Budget System Recommendations

How about second hand Naim kit? don't know about Rega speakers.

I've tried to get a couple friends interested in s/h kit but they backed off.
sigh!

Life is analogue

s/h Nait & s/h Kans would leave you change.

Paul Rowlands

Rega kit is very good but try to get a demonstration of upper-level Rotel, it is very good value especially if you need power to fill a large space.

Hi John,

from my point of view i would say go and look
for a s/h naitX and a pair of easy to drive
bookshelf moniotrs or naim ibls.

Owning one naim system will not allow you
to accept something less in your house.

(That i tried my self with a cheapo cyrus
system....and sold it soon after!)

Regards
-mb

I recently got a pair of second hand Elas, pretty damn good in my room at least...

'from my point of view i would say go and look
for a s/h naitX and a pair of easy to drive
bookshelf moniotrs or naim ibls.'

I'd leave the IBLs. I've had mine forever and while they may be able to be picked up on the cheap you need some solid amps to drive them which don't come into the budget camp even second hand (think of a 140 as probably the min)

Hi andrew,

do you think the ibls are that demanding, i heard
that from original kans.

I mentioned them cause i thought they could be
picked up for prices far less then intros or credos...

Regards
-mb

Well I got my IBLs as Mk1s and changed them to Mk2s a few years ago.

I had a 72/140 for ages and found adding a hi-cap made a huge difference. Okay I now drive mine with 135s which is in a different league.

I have no experience of kans, however.

However, they are harder to drive than SBLs though.

But yes you can pick them up sometimes at a good price.

Hi John

Rega would be a great choice for a second system on the cheap. I too had a good turntable going spare so I bought s/hand a Rega Elex amp (£110) and Rega Ela's speakers (£200). This combination is very good in the small room I have the system. Also the Rega amps come with good phono stage for the money .

Colin

quote:

---

Originally posted by mad max:
Why not try the nad c320bee with some b&w 600 series 3 speakers. A really great combo, gives more expensive rega stuff pretty stiff competition.

I owned both the brio 2000 and mira 2000 for a short time, the nad for less than the brio,and less than half the cost of the mira, is a fine integrated. Has a more powerful sound than both rega's, liked it better for what I listen to.

Should cost you around $750.00 US dollars brand new!Can't do much better for your money.

---

Mad Max

As good as the Nad gear maybe, John asked for a amp/speaker combo for his turntable, Rega would be a better match.
The amp and speakers I recomended would cost over £1000 if bought new, further up the scale than the Nad gear and a great deal if bought s/hand.
Rega is really a poor mans Naim .

Colin

Thanks for all the replies. I suspect a Rega combo or Nait/?? speaker combo would be best as I'm normalized to a 52/135s/NBL combo. I saw a 42/110 combo on Audiogon is this better than a Nait?

How good is the Nait1 vs Nait3? I suspect they are engaging without the refinement which is OK. Do they require phono boards for TT playback? does it require regular servicing like the PSUs? the Nait5 is too high in price.

What about speaker matching? again keeping in mind my $1K ceiling for both the Nait and speakers.

Thanks
John

Dear John,

a pre/power combo of 42/110 would be better.
But be careful not loosing the plot, in the
end your second system will be cd?/2??/2?? into
allae......;-)


Nai1 and Nait2 have integrated MM Phonoboards.
Nait3 i'm not sure, but i think also MM (others
could comment on it).

Nait1 and Nait2 (at my humble opininion) are
very good integrated amps. Nait1 has 3 Inputs
(Phono,Tuner,Tape) and Nait2 4 (Phono, Tuner, Aux, Tape). Nait3 i'm not familiar with.
Depending on the age of the nait2 aux was changed to cd.

They play real magic with undemanding speakers,
a friend of mine is using a fullfrequency-speaker chassis, designed for tube-amps with a nait2. loaded with tt and a nat 01. The music is amazing.

Once i heard the nait2 with sbl and it was
enjoayable. OK not partylevels but normal
music was realy great.

As for matching speakers, i could also comment
on Mission 761. Used on floorstands a nice
and cheap combination.

Have fun building your second system.

Regards
-mb

Audio Analogue Puccini SE integrated amp (has phono) and:

Triangle Titus
Dynaudio Audience 42 or 52

John,

Adding to the post by M. Brandsetter, the Nait 3 does require an added phono board. As I recall there are 3 or 4 different boards available, one for MM and the others for MCs with different output levels. I really enjoyed my Nait 3 and a used one should fit within the budget. A used Nait may have the phono board installed, as mine did when I sold it.
I bought a Nait 5 and CD5 for my small listening room and, as happy as I am with them, still have fond memories of the Nait 3.
Just keep your speaker sensitivity in mind after you select your amp. I have found that the difference between a 92 db/w and 88 db/w speaker translated into movement of the volume control about 1 1/2 to 2 hours as the clock would show. I vibrated the back wall very nicely with both and never made to to high noon!

Hi John,

I started my Naim adventure with a Nait2. It worked very well with my PMC tb1's.
I think a Nait/monitors does work very well.
(At the moment I have a 62/140 combo and still have the Nait because my girlfriend did not allow me to sell the Nait. Great little amp.)

Harm-Jan

quote:

---

Originally posted by jimj:
I really enjoyed my Nait 3 .... still have fond memories of the Nait 3.
... I vibrated the back wall very nicely with both and never made to to high noon!

---

Blimey! My NAIT3/Rega Elas gets very VERY loud round about 9.30 with CD - I dread to think how loud 12 noon would be! I've got to 11 on vinyl, but it was Astral Projection so demanded lots of volume...

BTW - I had to add the (323??) phono cards to my NAIT when I got it - very good phono stage indeed for the money!

__________________________
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.

Jimj:

How much better is the Nait5? You made the move so I suspect it's worthwhile. In terms of used cost difference between a Nait3 and Nait5 is the Nait5 a better deal? I have seen used 3s for about $600US and used 5s for $900US. The Nait3 seems quite expensive relatively. Maybe I should hold out and wait for a Nait5 or Nait5i and focus more on speakers for now.

John

John,
I don't think that there is a $300 difference in the sound ($400 difference between new 3, then, and new 5, now.) I can't explain a musical difference very well because every time I try to do critical listening, I drift off into "why did Beethoven put THAT chord here?" and "how does this key shift communicate what's about to happen in the next theme?" In other words, I get lost in the music.
I think that the soundstage is improved with the 5, the second violins' part of the chord is slightly more identifiable, if you are listening for that.
Other than that, the features are the biggest difference. The 5 has a remote and the 3 did not. But the 3 had one set of rca inputs which went to the added phono board. The 5 has all din connectors but requires a separate unit rather than internal card for phono.
I sold my 3 for a reason other than sonic upgrade. I was very happy to realize that the Nait 3 retained what I thought was a respectable value. Problem being soloved, I came back to Naim with the current model.
If I had not have needed to sell the 3, I would be using it today.
(There was a Nait 3R which had the remote control, you might inquire whether the one you see advertised has a remote.)
Bottom line: If you don't mind manually changing the volume control, I'd suggest the Nait 3 and use the difference in money to have more latitude in speaker selection.
I hope that I have given you something useful.
It would really be fun to see your follow-up on what you find and how the system comes together. The whole story, you know. Let me know if there is anything else.
jim