Naim Nait 5i vs 5i italic

Dwhitt,
As you might know, I am also a happy Totem Arro owner. Unfortunately, my local Naim dealer does not have the 5i in stock so I cannot demo on my own speakers. He is only willing to order the amp if I purchase first. I know this is a sign of our current economy, but this really caused me to hit "pause"...

Muzikat,
Thanks very much for the link.

if you listen to the arro speakers , i believe you are not a rock n roller....i bet you enjoy jazz or clssical? everyone i have talked with concerning naim and arro say a+ to it...even totem ....so how could you go wrong, by the way, don't buy it new, i love my local dealers too, but i am not going to pay retail and loose big money if i dont' like it..just buy a nice one from gon..and if you don't then take a small lose and move on....

Dwhitt,
Good guess.. while I love all kinds of music, when it is time to settle in listen I gravitate towards classical, jazz, and vocal.

I do try and support my local dealer, but probably like most of us, can't justify paying MSRP all the time. My dealer has given me great advice over the years and I have spent many hours listening in his shop. There is only one mid level audiophile store left in my area, and I hope he can stay alive in this economy.

I am certainly not against buying used and saving considerable money- especially if a piece of equipment will hold it's value.

Can anyone who has heard these two amps comment on their sonic differences?

Thanks.

Hi, I have owned both, not at the same time, but I cant say from aural memory any real differences, I can say the 122x and 150x do sound better, I am curious, you say your naim dealer doesn't even have a 5i in stock, does he have any naim on dispay ? or in stock?, how does a Naim dealer not even have the entry level piece ?, that is kind of wierd.