Question Suggestions for foundational parts of a longer term vinyl setup

[Entrigo]

It's beautifully tactile.

The DIN cable arrived so I've thrown Voodoo Chile and now Where Do You Think You're Going? at it through the ICON and it handled them so well.

I'm a bit "new toy" giddy but it does seem really very good. Lots of listening to be done and still no sign of speaker compatibility issues 🤷View attachment 8985

Congrats on the latest additions, looking really good!

Had a bit of catching up on this journey (work keeping me away from these pages) - when I came across your post from a few weeks back where you said "now I can say - aaand relax" I thought to myself -"mmmmmm are you going to?" 😂

As I said before I recognise the same itch which afflicts me.... But it seems like you are now in a good place if the speakers/amp pairing turn out to be a good one.

I was looking at the Naim N50 myself a couple of weeks back. Then I reminded myself that I literally bought my Rega Elex two months ago - and that I actually really like it 😆.

But planning a second system in my office and, reading your reactions has made me keen to shortlist it for that project...

Enjoy!

 

[RTHerringbone]

Congrats on the latest additions, looking really good!

Had a bit of catching up on this journey (work keeping me away from these pages) - when I came across your post from a few weeks back where you said "now I can say - aaand relax" I thought to myself -"mmmmmm are you going to?" 😂

As I said before I recognise the same itch which afflicts me.... But it seems like you are now in a good place if the speakers/amp pairing turn out to be a good one.

I was looking at the Naim N50 myself a couple of weeks back. Then I reminded myself that I literally bought my Rega Elex two months ago - and that I actually really like it 😆.

But planning a second system in my office and, reading your reactions has made me keen to shortlist it for that project...

Enjoy!

Thanks! I can hand on heart now say that I have zero intention of looking at other amps, streamers or turntables. I'm completely satisfied with those parts of the system and really I shouldn't have any doubts about the speakers either (but we know how that's likely to go.....)

It's a super little amp and the price now seems very sensible and actually a bit of a bargain. Musically it's a totally different beast to the Arcam, which in comparison sounded a bit muddy. I'm not sure if it's the tone of the Naim or what, but it's like music has had a muffling blanket lifted from it with this new toy. There's more detail but at the same time, it's still very cohesive and has real vibrancy to it. There were only 1,973 made so at this price, stocks surely must be dwindling by now.

Headphones next 😇

 

[Entrigo]

Thanks! I can hand on heart now say that I have zero intention of looking at other amps, streamers or turntables. I'm completely satisfied with those parts of the system and really I shouldn't have any doubts about the speakers either (but we know how that's likely to go.....)

It's a super little amp and the price now seems very sensible and actually a bit of a bargain. Musically it's a totally different beast to the Arcam, which in comparison sounded a bit muddy. I'm not sure if it's the tone of the Naim or what, but it's like music has had a muffling blanket lifted from it with this new toy. There's more detail but at the same time, it's still very cohesive and has real vibrancy to it. There were only 1,973 made so at this price, stocks surely must be dwindling by now.

Headphones next 😇

Yes that is what I heard /read about Naim - I was very very torn between a Naim and Rega as per amp, especially as I have Focal speakers which are said to be natural partners for the Naim.

I went with Rega in the end but that curiosity is still very much there.

Great to hear you have found your happy place. I had recently started itching for a turntable upgrade (and unfortunately the ones I was looking at were considerably pricy ) , then just last week got back my Audio Technica AT-VM540ML cartridge with a RigB body mod and wow! What a difference! That hopefully satisfied the cravings for a bit...

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

ND7 or a RigB 540ML
How much are the RigB . Both equal I believe in performance
The RigB a good option for your P3RS RTH

 

[RTHerringbone]

I'm not thinking of changing anything related to the amp, turntable or streamer. Done with that for now!

Headphone suggestions gratefully accepted - budget up to maybe £750.

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

I'm not thinking of changing anything related to the amp, turntable or streamer. Done with that for now!

Headphone suggestions gratefully accepted - budget up to maybe £750.

Gotta be Meze 109 pro. Open back musicality and lovely timbre and build.
Cheaper option the new 105 AER
Budget for a good cable too. Cosmic Cables uk superb

 

[RTHerringbone]

Gotta be Meze 109 pro. Open back musicality and lovely timbre and build.
Cheaper option the new 105 AER
Budget for a good cable too. Cosmic Cables uk superb

I sometimes wonder if we're the same person 🙂

I tried the 105's when I picked up my turntable and was very impressed by the comfort levels as well as the build quality and sound. They didn't have the 109 Pro in stock but given your praise of the NAIT 50, I think I can probably trust your judgement!

I've been listening to it all day and across loads of different genres and I just can't trip it up. It handles everything and what's really confusing me is that this thing seems to get more from the speakers than the Arcam did. I have said before that I don't understand speaker / amp compatibility but everything seems to imply that this duo shouldn't work, but they do to that extent that even my speaker wavering is almost on hold.

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

not sure about those LS50 METAS to be honest.
I heard them a few years ago and they were terribly thin on the end of a ATOM and Lyngdorf TDAI-1120. from what I have read, their price and their target market is a bit confused. they are apparently a phenomenal speaker when fed with a shed-load of current.....now the N50 has some current output, so is therefore ideally driving the LS50's, but I've not looked at the numbers to be fair. a good class A may well grip them well too...

depending on the space around them and the room dimensions, there's probably a better sounding option, but that doesn't matter if you like the sound you're getting.
my DALI are a weak link in theory, but they sound fabulous. I am tempted to change, but just scared its minimal returns as they're so musical on the end of the N50.

 

[RTHerringbone]

not sure about those LS50 METAS to be honest.

My only reservation about them really is the tone, and that is quite a big deal. The NAIT has unlocked the detail that the KEF reviews all highlight and that wasn't the case with the Arcam. I really enjoy that aspect of them, but I do crave more warmth and character.

Audio-T's third-party buyer have just offered a pretty low figure for the KEFs, but I've had no bites privately at £200 more so will see what the weekend brings. The manager has offered to drive the PMCs over for a home loan and the same for the Neat's (though he'd have to order those) and I'm going to take him up on that.

I've also said what I want to pay, so I'll see if the store can bridge the gap created by the low-ball KEF offer.

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

N50 driving the PMC will be rather impressive.
I’m gonna try N50 with my Prodigy 5 over weekend

 

[Revolutions]

Super pleased that the Naim has delivered a big step up. Not much can beat that feeling when you realise an upgrade is even better than you’d hoped.

Seeing your joy & keeps reminding me of exactly why hifi is one of the most rewarding hobbies ❤️

 

[Fandango Andy]

My only reservation about them really is the tone, and that is quite a big deal. The NAIT has unlocked the detail that the KEF reviews all highlight and that wasn't the case with the Arcam. I really enjoy that aspect of them, but I do crave more warmth and character.

I'm sure there must be twelve step programs for this type of addiction! 😉

On a serious note, give the KEFs a chance. You have a compromised room layout. While other speakers may sound better in a listening room, the KEFs are more forgiving and easy to place than most speakers.

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

My only reservation about them really is the tone, and that is quite a big deal. The NAIT has unlocked the detail that the KEF reviews all highlight and that wasn't the case with the Arcam. I really enjoy that aspect of them, but I do crave more warmth and character.

Audio-T's third-party buyer have just offered a pretty low figure for the KEFs, but I've had no bites privately at £200 more so will see what the weekend brings. The manager has offered to drive the PMCs over for a home loan and the same for the Neat's (though he'd have to order those) and I'm going to take him up on that.

I've also said what I want to pay, so I'll see if the store can bridge the gap created by the low-ball KEF offer.

PMC 21i and which NEATs are you testing ?
I’m deliberating on NEATS and ATC for my N50 office chain…..

 

[RTHerringbone]

PMC 21i and which NEATs are you testing ?
I’m deliberating on NEATS and ATC for my N50 office chain…..

The Petite Classics. They have some pretty outstanding reviews, the brands are known to synergise well, and they don't seem very demanding on paper.

They're also incredibly compact (10 cm less depth than the KEFs) so I can give them more room to breathe within the same stand footprint as the KEFs.

 

[RTHerringbone]

Super pleased that the Naim has delivered a big step up. Not much can beat that feeling when you realise an upgrade is even better than you’d hoped.

Seeing your joy & keeps reminding me of exactly why hifi is one of the most rewarding hobbies ❤️

It has been a blast so far. Not always perfectly structured in approach, but with the right sort of ambition! One or two more steps to go.....

On a serious note, give the KEFs a chance. You have a compromised room layout. While other speakers may sound better in a listening room, the KEFs are more forgiving and easy to place than most speakers.

You are, of course, correct! The layout is a problem but that's a gift in the long run because when I do finally get a more suitable space, I think it'll be like getting a huge jump in fidelity. The problem with this though is that buying a different house or adding a decade+ to your kids' age so they move out is more tricky than shopping for new toys.

This latest impulse is a curiosity-driven one. Really I didn't expect the KEFs to work at all, but this has been the best sounding setup so far - I'd say by some distance the biggest incremental jump. I'm interested to see how a theoretically more suitable pair of speakers sound, especially as they have a bit of a known synergy with Naim.

The store manager is more or less knocking at the door trying to give them to me, so it'd be rude not to.

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

NEAT petite classics, ATC SCM7v3's and AlChris TX-1's on my shortlist, as are Mystiques and Spender A2.2's.

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

Just tested my Prodigy 5 in the office with the N50.
If you can ask your speaker supplier to bring some P5s too.
They are diminutive in my office (3.2n x 3.4m) yet sound absolutely epic. Maybe a tad bass heavy, but taught and fully controlled.
Would work fantastic in a more open space