Your Hi-Fi plans for 2025

@Bart hi bart , is it sane to go for the special finish for a whopping 9 k? The dealer does not have any special finish except the black color , so can’t see or feel the difference

Not to me/us!

It’s ONLY visual. If the room decor is very special, and a big POP of color is desired . . . and it’s in the budget . . . why not. The standard black finish is very benign; it absorbs a lot of light (not polished) and for me it works just right in our space. There’s enough other black from the record rack and Naim/Fraim. I’d rather spend some of that 9k on some art for the benefit of decor.

I don’t blame you for thinking about it, and of course their premium finishes are BEAUTIFUL, but imho they are for highly specialized use cases, such as a $5 million condo with avante garde interiors. Or for those who simply like it and the money is not a thought.

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Wow beautiful big room you have there!! Well put altogether… and my focus is on your magico !:rofl:

Yes you are right , I am also fighting myself that look- the extra 9 k I can put to better usage , as what you had mentioned . :muscle:t2: thanks Bart for your reply :pray:t2:

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I have just bought a 1982 SNAPS. I’ll recap and dual-rail it, then my system will be perfect for my next years.
I’m using Duelund, single wire, tinned copper oiled cotton sheathed speaker wire I’ll twist in the older configuration - 3/4 times per mt. - then I’m done.

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Thanks! Those are S5Mkii and they are probably a little more imposing in the room than seen in the pic.

Magico bass is super clean and fast, but is more . . . subtle? . . . than most. All of their cabinets are sealed, and metal or metal/carbon fibre (the M series). This means NO bass port contribution and NO cabinet resonance.

You really need to get them into your home to decide, as I’ve found speakers the hardest things to audition outside of my home and predict what they’ll sound like here. Rooms are just so different and few of us live in rooms that are treated the way hi fi showrooms are treated. My strong recommendation is to get them into your home, positioned properly, and listen for more than just a few hours. Because the Magico sound definitely is different than what so many other speakers provide and you don’t want to first play them in your room and emotionally be disappointed on top of the big money outlay.

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Indeed …. Never in 2024, rare in 2023.

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Rather popular in my neigbourhood, there was a cult around the late Mr. Duelund.
A friend ran these cables.
Didn’t match my setup.
I thought they were poison for early Naim amps.

Thanks @Bart again for the great advice. Shall work along that when I have a chance on the S2 . :muscle:t2::grin:

On the whole I am enjoying my system and have no upgrade plans in 2025. However, there are two possible things due to age.

The Naim CD5 may be on borrowed time being now 20+ years old but I will keep it until it goes bad. So if it does turn its toes up I will be looking for a replacement. I have no idea what but I will deal with that as and when but it won’t be a too expensive unit (probably go for used) as although I have a reasonable CD collection it is not my main source.

I am more likely to replace my even more venerable Rega RB600 arm on the TT. It is quite old now and mostly performs just fine but the external cable is deteriorating and I suspect the internal wiring is too. In this case the choice will likely be between an Audiomod 6 or an Originlive Zephyr. I expect a new cartridge will be on the cards as I have had the present one for a good while and I can then keep the present arm and cartridge as a unit to keep in reserve. In that case a Hana ML or possibly the Hana SL mk2.

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Streaming had no limits , and it’s convenient and also , great sound resolution . Again , if you do records very often compare to streaming , well you got yourself an answer :grin::ok_hand:t2:

HiFi wise? Probably nothing unless Naim release a half width streaming transport.

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Wouldn’t that be lovely. :+1:

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I’ve been thinking to go for separates so next move is probably either NAC282, NAC52 or NAC252. Most preferable would be NAC52 but let’s see.
And then there is the idea of the Supercap for the Superline.

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I have a Pink Triangle turntable, and my streaming device is a Topping D90LE as a Roon endpoint. The DAC usually decodes in DSD256, for what I consider to be a great sound. However, my turntable still sounds superior with some recordings. The question you should be asking is, “Is it worth spending the money upgrading your LP12?” If you have a thousand LP’s, then maybe it is? If you only have a few, then certainly not.

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Build you own NUC running ROCK. It’s easy, inexpensive and the Roon website has step by step instructions.

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No more hifi plans…still be buying lots of albums, cant leave a record shop empty handed. Lots of travels…good food, good wine the occasional beer…oh…and a hernia op!!

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For 2025 I think the one and only big change is going to be a new turntable & phono stage. As enjoyable as my RP6 is, I want to take the next step up. Shortlisted (new, ex dem or used) are a Rega P10, Linn LP12, SME 10 and possibly a refurbed Garrard 401.

Realistically I think it will come down to a decision between a P10 and an LP12. The P10 appeals as its plug and play and there’s a dealer nearby. The LP12 has the potential for endless upgrades, so it is seductive in that regard. The downside being an hours drive to the nearest Linn Whisperer. It will be sound quality that wins out on the day though, and I’ll simply choose the deck with the presentation I prefer. Also, I love the design of both decks equally.

During 2024 I sold my Naim equipment and bought a secondhand budget Rega system which has proven very enjoyable, so in the short term the Rega electronics will stay. Naim? Well, maybe. I’ll see how I enjoy the Rega kit over time and what Naim have up their lab coat sleeves for 2025.

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I can’t see why… If I use the common length (3.5 mt.) of 12AWG and twist the pair about 3/4 times per mt. as per old Naim prescription, they should be ok. It’s tinned copper with an oiled cotton sheath and nothing else. My NAP90 seems perfectly at ease, doesn’t get warm and sounds ok.

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Thank you, I am considering either getting a Roon Nucleus One, or a Mac Mini M4 to work as a Roon server, not sure which way to go yet?

I tested both when, after 30+ years of wanting one, I finally bought my LP12.
I personally found the sound of the LP12 to be more organic and the P10 to be more sterile, but a bit more detailed. YMMV of course😉

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