Nirvana at the 13th box!

Kiwi cat posted:

the acceleration in box buying occurred from 2012 when I started looking at the Naim Hi-Fi forum, so I'll just visit the music site from now on!

You should have stated this upfront. I expected this thread was going to be about some long-lost bootleg recording of Nirvana performing at a venue called the 13th Box .

An enjoyable read!

I'm also guilty as charged - currently de-cluttering my systems.

Nirvana is obviously only 90% of Heaven.

But ...

I consider these 'confessions' of decrease in performance quite interesting.

When I read your story I see that you've tried to max out the Uniti series - or use it as a bridge to your Nivrana. My finding is that the Naits and Unities are a nice, high value for money setup especially in a one / two box setup. Not more or less boxes.

I'm currently listening to my BW CM5's / Supernait 1, fed by a ChromeCast Audio and it does many things right. It does not tele-transport me in the recording as my Ovators do though.

Ardbeg10y posted:

I'm currently listening to my BW CM5's / Supernait 1, fed by a ChromeCast Audio and it does many things right. It does not tele-transport me in the recording as my Ovators do though.

If I had a pound for each time a person told me their speakers tele-transported them into the recordings I'd probably be a poor man sitting pat with my current gear.

Here I sit, guilty on both accounts.

I don't believe it's possible to ascribe these percentages in any meaningful way, and certainly not to be able to do it retrospectively. It's rather a meaningless ranking, which bizarrely many people seem to enjoy and/or find useful. It always reminds me of the guys in the record shop in Nick Hornby's wonderful book, High Fidelity. If anyone hasn't read the book, get a copy. 

That said, it's great when things come together; a position I've been in for quite a while. 

13 boxes since 1989 shows remarkable restraint. I'll see if I can remember all my Naim boxes, as a memory test. I won't get them in order, though I'll try...

42, later upgraded to 42.5, snaps, 250, hicap, 32.5, 72, 82, supercap, 02, 01, CDI, CDX2, XPS2, CDS3, 252, Supercap 2, 250.2, 300, 05, 552, 555PS, Nait 5i, another 250.2, Supercap 2 and 252, 101, another Nait 5i, CD5x, 122x, 150x, flatcap 2x, CDS2, XPS, 102, Nait 1, another 82 and 250, Superuniti, and then what I've got now, which is three more, giving a total of 41, excluding various napscs and a prefix, and speakers of course  

You can see why I'm so pleased to have left things unchanged for two years...

HH, I guess the percentages do give a false sense of exactitude, but what  the hell, it is a hobby forum , and it is fun.

My multi box experience has shown me there are certain combinations that are just "right" , and that to advance on my arbitrary 90% to 95% requires an exponential increase in cost. 

My Linn sondek and 62/hi cap/ 140 lasted me 14 years and I suspect the 272/250/ps will last me at least that long, as both combinations are just "right" . Like you, it's time to bed down and enjoy our music, our families and life in general.

Will look up the Hornby book as well, sounds like a good read.

Hungryhalibut posted:

I don't believe it's possible to ascribe these percentages in any meaningful way, and certainly not to be able to do it retrospectively. It's rather a meaningless ranking, which bizarrely many people seem to enjoy and/or find useful. It always reminds me of the guys in the record shop in Nick Hornby's wonderful book, High Fidelity. If anyone hasn't read the book, get a copy. 

That said, it's great when things come together; a position I've been in for quite a while. 

13 boxes since 1989 shows remarkable restraint. I'll see if I can remember all my Naim boxes, as a memory test. I won't get them in order, though I'll try...

42, later upgraded to 42.5, snaps, 250, hicap, 32.5, 72, 82, supercap, 02, 01, CDI, CDX2, XPS2, CDS3, 252, Supercap 2, 250.2, 300, 05, 552, 555PS, Nait 5i, another 250.2, Supercap 2 and 252, 101, another Nait 5i, CD5x, 122x, 150x, flatcap 2x, CDS2, XPS, 102, Nait 1, another 82 and 250, Superuniti, and then what I've got now, which is three more, giving a total of 41, excluding various napscs and a prefix, and speakers of course  

You can see why I'm so pleased to have left things unchanged for two years...

Ardbeg10y posted:

Nirvana is obviously only 90% of Heaven.

But ...

I consider these 'confessions' of decrease in performance quite interesting.

When I read your story I see that you've tried to max out the Uniti series - or use it as a bridge to your Nivrana. My finding is that the Naits and Unities are a nice, high value for money setup especially in a one / two box setup. Not more or less boxes.

I'm currently listening to my BW CM5's / Supernait 1, fed by a ChromeCast Audio and it does many things right. It does not tele-transport me in the recording as my Ovators do though.

Yes Ardberg, I reckon all the Unitis are excellent.  There will be some great bargains, especially the superuniti, when the new Uniti models are released in the next few weeks.

I went through the upgrade cycle from 1986  to 1993, Nait, 62/140, 72, Hicap & 2*135, 82, then stopped because I was loving the music. (Upstream Micromega Trio and Roksan Xerxes then TMS, speakers Epos ES14, ES14 replaced by B&W 804s in 2007 after an ES14 died.) Next piece of Naim kit was a CD5x when the Trio died in 2014. Then I added a HDX for ripping, replaced that with an NDX, added 3*Qbs for multiroom. A Uniti demo is scheduled (and then rescheduled monthly) for a second system.

But basically I found the 82 Hipcap 135 combo so listenable that I didn't ever feel the need to move, the occasional service is all they've had for a quarter of a century (until I gave them a birthday present of Powerline Lites last week.)

I'll play with the box count. I started with Naim just over 2 years ago but feel I'm done for several more. I started with an XS 2 but changed out to a Uniti2 in only a couple of weeks. Purchased a UnitiQute for a second system. Added a NDX to my U2 with an eye on trading out U2 for SN2. Ended up not doing that so I sold the NDX and bought a ND5 along with a XS 2 again. Ended up selling that combo and traded the U2 in on a 272/XPS DR/250. So that is 9 boxes in 2 years. A bit ridiculous but a very happy ending, for now. 

While we're counting boxes I only have 1 source so it's 

just the 13 for me, all in use

previously had a 32.5, a couple of hicaps, a couple of olive supercaps, naxo, snaxo 3-6, Naha and 3 lingos 

might add a 52 & PS onto that list soon  

lyndon

The only Naim boxes I bought and don't own now are the 200 and 202 followed sometime later by a Superuniti

i did have fraim that was Naim's ex demo but that was sold when I sold the amps as I couldn't really afford a proper Naim system at the time. 

Eoink posted:

I went through the upgrade cycle from 1986  to 1993, Nait, 62/140, 72, Hicap & 2*135, 82, then stopped because I was loving the music. (Upstream Micromega Trio and Roksan Xerxes then TMS, speakers Epos ES14, ES14 replaced by B&W 804s in 2007 after an ES14 died.) Next piece of Naim kit was a CD5x when the Trio died in 2014. Then I added a HDX for ripping, replaced that with an NDX, added 3*Qbs for multiroom. A Uniti demo is scheduled (and then rescheduled monthly) for a second system.

But basically I found the 82 Hipcap 135 combo so listenable that I didn't ever feel the need to move, the occasional service is all they've had for a quarter of a century (until I gave them a birthday present of Powerline Lites last week.)

Respect!. Same main system for 24 years. Amazing you have not got a 2nd hand 52 by now, but if it ain't broke no need to fix it.

lyndon posted:

While we're counting boxes I only have 1 source so it's 

just the 13 for me, all in use

previously had a 32.5, a couple of hicaps, a couple of olive supercaps, naxo, snaxo 3-6, Naha and 3 lingos 

might add a 52 & PS onto that list soon  

lyndon

 

Lyndon, amazing the number of boxes you have to play choons but my goodness it must sound special>

KIWI CAT

it sounds very special indeed 

and the only 2 boxes I notice are the very big boxes either side of all the other boxes 

lyndon

Kiwi cat posted:

HH, I guess the percentages do give a false sense of exactitude, but what  the hell, it is a hobby forum , and it is fun.

My multi box experience has shown me there are certain combinations that are just "right" , and that to advance on my arbitrary 90% to 95% requires an exponential increase in cost. 

My Linn sondek and 62/hi cap/ 140 lasted me 14 years and I suspect the 272/250/ps will last me at least that long, as both combinations are just "right" . Like you, it's time to bed down and enjoy our music, our families and life in general.

Will look up the Hornby book as well, sounds like a good read.

If you had indicated 95% for 272/250DR chances are HH might not have mentioned about the numbers being irrelevant or meaningless.

Anyway I presume the 272/250DR is a good upgrade from the Superuniti despite a mere 4% improvement from the all-in-one player. Although I concur that the numbers are somewhat meaningless and do not really correlate to the degree of improvement with the gear concerned, I also agree that it is a fun way of describing things, and there is nothing wrong with that.

My turn:-

Nait XS - 50%

202/200 - 60%

202/200/HCDR/NAPSC - 65%

282/HCDR/250DR - 80%

I'll play;

Unitilite 99%

V1 98%

ND5+SN2+ S400's 95%

ND5+SN2+HICAPDR + S400's 92%

NDX+SN2+HICAPDR + S400's 85%

NDX+SN2+HICAPDR + S400's + Powerlines 77%

NDX+"Super DAC"+SN2 +HICAPDR + S400's + Powerlines 38%

Linn Kilmax Exakt with upgrade to custom high gloss orange speakers 3.14159 %

You must be as happy as pi now

Why π for the Linn Kilmax? Euler would have been even lower.

ryder. posted:

My turn:-

Nait XS - 50%

202/200 - 60%

202/200/HCDR/NAPSC - 65%

282/HCDR/250DR - 80%

On my scale your current system should at least 90%, what with the 282 and all. Very nice.

Nobody has mentioned cables? Equally as important as boxes..

Good point Wenger. I use the standard lavender din-xlr and A5 cable and find them excellent. Can't justify the extra $17k on SL. Crazy money for cables!

Ardbeg10y posted:

Why π for the Linn Kilmax? Euler would have been even lower.

First Circle of Hell

Kevin Richardson posted:

Ardbeg10y posted:

Why π for the Linn Kilmax? Euler would have been even lower.

First Circle of Hell

Then I need a Linn Kilmax. It will give me the opportunity to meet Aristotle - my favorite Philosopher, and I can debate with Cicero who I'm happy to loose the debate from.