A wig over a mullet - A quick experiment

Warning: this story involves very vintage streaming audio equipment (2 years old) and is of no interest except to historians (or a living dead hunter possibly).

Good evening to all,

Having recently attended a few demos of newer streaming audio gear, and my beloved Nait2 and trusted Nat05 receiving a little TLC at the distributor's, I found myself with a mute second system and some space free on the main "rack", and the mood for an experiment.

Having yet to test this, I decided to try my entry-level streaming equipment in my main system. The former comprises a SqueezeBox Touch with an external CI Audio PSU and a Cambridge DacMagic (the model before the latest) with a Power-Lined Fidelity Audio external PSU. The latter is 252/250.2, usually with a maxed-out CD5 (and a Nat05 MIA).

Everything being warm, I promptly disconnected the streaming kit, moved it to the main rack, switched off the CD5/Flatcap, unplugged the Hi-Line (gasp!) from the 252, roughly arranged the SBT, DAC and PSUs, plugged everything quick and dirty with an appropriate Chord Cobra RCA->DIN, et en avant Simone! (Sorry... And let's go for a ride.)

I plugged my 32 GB USB key into the SqueezeBox, choosing to play music from the local Media Server to avoid the network altogether (no Ethernet cable available and the WiFi signal is not that good, coming from behind two solid walls). So I waited for the Media Server to clean up its previous entries, correctly index the USB key and parse the album art.

Once all done, I started to play my usual suspects (the ones I had played during the various recent demos, and albums I know by heart): Joe Henry's Civilians, Leonard Cohen's Ten New Songs, God Help the Girl, Hadouk Trio's Baldamore, Little Feat's Waiting for Columbus, Mickey Hart's Mystery Box, etc.

The first thing I noticed was an increase in detail and resolution, which was expected. Not night and day, but easily noticeable. And a little bit more clarity and sharpness. In Ten New Songs for instance, it was easier to separate Sharon's voice from Leonard's. On Joe Henry's Wave, the multiple instruments were clearer.

An expected finding was the slightly metallic highs of the Cambridge, not noticeable on the Nait2 but evident with the higher amps. I've heard quite a few recent Cambridge Audio products lately, even quite high in the range, but I really can't stand this sound. With the older DacMagic this appears less pronounced, or perhaps it is attenuated through the Nait2. But really, CA is everywhere around where I live these days -- whereas Rega is hard to find -- and I don't understand why, except for their price maybe. A proactive distributor shirley. It's like the new NAD or something (but I'd take NAD over CA every time).

Another finding, a bit unexpected I must admit, was a poorer medium than with the CD5. I like a very good midrange -- neither forward nor projected, but mellifluous [learned a new word here]. Sharon's voice, as well as all the ladies' in God Help the Girl fronted by Catherine Ireton's were clearly lacking. The same with the strings in the same album, or in Calexico's Spirituoso.

I fiddled with the DAC filters, and things improved a bit when using the transparent mode (I prefer steep when paired with the Nait2). Higher and sweeter highs, comparatively slightly recessed midrange but better.

Strangely, if bass was clearer and more defined, it seemed to go less low. With Inertia Creeps from Massive Attack's Mezzanine for instance (but no midrange problem with this track!), or Leonard's By the Rivers Dark. Maybe it's my imagination.

Also, the musical message got blurred during crescendos, or when many instruments or music lines played simultaneously. The orchestra in Calexico's Spirituoso for instance.

Would all that be the only differences, it would have made a nice compromise, but alas! It was also sadly obvious that what we all like from Naim and that is so enjoyable with my CD5 was gone: no life anymore, no drive, no more joy. Little Feat's A Fat Man in a Bathtub was a pity to hear for instance, when it normally makes me want to jump all over the place! And Mickey Hart's Sito all the same, despite the numerous and -- usually -- engaging percussions.

It even failed the other room test...

This was not really expected for this is not the case with the Nait2. But this little bugger is clearly a small boogie machine, something that can't really be said from the more refined and darker 252/250. The synergy is definitely better with the diminutive amp. (I must confess that, in my experience with the CD5 and the Nait2, I tend to agree with the view asserted by George (Fredrik) and Peter (pjl2) -- among others -- that the Naim entry-level kit really has something special.)


Experiment done, CD5 replugged, everything back to normal. No time for a haircut yet.

Maurice