Nait 5 - distortion??

Posted by: Mr_Sukebe on 11 August 2002

Guys,

My Nait 5 has started to sound a little uncouth of late, almost as though it's experiencing distortion.

Now I've tested a few things and have found that:
1. Changing the volume really doesn't appear to make an appreciable difference. To me that would suggest that it's not a case of the amp clipping then.
2. By trying different CDs some sound better than others.

The above makes me think that:
- My nait has finally burnt in (after 3 months) and that it's full very open and explicit nature is coming through (which is generally a very good thing, and is one of the primary reasons I bought it).
- My Linn Kaber speakers are very forward and dry, probably enhancing the effects of the amp

The result is that I have a system which on clean, well recorded albums is simply awesome. On CDs that are poorly recorded or use too much compression, it is nearly unlistenable.

Do you think that changing my loudspeaker cables from Linn K20 would make a difference, and make things a little smoother?

Any other thoughts?
Posted on: 11 August 2002 by plynnplynn
quote:
Do you think that changing my loudspeaker cables from Linn K20 would make a difference


NACA5 made a really significant difference to my system and that message comes through time and again in this Forum from users of Naim amps.
Terry
Posted on: 11 August 2002 by Mr_Sukebe
Can anyone state the kind of differences I'm likely to hear?

If all the NACA5 does is make it even more detailed, probably not going to solve the issue I have.
Posted on: 11 August 2002 by Martin Payne
Think back carefully. Have you made any changes at all to the system, or anything sited close to it, just before the sound changed?

cheers, Martin
Posted on: 11 August 2002 by Mr_Sukebe
Nope, nothing changed since I bought and installed the system 3 months ago.

I just think that it's taken that long to run in and give it's full potential. As I mentioned, on some CDs, it is simply sensational, but they have to be brilliantly recorded. It just HATES anything badly recorded and makes listening slightly unpleasant and off putting.

I'm so busy thinking about how forward it is, that I sometimes stop tapping my foot.
Posted on: 11 August 2002 by kan man
This is most likely a setup issue of some sort. I recommend getting A5, it totally transformed a friends system with Keilidhs that was previously bi-wired with Linn cable - faster, more open, more musical and more lifelike.

Before you do this, power down and unplug/replug all connections several times (including both ends of mains leads) to clean them. Allow at least a day for the system to warm up again before serious listening. This should improve things. If still not perfect, experiment again with speaker positioning - upgrades can alter the ideal position and make sure they are rigid and totally level. If this helps, please report back to confirm - not everyone is a believer in this sort of regular maintenance.

Get the A5 as well - or borrow some from your dealer for a trial. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the difference it makes.

This assumes you haven't got any more fundamental setup issues like plonking your CD player directly on the amp.

Regards
Steve
Posted on: 11 August 2002 by Mr_Sukebe
Good feedback, thanks Kan.

My CD player and Nait are both on a mana amp stand, which was setup by the dude from mana, so I'm sure that's OK.

Interestingly, just finished listening to a variety of music, and it was again completely awesome, with only the very odd appearance of slight graininess in voices.

I do wonder if it's also related to poor mains regulation in the flat that I live in. That could be making a major difference.

Has anyone tried a Flatcap with a Nait, care to add any more comments on it's improvements?
Posted on: 12 August 2002 by Peter Stockwell
quote:
Originally posted by mad max:
Mr_Sukebe
can't tell you what's causing the (distortion) with your nait 5. i too have the nait and find pretty much what you describe, sounds great with some recordings and pretty harsh on bad ones. however i did recently add a flatcap2 to my nait and cd5, and it really did transform the system, much smoother, and more open sounding, i bought my nait in march of this year, and really think it's just starting to break in
max



I'm not using Naim Cd player with mine, yet! But, I do have a HiCap rather than a Flat Cap powering the preamp section and it extends the Nait's capabilities, magnifies them if you will. I.e. better dynamics and perceived frequency extremes, overall a smoother more relaxed and in control presenation. I use B&W speakers and DNM Reson speaker cable and these cables added another level of refinement and clarity so if you are considering changing from the linn cables do consider the DNM which I find 'clearer' and 'sweeter' than The NACA 5. Do not Biwire, use the speaker cable to connect the bass/mid and treble sections.

Peter