Streaming player for naim nait 5i

[Vortex160]

Hi

A warning to naim owners, naim and oppo combo is a big no no!

I have tested my bdp 103 against my ps3 and ipod, compared to both the bass bloated and loose ,no control at all.first i thought it was the nait 5i that wasnt enough for the pmc gb1is but as soon as i connected my ipod to the nait all fingers pointed towards the oppo.

does any one think that a nd5 xs would be an overkill for a nait 5i at almost twice the price?

could anyone recommend an appropriate alternative that is fast and exciting to listen to?

cheers!

 

[chebby]

Have you tried connecting a DAC between the Oppo and the Nait? (It might save a lot of money over the cost of a streamer.)

Could your local dealer lend you a DAC to try ?

Have you a Richer Sounds branch nearby? (You could try the CA DacMagic 100 and Richer Sounds are also throwing in a free CA ID 100 D digital iPod dock!)

Worth a try. Richer Sound are very good about returns.

 

[Ambrose]

Hi,

Head over to the Naim forum where you will get some good advice.

However I have played with ND5XS briefly at home and the extra spent on source is definately noticeable with Nait 5i-2. I have a CD5XS now (and Flatcap X2 on home demo) and improvements are noticable. had CD5i, DVD5 and Rega Dac before.

One chap at my dealer (and on Naim forum) had amazing results with Nait 5i fed from Naim CDS3 into Ovator 400 speakers so the AMP is very capable, given the right speaker and room to fill.

Try out is best advice and in your own listening room.

Ambrose

 

[Vortex160]

Have you tried connecting a DAC between the Oppo and the Nait? (It might save a lot of money over the cost of a streamer.)

Could your local dealer lend you a DAC to try ?

Have you a Richer Sounds branch nearby? (You could try the CA DacMagic 100 and Richer Sounds are also throwing in a free CA ID 100 D digital iPod dock!)

Worth a try. Richer Sound are very good about returns.

Chebby a dacmagic plus did cross my mind or even a parasound z dac , just saw the review here today, ticks the boxes for being lively and detailed.

but im rather put off by having to switch on the tv whenever i need to navigate through my collection on nas.

A dedicated streamer would definately be more enjoyable to use ,with a seperate interface on my phone or tablet.

a sonos into a dac is another option

 

[Vortex160]

Hi,

Head over to the Naim forum where you will get some good advice.

However I have played with ND5XS briefly at home and the extra spent on source is definately noticeable with Nait 5i-2. I have a CD5XS now (and Flatcap X2 on home demo) and improvements are noticable. had CD5i, DVD5 and Rega Dac before.

One chap at my dealer (and on Naim forum) had amazing results with Nait 5i fed from Naim CDS3 into Ovator 400 speakers so the AMP is very capable, given the right speaker and room to fill.

Try out is best advice and in your own listening room.

Ambrose

you maybe right , though right now i need to push the volume up to get detail and dynamics, a high quality source will definately improve things.

this is off topic but do you have ch1 on your nait 5i connected to the left speaker ( your left when you are facing the speaker ) and vice versa?

i seem to get more a powerful grip and bass control with the opposite configuration but loose detail in the highs

 

[matt49]

A dedicated streamer would definately be more enjoyable to use ,with a seperate interface on my phone or tablet.

a sonos into a dac is another option

The Synology DS series of NAS drives is a good solution. DS213J with 4TB storage installed: £350. It has its own perfectly serviceable streamer software, which allows you to connect the NAS directly to a DAC via USB. You can control it with an iThing/Android app. Although the streamer software doesn't have Spofity, you can install other freeware packages that do. So no need for a separate streamer box.

Having said that, I still prefer the Sonos interface.

 

[Oldenbroke]

How about the Pioneer N-50. I use one through a Brio-r and it sounds great.

Don't have a NAS yet but stream from a desktop via Netgear Gigabit switch

and Devolo power plug.

 

[jakesterboy]

Hi Vortex160,

Sonos seems to divide opinions sound quality wise, but I've had great results with Naim Nait 5i in combination with a Sonos Connect and Arcam SonLink Dac, try to hear this before you finally decide - there are so many music service options with Sonos, it makes a very compelling case for itself.

 

[Vortex160]

How about the Pioneer N-50. I use one through a Brio-r and it sounds great.

Don't have a NAS yet but stream from a desktop via Netgear Gigabit switch

and Devolo power plug.

value for money wise the pioneer n50 is a no brainer.

but since my room and system is already on the warm side, i am not so sure the excellent pioneer would be a right match in my current system, maybe something more lively and forward sounding would be a better option.

How about marantz na 7004 ? Its on sale these days so im sure i'll get a hell of a deal.

 

[Vortex160]

Hi Vortex160,

Sonos seems to divide opinions sound quality wise, but I've had great results with Naim Nait 5i in combination with a Sonos Connect and Arcam SonLink Dac, try to hear this before you finally decide - there are so many music service options with Sonos, it makes a very compelling case for itself.

is your arcam / sonos combo on warm side?

sonos into a dac with different filter settings would be a good idea, in case the sound is too smooth for my taste.

 

[Vortex160]

A dedicated streamer would definately be more enjoyable to use ,with a seperate interface on my phone or tablet.

a sonos into a dac is another option

The Synology DS series of NAS drives is a good solution. DS213J with 4TB storage installed: £350. It has its own perfectly serviceable streamer software, which allows you to connect the NAS directly to a DAC via USB. You can control it with an iThing/Android app. Although the streamer software doesn't have Spofity, you can install other freeware packages that do. So no need for a separate streamer box.

Having said that, I still prefer the Sonos interface.

i already have a wtd nas in my system , id rather spend more on good source.

do you have any dac in my mind that has the most varying filter settings ?

most of filters on dacs you cant really tell apart.

cheers

 

[matt49]

i already have a wtd nas in my system , id rather spend more on good source.

do you have any dac in my mind that has the most varying filter settings ?

most of filters on dacs you cant really tell apart.

I see you already have a NAS, so my suggestion of the Synology wasn't really relevent.

Not wanting to be argumentative, but I'm not sure why you want a 'source' at all? In my system the NAS pipes straight into the DAC via USB. Actually the DAC is in the integrated amp, so it's just NAS > amp. Where is the 'source' in this system?

My point is this: talking about a 'source' is old-fashioned thinking. In digital audio there are only functions: data storage, encoding/streaming, digital-analogue conversion. These functions can be carried out pretty much anywhere, even all in a single box if you want. Based on my experience of sound quality, I can't see the point in chucking money at a 'source' when a NAS and DAC can do the job just as well and for less money. Unless of course it's some specific functionality you're after ...

 

[Vortex160]

ok so after detailed testing, i have come to the conclusion that the nait 5i's 50 watts is not enough for pmc gb1is.

bass control is good with jazz and acoustic music but looses control and punch with faster music , one note bass is quite bloomy, is enhanced by the pmc ATL ,with deep bass its like a subwoofer is on.

Hooked up the nait with a pair of book shelves i had , which on paper were easier to drive. The combo was punchy and exciting,totally opposite of the pmc and naim combo.

now im thinking either to change my speaker or amp.

what do you think i should do?