Unitiqute into a nap200/250

Posted by: thechain on 20 March 2013

Has anyone tried this?

 

I am currently running MacMini (old gen) - Rega DAC - Nait5i (c.2004) - B&W CM5.

 

Would a 2nd hand qute be a good way to go to replace the mac and rega? Would certainly be neater! Then take the qute through the 5i for now then pickup a 2nd hand nap250?

Posted on: 22 March 2013 by Justin9960

A new Qute is £1,150, not £1,400.

Posted on: 22 March 2013 by jobseeker
No one is trying to 'prove anything'. The point is that we all value things differently. Get over it
Posted on: 22 March 2013 by Gurux

I think you should check again. The new 24/192 model is 1400, give or take a few pounds, depending on retailer. The 24/96 Qute is no longer available.  

Posted on: 22 March 2013 by Gurux
Originally Posted by jobseeker:
No one is trying to 'prove anything'. The point is that we all value things differently. Get over it

I know some people value neat, one box solutions, while others value sound quality. Unfortunately you can't have both at affordable prices.

 

Many compromises have to be made to deliver a product like Qute. If you can live with it, enjoy. If you have 1000£ to spend and look for a Naim upgrade, particularly a source, I would see your money much better invested in other Naim products, like the DAC. 

Posted on: 22 March 2013 by osprey
At least HFL seems to sell 24bit/192KHz version Qute @ £ 1,150.-
Posted on: 22 March 2013 by Gurux

Yes, you are right, I have just checked the price at several dealers, they must have dropped it again. Well, that makes it a much more tempting proposition. Ex demo offers even better!

Posted on: 27 March 2013 by Hudsy

I am running this setup (Qute->Nap 250) and find it quite enjoyable.  Now I don't sit in front of it and pick the music or source apart like some may but to me it gets my feet tapping and there are nights that I stay up wayyy too late just because I am enjoying the music.

 

Would I like to go to a NAC172xs direct in to the NAP250, sure but at close to double the price I would rather have the power amp section in the qute turned off.

 

Posted on: 19 July 2013 by Antonio1
Originally Posted by pjl2:

Dom,

 

Yes I think the UQ will look fine with the NAP100 and still be very neat and compact.

 

Speaking purely for myself, I dislike the idea of making something redundant (ie. the UQ's power amp) by adding a box that is not required at all. I know that if I owned one then it would stay as it was designed to be used - a neat little one-box set that whilst it may not match some of the abilities of some of the pre/powers nevertheless has its own special charms. If it struggled with the speakers then TBH I would rather get different speakers.........

 

Only my own very personal view and by no means one that should apply to everyone. Best of luck with getting the NAP100.

 

Peter

 

thought the internal UQ toroidal would still power the internal circuits ?

Posted on: 19 July 2013 by hafler3o
Originally Posted by Antonio1: 

thought the internal UQ toroidal would still power the internal circuits ?

Yes, where else would the Qute's power come from?

 

I'm not sure how the question relates to quoting someone else though, why the quote?

Posted on: 19 July 2013 by Gurux
Originally Posted by hafler3o:
 

Yes, where else would the Qute's power come from?

 

I'm not sure how the question relates to quoting someone else though, why the quote?

He was probably looking at adding the NAP as an upgrade in terms of separating the power supplies for amp / pre amp / player duty - the usual Naim upgrade path. But of course in this scenario the NAP would do a different job. 

Posted on: 20 July 2013 by hafler3o
Originally Posted by Gurux:
But of course in this scenario the NAP would do a different job. 

Ah yes I see now that is most likely, the NAP cannot do it's traditional pre-amp powering role [as a non-traditional customer I forget the pre-amps need connecting to a bicycle dynamo, or something ...  ]

Posted on: 25 July 2013 by pslosarc

Hi, I am taking a line output from a Qute into a 252/300 using a 16gb SDHC Sandisk Extreme Pro SDHC card as source and I can tell you it pushes my CDS3 extremely close (Qute volume set at 90). CDS3 just edges it on PRAT, but the Qute wins on detail & transparency. It works great, have all my Beatles, Stones, & Floyd ripped in FLAC using Dbpoweramp, and no messing with NAS drives, networks, or servers or the like. I will next buy a 64gb SDHC card and rip onto a single  card all the FLAC tracks I will ever want to listen to.....simples, and all for a little over £1K 

Posted on: 25 July 2013 by pslosarc

I wonder if I could somehow route the line out signal from Qute into DAC V1 (i.e. presumably a better DAC) and then into the 252/300. That would have to give me a no fuss streaming source better than the CDS3 for a little over £2K (assuming the V1 DAC is better than the Qute DAC)?

Posted on: 25 July 2013 by DomTomLondon

Hi pslosarc, are you using USB card reader for the 16GB SDHC card? Or did you mean a USB stick?

Posted on: 25 July 2013 by pslosarc

I use a Sandisk Card Reader...

 

 

If youre thinking of trying it use the Extreme Pro card (95 mb/s)....smoother delivery of the music vs. the standard card.

 

Oh, I have a Powerline on the Qute also, which makes a big difference when running through the 252/300.

 

The Qute really is a stunning product...

Posted on: 26 July 2013 by pslosarc

Next question is...would it sound better with a Compact Flash card?