Current system is Xerxes/Artemiz Hicap/32.5/250 CD3 SBL. I've been very happy with this since getting it setup in 1991 or thereabouts. Recently I've been buying mostly CDs and getting fed up with the poorer performance I get from CD as opposed to vinyl, so I'm in search of a better CD performance on a limited budget.
I'm open minded about brand so I went along to hear a CD5 alongside a top-of-the-range Arcam, the CD23T. This is where the tale of woe starts. I'd told the dealer what my system was, and he had setup the listening room with SBLs. However, the system sounded frankly poor. I think this was mainly because of the amplication - 150 power amp with the Naim pre-amp of similar budget, not sure what it is called. I also thought the SBLs were too far from the wall, and they were toed in slightly which I've not seen before. Whatever the reason, the demo system sounded lightweight, no depth, wouldn't fill the room no matter how loud you turned it. (Afterwards the dealer said, we tried it with a Nait first, it sounded even worse). That didn't help the demo, but I ended up thinking that bearing in mind the above, the CD5 sounded no better than the CD23, if anything slightly worse. So I took the CD23 home on loan.
Unfortunately the CD23 sounds worse than the CD3, so that isn't the answer. It's going back. My next thought is to try a CD5 + Flatcap, which I could just about stretch to. This is on the assumption that a straight swap from CD3 to CD5 is not going to sound very much different. Or a 2/h CD3.5+Hicap? Or am I going to have to spend a lot more to get significant improvement?
Tim
Posted on: 17 February 2002 by garyi
Yes this is a difficult question, how much better is the cd5 compares the CD3?
The main difference is the fact you can add the hicap to the CD5, and if funds are stretched and you are *desperate* to upgrade then mabye getting the CD5 would be the answer.
If I were in the changing mood in your current set up I would seriously consider saving for a CDX or taking the secondhand CDX route, (all other CDP being equal perhaps you could demo others)
The long and short of it is the CDX is a significant improvement over both the CD3 and CD5, I havn't heard them all in the same stereo set up but never the less out the lot I really want a CDX!
Anyway just my thoughts
Posted on: 17 February 2002 by John Bailey
My experience of the CD5 through the NAC112 (which normally partners the NAP150) was that it sounded not much better than my cheapo Cambridge CD player (though on further listening this proved not to be the case). Through the NAC102 it sounded marvellous though... and I bought one.
Posted on: 18 February 2002 by Tim
You may well be right ... I am disappointed with the dealer for setting up such a poor-sounding system. I am going to hear the CD5 with and without Flatcap and Hicap, and the CDX, which I hope will give me an idea about what I need to do.
Tim
Posted on: 18 February 2002 by Markus
Sorry, Tim, if I am preaching to the choir here, but your description of your experience makes me wonder how skilled your dealer is in setting up the naim demo. It sounds like he may have been a little careless or unaware of how some of his choices (for example, in how he positioned the sbl speakers) may have affected the sound. I have found that the best dealers seem to have such a foundation of experience that they:
1. know what is important in setting up a demo
2. have developed a showroom/demo room that allows them to do demo's at will
3. have deep experience in setting up various combinations so that the listener/prospective buyer can clearly hear what all the fuss is about.
My sense is that it is easier to shop at different dealers in the UK. Here in the states there tends to be very few dealers, sometimes only one in a state, almost always only one in a city or region...
good luck in the journey!!
Markus
Posted on: 18 February 2002 by David Dever
Why not take the second transit screw out of the bottom of the CD5?
This sort of thing happens all the time, even in dealer showrooms.
Posted on: 19 February 2002 by Tim
Yes, I have no idea if this was the case but nothing would surprise me. The staff are friendly enough but I'm not going back there, not for Naim anyway. I asked about the CDX: "very nice player". I asked how it compared to the CD5: "I'm not sure, we haven't really compared the two." Full marks for honesty, but not exactly helpful.
There is something puzzling about the scenario here anyway. There are two dealers in the city that stock Naim. I was at Dealer B who suggested that Dealer A were no longer Naim dealers. However Dealer A is still listed on Naim's website, while Dealer B is not. Puzzling.
Tim
