Upgrading from Naim to Croft

[Dreadnought]

Hi there everyone,

i currently own a Naim nait-5 series (2003) and i was thinking of switching to the Croft Intergrated with MM phono stage.

Can anyone advise if this a change worth making or will i end up with the same audio quality i currently have?

Any advice is most welcome!

 

[Andrewjvt]

Hi there everyone,

i currently own a Naim nait-5 series (2003) and i was thinking of switching to the Croft Intergrated with MM phono stage.

Can anyone advise if this a change worth making or will i end up with the same audio quality i currently have?

Any advice is most welcome!

 

That naim watts are stronger than normal watts only joking

 

[Al ears]

Hi there everyone,

i currently own a Naim nait-5 series (2003) and i was thinking of switching to the Croft Intergrated with MM phono stage.

Can anyone advise if this a change worth making or will i end up with the same audio quality i currently have?

Any advice is most welcome!

The Croft will have a different presentation, can you audition?

 

[Dreadnought]

Hi there everyone,

i currently own a Naim nait-5 series (2003) and i was thinking of switching to the Croft Intergrated with MM phono stage.

Can anyone advise if this a change worth making or will i end up with the same audio quality i currently have?

Any advice is most welcome!

The Croft will have a different presentation, can you audition?

Yes but not at home and not with my speakers (Monitor audio bx 5)

 

[tonky]

At least take your amp with you - so you can swap over at the dealer. And it goes without saying - try and get him to let you have a home audition. - and please feed back results

tonky

 

[DocG]

What's lacking with the Naim that you hope to improve with the Croft?

 

[Dreadnought]

What's lacking with the Naim that you hope to improve with the Croft?

A cleaner bass, a bit warmer sound and a deeper-wider soundstage, i m listening mostly to sisters of mercy,nick cave,new model army, siouxsie and the banshees, smiths-morrissey,pogues jesus and mary chain etc.

 

[DocG]

What's lacking with the Naim that you hope to improve with the Croft?

A cleaner bass, a bit warmer sound and a deeper-wider soundstage, i m listening mostly to sisters of mercy,nick cave,new model army, siouxsie and the banshees, smiths-morrissey,pogues jesus and mary chain etc.

Giving away your age there, Dreadnought *wink*

I'm not familiar with Croft amps, so I can't comment about your expectations.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

I'm afraid your on to a lost cause with the type of music you're listening to,no amp in the world is going to sort some of the production used on some of the old indie stuff.try the next amp up in the naim line.the xs is nice and smooth (I've got it)but the sisters of mercy still sounds garbage.as they say garbage in...garbage out.it's the production and not the amp.

 

[rainsoothe]

Hi. Indeed, first edition Nait XS will solve your problem - smoother sound and control on bass. I don't think the Croft will have better control on bass, but it will be warmer then the Nait 5. I would also look at changing those speakers. I would look at the following two variants: Naim Nait XS (first gen) / Supernait 1 + Focal Aria 906 / B&W 683 S2, or Hegel H80 + Kef LS50 / Harbeth P3SR.

 

[Dreadnought]

What's lacking with the Naim that you hope to improve with the Croft?

A cleaner bass, a bit warmer sound and a deeper-wider soundstage, i m listening mostly to sisters of mercy,nick cave,new model army, siouxsie and the banshees, smiths-morrissey,pogues jesus and mary chain etc.

Giving away your age there, Dreadnought *wink*

I'm not familiar with Croft amps, so I can't comment about your expectations.

I realy laughed out loud with your comment mate

 

[Dreadnought]

I'm afraid your on to a lost cause with the type of music you're listening to,no amp in the world is going to sort some of the production used on some of the old indie stuff.try the next amp up in the naim line.the xs is nice and smooth (I've got it)but the sisters of mercy still sounds garbage.as they say garbage in...garbage out.it's the production and not the amp.

You re absolutely right about the production, and that is what realy makes me wonder which way to go and truth is many of my records come with production which can only be described as "basic".

 

[Dreadnought]

Hi. Indeed, first edition Nait XS will solve your problem - smoother sound and control on bass. I don't think the Croft will have better control on bass, but it will be warmer then the Nait 5. I would also look at changing those speakers. I would look at the following two variants: Naim Nait XS (first gen) / Supernait 1 + Focal Aria 906 / B&W 683 S2, or Hegel H80 + Kef LS50 / Harbeth P3SR.

I got the MonitorAudios a few months ago and i can't say i m pleased with them for several reasons, anyway they are the first that will leave the house and i was thinking Pmc Gb1i which seem to go down well with that kind of music. Focal were also under consideration and i can audition both of them.

 

[rainsoothe]

Hi. Indeed, first edition Nait XS will solve your problem - smoother sound and control on bass. I don't think the Croft will have better control on bass, but it will be warmer then the Nait 5. I would also look at changing those speakers. I would look at the following two variants: Naim Nait XS (first gen) / Supernait 1 + Focal Aria 906 / B&W 683 S2, or Hegel H80 + Kef LS50 / Harbeth P3SR.

I got the MonitorAudios a few months ago and i can't say i m pleased with them for several reasons, anyway they are the first that will leave the house and i was thinking Pmc Gb1i which seem to go down well with that kind of music. Focal were also under consideration and i can audition both of them.

that's awesome

 

[davedotco]

Is a super amp, if you like what it does you will never return to Naim ar anything comparable.

It is difficult to describe what it does as it's character seems to vary from track to track, it can sound warm and inviting on one track and fast and articulate on the next.

I do not think that your recordings are necessarily as bad as mentioned above, the music in question is not about any kind of pristine presentation, it is all about presence and feel and the Croft does that beautifully.

The amplifier is relatively inexpensive so, assuming you play mostly vinyl, I would spend any extra funds you might have on the record player. Get the best you can afford here and make sure the set up and support is optimised, this will pay great dividends.

 

[CnoEvil]

I find it very hard to say with certainty what someone else will like....especially with Naim, which seems to evoke a strong attachment from its devotees.

If you are asking what I'd prefer, it would be Croft....not hard, as I dislike the Naim sound.

 

[Andrewjvt]

Hi there everyone,

i currently own a Naim nait-5 series (2003) and i was thinking of switching to the Croft Intergrated with MM phono stage.

Can anyone advise if this a change worth making or will i end up with the same audio quality i currently have?

Any advice is most welcome!

?

The Croft will have a different presentation, can you audition?

Yes but not at home and not with my speakers (Monitor audio bx 5)

Better speakers rather than amp

 

[ChrisIRL]

What's lacking with the Naim that you hope to improve with the Croft?

A cleaner bass, a bit warmer sound and a deeper-wider soundstage, i m listening mostly to sisters of mercy,nick cave,new model army, siouxsie and the banshees, smiths-morrissey,pogues jesus and mary chain etc.

The Nait 5si to me has all the traits you're looking for. Apparently it's very different to previous nait models, but being my first I can't confirm this. Just today I listened to Nick Cave and also the Smiths. Sounded brilliant.

 

[TrevC]

http://www.stereophile.com/content/croft-acoustics-phono-integrated-integrated-amplifier

If it's this one it seems it's actually rather poor. The separate volume controls would drive me nuts.

 

[CnoEvil]

If it's this one it seems it's actually rather poor. The separate volume controls would drive me nuts.

If it's SQ one is after, there is nothing wrong with the design, if the quotes from the same review are to be believed:

"The Croft was, in many ways, the most impressive affordable amp I've heard in years: Not the best, per se, but the one that did the most to win me over, with its excellent build quality, its musically incisive and involving performance, and its stunning level of value."

"And: It seems entirely possible that one could pay thousands of dollars to an industrial-design firm and still fail to achieve the clean and altogether classy appearance of understated quality that Glenn Croft has hit on here. The amp's casework is pleasant to behold, touch, and use, while avoiding altogether the ridiculousness of so many thickly faceplated and overpriced competitors."

"If I were a designer or a builder, this is how I would do the thing. If I were buying in this price range, this is the one I'd choose. Strongly recommended.—Art Dudley"

 

[TrevC]

If it's this one it seems it's actually rather poor. The separate volume controls would drive me nuts.

If it's SQ one is after, there is nothing wrong with the design, if the quotes from the same review are to be believed:

"The Croft was, in many ways, the most impressive affordable amp I've heard in years: Not the best, per se, but the one that did the most to win me over, with its excellent build quality, its musically incisive and involving performance, and its stunning level of value."

"And: It seems entirely possible that one could pay thousands of dollars to an industrial-design firm and still fail to achieve the clean and altogether classy appearance of understated quality that Glenn Croft has hit on here. The amp's casework is pleasant to behold, touch, and use, while avoiding altogether the ridiculousness of so many thickly faceplated and overpriced competitors."

"If I were a designer or a builder, this is how I would do the thing. If I were buying in this price range, this is the one I'd choose. Strongly recommended.—Art Dudley"

I know. But check out the measurements page. I would rule it out just because of the separate volume controls. :O)

 

[Vladimir]

With the Croft you buy a lot of euphonic distortion.

The Croft's output stage is not very linear, and is actually reminiscent of a tube amplifier. Figs.9 and 10 show how the THD+noise percentage changes with output power, both channels driven, into 8 and 4 ohms, respectively. The THD is already >0.2% at just 100mW, and rises with increasing power. Into 8 ohms (fig.9), the THD almost reaches our usual definition of clipping at just 8W, but drops a little above that power. It crosses the 1% line at 33W (15.2dBW), and the amplifier reaches its specified power of 45W into 8 ohms (16.5dBW) only at 3% THD. The picture is worse into 4 ohms (fig.10), the THD reaching 1% at just 700mW, and reaching 55W (14.4dBW) at 3% THD. One complicating factor with this measurement was that, into 4 ohms, the output with continuous drive slowly declined with time, the implication being that the Croft's power supply begins to collapse with sustained high levels of current delivery.

Performance wise very poor indeed. Obviously made by someone who has no idea what he is doing. But it may improve the appeal of the MA BX speakers.

*unknw*

 

[CnoEvil]

Performance wise very poor indeed. Obviously made by someone who has no idea what he is doing. But it may improve the appeal of the MA BX speakers. 
 

I'm with Nelson Pass on this one.

 

[Vladimir]

You get the legendary audio shaman and I get the forum social butterfly TrevC.

Brilliant.

 

[TrevC]

Performance wise very poor indeed. Obviously made by someone who has no idea what he is doing. But it may improve the appeal of the MA BX speakers.

I'm with Nelson Pass on this one.

So the poorer quality and lower power of budget amps should mean they sound better than expensive ones. Yes?