Used Supernait or new XS2

Nina, I have been enjoyed following your journey over the past four weeks which started with the words, "I am thinking of trying a Naim amp again......"  

Now 6 pages and 2 amps later, the question is will the journey continue?

Waiting to hear if the SN2 is it, or will the quest continue.

It does sound like you are having fun along the way!

Hi seakayaker

My quest will definitely not continue

I am loving the SN2 but will swap back to the XS2 at some point just to double check.  What I do know is that one of the amps will be staying put  

congratulations !

do check and let us know of you find the XS2 a bit more forgiving as compared to the SN2 and weather the extra 20W makes a difference to the sound level you normally play with in your room.

By the time the SN2 is fully on song - i suppose the next advise will be a 282 and 250DR or something like that..

do put up a pic or 2 on the system pics 2017 thread.. with the SN2 and / or Xs2

i for one would like to see new systems rather than a few older ones with minor changes..

regards

Nina posted:

I am loving the SN2 but will swap back to the XS2 at some point just to double check. 

When you do that, please ensure that the XS2 has been powered up for a couple of days.

Nina posted:

Well my SN2 is an ex demo unit so I was not expecting it to need any running in as such

I think maybe just the fact it's been switched off for a week or so it needed a bit of warming up again..  sounds amazing now though.  Probably the first amp that has literally made me smile, anyone else experienced this or am I going mad ?  

Definitely experienced many big smiles from great music delivered by great hifi, happens all the time I'm happy to say.  In fact I've been known to burst out laughing, such fun it can all be.  Also, sometimes just the contrast in performance between one thing and another can provoke the same.  I recently achieved  a speaker match with my own SN2 that I find so sublime, engaging, and communicative musically, there have been a few occasions when, despite being lost in music for the duration of a track, when the track stops and I snap back to reality, I literally burst out laughing.  Not only because it was so enjoyable, but because the contrast in performance and character, and how much better it has become, just seems comical.  

SongStream posted:

Definitely experienced many big smiles from great music delivered by great hifi, happens all the time I'm happy to say.  In fact I've been known to burst out laughing, such fun it can all be.  Also, sometimes just the contrast in performance between one thing and another can provoke the same.  I recently achieved  a speaker match with my own SN2 that I find so sublime, engaging, and communicative musically, there have been a few occasions when, despite being lost in music for the duration of a track, when the track stops and I snap back to reality, I literally burst out laughing.  Not only because it was so enjoyable, but because the contrast in performance and character, and how much better it has become, just seems comical.  

I know what you mean SongStream

I have owned many amps over the years but it's only the Naims that have made me smile.. as I mentioned I do now 'get' the Naim sound... 

What speakers are you using with your SN2 that have matched so well ?

Would I be correct in saying that the Naim needs a little time to 'come on song' again after being switched off for a while?

I am currently using my TQ UB's but now I have the replacement NACA5 I will swap over to that shortly.  I must say that the dealer made a very nice job of the new NACA5 after such a shoddy job the first time around  

The speakers I chose were Kudos X3s.  The journey to those has been pretty well documented on here, so I won't bore everyone by bleating on about them again.  If you're interested though, go to my profile page and click the 'Content' link and you'll see the recent threads on the topic.

There definitely seems to be a short warm-up period if the amp has been off.  I leave my gear on all the time, as do many Naim owners, and I think it's even recommended by Naim themselves.  Unless there's a thunderstorm happening obviously.  I still think there is a slight improvement even after the first 15mins of use from idle though, even if it has been left on, but pretty subtle.

And glad to hear the NACA5 has been delivered back as it should be.  I had reservations about that cable when I installed it with my previous speakers, but is great with X3s, and other speakers I auditioned before choosing them.  I have no plans to tamper with anything now for some considerable time......probably.

mpw posted:

congratulations !

do check and let us know of you find the XS2 a bit more forgiving as compared to the SN2 and weather the extra 20W makes a difference to the sound level you normally play with in your room.

By the time the SN2 is fully on song - i suppose the next advise will be a 282 and 250DR or something like that..

do put up a pic or 2 on the system pics 2017 thread.. with the SN2 and / or Xs2

i for one would like to see new systems rather than a few older ones with minor changes..

regards

 

No, there's the 172xs + 200 intermediary step

I now have the NACA5 in place of the TQ UB's

First impressions actually are not that good.  Maybe that might not be very surprising due to the price difference between the two cables

I think I was hoping that the Naim 'synergy thing' was going to be there with the NACA5 and SN2

mpw posted:

congratulations !

do check and let us know of you find the XS2 a bit more forgiving as compared to the SN2 and weather the extra 20W makes a difference to the sound level you normally play with in your room.

By the time the SN2 is fully on song - i suppose the next advise will be a 282 and 250DR or something like that..

do put up a pic or 2 on the system pics 2017 thread.. with the SN2 and / or Xs2

i for one would like to see new systems rather than a few older ones with minor changes..

regards

 

Hi MPW

Thanks so much

The extra 10w is of no use to me as my speakers are so sensitive, at 94dB, and the fact I actually don't listen at high volumes

When you say about the XS2 being more 'forgiving' can I ask you to expand on this?

I can only say that at the moment the SN2 is sounding just fantastic.  It is ineed 'similar' to the XS2 but sort of 'more so' which is exactly what I was hoping for, so I am one happy bunny 

Interesting.  I think a number of people have preferred TQ UBs over NACA5, though there is always an opposing view.  I changed to NACA5 from a fairly budget cable, and have never tried anything beyond it in terms of price.  Naim has its own Super Lumina cable which would suggest there is plenty of scope to improve on NACA5, and perhaps TQ UB sits between the two, or maybe even betters S, who knows.  Either way, one should go with whichever they prefer.  

Probably over the next few hours someone will chime in with a comment suggesting NACA5 takes some considerable time to burn-in, but I would say that's a bursting sausage. 

SongStream posted:

someone will chime in with a comment suggesting NACA5 takes some considerable time to burn-in, but I would say that's a bursting sausage. 

I actually do believe in burn-in so it's quite possible, I guess, that the NACA5 needs some time

Nina posted:

SongStream posted:

someone will chime in with a comment suggesting NACA5 takes some considerable time to burn-in, but I would say that's a bursting sausage. 

I actually do believe in burn-in so it's quite possible, I guess, that the NACA5 needs some time

The acid test is to leave the NACA5 in for a couple of weeks and forget all about it, then swap back to the TQ and see how you feel about it then.

Nina posted:

SongStream posted:

someone will chime in with a comment suggesting NACA5 takes some considerable time to burn-in, but I would say that's a bursting sausage. 

I actually do believe in burn-in so it's quite possible, I guess, that the NACA5 needs some time

Well, I don't have the technical knowledge to argue one way or the other.  I didn't notice much of a change though.  That said, the situation was different, I was trying to tame speakers that I wasn't really getting along with, but instead of doing that, NACA5 just accentuated the things that annoyed me about them.  Fine now though.

ChrisSU posted:

The acid test is to leave the NACA5 in for a couple of weeks and forget all about it, then swap back to the TQ and see how you feel about it then.

Super thanks ChrisSU I think that's exactly what I will do before swapping back to the TQ, there's no rush 

NACA5 takes absolute ages to 'come on song' - first few days was painful. The sound was as stiff as the cable itself.
It took me a long time to come off the NACA5 though.

And it was SuperLumina that eventually convinced me.
At some stage I even swapped back from my SuperLumina to NACA5. But then a chance to put a SuperLumina DIN-XLR came along. So only a full SuperLumina loom convinced me to give up my NACA5 (and I still have it in storage, just in case )

Adam Zielinski posted:

NACA5 takes absolute ages to 'come on song' - first few days was painful. The sound was as stiff as the cable itself.

Adam how long was "ages" ?  are we talking days or weeks for the NACA5 to "come on song" ?

Nina posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

NACA5 takes absolute ages to 'come on song' - first few days was painful. The sound was as stiff as the cable itself.

Adam how long was "ages" ?  are we talking days or weeks for the NACA5 to "come on song" ?

Weeks, if my memory serves me right...

Adam Zielinski posted:

Nina posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

NACA5 takes absolute ages to 'come on song' - first few days was painful. The sound was as stiff as the cable itself.

Adam how long was "ages" ?  are we talking days or weeks for the NACA5 to "come on song" ?

Weeks, if my memory serves me right...

Sorry.  There might be a slight change in character over a few weeks, but it either works, or it does not.  It just will not suddenly come 'on song'  after a few weeks.  

SongStream posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

Nina posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

NACA5 takes absolute ages to 'come on song' - first few days was painful. The sound was as stiff as the cable itself.

Adam how long was "ages" ?  are we talking days or weeks for the NACA5 to "come on song" ?

Weeks, if my memory serves me right...

Sorry.  There might be a slight change in character over a few weeks, but it either works, or it does not.  It just will not suddenly come 'on song'  after a few weeks.  

Clearly I'm deaf, and you know better what I've heard....

Adam Zielinski posted:

SongStream posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

Nina posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

NACA5 takes absolute ages to 'come on song' - first few days was painful. The sound was as stiff as the cable itself.

Adam how long was "ages" ?  are we talking days or weeks for the NACA5 to "come on song" ?

Weeks, if my memory serves me right...

Sorry.  There might be a slight change in character over a few weeks, but it either works, or it does not.  It just will not suddenly come 'on song'  after a few weeks.  

Clearly I'm deaf, and you know better what I've heard....

Yep... ;-) 

No, not at all,

I can only comment based on my own experiences.  

If anything the NACA5 sounds a bit too smooth and I was expecting the complete opposite to be honest  

I am listening to cd's that I know very well and with the SN2 in place they sound completely different

I was not expecting this much difference but it's like listening to a new cd

Maybe it's because I am coming from valve amps, I don't know but the difference is not slight

Loving the SN2  

I will swap back to the XS2 at some point but so enjoying the SN2 at the moment I am in no rush

What I definitely do know is that certainly one of the Naims will be staying put and my 3 other amps (don't ask !!) will be sold... 

Welcome to the dark side

I had been saving for some time and managed to pick up a s/h SN2. Can't stop smiling - it's a fantastic amp! I previously had LFD Zero, Nait XS1 and original Supernait in this system over the past 5 or more years. The SN2 has heaps of boogie, yet is much more refined and revealing than the previous model for me. I'm using a Chord 2Qute DAC with Naim DVD5 as transport for CDs and old, but fun Epos ES14 speakers.