Used Supernait or new XS2

Nina - you will like the player. It's good. Very good indeed.

Enjoy the music!

I'm really looking forward to getting it Adam

Just wondering how good the supplied 5 pin din cable might be compared to my rather expensive interconnects

Re: the cable, I found that coming from a world of valve tweakery, using the standard supplied Naim item from DIN output on the CD player to DIN input on the amp as Naim suggest just worked.

There are those here who will be able to give you the technical whys and wherefors. But the main thing is that the music hangs together as a communicative whole  with the standard cable which is referred to as a 'lavender'. (They are grey but I have managed to convinced myself that they have a slightly pinkish sheen).

Just test the CD5XS - don't stress about the interconnect for now. If you decide to keep it, you can experimentt with various interconnects at a later stage - Naim HiLine is a decent upgrade.

SongStream posted:

 

 

I thought you were local. 

If you consider Planet Earth as a residence, I am.

I see that this indestructible topic has moved to some sideways sub-topics and now we're discussing ICs. Well, I have had four or five HiLines at least, more on the basis of a pre-conceptual, untested conviction that they had to be better than the lavender, as is customary with all faith-based attitudes; then I realized that the the lavender has some points over the HiLine, namely the rich, albeit a little heaped, midrange, and a spontaneity that the illustrious relative hasn't.

Anyway, I am using a Vertere Pulse D-Fi din to din interconnect, and am very happy with it because it preserves what must be preserved and brings a little more education to the party.

Best

M

Ooops sorry about the "sideways" topics   

The CD5 XS should be delivered tomorrow all being well

I will initially use the supplied 5 pin din lead and see how I get on; I have to say that lead is a bit cheap looking but will give it a go 

I know you're excited and hopefully there will be a comparison of CD5XS, "cheap looking" lead, Nait XS2, Naca5 wires and your favourite speakers with a memory of the valve stuff that has gone before into the same speakers. The only question being, does the Naim set give you more pleasure?

At the moment Christopher I am loving my music through the SN2 and my current source and to be honest the Naim cd is going to have to go some to better what I am already hearing, but I was just too tempted not to try one.  If I don't like it I am sure it will sell easily enough

The Naim amps are already giving me more pleasure that my valve set ups, and I was not expecting that at all

Don't know why it's taken me 20 years to 'get' the 'Naim thing'     

And the mains cables ?

Nina posted:

Don't know why it's taken me 20 years to 'get' the 'Naim thing'     

I was just the same. I think it was something conceptual, in that I was confused by the preamps being powered by the power amps. Not a problem you nor I will currently have to face.

C.

TOBYJUG posted:

And the mains cables ?

The SN2 is using the supplied Naim mains cable and I will run the Naim cd the same way.  I do have an 'upmarket' mains cable I can try at a later stage though  

Christopher_M posted:

Nina posted:

Don't know why it's taken me 20 years to 'get' the 'Naim thing'     

I was just the same. I think it was something conceptual, in that I was confused by the preamps being powered by the power amps. Not a problem you nor I will currently have to face.

C.

Ooh, that's a bit of downsizing I missed. 

I'm really happy with my SN2. The only thing the XS did better may have been the tone of the piano. That was magical but the SN2 is close and has more depth and breath of sound than the XS did, it also doesn't have the bug that causes it to lock up that the XS did. But that was usually rare. The XS is happy in someone else's home and I hope they are very happy with it.

The CD5 XS is in

Now I will just wait for the amp and cd to warm up for a while before doing any serious listening

Should be starting to come on song by now.......

C.

After leaving everything to warm through I am not impressed at all with the CD5 XS

My present transport and dac blows it away

I will try with my normal interconnects this evening and see how I get on

I do like the operation with the swing draw though

Which amp are you using with the CD5? The Supernait arguably deserves a better source, such as the CDX2, and may be showing the limitations of the CD5, which might be a better match with the Nait XS. Can't speak for the quality of your other CD player though, maybe you should just stick with that. 

Nina posted:

After leaving everything to warm through I am not impressed at all with the CD5 XS

Please confirm that your Naim gear is being left on 24/7.

Also, what are the units standing upon?

Nina posted:

After leaving everything to warm through I am not impressed at all with the CD5 XS

My present transport and dac blows it away

I will try with my normal interconnects this evening and see how I get on

I do like the operation with the swing draw though

I'm not surpriced the valve based source is very different

Before you finally ditch the CD5xs do connect the Naim i/c and if possible get a flatcap on loan, its a great upgrade and I'm not sure I would replace such combo with a CDX2

Maybe give it a few days to come on song

Maybe another few days to get used to the presentation

Finally if its beginning to perform more to your likings, there's plenty of interconnect upgrades available if you dare.

Christopher_M posted:

Nina posted:

After leaving everything to warm through I am not impressed at all with the CD5 XS

Please confirm that your Naim gear is being left on 24/7.

Yes being left on 24/7

Christopher_M posted:

Also, what are the units standing upon?

They are on a fairly cheapo wooden unit, not hifi quality at all

I do however have a couple of nice hifi stands that I intend to use

I believe the CD5 XS is a superb player, especially for what I paid for it, but it doesn't quite match up to my current transport and dac

However, to get away from anything 'valve', I am thinking about trying a Chord Dac in my system and using the CD5 XS as a transport

Am I correct in saying the transport in the 5 is much the same as that used in the CDX2?

I absolutely love the loading system in the Naim cd's

Nina posted:

I believe the CD5 XS is a superb player, especially for what I paid for it, but it doesn't quite match up to my current transport and dac

If your findings are as a result of having used CD5 XS with SN2 then please try with a warmed up NAIT XS2. Could be in for a surprise.