new system new to Naim

Posted by: Mark Arnold on 27 October 2015

Hi I'm new here so go easy please, I've decided to get a new hi fi system and I'm currently building one up I've bought a 2010 nap 200 and am looking at getting a nac 202 and use a nd5 streamer my question is how do you guys think it's going to sound with my current MA RS8 speakers?

 

Ive currently got the full RS home cinema kit and using a Pioneer sclx86 for movies which sound really good and am pleased overall.

 

I know MA are slightly bright but I'm hoping that Naim amplification will tone this down a bit, however if not then I will eventually have to change them, but not sure where to go as they've got to be black floorstander, anyway hope you guys can point me in the right direction and am really looking forward to today's delivery of the NAP 200 shame I can use it yet though.

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by ianrobertm

Its will be very quiet until you get a pre....

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Mark Arnold

Yes I know tell me about it I'm chomping at the bit to get setup - I've also been ripping some music to 24bit 192k as well which sounded quite nice on the Pioneer but should sound amazing on the Naim stuff

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by feeling_zen
Not familiar with the Monitor Audio but, although mismatches exist, there are not many speaker combinations that don't work well with naim. The amps have a knack for getting the best out of just about everything they can drive save a few exceptions. Much less fussy than other brands out there.

Whether it sounds good in your room is another matter. A lot of this forum has been spent discussing problems with good gear in problematic rooms.

Give it a go. Great gear by the way. Thete is sure to be another MA user on the forum.
Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Mike-B
Originally Posted by Mark Arnold:

 - I've also been ripping some music to 24bit 192k

........  do you mean ripping a 16/44 CD ???

If so I advise to reconsider,   a waste of HD space ripping to 24/192

CD is 16/44.1,  you cannot change or add to the data that is contained in that. Going from 16 to 24 bit will not do much other than pack the file with un-used space.  

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Mark Arnold

yer ive done about 8 albums so far - tell me why it sounds slightly better then? ive compared cd version to flac version as well

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Bert Schurink
Originally Posted by Mark Arnold:

yer ive done about 8 albums so far - tell me why it sounds slightly better then? ive compared cd version to flac version as well

No moving parts, like mentioned before up sampling of a cd quality file is just a waste of space...

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Mike-B
Originally Posted by Mark Arnold:

yer ive done about 8 albums so far - tell me why it sounds slightly better then? ive compared cd version to flac version as well

I have never heard any difference,  but if you do hear it as different (& NB - I am not saying better) fine, great, rock on.  If that is the case I suspect its something in the the way your DAC is processing the file.  To upsample 44k files, you might be better using 176.4 rather than 192 as that maintains the original data points (44.1 x4 = 176.4)  the math is easier & it might be better for DAC & CPU.  

But whatever,  I am still saying you still only have the original data with added padding to create the 24/192 file. They will sound the same.

  

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Mark Arnold

Ok i will take on board what you guys have said, on another note my NAP 200 has arrived !! Sorry just exited shame ive got nothing to use it with yet.

 

Can you tell me the place to go regarding getting better quality music other than CD as im going to get a NAS and hopefully stream to a ND5 soon?

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Mike-B

Here is a handy place to find HD albums from all the popular vendors, whoever has the album has a link to their www. Nice search facilities, by album artist etc plus a bunch of check boxes,  all the formats plus DSD.     

- (note if in Europe you cannot buy from USA vendors due to regional restrictions (royalty/tax))

I tend to use Qobuz & HighResAudio for the best pricing,  HDTracks can be a bit pricey.

 

Enjoy the 200 when you get it fired up

 

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Mark Arnold

ok will give it a go.

 

Can you guys shed some light on when Naim stuff would need a service? Ive bought a 2010 Nap 200 thinking it should be ok for a few years? What about a Pre amp service when do they typically need one?

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Mike-B

Pre-amps don't need routine servicing as such,  the reason for power amps & PSU's needing service is that the large electrolytic capacitors go out of spec over time.    

An older pre or CDP might have other issues such as dry switches or laser alignment,  but you cannot put a time frame on that.

 

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Bananahead

I would send Naim a quick email with the serial number and then they should be able to advise. But normally it's just after ten years for power amps and supplies.  My 282 pre got sent for service at the same time as my other boxes because the volume and balance controls tend to need replacing (or at least both of mine failed within ten years).

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by feeling_zen
Given the limited ability to find music you like in HD in any quantity, many of us still buy CDs as the main source of music, rip to Wav or Flac (at native 16/44.1 but using decent software that supports secure rip), dump them on a NAS and store the CDs in a box out of the way.

You'll find you can occasionally find what you want in HD but to be honest a well ripped CD sounds great.
Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Dave***t

As links aren't allowed on this forum, and therefore Mike's post may not make sense to people who didn't see it before moderation, if you search the net for 'find hd music' you should find a useful resource for, strangely enough, finding HD music.

 

I'm glad this thread made me check, actually.  There happened to be a special offer on an album which interested me.

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by badlands
Originally Posted by Mark Arnold:

.

 

I know MA are slightly bright but I'm hoping that Naim amplification will tone this down a bit,

I wouldn't count on it.

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by hungryhalibut
Rather than getting a 202 and an ND5XS, have a look at the 272. If you get a 202, you also need a hicap and a napsc to make it sound good.
Posted on: 27 October 2015 by hafler3o
Originally Posted by badlands:
Originally Posted by Mark Arnold:

 

I know MA are slightly bright but I'm hoping that Naim amplification will tone this down a bit,

I wouldn't count on it.

Too bright for me as well, and I like plenty of vinegar on my chips!

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by TOBYJUG

Hi mark 

your Pioneer and MA speakers are not shabby by any means - but if you had brightness it was probably from the Pioneer.

Going to a 2 channel dedicated amp will mean you'll change your listening sensibilities. You will have more of a problem with slow bass rather than treble trouble with Naim and MA RS8 speakers I think.

Enjoy the Naim ride.

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Mark Arnold
Originally Posted by TOBYJUG:

Hi mark 

your Pioneer and MA speakers are not shabby by any means - but if you had brightness it was probably from the Pioneer.

Going to a 2 channel dedicated amp will mean you'll change your listening sensibilities. You will have more of a problem with slow bass rather than treble trouble with Naim and MA RS8 speakers I think.

Enjoy the Naim ride.

Yes i know there not shabby however they just dont work well in stereo listening to music hence me joining the Naim world lol, got a Nap 200 so a good starting block i hope

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Mike-B
Originally Posted by feeling_zen:
Given the limited ability to find music you like in HD in any quantity, many of us still buy CDs as the main source of music, rip to Wav or Flac (at native 16/44.1 but using decent software that supports secure rip), dump them on a NAS and store the CDs in a box out of the way.

You'll find you can occasionally find what you want in HD but to be honest a well ripped CD sounds great.

Not sure what music you can't find ......??  but  I haven't bought a CD since I moved to NDX April 2015

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by Fueller
Originally Posted by Mike-B:
 

Not sure what music you can't find ......??  but  I haven't bought a CD since I moved to NDX April 2015

I'd say of my existing CD and LP collection 90-95% is not available in HD (mainly rock and metal but folk as well) - when I do it's often £10+ compared to a CD often for as little as £1-£2. As a result I've far less HD music than I thought I might have at this stage. 

 

Back on topic I wish the OP well - I've just sourced a secondhand 202 and running it with a supernait power section until I decide whether to go for a 200 or 200DR. The 202 is an immaculate 2008 model and happy buying one this age as service isn't such an issue as with the power amps. This level of kit is all many need - but of course it's not always the nature of forum members to be happy with what we've got.. 

Posted on: 27 October 2015 by feeling_zen
Originally Posted by Fueller:
Originally Posted by Mike-B:
 

Not sure what music you can't find ......??  but  I haven't bought a CD since I moved to NDX April 2015

I'd say of my existing CD and LP collection 90-95% is not available in HD (mainly rock and metal but folk as well) - when I do it's often £10+ compared to a CD often for as little as £1-£2. As a result I've far less HD music than I thought I might have at this stage. 

 

Back on topic I wish the OP well - I've just sourced a secondhand 202 and running it with a supernait power section until I decide whether to go for a 200 or 200DR. The 202 is an immaculate 2008 model and happy buying one this age as service isn't such an issue as with the power amps. This level of kit is all many need - but of course it's not always the nature of forum members to be happy with what we've got.. 

+1

My collection isn't comprised of stuff that's generally that rare or anything obscure but well over 95% has never made it to the HD download sites. When I buy new music each month, I make it rule to first look for the album in HD and buy it there and if not available, get the CD. From the last 200 or so albums I bought in the last 12 months, 3 were available on HD.

Posted on: 29 October 2015 by Mark Arnold

Right I'm setup so to speak, I borrowed a nd5 streamer last night from my dealer however as I'm only streaming Spotify the sound had no real sparkle so was a bit disappointing, so today I took the streamer back and asked for some advice and the dealer is making me some Naim speaker cables up at 3.5metres and he's told me to rip my CDs using DBpoweramp to WAV format in its original quality and stream it to the system however I've got to purchase one. What I did notice is that via the USB it locked up a couple of times halfway through a song and said no device connected on the display so that was a bit disappointing 

Anyway I'm looking for more sparkle and want to hear the instruments in front of the speakers so I'm hoping you guys can help oh forgot to say I've got a NAC 202 with a NAP 200 no power supplies completely std

Posted on: 29 October 2015 by ChrisSU
You might have been better off with Tidal than Spotify, you could have streamed at CD quality to get a better idea of the ND5's true abilities.
Posted on: 29 October 2015 by Christopher_M

Hi Mark, 202/ 200 is a nice amp. Naim recommend a Napsc power supply as a first upgrade. I can vouch for their advice, and I'd take it. It removes an electronic glare for not a lot of wedge. The Hi-cap is the second upgrade but wouldn't bother too much if you're cleaned out. It can wait. Or not at all. It'll still be good.

 

Cheers, Chris