can primare sound good with naim?

[Audioholic]

Do you think the Naim nait 5i would work well with the Primare cd31?
I'm getting the sb+ under their 30 day money back guarantee but would
like to compare it to a decent cd player when it arrives. Do you think
the naim cd5i would work better than the Primare cd31 or do you
think the Primare is versatile enough even with an amp it's not
designed to be matched with to match it, at it's rrp of over £600 more?

 

[Audioholic]

someone say yes or no

 

[plastic penguin]

Audioholic:someone say yes or no

Dunno - not trying to be facetious. Heard the Naim and heard the Primare, the former I disliked with my current system - and the latter does exactly what it says on the tin.

Maybe someone like Andrew or Clare - or even Mr. John Duncan, the Primare buff, may be able to throw some light on the combination and its merits.

 

[John Duncan]

Can't say, haven't heard the Naim, and my experience is more in the '20 range

. The cd31/i30 combo is one of my faves though, certainly, but it's an awful lot of money when your SB+ is going to be about as good as it (guessing).

Couple of '31 owners on here, they may have heard the Naim. And chebby is loving the way the Naim pair go together...

 

[chebby]

JohnDuncan:And chebby is loving the way the Naim pair go together...

Oh yes!

(The only Primare I have heard was an i30 amp with Rega Apollo CD player. Sorry.)

 

[John Duncan]

So in short, get the Naim, the pair look cool D), whilst for critical listening, you have an uber-streamer

 

[Anonymous]

The I30 is very nice but I suspect it's a little too good for the Nait 5. Just a gut feeling. The Naim pair is a good synergy so go for that!

 

[chebby]

Given the price of the Primare CD31 (and the i30 amp) I think you are just about within budget for a Naim Nait XS and CD5X pairing. This would be awesome.

I have heard the Nait XS recently - with CD5i - and that was superb too. Alas the XS was a 'bridge too far' for my budget this time round.

Whether you go Naim or Primare I think system synergy should make you think of keeping to the one brand. (An all Primare combo would allow balanced XLR connection between i30 and CD31 which could make a difference.)

The Naim XS/CD5X partnering would allow upgrading with Naims various power supply boxes and/or pre/power amp options if you want to go that way in future. (Thankfully I am relieved of that 'pressure' with the 5i stuff!

)

 

[Anonymous]

Naim stuff is best when used together.

When you use the CDP with amps there is a great synergy.

However, there are better brands than Naim and Primare; both are over-priced and each have sonic character rather than being neutral.

 

[John Duncan]

Yes they are. Totally agree. But I still have Primare and Chebby still has Naim and we both love them. So nyah.

 

[matthewpiano]

Eddie Pound:
Naim stuff is best when used together.

When you use the CDP with amps there is a great synergy.

However, there are better brands than Naim and Primare; both are over-priced and each have sonic character rather than being neutral.

Some of us like a bit of 'sonic character'. Doesn't mean we're wrong.

 

[Anonymous]

No - aesthetically and sonically, it would be a mismatch. Stick with a Naim or Primare combo.

 

[Frank Harvey]

matthewpiano:Eddie Pound: However, there are better brands than Naim and Primare; both are over-priced and each have sonic character rather than being neutral.
Some of us like a bit of 'sonic character'. Doesn't mean we're wrong.And some of us prefer to listen to music

 

[matthewpiano]

FrankHarveyHiFi:matthewpiano:Eddie Pound: However, there are better brands than Naim and Primare; both are over-priced and each have sonic character rather than being neutral.
Some of us like a bit of 'sonic character'. Doesn't mean we're wrong.And some of us prefer to listen to music

Which is what I've said all along. Specs, white papers and measurements mean absolutely nothing if you don't enjoy the music, and fidelity to the recording isn't necessarily the same thing as fidelity to the music.