Naim owner without really planning it

What a great outcome Steve; delighted for you.

Best regards, FT

???? Steve,as you said....."I knew the conventional wisdom in the hifi world is that source is key and by golly the CD5si proved that to be the case".

Source First,....Always.A good story ????????????.

/Peder???? 

My Naim odyssey started 17 years ago when I bumped into a CD5 in a local dealer, which I just couldn't stop listening to and subsequently bought. And like you, it reawakened my interest in music, listening to it and getting more of it. And my acquisition of upgrades. Oh dear.....

Harry, my Naim journey started in 1983 I am very lucky to have our local dealer's ND555 on demo and I think that Oh dear moment has just happened again, happy days. 

Peder, source is indeed key. The trouble with the CD5si is that up against it my turntable now sounds distinctly average so it is going in to the shop in a couple of weeks when their turntable guy is back from holiday to see what we can do with it.

Pcd posted:

Harry, my Naim journey started in 1983 I am very lucky to have our local dealer's ND555 on demo and I think that Oh dear moment has just happened again, happy days. 

My ND555 "oh dear" moment came about a week ago. But as you say, much happiness accompanies.

I must have heard a dozen Naim systems in the 80s, all awful. Probably badly set up by dealers who didn't have to try too hard and were rather dismissive of those whose ears weren't golden enough to appreciate the finer things. Then I heard a good one. That was really something to behold. I still didn't entertain the possibility until a CD5 sold itself on pure musical communication.  No badge, no brand loyalty, no snobbery, just musical joy.  It was technically a lower level source than I was in the market for, but it was so compelling. And the subsequent addition of a HiCap put me back into source first configuration and doubled the joy.

Get your ears on the XS2 amp at the next stop. Will get you looking for more music definitely.

Well I went back to the shop to get my turntable sorted out. It is a Michell Syncro and had a Rega RB300 tonearm and a Dynavector 10x5 cartridge. Out with the tonearm and cart and they have been replaced with a Rega RB808 arm and Dynavector 20x2L cartridge. I also managed to pick up a Rega Aria phono stage that was a trade in at a good discount. I got the XS2 as well and it is all sounding very sweet. I had forgotten how good records could sound and they are sounding better than ever, the detail the Dynavector can pick up is astonishing. This has all made me dig out vinyl I haven't listened to in years, I'm loving it.

Steve I too have a Dynavector 20x2L and it is a fantastic cart I've had it on an ittock and now a Fidelity Research FR12 and it has gone from great to fantastic on the FR12.

Great stuff Steve. A warm wlcome to NaimWorld.

(Bob, very pleased you didn't throw the baby out with the bath water )

I think one of the most enjoyable aspects of moving up the hi-fi tree is the re-discovering of music. It's not just the detail a decent source can serve up, but material I've heard and enjoyed countless times over the years can sound completely different, with instruments, effects and voices previously unheard being presented as if for the first time. 

Jonners posted:

I think one of the most enjoyable aspects of moving up the hi-fi tree is the re-discovering of music. It's not just the detail a decent source can serve up, but material I've heard and enjoyed countless times over the years can sound completely different, with instruments, effects and voices previously unheard being presented as if for the first time. 

This is so true. I always found Peter Gabriel's "Big Time" at bit in-yer-face but love it now ☺

Wow I remember those mf  amps sweet but a touch slow ..... you will have a bit of a shock moving to naim .... in a good way!!!

Funny how it goes. I didn’t expect to buy a CD5x when I went to buy a CD player 10 years ago, I had a Rega Saturn in my sights to go with my Rega amps but the CD5x won the day. This also had me questioning my vinyl setup (Elite Rock/RB300/17D2) and the Michell iso was replaced by a superline and the RB300 by an Aro, that put the CD5x in its place but it didn’t stop there of course.

Richieroo posted:

Wow I remember those mf  amps sweet but a touch slow ..... you will have a bit of a shock moving to naim .... in a good way!!!

While the XS2 is undoubtedly a better amp than the MF A1 I don't think it is quite in the shock category, the A1 is still a very good amp. Other than the sound the biggest difference is the XS2 is fairly cool to the touch, with the A1 fully warmed up you could fry an  egg on it

I was in the shop again today getting a minor issue with the arm clip on the Rega RB808 sorted. While I was there I asked if I could have a listen to a pair of PMC twenty5 22 speakers. Hooked up to a CD5si and a Uniti Star (XS2 was out of stock). Oh my, those speakers are good, wish I hadn't asked to listen to them....

There’s a possible trap here, though I don’t know the PMC 25.22 so don’t know if it’s the case this time Overbuying the speakers is a great way to drive the upgrades of the upstream kit as the system tends to sound a little lacking in certain respects if you’re lucky and sometimes obviously flawed. Source upgrades allow you to take your time bringing the rest up to scratch as though you won’t get the best out of the source with lesser kit dowstream you won’t start hearing the fnords either.

Ah, CD5si, excellent player.

Congrats 

In my case, it was:

OK, now I’ve got a new study it needs a small hifi. Hey, we’ve got a Linn Briks system, a Meridian DSP system, I could complete the Holy Trinity with a small Naim system......say 42-110-Kans.....

So that went well......CDX-XPS, NAT03, 82-SC, SNAXO-SC, 250s, SBLs............

sound good though. 

yeti42 posted:

There’s a possible trap here, though I don’t know the PMC 25.22 so don’t know if it’s the case this time Overbuying the speakers is a great way to drive the upgrades of the upstream kit as the system tends to sound a little lacking in certain respects if you’re lucky and sometimes obviously flawed. Source upgrades allow you to take your time bringing the rest up to scratch as though you won’t get the best out of the source with lesser kit dowstream you won’t start hearing the fnords either.

I can only go with what my ears are telling me. I've upgraded both sources quite significantly; Arcam Alpha CD -> CD5si, Rega RB300 -> Rega RB808, Dynavector 10x5 -> Dynavector 20x2L. Amplification has also been upgraded; Musical Fidelity A1 -> Nait XS2 and a Rega Aria phono stage. I don't think the PMC 25.22 is overbuying the speaker here, it sounded fantastic in the shop with the CD5si and I think the sources + amplification I now have fit well. I doubt they're getting another upgrade any time soon.

Interesting tale and attention grabbing post-title, Steve. Nice to hear that you are enjoying your music anew.

For some reason I was reminded of Richard E. Grant's great line (one of many) in Withnail and I - 'We've gone on holiday by mistake'.

Another quote from the film which is worryingly apposite hereabouts is - 'I think we've been in here too long. I feel unusual.'

John.

J.N. posted:

Interesting tale and attention grabbing post-title, Steve. Nice to hear that you are enjoying your music anew.

For some reason I was reminded of Richard E. Grant's great line (one of many) in Withnail and I - 'We've gone on holiday by mistake'.

Another quote from the film which is worryingly apposite hereabouts is - 'I think we've been in here too long. I feel unusual.'

John.

Yes, little did I know that when my MF A1 failed to power up a couple of months ago that I'd end up with almost an entire new system but I guess most of us have been there