5 series review

Having lived with my new 5 series kit for 3 weeks now, and had a number of enquiries with regard to my thoughts on it, here is the low down on 3 weeks of musical enjoyment, and lack of sleep!

I recently upgraded from my previous system (LP12 / Ittok / Klyde, Modified Marantz CD63KIS, Nait3 + DIY-cap, Kans) to the lovely black boxes I now have sitting in my listening room, namely CD5, NAC112, Flatcap 2, NAP150. I also added a prefix to my LP12 since I didn't want another box in the form of a Stageline for phono duties.

My goals were to elevate CD replay to a point that I could find it genuinely engaging, in a way the LP12 has always been, and to improve quality of all sources for a sensible outlay. My initial thoughts were to pursue the pure front end first philosophy and blow most of my available funds on a CDX, but I'm glad I didn't!

After a bit of juggling on my existing rack, primarily involving relegating my little-used tape deck to a location under the TV, I installed the equipment on my Target B5 rack. I didn't take any great care initially, since I primarily wanted to start the burn-in process as soon as possible.

At this stage my LP12 was still with the dealer, since my Cirkus bearing had developed a leak, and needed replacing.

I fired the system up, using the primary o/p of the Flatcap to power the 112, the secondary o/p to provide power to the CD5 analogue stage.

The system was typically 'cold Naim' at first, although there was an obvious improvement in timing and bass depth. I left the system in this state overnight, without any serious listening.

The next day I started to run through the usual hastily grabbed CD's in order to gain some idea of the system's performance. The improvement in timing precision, compared to the Nait was stunning. Playing heavily rythmic tracks from, for example, Red Hot Chilli Peppers 'Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic' was an enthralling experience. Bass lines portrayed a depth that I didn't believe Kans were capable of, with such a sense of tightness that made one realise just how a good bad gels together. At this stage the CD5 was sounding better than the LP12 did through my Nait.

Even CD's that I had assumed were too poorly produced to ever be really enjoyable portrayed a sense of musicality that had always been missing from my previous system. The differences were also considerably more noticeable at home, than during the extended dem that I'd had at the dealer. It took 4 days for the final 'eureka' moment - the system really seeming to have come on song.

One of the subconscious tests that I always find with genuinely better (musically) systems is that one finds oneself listening at increasingly high volumes, without appreciating the levels one is listening at. I still remember my ears ringing after an active SBL demo years ago.

My Nait3 would normally be played at one third volume, half volume or over (on the volume control) being reserved for when I'm the only one at home, and I'm certain the neighbours are out.

The new system frequently finds itself at half volume, and on the few occasions I've tried to find at what point it starts to strain, I've feared for the drivers in my Kans! On the other side of the coin though, I find the system to still be enjoyable at much lower levels than this, something the Nait didn't do. At low levels it sounded unexciting, yet the new system is still engaging. I was tempted to say the 5 series has a 'smoother' sound than the older series, but this might create the impression that it's boring or lifeless, which couldn't be further from the truth. I think a better way to portray this quality would be to say that whilst it is still incredibly revealing of source problems, it doesn't highlight them so much that they dominate and make the system unlistenable, in the way, for example, that the humble Nait1 could do, if not fed with a top-quality source.

Both my partner and I have found ourselves crawling into bed well past midnight during the first couple of weeks, something that is very unusual. Even my NAD tuner sounds fantastic, and I've found myself tuning into strange late night broadcasts on Radio3, listening to music as varied as Czech Saxophone music(!) to Live blues from Camden - all portrayed in such an engaging manner it's impossible to reach for the off switch.

The return of the LP12 has elevated things even further, but not so much that I find the CD5 a poor choice.

Some more shelf-juggling was required, since the Prefix lead wouldn't reach to where I'd located the Flatcap (I've decided after some extended listening to use my DIY-cap on the CD5, which sounds better than the FC2 secondary o/p and brings CD replay closer to LP). I also took the time at this stage to install more carefully, and spring clean everything, bringing greater benefits.

I choose the source purely upon the availability of material and my own mood. The LP12 is ultimately better, presenting music in a manner that is beguiling, and the Prefix brings big benefits in terms of reduced sensitivity to surface noise, pops etc and a big increase in low level detail and musicality. I have some RF issues that I'm currently trying to resolve, but overall I'm very impressed.

From a visual / ergonomic viewpoint I'm equally impressed. I like the look of the new cases / logos, and the'yre still quite subtle once in a living room environment. The remote control is a massive bonus, and it has allowed me to gain further sound quality improvements by removing the 'speakers from the TV, feeding sound through the NAC112 only. Previously the inconvenience of changing volume on the Nait prevented this.

The 112 can be programmed to respond to remote commands for other Naim components, i.e. pressing play on the CD can automatically select the CD input, which is a nice feature. The ability to match levels between sources is also a big bonus, it prevents those heart-stopping shocks when switching from LP to CD that I've had on many occasions.

I feel this particular upgrade has given me a greater upgrade than the original CD source first approach I was going to take, and the best thing for me is that my partner no longer wants to interrupt my listening to watch the TV. I think she must have had higher requirements for a Hi-Fi than the Nait / Marantz ever managed, I was always prepared to listen through it's limitations. It seems the new system has finally penetrated her defences, she's just content to snuggle up on the sofa listening to music - it's great!

As for how the 112 / 150 compares to the 72 / 140 I'm unable to answer that question, all I can say is that it's a stunningly impressive combination that plays music so well it's hard to believe it gets better than this (or at least it would be if I hadn't heard CDSII / 52 / 500 etc!).

I'd recommend anyone considering any 5 series components to get a home demo, or ensure the equipment is well run-in and warmed up. My initial demo was with equipment out of the box, and poorly placed. Fortunately even under these conditions the potential was obvious, but the results I've experienced at home have been an order of magnitude better.

Thanks Naim.

Andy.

Andrew L. Weekes
alweekes@audiophile.com