CD and Streamer System recommendations

[Tecumsea]

I am switching to streaming for the pure convenience. I have a Naim NAC 172 pre-amp streamer backed up with Linn LK140 amp and Naim CD5 Si.

I will be trading in an LP12 to part finance an upgrade if it will buy me a substantial improvement on the above my potential budget is around £6k.
I am relatively happy with the performance of the streamer and it seems to me that with streaming the source material is paramount. (i.e 60's and 70's downloads are unsurprisingly not as good musically thamn more moern recordings. I listen to some quite robust Bluegrass music and singer songwriters mainly. I do like to enjoy instruments and diction. I like to sit and listen to my music so good volume is available via my Linn Majik 140 speakers.

Should I invest in a better CD? or upgrade the Streamer to something like a Naim ND5 XS2 or NDX2-I'm currently downloading from Tidal.

Or do I just stick with what I have?

 

[Fandango Andy]

I find older recordings are often better than more modern ones. Some Jazz records from the 50s and 60s sound so much better than anything from the past 30 years. The problem a lot of streaming only has modern remasters that often sacrifice dynamic range in favour of volume. This isn't noticeable in the car or through earbuds bit is very evident on a proper system.

As for your dilemma, the only answer is audition some new equipment to see if you can heat the difference.

 

[twinkletoes]

I am switching to streaming for the pure convenience. I have a Naim NAC 172 pre-amp streamer backed up with Linn LK140 amp and Naim CD5 Si.

I will be trading in an LP12 to part finance an upgrade if it will buy me a substantial improvement on the above my potential budget is around £6k.
I am relatively happy with the performance of the streamer and it seems to me that with streaming the source material is paramount. (i.e 60's and 70's downloads are unsurprisingly not as good musically thamn more moern recordings. I listen to some quite robust Bluegrass music and singer songwriters mainly. I do like to enjoy instruments and diction. I like to sit and listen to my music so good volume is available via my Linn Majik 140 speakers.

Should I invest in a better CD? or upgrade the Streamer to something like a Naim ND5 XS2 or NDX2-I'm currently downloading from Tidal.

Or do I just stick with what I have?

Hi there Im going to be brutally honest!

Streamers are the biggest con in hifi today, up there with cables in my book.
I don't hear differences in streamers, so hand on heart can't recommend a products like naims and what there asking people to part with, on what is a very consumable part of the hifi chain is outrageous. It's a computer a computer that is more expensive than a Mac studio with 24 core Cpu and 96gb of ram of which the Mac would preform the same task and better with better resale value after the fact.

You don't see many uber high end streamers these days and for good reason, The NDX 2 has been on the market for 5 years at his point, ancient in computer/streaming land and there charging 6k for it now, Sorry it would be a waste of money especially considering the depreciation on such a component.

CD players really havn't moved on and I say unless yours is on its way out stick with it.


If you're going to spend 6k id look at the amp IF you really want to light your speakers up id start my search with musical fidelity m8xi and pair that with a Wim pro, the amp has a really good dac on board and has all the power that you ever need, a hifi piece that could truly see out the rest of your days with.

If you want to stick with naim, a supernait 3 with a chord qutest and a wim pro would be a fantastic setup and leave you change to take the wife out for dinner.


If it where me though id sell the LP12 privately so you get its full value and just pocket the money.
As the streaming functionality of the 172 dies just add a wim for 100 quid to one of the optical inputs.

 

[podknocker]

I don't know why you think streamers and modern technology is a con. What a ridiculous statement. Please explain why you think this. I have a streamer and I have instant access to millions of tunes at better than vinyl quality and every time I play a tune, it works out at hundredths of a penny. It still amazes me how people can't admit the world moves on and people want better quality sound and easier ways to access their music. I'll tell you what is a con, paying a fortune for a turntable, using technology from the 1940s and messing around with tracking weights etc. Vinyl lovers are then willing to pay £35 for an album, when it's virtually free via streaming. £35 for an album on vinyl is a con. The current state of the art in streamers:

Advanced All-In-One Network Streamer RS520

Beyond Audio, HiFi ROSE

hifirose.com

Why anyone would want to faff around with a physical format like vinyl is bewildering.

 

[daveh75]

I don't know why you think streamers and modern technology is a con. What a ridiculous statement. Please explain why you think this. I have a streamer and I have instant access to millions of tunes at better than vinyl quality and every time I play a tune, it works out at hundredths of a penny. It still amazes me how people can't admit the world moves on and people want better quality sound and easier ways to access their music. I'll tell you what is a con, paying a fortune for a turntable, using technology from the 1940s and messing around with tracking weights etc. Vinyl lovers are then willing to pay £35 for an album, when it's virtually free via streaming. £35 for an album on vinyl is a con.

Try re-reading what he wrote!

Instead of getting your panties in a knot and going off on one about vinyl as per usual

I for one agree with him as far as dedicated streamers from the hifi fraternity are concerned.

They offer nothing over £20 Raspberry Pi based streamer or Chromecast Audio, Arylic or Wiim etc in either functionality or SQ.

I'll say it constantly, but digital audio is trivially easy... and 3.5k streamers like the hifi rose you like to shill are a sham

 

[Tecumsea]

Thanks for the replies to date, streaming seems to be a very emotive subject and I still can't really get to the bottom of what makes a £6000 streamer better than a £2000 streamer. Naim are pushing heavily in that direction at the expence of CD. I'm very much thinking on the lines of a top quality CD and keep with my cheap Naim streamer until the market sorts itself out. I suppose Naim are bound to push streamers having pretty much abandoned CD.

 

[podknocker]

The Naim Uniti Nova PE is around £6500 and uses class D for the amp. It's certainly something I'd be interested in, if I could afford one. It comes down to the build quality and features really. I very much doubt a WiiM device could compete with the Naim on build, sound quality and features. It's a fairly new format, but the streaming sector will get bigger and who knows what it will offer in another 10 years. Perhaps there will be an extensive and affordable streaming service, providing all music at 24bit / 192kHz quality. The hardware is certainly ready and I do feel my streamer is never going to get used at anything near its true potential. DACs are amazing chips, but there's nothing out there to really stretch them.

 

[twinkletoes]

Thanks for the replies to date, streaming seems to be a very emotive subject and I still can't really get to the bottom of what makes a £6000 streamer better than a £2000 streamer. Naim are pushing heavily in that direction at the expence of CD. I'm very much thinking on the lines of a top quality CD and keep with my cheap Naim streamer until the market sorts itself out. I suppose Naim are bound to push streamers having pretty much abandoned CD.

Id say thats good plan, but streaming will never sit still.

Id look up Andrew Robinson review on you tube of the ever solo, Naims NDX comparison at a faction of the price he struggled so see the worth of the naim by comparison.

 

[twinkletoes]

I don't know why you think streamers and modern technology is a con. What a ridiculous statement. Please explain why you think this. I have a streamer and I have instant access to millions of tunes at better than vinyl quality and every time I play a tune, it works out at hundredths of a penny. It still amazes me how people can't admit the world moves on and people want better quality sound and easier ways to access their music. I'll tell you what is a con, paying a fortune for a turntable, using technology from the 1940s and messing around with tracking weights etc. Vinyl lovers are then willing to pay £35 for an album, when it's virtually free via streaming. £35 for an album on vinyl is a con. The current state of the art in streamers:

Advanced All-In-One Network Streamer RS520

Beyond Audio, HiFi ROSE

hifirose.com

Why anyone would want to faff around with a physical format like vinyl is bewildering.

I think you have mis read my post my man

 

[Tecumsea]

At the moment I am still leaning towards improving my Amp and CD the jury still being out on streaming.

Possibles are Musical FidelityM6SI but it might not be detailed enough for me
Lingdorf TDAi-3400 with a Lingdorf CD-2

The Musical Fidelity M8Xi probably wouldn't leave me enough room for a new CD

 

[twinkletoes]

At the moment I am still leaning towards improving my Amp and CD the jury still being out on streaming.

Possibles are Musical FidelityM6SI but it might not be detailed enough for me
Lingdorf TDAi-3400 with a Lingdorf CD-2

The Musical Fidelity M8Xi probably wouldn't leave me enough room for a new CD

Maybe Hegel might be more your speed? if you can push the h390 with a nice audio lab transport (Audiolab 7000CDT) if you're intent on CD, it also has some streaming built in, airplay so you can make use of tidal. should come in bang on budget.

I think as you like the naim sound give the supernait 3 a listen it will be a copasetic match for your CD player as well if you want to give it some smarts down the road you can very easily and very cheaply.

Or if you want to split the difference and pretty much buy the best CD player money can buy, and have a look at a teac VRDS-701, it not just a run of the mill CD player and can be used as a very very high quality DAC, again add a cheap streaming box Wim or other and pick your poison with a 2-3k amp should come in under budget.

Loads of ways you go and lots to listen to and audition.

 

[jjbomber]

I still can't really get to the bottom of what makes a £6000 streamer better than a £2000 streamer.

Audition at a retailer. You'll soon find out one way or another on what is right for you. That doesn't mean it's right for everyone else!

 

[Gray]

I still can't really get to the bottom of what makes a £6000 streamer better than a £2000 streamer.

If you do get to the bottom of it, please let us know what you come up with 👍