sound is not what expected

Maybe the dealer or one of the informed  forum members  could suggest a way to hook up the 24 band equaliser into your Naim setup - is it made by Amstrad?

How about the possibility that the gear needs breaking in?Is it all brand new?Or maybe the speakers have a blown tweeter,are they the same speakers you were using on the old system?

If your graphic equalizer settings looked like this \_/, I recommend a pair of Proac D18s, or PMC Twenty.25s.  Your words suggest you're looking for the exact opposite of my own preference, but the D18s (which I owned, and with a comparable set up) smack really hard with drums, and do over emphasize (IMO) high frequencies and bass, which some might perceive as more detail, but frankly gets on my nerves.  I found the same to be true the PMCs mentioned in a short demo.  I auditioned the Focal 926s (minus one bass driver each compared to 936) too, and found them very impressive, but I prefer a balanced sound, and that's what they do; certainly wouldn't describe them as flat or dull though.  I've been reminded lately of just how much impact speakers have on the sound signature of a system, and from the way you're describing the problem, unless something really is broken, or wired-up wrong, speakers could be your issue.  

I don't think burn-in can be the problem here.  Yes, my SN2 for example did improve over time, but sounded excellent straight out of the box too.  Speakers perhaps a little different, but having purchased new speakers myself a month or so ago, they too sounded great straight out of the box...well, the second delivery did, the first set actually did have a blown tweeter on one channel.  

If you want to tweak with an equalizer I think you are wasting money on Naim gear. That is you are working against the design and sound ideas you pay for. How did you get the idea that Naim was what you were after?

Claus

oferr posted:

Hello everyone,

In the last 6 months I have purchased a combo which I expected to sound "good".

I have the SN2 into NDX on dac.    Results : I can hear the music, but it doesn't sound even close to what I expected.   I can resume that it sounds dull. flat, no finesse, like if the middle portion of an hypothetical equalizer (middles) is up and all the rest is on zeroes...  That is even though the system is wired, with focal 936.  cabling seems to be properly applied...    Pretty much dissapointed.     Is it that important to have a PS?  Or what???    

I don't know what naim sound means, but if it's what I hear now...  well... don"t know what to say.

Matbe it"s me???

try first to see if you like naim sound at dealer places.  If you like it, you will know that there is a problem with your system, somewhere.  But if you don't like it,  you will have a bigger problem ( change the speakers or the amp...).

First, lets see if your dealer can get the system singing, maybe that's all that is needed? As well as setting it up well, they may be able to make suggestions about changing some of the components once they have heard it in your room. Did they sell you the speakers at the same time, without a home demo. Personally, I have never heard a Naim system with Focal speakers that sounded remotely appealing to me, and maybe you will find the same. (Others here say good things about Focals, which I guess must mean that we all look for different things from our music systems.)

I, too, am suspicious of your equaliser! I think having one tempts you to tweak the sound in a way that artificially exaggerates aspects of it, and once you have grown used to this, hearing music portrayed more accurately can sound a bit flat and dull. You may find that it takes a bit of time to adjust to this - or you may find that you don't want to. Good luck - hopefully, with a bit of patience, you'll end up with a system that really works for you. 

Thank you all.

I am doing exactly that.  Listening and trying to understand the new, different sound.  The SN is quite new... so maybe it needs a little bit of time.

Something is not right.  Even allowing for differences in taste, your description sounds like the result of a setup issue, a faulty cable, or a fault in a component.  Could also be a break-in issue.

If you have any other reliable sources to test with, I would try them.  Maybe try the NDX without the DAC, just to see what happens.

Nick

It doesn't surprise me that you are finding your new sound quite alien as you have previously adjusted the eq to your tastes. How accurate that is depends on your own interpretation hence the reason we all prefer different electronics and speakers. 

Before I got my first naim system I had a Denon micro system with the bass boost permanently on. My first impressions were that my new system was thin and bright but after a period of adjustment and reasoning I realised that I had been listening to a bass bloated overly warm sound that whilst not unpleasant but didn't represent accurate reproduction of instruments, voices, everything really. That said it never sounded flat or undynamic especially with a SN2 which was a bit too much for me in my current room with my speakers. 

Huge posted:

Or a soldering iron!

Or you the split cable for a few cm between the conductors and spin the pins 180 degrees and reinstall in the little black plug/box thing like I did!

Maybe some information about your room might help. Size, listening distance, furnishings, listening volume, type of music, and maybe how are you streaming your music and what format? 

I had a dull sound. I discovered it was due to the mains, an earthing problem. I used a Grahams hydra.

Thank you again.  I owe you some answers.  The room is big enough, cant tell the exact dimensions, not too much furniture, distance between speakers and between speakers and listener are "right".   I usually use the system with a low volume (less than quarter on the dial).    Type of music, usually progressive rock (old, classic), jazz, classic music, baroque...   Don't think there is any problem with dimensions and setup of system.

Let me just add that it might be me...    I will try to understand and enjoy the naim sound, maybe it is a matter of a learning curve, like everything...  

I will have you informed.

Thank you so much for your kind help'

Cheers!!!

mikey8157 posted:

I had a dull sound. I discovered it was due to the mains, an earthing problem. I used a Grahams hydra.

Did the problem cured with hydra?

oferr posted:

I owe you some answers.  The room is big enough, cant tell the exact dimensions, not too much furniture, distance between speakers and between speakers and listener are "right".  

No real answers there. Seems to me like you are unable or unwilling to provide measurements.

Reading through this thread it sounds to me like the Naim sound just ain't for you. Despite being a fantastic piece of hi-fi, I found the SN2 too shouty, mids-forward, and recording quality sensitive for my ears and room and moved on after three years with it. You'll get a lot of encouragement here as to how you might make the SN2 work for you. My advice would be to look for an alternative that better suits your aural tastes and expectations.

Yes, cured by the Hydra.

Oferr, when you were using a graphic equaliser, what settings were you using?
(I assume it wasn't all flat as then there'd be no point in using it!)

Hi Offer

Is your gear on a proper rack / support? NAIM can sound 'very wrong' when not placed properly.

Adam

oferr posted:

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.

What was the amplifier used with the JM Lab Focal 936 that outperformed the Supernait 2 in your system (and to your ears or preferences)?

oferr posted:

Thank you again.  I owe you some answers.  The room is big enough, cant tell the exact dimensions, not too much furniture, distance between speakers and between speakers and listener are "right".   I usually use the system with a low volume (less than quarter on the dial).    Type of music, usually progressive rock (old, classic), jazz, classic music, baroque...   Don't think there is any problem with dimensions and setup of system.

Let me just add that it might be me...    I will try to understand and enjoy the naim sound, maybe it is a matter of a learning curve, like everything...  

I will have you informed.

Thank you so much for your kind help'

Cheers!!!

 

 

So, you want help, but refuse to supply the most basic details about your room and speaker placement.  Nor have you answered the questions about whether you listened to the SN2 before buying it, unless I missed it. 

The simplest answer is often correct, and in this case, as others have noted, you like the sound of music with a graphic equalizer in the system, so the Naim sounds dull to you.  You'll either have to get used to the Naim sound or move on. 

When I first got my Nait XS something didn't sound right to me, but I knew that Naim sounded excellent in dealer Demos.

it turned out due the nature of NACA5 plugs on the amp side it is easy to get the polarity wrong as there are no colours, and both speakers were out of phase.

Once this was corrected...... amazing...

I think your kit isn't set up properly...

If you are able to arrange for your dealer to visit your home and if not too inconvenient, it may be an idea for you to arrange to listen to the same or very similar system in your dealer's premises immediately before he visits your home. That would let you both know as objectively as possible if there is a significant difference indicating a problem with yours, or if both similar, that this set up does not suit your needs.

Peter

Sorry, haven't had that much time to respond.   I will have my dealer visit sometime soon, and whenever that happens, i promise to keep you updated.  

Did not get hydra.

My latest set up was a yamaha dsp with a graphic works equalizer.

As I mentioned before, I am learning to listen to naim sound.

Thank you very much again  

Adam; for your question, I have the system side-by-side... that is ndx/ndac/sn2

oferr posted:

Sorry, haven't had that much time to respond.   I will have my dealer visit sometime soon, and whenever that happens, i promise to keep you updated.  

Did not get hydra.

My latest set up was a yamaha dsp with a graphic works equalizer.

As I mentioned before, I am learning to listen to naim sound.

Thank you very much again  

How were the controls on the equaliser set-up?