Naim Nait 5i vs 5i italic

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.

Superhonestben,
Thanks for the reply. I have not yet visited the dealer's shop. My only interactions have been by phone. Obviously, this is not the dealer I usually work with (and have known for many years).

Hi,

I owned both, at the same time. I like the Naim Nait 5i Italic better (it expanse more), but I don't think it's worth the difference in cost. The difference is to small, I was using Kimber Speaker cables with the Totem Arro's at the time. You can replicate Naim Nait 5i Italic sound by purchasing the Harmonic Tech Speaker cable. Anyway, I think Naim pre-amps & amp are the best for Totem Arro's, because Totem Arro's are very fussy. What I hate about Naim Nait 5i Italic & 5i, is the Inter-connect. Naim forces you to use there 5 pin cable or RCA, something for you to keep in mind before purchasing.