Returning to Naim

Posted by: Cheese on 18 April 2003

Hi all,

Years ago I went the so-called round earth route by buying huge Holophone speakers, which I am still satisfied with. Unfortunately I had to sell my Nac72/Nap90 combo because the whole thing didn't match at all, with loads of unbearable hiss, even at zero volume. According to my dealer, the high output of my speakers (96 dB) was to blame.

As a consequence I bought a swiss Holborne pre-power combo, based on a tubes/tranny hybrid concept. The marriage was definitely a happy one and I loved the fine detail and soundstage.

Unfortunately the passion has meanwhile grown cold and I find that I have the most boring system in the world. I want it to rock.

As it happens, a swiss dealer is now selling out a lot of Naim stuff at interesting prices, I found following items on his list:


Cheapest would be, of course, the Nait 3. But I fear I will experience the same hiss problem. Would the situation be different with a more powerful power amp, and above all, would the higher level of a pre-power combo justify the 8 times higher price tag ?
Oh, and what about using a Nait 3 (in this particular case it is even cheaper than a 72) as a preamp ?

Many thanks for your inputs on VFM.

Cheese

[This message was edited by Cheese on FRIDAY 18 April 2003 at 21:29.]
Posted on: 19 April 2003 by Cheese
quote:
sell the Holo-whatevers and buy some real speakers
No need, thanks. BTW I haven't heard the Neat Mystiques either but as I don't know them I am sure they are the worst crap available Big Grin

Cheese
Posted on: 19 April 2003 by onlythat
Actually, the NEATs are pretty good crap.

No smell either.
Posted on: 19 April 2003 by Alco
Hi Cheese,

If you wanna get back into Naim, and have 96(!)db speakers, a good ol' Nait-1 would do fine!
A pre-power would be a waste of money in this case, in my opinion.

Springair is a German HiFi-store that is specialized in s/h equipment.
They currently have a mint Nait-1 for 400,- euro, and they can sent it by mail.
Here's the ad:
(Nait-1)

greetings,
Alco Smile

[This message was edited by Alco on SATURDAY 19 April 2003 at 21:36.]
Posted on: 19 April 2003 by JeremyD
Cheese,
If you have the most boring system in the world, how do you know that you're still satisfied with your speakers? Have you heard them working well with other equipment - if so, what?

Also, it would be very useful to know what your source components are before thinking about making suggestions. If you have the world's most boring CD player that could be the only thing wrong with your system.

Hope it all works out.

--J

PS, when I had the most boring system in the world (Linn LP12/Basik Plus/K9; Audiolab 8000A; Heybrook HB1) the cure was a Naim amp: a NAIT1.
Posted on: 19 April 2003 by Cheese
Alco,

Thanks for your input, my wallet gets at least some temporary relief. BTW the Nait 3 I'm talking of is offered at roughly 450 € so it's this route I'd go if ever. And of course, I would like to try it first because of that damn hiss experience, even though other people qualified my dealer's efficiency explanation to be complete rubbish.


Jeremy,

My CD player is an Audiomeca, I bought it because no other played female opera arias as beautifully as it did. It is true that a full-blown in-your-face player, as you seem to suggest, would have failed at this test... As I am meanwhile less interested in classical this option remains open. But I believe changing the amp is the first way to go.

Concerning the speakers, I have visited numerous fairs since and have never found anything better except maybe Wilson Benesch's. I admit I wouldn't want to miss their broad soundstage at this time even though I know it's difficult/expensive to have a rocking system with such a presentation ! But I'm just not a Kan man yet.

Cheese
Posted on: 22 April 2003 by Frank Abela
I use 94db speakers (Audio Note E) so I have an idea of what you're experiencing. I used to use them with a 62/90 and rarely noticed any hissing. I then moved to an 82/hi/250 and noticed it more. In this situation, I had to leave the amp on mute when not playing something through it. Once a signal was going through it, this was no problem.

Regards,
Frank.
All opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of any organisations I work for, except where this is stated explicitly.
Posted on: 22 April 2003 by Christopher
Can I ask which dealer (I'd be interested in the 250...)!
Posted on: 22 April 2003 by Cheese
quote:
Can I ask which dealer (I'd be interested in the 250...)!
All right, all right ... If you promise me to leave alone the Nait3/Nac72/Nap180/Hicap that I will take home for a try, here's the list.

There's a lot of other stuff available, speakers for 30'000 € ... But actually the whole thing might remain available. Frank's post doesn't sound very promising, as my test with a NAP90 was already far too bad Frown let alone trying a 180. We'll see.

Christopher: call the bloke first, because he hasn't got the 250 at his shop right now.

Cheese

[This message was edited by Cheese on TUESDAY 22 April 2003 at 21:51.]
Posted on: 25 April 2003 by Cheese
quote:
... rarely noticed any hissing. I then moved to an 82/hi/250 and noticed it more. In this situation, I had to leave the amp on mute when not playing something through it.
Frank, why did you leave the amp on mute ? In my case this hardly changes anything.

I now have a 102/180 combo at home and sound quality is beyond every expectation, wow ! (more about it later) but I have some trouble accepting that ever-present hiss - especially these days I'd enjoy switching it all off and listening to the singing of the birds. And that loud "plop" when switching off the amps prevents me from doing that.

My dealer, not a Naim specialist BTW, suggested the use of another speaker cable with a built-in resistance, in order to decrease the efficiency of the speakers. But I guess this is taboo ?!

Cheese
Posted on: 25 April 2003 by Phil Barry
...and if you're constantly powering your system on and off, you won't hear what Naim is capable of. That goes for most other solid state stuff, too, I believe.

Phil
Posted on: 25 April 2003 by Markus S
quote:

My dealer, not a Naim specialist BTW, suggested the use of another speaker cable with a built-in resistance, in order to decrease the efficiency of the speakers. But I guess this is taboo ?!

Cheese



If your dealer actually promoted the idea of putting a resistor on the speaker cable, you should take pains to avoid this dealer in the future. The idea is absurd nonsense; an in-line resistor will harm the sound substantially.

Markus