Naim Audio CD-5i pic
Chord Company Chameleon Silver Plus DIN:Phono pic
PrimaLuna Prologue 2 pic
Chord Company Carnival pic
Chord Company Carnival Silver Plus pic
Quad 12L pic
BK electronic XLS200 pic
Target TR60 pic
Floor Tiles Marble slabs pic
Isotek Isoplug pic
Duende Criatura Pre-amp Tube Rings pic
Project 2 Xperience pic
Grado GF3 Super pic
Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 Communicator pic
Home Made Shark Co-axial IC's pic
Transparency with Grunt
This is my humble little system so far.
I've always loved Naim sound, with that particularly infectious PR&T. So I eventually saved up enough to take a plunge into the world of Naim. This CD player is great, tremendously fast paced and gutsy.
To achieve a good overall balance, I've partnered it with Valves!
This valve amp is my second (the first is a 35W EL34 UltraLinear integrated which is now in my second system). I needed a bit more clarity to keep pace with the front-end, so opted for the Prologue 2 with KT88's rather than the 1 with EL34's. Wow, this little valve amp could almost be solid state, but it doesn't sacrifice that "valvey" sound despite the huge grunt on offer. I think Naim CD players work very well with valve equipment.
The speakers are very accurate little monitors, that have a nice transparency to them (reminds me of Quad's electrostatics a little), and for the modest price, I snapped them up.
The amount of detail the whole package unearths is amazing. I've had to listen to most of my CD's again as I keep hearing instruments that weren't even there before. Despite this, it all sounds very smooth as well, no listening fatigue here. Naim may not have a reputation for soundstage, but I find I have a stable, accurate soundstage that is deep as well as wide and high. The placement is spot on and never wavers, with instruments and vocals "hanging" in their own space in front of you.
I also listen to bass-heavy music, so after a while I felt I needed more lower end grunt, so added the 10" (peerless cone) active sub to supply it. It's supplied from the amp via a high level connection. In combo with the Quad's, the pairing gels very well i think. I've set up so that you cannot isolate/seperate the sub from the soundstage (it only x-over's at about 60Hz as well) so it sounds like I've bought floorstanders rather than added an earthquake machine!
I finally added a mains RF filter device from Isotek (well known here in the UK) that seems to work quite well.
Overall, I'm so happy with the sound that I've not only finally scratched the upgrade itch, but I've also finally stopped tweaking!!!
At last, I can listen to music rather than the cables/stands/demagnitisation discs etc etc.
I listen to an eclectic range of music, from pop/rock to r'n'b/hiphop, from dance/ambient to classical/vocal. This system seems to work very well with all of them to my ears. I tend to sit there with what I call the "head bobbulation" effect, where I can happily tap my feet and nod my head all day without listening fatigue. I think the next viable upgrade might be a tube of Ralgex for my neck and legs!
The other side is that as I'm happy with CD replay now, I was thinking of dabbling in analogue vinyl for my next project (already have an AV system, and I strongly believe hifi should be stereo not multi-channel, and that they should be kept seperate).
All the prices are converted from the UK £ price I bought them for, and I think the price is under $6k, so I'm very happy with "bang for buck" I get.
Now time for some more music.... :-)
(Further Photo's at http://photobucket.com/albums/c371/TGhafoor) |
