyone is really bothered to read it? As can’t be asked to waste my time if no one is interested or it gets deleted.
That’s why i haven’t bothered to post about it, my new phono stage or the dcs clock i have on demo.
But as said if anyone other than the guy that asked me wants me to put a few words together then i will. If not then not a problem.
Interested in the kit…….but i am still interested in the journey
Anyone interested can surely read about it elsewhere. As a summary “You may well prefer the way naim sounds, if you like something that’s less dynamic, less detailed, less depth, less width, less everything really as far as the sound goes, but as you say, you may well enjoy that.
The only thing the naim did better was hum, hiss constantly through speakers.”
I know little about Vitus, a brand that has never crossed my path other than on this forum. I am always interested in whatever might suit me better than whatever I have, even if I might never pursue. What I’ve read of your hifi journey I find interesting and would happily read more, if you are happy to write.
As said in my first post,and i feel i was right, very little point as some will only moan and get it deleted like they always do.
For the rest then, i guess you need to explore as i see a post from someone has already gone ?
Best just leave it.
Have you thought about reviewing it on the Vitus forum? Thanks.
Haters Gonna Hate, Dunc, sure i am biased, but i see no reason for Not writing in that.
I know people who do not like Chopin and who think Bach is ridiculous… I bet there were such people while those two were amongst the living. So what - they should have never made their divine music because there will be moaners… 
We are all here because we love to listen to music. Sure we all love our Naim components, but if we do not love the music itself - the components are just meaningless expensive toys.
So if someone has found bliss in music beyond Naim and has the experience and understanding to compare and describe his observations and feelings - I believe he must do so even if only to expand our horizons and give us food for thought. Some will like it and be grateful, others will moan, and others will hate whatever happens, whenever it happens.
@varyat post from 2020:
« As some previous threads have commented on, I was also at a point were reduction of box count and simplification was very attractive. I ultimately chose a Vitus SIA 030 as my solution and am quite pleased with the result. Different sound than Naim-yes. Less musical, less engaging-no. The music is presented differently. I can say that the 030 goes deeper with better tone than my 552/500. It absolutely has complete control of my Titan 808’s. Top end is fluid without any grittiness which the Naim had at higher volumes. The midrange is where the Naim rules the day but this is less and less an issue as I have had the 030 for a few months now and have a new point of reference… I can say that the improved soundstage, depth and fuller body given to the music presentation is very appealing.
ATB,«
frenchrooster, would you please elaborate on the differences in the sound presentation between Sia-030 and Naim 552/500.
Are you using the Vitus with the same cables you used with the Naim?
Also how do you find the convenience of using a Class A amp - heat, time to warm up etc.
Thank you!
I haven’t really said much about it on any forum. It was just that i got ask to on here by a member.
I’m interested to read it
Hi
The post above sums it up very well really.
I had years ago the sia025 on demo, this i found gave off a lot off heat, and i felt it took about an hour to really come on song. The sia030 i have found is different. It doesn’t get no where near as hot, maybe because the case is a lot bigger, and they designed a cooling system for it. Plus I find it sounds great from stand-by, and it doesn’t change so much as it heats up.
Cables are all different apart from mains cables, as obviously had to change as can’t use din.
But straight from the off it sounded nice, i did at first notice the big difference in bass, it is very different, also the sound stage is very different, it goes wider, but the bigger difference is much deeper soundstage. But you can certainly pick out much easier where everyone is on the track, i guess that’s because the sound stage is over a bigger area, so you have much more space to place everything.
I also think the class A works very well with my dcs kit, as it certainly adds a bit of warmth to it all, but the class A dynamics you also get is very nice.
It’s also dead silent, no noise from the unit or speakers.
You do tend to hear more details, as the top end is nicer, and cleaner sounding.
One other bit i really like is the lack off Cables, obviously it’s also one box, but really the one box is huge, plus it’s heavy 63kg i think. and deep, this does make it difficult to move, and you need a rack that can take it.
But as far as an integrated amp goes it certainly is a beast, and highlights what can be done.
I have had a few listen to my system now, and all can appreciate the difference, most picking out the different sound stage.
I also have the humbolt integrated amp coming next week to test against the sia030
There shouldn’t be a problem and of course different brands have different areas that they excel in. My source components have been tube based. But it’s the bashing on Naim that I don’t understand. Especially on a Naim forum. Surely there was something that brought you to the brand
Hi Dunc
I’ve often wondered about posting this, but held off numerous times in deference to the spirit of the forum in terms of free speech and the respect that is offered for alternative views as well as the tolerance of our hosts for the discussion of other brands of high level hifi
To add context (hopefully) I consider the postings here as insightful and helpful in relaying first hand experiences of Naim as well as other brands to help us get the very best out of our investment in our systems, and had previously noted your posts in this light, particularly your comments on DCS
Whilst many on here debate the pros and cons of one brand or the other versus Naim, your posts had been particularly vehement in stating that DCS offered way and above the levels of performance that Naim allowed and my interest had well and truly been grabbed, I duly invested a not insignificant sum of hard earned cash in a DCS Bartok to feed ny 52/135/sbl system
The results of this experiment were truly disappointing, I don’t want to highlight there here but it is thanks only to a very understanding dealer that I was able to return the Bartok and get out of this hifi black-hole with my shirt intact, I have posted the virtues of the dealer elsewhere and will continue to do so but do not feel the need to highlight them at this point in time
Its great that alternative views are aired on here, we may be a bit back-slapping in our consistent choosing of Naim product but it does seem to be tempered with some consideration that the green light isn’t only the only option, whereas the detracting voice you use seems a little more focussed on getting readers to take an alternative fork in the road.
If I might ask that you bear in mind that everyone’s taste is different and that the reason many are on this forum in the first place is that the results of investing in Naim gear gives them the sound they like. For this reason, calling out something you prefer may not be helpful to them, as it wan’t to me
We’re all different, I get that, and I do appreciate your posts, I just question how helpful some of the opinions are when we the guys on here seem to be happy with their choice, trying to change that may not be what they need?
Cheers
Indeed this is a big issue here
The posts you mention imply Dunc has the ears to hear all these deficiencies and the room and equipment to highlight them.
From intermittently following some of his postings on the Naim forum over the years he seems to have been unhappy for years with the sound he was getting. He changed multiple products, cables, speakers and routers in what quite frankly seemed a very difficult room with huge placement problems. He then apparently reached Nirvana by ditching Naim and going the DCS / Vitus route and a Phoenix megasomething.
But his sonic nirvana is reached in a quite compromised room which has to affect his opinions at least as much as the equipment involved.
I think the Naim forum has been very accommodating his views but how many times must they be aired?
There is so much sycophancy here that a very zealous non believer can gain traction well above what’s merited.
I’m hardly going to head to the Vitus forum outlining my Naim journey now am I ?
.sjb
As always i have said you need to always try for yourself, and that goes for everything.
I certainly wouldn’t just buy something these days, because someone said i should, especially something costing that much.
Plus i also would say the bartock wouldn’t be a good match to the system you matched it with, and you found it wasn’t.
Also to answer your question on what got me into naim, well a naim 6 box amp system back in the 80’s, down Tottenham Court Road. It was the first proper real hifi i ever heard, and years later i manged to buy my first naim system. It was 90, 92, 2 x flatcaps, and a cd3.5. I loved it and used it for well over 10 years unchanged.
Then i went through many changes over the next 20years, till i ended up with a 500dr, 552dr, and other naim bits.
I guess at my age my hearing has changed a lot, plus what i want from my music. I don’t think it’s miles different to what my naim system sounded, but obviously it’s different, but it’s certainly no less musical, i would say most naim users would also like it, as quite a few that have listed to it are naim users, and they have all liked it. Plus i dont like the cold, clinical sound, i like very dynamic, detailed, and punchy sound, and i feel i have managed to get that by matching what i have.
Cheers dunc
I
I know you dont like me, as you are always one to jump on anything i say, that’s fine by me, and it doesn’t bother me at all.
I would happily invite you to listen to my system, as you seem to know exactly what or how bad it must sound in my very bad room.
Yee i am sure it could sound much better in the right room, but that also goes for 99.9 % of people. But i think you would be surprised.
As for changing things, then yes, i have done quite a bit of that over the last 5 years. The reason for that was because i couldn’t ever get the sound i was after, as the day i went looking for a nds replacement and found something else, was the day that all things changed.
You know the journey, and not going to go back to all that, other than say i found the problem, i couldn’t believe it would be the problem.
Cheers dunc
I would be curious to know if the Vivaldi clock gave an important uplift or not.
And also how the Audionet Heisenberg will compare to the Vitus.
Hope this thread will not close.
Don’t like is a bit strong and not really true.
Irritated by your constant banging this particular drum would be more accurate.
I’ll stop now though, I’ve said my piece both here and on PFM.
.sjb