New Naim Forum


Hello everyone I recently changed out of a 5 seperate system and decided I wanted a small good integrated amplifier and a new CD player. I sold of all of my gear and started down the Naim rabbit hole. Don’t get me wrong, I am very glad I made the change. I’m now listening to music almost daily again where as my old system would going unplugged for weeks. There was just no emotion. It was overly warm and slow in the uptake. I honestly believe the 13 year old Mark Levinson no.334 amp needed a refresh to keep up with the new Totem Forest Signatures.

So I kept my Oppo Universal Disc Player as it is virtually new and the Totems 3 years old. I was wanting smaller kit with a good integrated amp and a matching CD player. Less cabling to figure out, just simplify my setup.

Enter the Naim Supernait 3. Wow what a beast. I bought the Supernait 3 and had planned on the CD5si CD player. After reading to the Naim forum discussing it with my fantastic dealer I decided against it the Cd5si. I was informed Supernait 3 would out perform the cd5si as the player was a entry level and offered no digital output or power supply upgrades. What to do? I found a nice Naim NDAC.

I’m running the Naim nDAC fully refreshed with new firmware. Man!!.does it sound good. It has 4 optical inputs, 2 RCA and 2 BNC I puts as well as 2 USB ports. Lossless playback and it charges your phone. It’s a digital hub. It has the ability to except an additional outboard power doubling the performance. (See Below)

I use my Oppo as the Transport playing CD’S through the RCA digital out via a Chord Company Signature Super ARAY Digital Coax RCA > BNC to the nDAC.

The nDac also plays a 2 Terabyte External Hard Drive full of FLAC, WAV and lossless files 192 files. It is connected via HDMI from the > Oppo to a HDMI TV Monitor and I have literally thousands of tunes at my fingertips. The Oppo remote populates the files on screen alphabetically, simply point and shoot.

From the nDAC I’m using Naim Super Lumina DIN5-5 cable to the Supernait 3 CD/DIN input. (Is anyone running the Chord Sarum T between their Naim source and preamp?)

Speaker cables are NACA5 / for now but I’m looking for suggestions from this new post for replacements. Any ideas?

The NACA5 hooked to the Totem Forest Signature Speakers. 12 feet!

For now, all power Cables for now are Naim TibiaPlus12 Deep-Cryo power cables except a Voo Doo Cable low noise 10 awg Digital Power on the nDAC. I’m using a Naim Wiremold power strip except the Supernait 3 is plugged directly into the AC.

Next week I’m expecting a Teddy Pardo XPS power supply for the nDac with included Teddy Burndy and a power cable. We’ll see how that shakes things up.

I have my Totems 6 feet center toe to toe and 10 feet to the listening position.

I would really lime some feedback whether your running Naim or not. I’m looking for alternatives that can propell my Naim system.

Thanks -

N

nutty

Showing 1 response by painter24

Hi Nutty,

Another Naim owner here 😊

I used to own an Olive set-up in the 1990s, but had to sell it all (new house/renovation 😔). Always regretted it as I am no longer married to that person.

Anyway, after 20 odd years in the HiFi wilderness, I decided to jump back in last year.

I was determined not to go down the Naim rabbit hole again, but after auditioning other brands, none of them were cutting it for me. Sensing my frustration, but without knowing my hifi history, my dealer went out back again and came back with the Nait 5si 😀.

I groaned and smiled at the same time. I really didn’t want to get Naim’d again, but once the Nait started playing, with that same old Naim character, it was game over. I was Al Pacino in that film where he just can’t get away from his old mob-life 😊

My thinking was "ok, you can’t add anything to, or expand the 5si in any way, I’m safe" 👍

Wrong! About a month ago, I found a pre-loved Nait XS2 from around 2020 I believe, in immaculate condition for less than the price of a new 5si. OK, now I’m in trouble! 🤔😜

Thanks for starting this thread, I use the Naim forum too, but like Audiogon for a broader perspective. Nice to have a Naim corner here 👍