sound is not what expected

Didn't you audition before buying?

SN2, NDX and NDac make up a rather expensive combo, which I wouldn't have bought without "test-driving". Once one has established that one likes what Naim does, buying/upgrading blind is less risky though not ideal in any case...  But good deals in the second-hand market don't always allow a proper demo before purchase...

Shouldn't it be the NDX into the DAC into the SN2?I owned an SN2 with high cap DR,I used a Hugo fed from a UQ2 as a source.Mine sounded rather good,but nowhere near my current setup,I suspect that something is not connected right.

As others have said, did you audition the whole combination first to see if you liked it ?

It might be worth simplifying things to get the basics sorted first. Remove the Naim DAC and just run the NDX with the SN2 into your Focals. Make sure the speakers are positioned correctly (you don't mention room size and type or how these are positioned) and wired correctly. 

If it's not sounding right at this stage then adding power supplies and other sundry items is not going to make things better. Consult with a good dealer to find a combination that does work for you in your room. 

James

Oferr, The first question is what did your dealer think? Were they happy with the sound? 

I think it's time to have a chat with them. It may be something simple like an acoustics issue with the positioning of the speakers where certain frequencies are getting nulled. Or maybe something else. Maybe something is faulty. Either way, their job is to ensure you're happpy with your purchased system and to help you get the best from it. Go and tell them you're not happy and ask for help.

Are your speakers wired out of phase?

If you are new to naim it would be best to check since the speaker terminals at the rear of the SN2 are different to what you would expect i.e. L & R reversed so worth checking that the speakers are wired in phase.

Also not just that left and right are transposed, but make sure that a speaker cable doesn't swap over i.e. "+" terminal on amp ~~>~~ "-" terminal on speaker. If one speaker is correct and the other is out of phase, the sound can be what you have experienced.

We can only speculate as to what the problem is here. If you bought from a dealer, they should be prepared to come out and set things up for you and make sure everything is sounding as it should.

What is your source material? A system like yours needs good material to perform. It also needs a decent rack and proper setup.

Not everyone likes the Naim sound, you only need visit other HiFi forums to see that and as you say maybe it isn't for you.   As has been advised I would have your dealer back to go over everything with you and if after that you still don't like the sound your system makes then I'm sure he will be more than pleased to trade it all in for you, there are many different brands out there for you to try. Good Luck.

Did the OP mention the dac is ndac?

Kaydee6

No, put his profile does.

Karl

This certainly doesn't sound right (pun intended).  The posts above have highlighted the issues to check. principally

Speakers wired in-phase (i.e. both connected +ve to +ve / red  &  -ve to -ve / black).
          Bear in mind that on the back of the SN2 the two innermost speaker terminals are both -ve.

Position of the speakers in the room (and position of furniture etc.).

Also check your analogue interconnect cable is the normal Naim Lavender and that your speaker cable is the right type (as you haven't said what it is).

Huge posted:

This certainly doesn't sound right (pun intended).  The posts above have highlighted the issues to check. principally

Speakers wired in-phase (i.e. both connected +ve to +ve / red  &  -ve to -ve / black).
          Bear in mind that on the back of the SN2 the two innermost speaker terminals are both -ve.

Position of the speakers in the room (and position of furniture etc.).

Also check your analogue interconnect cable is the normal Naim Lavender and that your speaker cable is the right type (as you haven't said what it is).

Yes, you need to be careful with the speaker phases. If you're using the Naim plugs, sometimes the cables are wired wrong, requiring "one-up-one down" at the back of the amp to get correct phase.

Or a soldering iron!

All that other guys have said plus did you home demo particularly the speakers?

Regards,

Lindsay

One final point...

Are you just used to listening to a system with considerable LF boost and HF emphasis, as is typical of many home cinema systems?
If so, then a system with a more accurate 'flat' frequency response may sound dull in comparison, even though in its sound it's both more honest and more detailed.

If you live somewhere remote from a dealer or where auditioning at home was not an option and you don't have recourse to a dealer's assistance, and the checks suggested by others don't get you anywhere, then it might help if you give details of the system you had before. Also, if you still have any of your old kit then it could be worth comparing amps with same source and speakers, and sources with same amp and speakers, to identify if the big difference you describe  is caused primarily by the amp or the source. (I'm assuming the speakers are the same?

Thank you all for your prompt, always helping suggestions.

Answers :  First of all, I will invite my dealer home and have a chat with him.

Yes, it is an ndac.

Everything is properly wired, including the naim cable plugs and speakers.

Maybe, just maybe I am used to hi-fi sound with hi fi emphasis, finesse, to hear everything in detail. Not my fault, but I happen to have excellent hearing (I hear everything).   If Naim doesn't do that, then maybe I should look elsewhere.     I did not expect that.  My fault is not hearing a system before purchasing it...  I should have...  but, I really did not believe it would sound like that, again, my fault.

You have been very honest and it is good that you are going to invite your dealer over for a listen and a chat.

What are the three Naim boxes standing on?

Thank you IB.

I had good amps, but they aged and started to fault.  An excellent bars equalizer 24 bands (still works properly). Good speakers.  It doesn't really matter " the made" .   The issue is that I enjoyed the eq control.  I really liked the power and the "listenability".  It was so full of "every instrument sounds perfect".  No dullness at all.   And, it was so much cheaper than Naim.   Do not know what to do right now.  I will start by talking with my dealer.

You mentioned about using my old gear and trying amps with else... The only thing that works is the equalizer....  But I understand your idea. Will try to do some combinations.

SN2 + NDX + NDAC

Side by side. console.

The only time the music sounded flat / dull in my place, the Nas was converting files to mp3.

In my work - performance optimization of large it systems - I always start to reduce the complexity of the problem. In your situation it would be that I would hook up the NDAC to the SN2 directly, and disconnect everything else. Then I would load hires files on an USB stick - Files I know which are good - and play them straight from the NDAC. This approach would exclude streaming issues and various cabling issues.

I think (speculating) this is a speaker/room issue.  

Did do that sn with ndac. Don't get the sound I need.

I will have you informed.

Thank you all.