My first ever demo Cyrus 8vs2 vs Arcam A28 vs Naim Nait 5i.

[admin_exported]

as it stands i am very happy with my current setup however, i feel that my A400 is letting the side down. so, out curiousity more than anything i wanted to try some well regarded current models.
well today was the time i have ever had a proper demo and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. credit to the guys at the store for being incredibly friendly, patient and helpful. i spent 2 and 1/2 hours demoing the 3 amps with 6 of my fav cds. references for the demo were the Cyrus cd8se and Focal 816Ws
first up was the Cyrus 8vs2. its important to note that i was unfamiliar with any of the equipment i was listening to so i didnt really know what to expect. initial impressions of the cyrus were of a well defined soundstage that had great depth and excellent imaging. there was great seperation between instruments and very good levels of detail. timbres were reproduced very well. however, overall i was underwhelmed by amp as it seemed to lack any energy, especially in the lower registers. kick drums had no, erm kick and the bass guitar was lacking in body.
next came the Arcam A28. after the cyrus initial impressions were very favourable. there was an immediate improvement in the overall energy and richness of the sound. the bass now had body and force behind it yet it wasnt muddy or slow. imaging wasnt quite as well defined as the cyrus yet detail still remained very good. a clear favourite over the cyrus.
finally the Naim Nait 5i. it seemed that they saved the best for last. the Nait combined the strengths of the cyrus and arcam and yet had none of their failings. wow, in fact i actually had to swear out loud at one point during the demo! here was an amp with incredible levels of detail (even better than the cyrus), excellent imaging, huge dynamics, impeccable timing and fast, full and taught bass. it also just seemed to inject an energy into the music giving it new life and enjoyability.
needless to say this is the amp i have chosen to take home to try with the rest of my system. unfortunately im at college right now and the amp is sitting in the boot of my car. im really looking forward to getting home tonight and plugging it in and seeing how good it sounds with the rest of my kit. i will report back tomorrow for those interested...
apologies for any typos this space bar sucks...

 

[Gusboll]

Which College do you go to and what colour is your car?!

Hope you enjoy!

 

[matthewpiano]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing your experience. I am not surprised you liked the Nait. Its a fabulous amplifier which I came very close to buying a couple of years ago in its previous incarnation.

Please let us know how you get on with it in your own system at home.

 

[Anonymous]

Ive now have the Naim Nait 5i at home and have been listening to it for most of the day. a few minor quibles before i start on the sound. having the power switch at the rear of the amp is a pain but one that i can live with. one thing that is inexcusable though is the noise (thump) that occurs when i switch the amp on (regardless of where the volume is set to). not to thrilled about not having binding posts either. it is great to have an amp that i can control remotely and conveniently for me the vol control on my arcam remote also operates the Nait.
so now the important part... initial impressions were a little dissapointing to be honest (after the demo). the music just didnt seem to have the same drive/energy/sparkle that it had in the demo. i perservered though and im glad i did. the bass, while not as punchy as my A400, is plentiful but more importantly its incredibly fast, well controlled and defined. the detail this amp lets through is incredible (hearing fret buzz for the first time on songs i have listened to 100 times). instrumental timbres are a real strength and accoustic recordings now have a whole new dimension. it also worth mentioning that the sound is never harsh or fatiguing.
in terms of sound and value for money this is a phenomenal amp. whether i could live with it on a day-to-day basis though is another thing...

 

[Anonymous]

ifitsoundsgoodlistentoit:having the power switch at the rear of the amp is a pain but one that i can live with. one thing that is inexcusable though is the noise (thump) that occurs when i switch the amp on (regardless of where the volume is set to).

The switch is around the back because Naim advise you not to switch the Nait off because they say it takes ages to warm to its optimum. It is a class B power amp and draws very little power when not in use.

As well as warming up it also takes a while to run in, as amps go.ÿ

Glad you like your purchase though it's a great little amp!ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

Octopo:
ifitsoundsgoodlistentoit:having the power switch at the rear of the amp is a pain but one that i can live with. one thing that is inexcusable though is the noise (thump) that occurs when i switch the amp on (regardless of where the volume is set to).

The switch is around the back because Naim advise you not to switch the Nait off because they say it takes ages to warm to its optimum. It is a class B power amp and draws very little power when not in use.

As well as warming up it also takes a while to run in, as amps go.ÿ

Glad you like your purchase though it's a great little amp!ÿ

thanks Octopo. just to clarify i havent actually purchased the amp - just demoing it at home. the amp is thoroughly run-in as its a demo model. not to sure i could leave the amp on all the time - just seems like such a waste of energy. maybe i should check the spec sheet to see how much power it draws in idle...

 

[Anonymous]

A test someone recently did showed the Nait drew 10W when not in use. About £1 a month.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

ifitsoundsgoodlistentoit:Octopo:
ifitsoundsgoodlistentoit:having the power switch at the rear of the amp is a pain but one that i can live with. one thing that is inexcusable though is the noise (thump) that occurs when i switch the amp on (regardless of where the volume is set to).

The switch is around the back because Naim advise you not to switch the Nait off because they say it takes ages to warm to its optimum. It is a class B power amp and draws very little power when not in use.

As well as warming up it also takes a while to run in, as amps go.ÿ

Glad you like your purchase though it's a great little amp!ÿ

thanks Octopo. just to clarify i havent actually purchased the amp - just demoing it at home. the amp is thoroughly run-in as its a demo model. not to sure i could leave the amp on all the time - just seems like such a waste of energy. maybe i should check the spec sheet to see how much power it draws in idle...

Seriously, try the Cambridge Audio 840A (two week home trial and you can take it back for a full refund if you are now wowed), it's in another league.

 

[Anonymous]

Gerrardasnails:ifitsoundsgoodlistentoit:Octopo:
ifitsoundsgoodlistentoit:having the power switch at the rear of the amp is a pain but one that i can live with. one thing that is inexcusable though is the noise (thump) that occurs when i switch the amp on (regardless of where the volume is set to).

The switch is around the back because Naim advise you not to switch the Nait off because they say it takes ages to warm to its optimum. It is a class B power amp and draws very little power when not in use.

As well as warming up it also takes a while to run in, as amps go.ÿ

Glad you like your purchase though it's a great little amp!ÿ

thanks Octopo. just to clarify i havent actually purchased the amp - just demoing it at home. the amp is thoroughly run-in as its a demo model. not to sure i could leave the amp on all the time - just seems like such a waste of energy. maybe i should check the spec sheet to see how much power it draws in idle...

Seriously, try the Cambridge Audio 840A (two week home trial and you can take it back for a full refund if you are now wowed), it's in another league.

really? i did consider auditioning it however my previous experience with CA amps and their balance issues has really soured me. does the 840a suffer the same (design) fault? also, could you please tell me how you think it sounds in comparison to the Nait.
thanks for your help.

 

[coolaboola]

I took gerrardasnails advice with the C.A 840amp and I am very happy.It would cost you nothing to try it and of course you get to try it at home too.Don't be put off by C.A budget reputation.The 840 is a different breed from its stable mates with many of the attributes you're looking for.

 

[Anonymous]

Octopo:A test someone recently did showed the Nait drew 10W when not in use. About £1 a month.
wow, thanks for the info. glad you posted it as it turned out i was too lazy to check myself...

 

[Frank Harvey]

Of all the sub £1,000 amplifiers I've heard, the various guises of the Naim Nait ever since it's original release back in the 70's have consistently outperformed any other amplifiers I've tried. The nearest I've found to them has been the Sugden A21m but that's more than £1,000. The Naim just seems to be so much more open and airy than the competition, seeming to producing more of the important stuff - music. Show me an amp that can upstage the Nait and I'll happily take back everything I've said

 

[Anonymous]

FrankHarveyHiFi: Show me an amp that can upstage the Nait and I'll happily take back everything I've said

Sonneteer Campion...Jobs a good un.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Show me then

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for the reply Coolaboola - nice to hear of your positive experience with the 840a.
well i have taken the Nait back now and so it seems ike a perfect time for some final thoughts. while i have no doubt that the Nait is a very good amp it would appear that it just isnt for me. practical issues aside the overall sound was very good. (not forgetting the lack of headphone output) However, while the detail was very impressive in the end i just feel that it was distracting me from enjoying the music. the Nait didnt seem to be as dynamic as my A400 nor was the soundstage or imaging noticably better.
with the A400 i find that i can crank up the music and rock out to some tunes and get lost in the music - the Nait just left me a little cold. i know that seems strange after i was so impressed with it in the in-store demo but thats how it is... maybe its the lack of synergy...? i think that theres no doubt its a great amp but its just not for me.
next stop is Richer Sounds for a trial of the 840Av2...

 

[Anonymous]

ifitsoundsgoodlistentoit:thanks for the reply Coolaboola - nice to hear of your positive experience with the 840a.
the Nait just left me a little cold. ... i think that theres no doubt its a great amp but its just not for me.
Exactly how I felt about it. Cracking bit of kit, but not in my front room