have things changed that much.....?

Posted by: ct on 01 May 2017

Having sold my Naim system (CD3.5, NAC72, NAP180, NAT03, FRAIM and Dynaudio speakers) a few years ago when we started a family i figured now was probably an opportune time to feel my way back in to quality music reproduction when, hopefully, inquisitive minds can be persuaded to not do any damage......

I have managed to source a used unitiqute2 and purchased a new pair of ATC SCM11 speakers, both of which are due to arrive this week and, whilst I know that this setup might be slightly unbalanced in terms of whether the qute can really show what the speakers are capable of, I am not overly concerned as the plan is to improve the system over time and ultimately an NDX will form the heart of a system I look forward to building.

my immediate requirements to get the system up and running now are speaker cables and here I would value thoughts from anyone who may have faced a similar situation. Having previously used Naim cable I am slightly reluctant to go this route again as I have found it quite unwieldy and the short (1.5m) runs required for my intended location may be hard to accommodate.

Has anyone any suggestions for suitable alternatives which may even offer a further improvement of the performance of this system (now, and as it develops)? 

i'm thinking budget wise in the £50/m area and would welcome thoughts and suggestions

thanks

Posted on: 29 May 2017 by ct

So, after a bit of a wait, we now have the unitiserve loaded with our music collection and the TQ Black 2 speaker cables arrived shortly before the ATC SCM11 speakers so all is plumbed in and starting to loosen up nicely

Sadly I can't give any useful comparisons as to how the cables compare with NAC5 or the relative merits of streaming over my old CD3.5 as they departed the household some time ago but I can happily say I am once again enjoying high quality music

unfortunately, i now find myself wondering about the improvements a 272/250DR or NDX combo would give so I will continue to read the posts relating to this conversation with interest......

Posted on: 31 May 2017 by steve95775

The question of have things changed that much has many meanings. 

On a technical/engineering level, it's my view that it just keeps getting better, (only thinking real hifi brands here), and in real money terms, cheaper.

The user interface is definitely changing. Streaming with the Naim app, tablet and a ripped or downloaded music library, whilst it has it's moments, is pretty good.  I can appreciate the merits of vinyl, and must confess to some yearnings but the siren call is so far unsuccessful. The benefits of the new are prevailing. 

As to religious zeal, it still exists. Some people are very devout, some are heretical and some like me are aethists. So as always, keep an open mind. Lots of discourse on cables, equipment tweeks, et al. Some very good insights, some not so useful.

I had a decade without a "real hifi", and dipped back in a couple of years ago with a reasonable starter. It's been refreshing to rediscover my music collection, and have a little case of "upgradeitis". A 272/XPS/250DR is pretty appealing.