What to do

Start with the CDX2 into what you are currently using, might be all you need to do to put what is felt missing right.

cheers

Did you actually listen to a Supernait ??? 

I personally feel the dealer may be giving you bad information (or maybe I don't understand your post). 

Whatever the Nait 5 can do the SN - SN1 or SN2 - will do it better in each & every respect - I really do wonder what your dealer means by darker ?? .

As for no bass,  I know your Sonus Fabers will go down to the 30Hz region & I suspect a failure to do so is indicating the amp ......  so IMO your superb speakers are being held back by the Nait 5,  they need much better to get the best out of them.

Agree the CDX2   super player,  add an XPS & its even better by quite a margin.  Have you considered dropping CD replay & going to network/streaming ??? 

I agree start with a CDX2. I think with a good preamp its sounds possibly best on its own - or at least marginal difference in terms of musical enjoyment, I sold my XPS2 I had previously used when I used the CDX2 with a non Naim pre.

Does the lack of bass occur with all sources or just one or two? It might be your room nodes are cancelling out the deep bass, Yes the Nait 5i-2 is relatively modest power but should be able to provide the bass - although might be a little soft or muted dynamics if lacking the power the speakers really would prefer.

Simon

.....  ????   not much I disagree with you on Simon,  but that is one of them.  

IMO the XPS is the most impressive upgrade to CDX2.

As stated, it's not the quality nor the depth of the bass which is lacking, it's all there and quite even to my ears. The whole sounds better when turning up the volume but never has the slam it could have with certain types of music.

Thing with the CDX2 is, they don't come by as much as the Supernait, and when they do, they are either to expensive to buy without trading in everything i have now, or they are realy old, which makes me a little worried about the cd mech and service. Recently i asked the importer of naim in the Netherlands what would be the estimated costs on a service, which they could not answer since it depends on what has to be done.

Another very important thing:

I listen to a vast variety of music styles and most, if not all but Metal/Harddance are played without any let downs. I truely and thoroughly enjoy anything i put in there. I often find myself saying to myself. Wow this sounds realy good. (and i has been for almost 3,5 years) Hence my caution.

I moved from a Nait XS to a SN1, and it was a significant upgrade in every way.  I would think it would even be more so from a Nait 5i (which I have also owned in a second system), and in light of the things you are looking for, either SN version well may help add that bass punch you seek.

Ok, I assume you mean by bass 'slamming' is dynamics.. and yes I would have thought that is limited by the current output of the amp. 

Mike if you are ever east Suffolk you are welcome to come and listen... but I do agree on the 282 and less, I found the CDX2 occasionally a little hard without the XPS2 on some discs, but on the 252, Hi Line  and Fraim it all seems to make sense with the CDX2 as is... I guess I am also after that CDX2 sound, which is quite different from the NDS and certainly the Hugo. The last two are probably more tonally accurate, revealing and insightful but don't have that coloured bounce of the CDX2 I rather enjoy on many discs..

Hi Simon,  I'm usually around Minsmere & other East Anglia twitcher havens 4 or 5 times a year .....  nice offer if nothing more than to say hi.

However I have been more than convinced about what I hear from XPS on two systems (apart from my own)   one was a 252 & it convinced me the XPS was a worthwhile addition.  

If it takes a 252 to get the audible effect you have with a stand alone CDX2 - OK - but the OP is considering what to do with a Nait 5 ..

Thank you, Mike and Simon, for your contributions.

Might i ask, Mike, Would you say the Supernait is not darker sounding than its smaller sibling, the Nait 5i2?

I did experience some darkening of tone when i moved from my Project turntable pre to a Stageline N.

Hi SmauG,   I don't understand the word "darker" in relation to sound quality. 

I have not compared a Nait-5 to a SuperNait,  I own a Nait-2 & SuperNait (1)

The Nait-2 is a super little amp & does a great job for me in my dining room with some small 2 way speakers.

The SN drives 3 way floor standers, these are my own design, including the crossover design & driver integration.  They are not difficult to drive in that there are no high/low reactive impedance cycles ,  but do go below 3 ohms in the bass resonance region & are less than 6 ohms up through the HF region.  During a time that I was re-decorating I used the Nait-2 to drive the 3 ways.  It did an OK job & was perfect for playing background music & radio listen during that time.  It was not able to get high volume & struggled with bass when the volume was up.

Incidentally very few - probably none - speakers keep the same reproduction of bass in low volumes compared to high volume.  For very low bass to be audible it will require a higher volume setting.

Bass slam/dynamics is probably more dependant on the speaker drivers abilities & the amp power, but again will need volume turned up to find it.  

Thank you Mike for clarifying.

So then the final question would be.

Would anyone advise against upgrading the amp+source with these speakers because of their seemingly dynamic limits in the bass? Or would they absolutely benefit from the better front end!

Starting with the amplifier. (I know, not quite the naim/source first way)

Those who recommended the amp as limiting factor were right

Not to be mistaken with "those who recommended the CD player as limiting factor were wrong"

would you consider a sealed subwoofer ?

my rig is Nait 5i-2 + CD5XS + DiY Sealed subwoofer + Merlin TSM speakers.

The subwoofer adds the scale and it would be a good addition ( to even floor standing speakers ) - IMO.

The nait 5i-2 will breathe easier as well and give you good output at between 9 o clock and 10 o clock position

One could of-course change the entire hardware but that would be a costly exercise and one is never sure of the outcomes.

Me thinks you should stick with what you like and only add what you think is missing.

my 2 paisa.. 

Thnx, but i don't need a subwoofer. since my nait just gained an extra row of push-, and one rotary button.

Immidiate effects were noticed in the bass department and the built in dac is an absolute winner over the Pro-Ject Dacbox S it replaced.

I will, for myself and for those who are interested, put back my nait 5i-2 back in the system and objectivily try to point out the differences.

Chances are i'm going to save up for the X level source, CD or Streaming is yet to be determined. 

congratulations on the SN1 !! 

Thank you