CD5i & Nait5i first impressions
Posted by: GrizzlyHippo on 01 January 2004
OK, first off, you need to understand the system I upgraded from: 8yr old Rotel 920AX amp, Rotel 970BX CD, and Keff Coda 7 speakers. I have also been privileged to have Adam's (armered's) vast Naim system 'demonstrated' to me umpteen zillion times over the last 6 years or so. This enabled me to see the benefits of a better Hi-Fi than the Rotel system, but there's no way I could afford a setup like his.
I have had the Naim CD5i, Nait5i and B&W CM2's system up and running for a little over 3 days now.
When it was first switched on it sounded cold and harsh and it felt like I'd made a serious mistake. However, it very quickly got better as everything warmed up and I'm now happy to offer some impressions.
The sound has now settled down. I have played a few tracks on and off since setting it all up to gauge how much the system is changing. The vocals on Blur's Think Tank were really harsh to start with, but now are very well balanced. Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here is a completely new album. The Stone Roses' Second Coming has offered up totally unheard before depth in the recordings. I am gobsmacked.
The clarity and depth of the sound from this system is amazing. We thought the Rotel was a good setup, but this leaves it in the weeds. I would confidently say that it is MUCH better than similar priced systems that I heard from the likes of Arcam.
My main criticism of these new Naim machines is the remote control handset. Bare with me. This system, while being Naim's 'entry level' setup, is still a very expensive investment for what I presume to be the target market - i.e. Young-ish professionals like me who are upgrading from a Rotel or Arcam system and who never thought they would be able to afford Naim. My setup including speakers cost just under £2k. My previous Rotel setup cost £750. With this in mind I am really dissapointed by the remote control that is supplied as it feels really cheap. It is plastic, really light, and in my opinion, vastly detracts from the user experience. Naim should have provided something like a cut down/smaller Narcom 3 handset, made of metal, feeling nicely weighted and rewarding the purchaser for choosing and entering the world of Naim. As it is, I am constantly reminded of this cheap plasticy handset EVERY time I use the system. It does not make me glad to have bought Naim, which it should do as it is the main user-system interface. I would have been happy to pay another, say £40, to have had a quality handset included.
Don't get me wrong, the sound that this system produces is sublime. Simple. But in my opinion, the handset lets the whole 'first time owner of Naim' experience down.
I hope Naim address the handset issue.
My other (small) complaint is that the fascia of the CD drawer is a different shade of black to the main fascia on the front of the CD5i. Is this intentional, as it looks like a manufacturing / materials mismatch. This problem is not really a problem, but when you sit there for hours, drooling into a bowl, staring at the system, you notice these little things and then they bug you.
Going back to the sound quality, I can simply say that the CD5i and Nait5i perform perfectly together. The sound is balanced, crystal clear, has great depth and clarity, vocals such as Christina Aquilera's Stripped and Nina Simone are gobsmacking, there is bass when needed, but it does not detract from the instruments.
Simply amazing. Well done Naim. Just sort the handset.
Tom
I have had the Naim CD5i, Nait5i and B&W CM2's system up and running for a little over 3 days now.
When it was first switched on it sounded cold and harsh and it felt like I'd made a serious mistake. However, it very quickly got better as everything warmed up and I'm now happy to offer some impressions.
The sound has now settled down. I have played a few tracks on and off since setting it all up to gauge how much the system is changing. The vocals on Blur's Think Tank were really harsh to start with, but now are very well balanced. Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here is a completely new album. The Stone Roses' Second Coming has offered up totally unheard before depth in the recordings. I am gobsmacked.
The clarity and depth of the sound from this system is amazing. We thought the Rotel was a good setup, but this leaves it in the weeds. I would confidently say that it is MUCH better than similar priced systems that I heard from the likes of Arcam.
My main criticism of these new Naim machines is the remote control handset. Bare with me. This system, while being Naim's 'entry level' setup, is still a very expensive investment for what I presume to be the target market - i.e. Young-ish professionals like me who are upgrading from a Rotel or Arcam system and who never thought they would be able to afford Naim. My setup including speakers cost just under £2k. My previous Rotel setup cost £750. With this in mind I am really dissapointed by the remote control that is supplied as it feels really cheap. It is plastic, really light, and in my opinion, vastly detracts from the user experience. Naim should have provided something like a cut down/smaller Narcom 3 handset, made of metal, feeling nicely weighted and rewarding the purchaser for choosing and entering the world of Naim. As it is, I am constantly reminded of this cheap plasticy handset EVERY time I use the system. It does not make me glad to have bought Naim, which it should do as it is the main user-system interface. I would have been happy to pay another, say £40, to have had a quality handset included.
Don't get me wrong, the sound that this system produces is sublime. Simple. But in my opinion, the handset lets the whole 'first time owner of Naim' experience down.
I hope Naim address the handset issue.
My other (small) complaint is that the fascia of the CD drawer is a different shade of black to the main fascia on the front of the CD5i. Is this intentional, as it looks like a manufacturing / materials mismatch. This problem is not really a problem, but when you sit there for hours, drooling into a bowl, staring at the system, you notice these little things and then they bug you.
Going back to the sound quality, I can simply say that the CD5i and Nait5i perform perfectly together. The sound is balanced, crystal clear, has great depth and clarity, vocals such as Christina Aquilera's Stripped and Nina Simone are gobsmacking, there is bass when needed, but it does not detract from the instruments.
Simply amazing. Well done Naim. Just sort the handset.
Tom
Naim Remotes
Tom, I think you hit it on the nail pertaining to Naim's plastic remotes, and from a new owner-user perspective, it does leave one feeling a little short-changed, especially when we Naimniacs tend to be a zealous, if rather self-conscious and hi-fi-proud bunch. I suppose at the entry level, there's a certain price point at which Naim can offer pride of ownership whilst balancing their books, and rather uncharacteristically, they did "up the entry-level sonic ante" with a price reduction, which makes the "5i" series even more of a bargain in the context of its nearest competitors. From their perspective, I think it's obvious Naim introduces remotes at the entry level from a purely functional perspective - their over-riding objective being to avail the famous Naim sound, and, if I might say, a mite haughtishly, "Naim pride of ownership" to an even bigger audience at the entry level. We might be willing to part with 40 pounds for a better feeling remote, but I wouldn't be sure if the majority of the 5i audience feel the same way. They might be more interested in the Naim sonics to bother with the purely functional remote that comes with the package.
But I'm with you on this, and also like to have my cake and eat it all the same at a price of course...
Glad you're enjoying your sublime "5i"s; the money's well spent.
Good listening, the music's groovin' frightfully more.
Philip
naimniac for life
quote:
I am really dissapointed by the remote control that is supplied as it feels really cheap. It is plastic, really light, and in my opinion, vastly detracts from the user experience. Naim should have provided something like a cut down/smaller Narcom 3 handset, made of metal, feeling nicely weighted and rewarding the purchaser for choosing and entering the world of Naim. As it is, I am constantly reminded of this cheap plasticy handset EVERY time I use the system. It does not make me glad to have bought Naim, which it should do as it is the main user-system interface. I would have been happy to pay another, say £40, to have had a quality handset included.
Tom, I think you hit it on the nail pertaining to Naim's plastic remotes, and from a new owner-user perspective, it does leave one feeling a little short-changed, especially when we Naimniacs tend to be a zealous, if rather self-conscious and hi-fi-proud bunch. I suppose at the entry level, there's a certain price point at which Naim can offer pride of ownership whilst balancing their books, and rather uncharacteristically, they did "up the entry-level sonic ante" with a price reduction, which makes the "5i" series even more of a bargain in the context of its nearest competitors. From their perspective, I think it's obvious Naim introduces remotes at the entry level from a purely functional perspective - their over-riding objective being to avail the famous Naim sound, and, if I might say, a mite haughtishly, "Naim pride of ownership" to an even bigger audience at the entry level. We might be willing to part with 40 pounds for a better feeling remote, but I wouldn't be sure if the majority of the 5i audience feel the same way. They might be more interested in the Naim sonics to bother with the purely functional remote that comes with the package.
But I'm with you on this, and also like to have my cake and eat it all the same at a price of course...
Glad you're enjoying your sublime "5i"s; the money's well spent.
Good listening, the music's groovin' frightfully more.
Philip
naimniac for life
The Best Naim Remotes
Having said that, in my opinion, the best Naim remotes I have owned and used were the ones that came with the original CDS and the 52 - really handy, functional, aesthetically subtle yet eye-pleasing : now if only they could re-introduce these but with the "light-up" function of the Flash. And just a tinnny bit more weight.
The Flash - well, huge effort to be commended (but not approved...) It's heavily engineered (pardon the pun), but cumbersome and not very user-friendly since the eyes have to keep hunting for the corresponding functions on screen to match the buttons below.
Good listening; the music's groovin' frightfully more.
Rgds
Philip
naimniac for life
Having said that, in my opinion, the best Naim remotes I have owned and used were the ones that came with the original CDS and the 52 - really handy, functional, aesthetically subtle yet eye-pleasing : now if only they could re-introduce these but with the "light-up" function of the Flash. And just a tinnny bit more weight.
The Flash - well, huge effort to be commended (but not approved...) It's heavily engineered (pardon the pun), but cumbersome and not very user-friendly since the eyes have to keep hunting for the corresponding functions on screen to match the buttons below.
Good listening; the music's groovin' frightfully more.
Rgds
Philip
naimniac for life
quote:
Originally posted by Mr_Sukebe:
I do wonder if "burning in" components only works for the types of music that you're burning it with. What I mean by that is that it sounded much better last night with rock than with classical, and I have been burning it in with rock. Any thoughts?
Burning in a CD5 took 2-3 weeks and it only seemed to settle down completly after a month. I think you've still got a way to go so hopefully no worries. I just left it on all the time. I think that's sufficient. I doubt that playing disks makes a lot of difference and I'm sure the type of music won't affect the burn it.
I don't think there's much wrong with your amps, sounds quite well balanced on price vs. performance.
Give it another week
Cheers
Harry