and so im trying out a Naim Nait 5i amp

[sthomas048]

Hello all,

Out of curiousity i have decided to try out a Naim Nait 5i amplifier for a week. Check my kit listed below. Got it home early this afternoon and plugged it all in. I will be the first to admit i have old cheap speakers. But so far the Naim isnt a patch on the Rega Mira 3. I know i need to give it a few days before passing a final verdict. So far, compared to the Mira 3 the Naim sounds quite coloured and compressed sounding within my setup. Whereas the Mira presents everything quite cleanly and precisely while still retaining warmth and musicality.

Mmm, i will update on this in a few days. Stay tuned !

 

[JoelSim]

Keep posting. I will be interested to hear what you think in a few days

 

[chebby]

Try and buy/beg/borrow/steal some speaker cable without all that silver in it. The Nait likes good old fashioned thick, multi-stranded pure copper cable and single runs not bi-wired.

Also see if you can find the free interconnect cable Rega gave you in the Apollo box when you bought it.

Make sure your CD input is set to 'oo' with the remote control. It is 'oo' for RCA only and 'O' for 5 pin DIN and 'O-oo' for both on together. You want 'oo' RCA only.

If the Nait is brand new then give it at least a few days.

When I got mine I was thrown by how much front to back depth it had rather than L-R imagery. I soon realised (in a few seconds) just how much gusto it had compared to my old Arcam.

Compared to a Mira 3 I would expect the competition to be a little closer as they are both more about music and not 'hifi' effects. (Rega and Naim have a similar ethos in that respect.)

Of course you would expect the Rega Apollo and Mira 3 to share a synergy that the Nait is not privy to. Hear the Nait with the CD5i connected via it's own 5 pin DIN and you would see what I mean. Naim are detail freaks even down to the type and length and configuration of speaker cable.

 

[Anonymous]

This initial reaction doesn't surprise me in the slightest. The Rega Mira3 and Nait 5i are very different amps and have very different sounds. In my experience the Rega is more hifi and the Nait more, well, musical, so to speak. I preferred the sound of the Mira 3 and think it's an underrated amp. If you're looking to make a step forward in sound quality I would strongly recommend the Rega RS3 or RS5 speakers. I've only heard the R series but have to assume their replacements are better.

 

[JoelSim]

Doesn't surprise me either. The Naims I've heard haven't done it for me either. Nor Cyrus.

ÿ

 

[chebby]

JoelSim:
Doesn't surprise me either. The Naims I've heard haven't done it for me either. Nor Cyrus.

Yes but you are into all that chocolately smooth, velvety, warm and cosy Arcam sound Joel. I find that all a bit 'cloying'. My experiences listening to more expensive Arcam seperates earlier this year actually made my Arcam Solo-Mini sound 'crisp' in comparison which suprised me.

I like a bit more 'edge' and 'boogey'.

I totally concur on the point about Rega R and RS speakers. They seem to suit Naim very well. (At least my own R3's and RS1's and RS3's.)

 

[JoelSim]

chebby:JoelSim:
Doesn't surprise me either. The Naims I've heard haven't done it for me either. Nor Cyrus.

Yes but you are into all that chocolately smooth, velvety, warm and cosy Arcam sound Joel.ÿ I find that all a bit 'cloying'. My experiences listening to more expensive Arcam seperates earlier this year actually made my Arcam Solo-Mini sound 'crisp' in comparison which suprised me.

I like a bit more 'edge' and 'boogey'.

I totally concur on the point about Rega R and RS speakers. They seem to suit Naim very well. (At least my own R3's and RS1's and RS3's.)ÿ

To a certain extent yes, but the 192 with biamping isn't that warm. My old 92 was very warm. I also have a plethora of silver cables and original floorboards so that also removes warmth.

ÿ

ÿ

 

[sthomas048]

Are the RS3 or RS1 speakers bi-wireable ?

 

[chebby]

sthomas048:Are the RS3 or RS1 speakers bi-wireable ?

No.

Not that it matters.

 

[JoelSim]

chebby:
sthomas048:Are the RS3 or RS1 speakers bi-wireable ?

No.ÿ

Not that it matters.

Lol, Chebby, you can forget about marrying me. Biamping is a prerequisite.

ÿ

 

[John Duncan]

JoelSim:chebby:
sthomas048:Are the RS3 or RS1 speakers bi-wireable ?

No.ÿ

Not that it matters.

Lol, Chebby, you can forget about marrying me. Biamping is a prerequisite.

ÿ

(last sentence superfluous, obv)

 

[JoelSim]

JohnDuncan:JoelSim:chebby:
sthomas048:Are the RS3 or RS1 speakers bi-wireable ?

No.ÿ

Not that it matters.

Lol, Chebby, you can forget about marrying me. Biamping is a prerequisite.

ÿ

(last sentence superfluous, obv)

You can too JD.

Anyway I'm off to get my hot water bottle

ÿ

 

[lordmortlock]

So can Chebby and JD bounce back from Joels cruel rebuttal? Stay tuned to find out here on next weeks episode...

 

[Craig M.]

check out joel on x-factor, he loves a good withering put down. although he can get quite cranky, maybe it takes arcam to calm him down. that is you on x-factor isn't it joel? pleased to see you've stopped hoiking your pants up so high.

 

[Frank Harvey]

sthomas048:Hello all,

Out of curiousity i have decided to try out a Naim Nait 5i amplifier for a week. Check my kit listed below. Got it home early this afternoon and plugged it all in. I will be the first to admit i have old cheap speakers. But so far the Naim isnt a patch on the Rega Mira 3. I know i need to give it a few days before passing a final verdict. So far, compared to the Mira 3 the Naim sounds quite coloured and compressed sounding within my setup. Whereas the Mira presents everything quite cleanly and precisely while still retaining warmth and musicality. To be honest, I'm not surprised here. I've never been a fan of matching B&W to Naim amplification. Naim's are now more compatible than they have ever been, but you'll never find an amp match well with every speaker on the market. The Rega's are great amplifiers, offering great value for money, and shine well in a Rega system, as do Naim amplifiers. But there are some speakers that some amps just don't go with, and this combination is one of them.

 

[SteveR750]

This is an interesting point, as when I demoed the Nait 5i system with the Cyrs 6 and Kandy it was all through a pair of B&W 685's. The Naim sounds was my least favourite, which was a big surprise / disappointment at the time.

 

[Anonymous]

I heard the Nait 5i on a pair on Naim nSats and whilst I thought the overall sound was very good and very entertaining, it was too sharp and bright for me. I guess, in part, it comes down to what music you listen to.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Naim speakers do tend to be rather 'precise' as I call it. It's how Naim feel their speakers should sound, and while I quite like it, many won't. But obviously there are many other speakers out there to try as alternatives.

On the earlier point I made, a 'wrong' amp/speaker combination can sound awful, or uninspiring at best. Get the right match and it can be heavenly.

 

[sthomas048]

Hello David,

This is true. The B&Ws are the last piece of my "old" setup and they cope admirably with the Mira/Apollo combo. I know they are the next piece to upgrade and im flogging stuff on *bay as i type to pay for new speakers. I will probably try Pro Ac, EB Acoustics and maybe Triangle speakers. I will be fair and let the Naim amplifier run its course but at present i think i will probably return it with a thanks but no thanks. But - stay tuned and i will update over the next few days.

 

[JoelSim]

Craig M.:check out joel on x-factor, he loves a good withering put down. although he can get quite cranky, maybe it takes arcam to calm him down. that is you on x-factor isn't it joel? pleased to see you've stopped hoiking your pants up so high.

Yes it does.

Some people say I'm stubborn and pig-headed. But I'm not!