Mixing high-end Naim with low-end products…in stages

[Aces_High]

First post and something I’ve wanted to ask for ages. I used to be really into hifi but couldn’t afford good kit. Now I want to buy a network player, pre-amp, power amp and speakers, I’ve decided my ultimate goal is a Naim 333/NAC 332/NAP 250 combo plus as yet unknown speakers. I have none of these. What I do have, is extremely old, low end separates: Cyrus 8 amplifier and PMC FB1 speakers. I can’t afford to buy all the Naim gear at once so my question is….

Does it make sense to upgrade in stages, starting with the Naim 333? Can that even connect to the Cyrus amp? I know it’ll be hugely compromised, but if I can live with an £8k source and rubbish amp/speakers, then upgrade the amp in a year, then speakers, is that workable or just nuts?

 

[davidf]

I'd wait a little longer and see where Naim end up - I don't think the forecast is looking too good at the moment.

 

[jjbomber]

Does it make sense to upgrade in stages, starting with the Naim 333? Can that even connect to the Cyrus amp? I know it’ll be hugely compromised, but if I can live with an £8k source and rubbish amp/speakers, then upgrade the amp in a year, then speakers, is that workable or just nuts?

The great news is that know exactly where you want to end up. I would be doing exactly what you describe if I was you. Enjoy the journey, as you will certainly enjoy the destination.

 

[DiggyGun]

Naim’s owners, the VerVant Group are presently being purchased by Barco, so the future of Naim as we know them is not fully certain.

Naim issued the NC range a few years back, but have since then suffered with Firmware problems, servicing issues, etc.

Another thing to consider is the investment required as this would be a large outlay;
NSC 332 - £7900
NSC 333 - £7900
NAP 250 - £5700

Your speakers are quite old now, being released in 2000. They have been upgraded since then. So new speakers may be a consideration too as they may be mismatched with the electronics.

They have a dedicated Forum, accessible through the Naim website, where you would get a lot more information.

You don’t mention your present sources that you use, what are these?

If you want to get into streaming there are many cheaper streamers available that would work well with your current system to try.

Wiim, BlueSound, SMSL all produce good kit at reasonable prices. I use Qobuz as my streaming provider and find them to be very good, which I can then access via the car and my iPhone whilst travelling.

There are also one box systems that include Streamer / Pre-amp / Power amp that are very good now. Just add speakers and away you go.

Spending the sort of money that you’re considering, up to £30,000 there are many options out there worth considering.

Not sure where you’re located, but as you mentioned GDP, it may be worth going to a good dealer to discuss your options. I use Cymbiosis in Leicester and they are an excellent dealer with many years of experience.

Hope that you get what you want and please keep us updated.

DG…

 

[skinnypuppy71]

Hi there Ace's and welcome to the forum,
Unfortunately I believe Naim's products are way overpriced nowadays, considering what the Chinese manufacturers are starting to churn out...if I was starting out I'd seriously consider a complete Eversolo source and amplification setup at a fraction of your proposed Naim separates...and no, I'm not a Naim hater, I've had a full Naim system in the past but things move on and the facilities that the Chinese manufacturers have access to , make the west look like they're from the stone age.
The whole Eversolo set of
T8 streaming transport
Z10 dac
. F10 power amplifier x2
This lot of separates will amount to approximately the same as the NSC 332 on its own......Granted that full set of Naim gear might out perform the Eversolo kit but it won't outperform it by the performance per ££££'s........and on top of that, that Naim kit is very very sensitive to cable dressing, etc etc and all that goes with being a Naimee....don't know about yourself op but I for one could do without all that hassle.

 

[abacus]

If you want a streamer yes, however the biggest difference (After the room) is always the speakers, so improve these as soon as possible, it also has the advantage that it will show up any problem in your system so you will then know the best order in which to upgrade things.
Remember, always try before you buy, as otherwise it will be most likely that you will end up with something that doesn't suit.

Bill

 

[Entrigo]

I agree it's a fun project and why not? I have been following the "bit by bit upgrades" path for a while. A couple of things - have you thought about second hand? There's normally a lot of Naim stuff on sale on the various platforms, at more adequate prices. I have not had Naim but I have read countless times comments like Skinnypuppy's above about them being overpriced... Also, as you plan on upgrading speakers, why not start with that?

 

[daytona600]

You could try a Naim CI-Uniti 102 Streaming amp @ £1200 with your PMCs

 

[Aces_High]

These are all super helpful, thank you everyone. I have no source at all at the moment - well I had a Cyrus cd player but promptly snd very, very stupidly threw away hundreds of cd’s. I know 🙁

So I’m basically starting with a clean slate. A network player front end is definitely my choice now though while I have a v old Cyrus integrated amp and very old speakers, I have no source at all. Hence am thinking about starting with that and upgrading piece by piece. It’ll be wildly imbalanced at first I know.

In fact after yet more reflection, I’m considering a bit of a change of direction (obviously I need to demo everything), but one materially less expensive - the Naim NSC 222 paired with ATC SCM 40a active speakers. Far simpler all round and if I want to upgrade, the dedicated power supply NPX 30O is available. I remember years ago being absolutely blown away by active ATC’s, though I think it was the SCM50s. So maybe I look at the 222 source now, with my very old, cheap Cyrus amp and FB1 speakers, then later add the 40a’s to replace the amp/speakers.

2nd hand would worry me at these price points, even though I can see some fantastic bargains to be had.

I need a demo now!

 

[Gray]

What I do have, is extremely old, low end separates: Cyrus 8

Well yes, it's not new - I owned one for 20+ years.
But there's no way the Cyrus 8 can be described as 'low end' - unless you're talking solely in financial terms.

Of course you could connect any preamp to line in on the Cyrus - but as you're expecting such a massive compromise 😁 maybe you shouldn't.

Good luck with your Naim dream 👍

 

[jjbomber]

I need a demo now!

Absolutely. Everybody else will tell you what is best for them, but you have to do what is best for you. Please keep us informed of your progress.