Trying to Decide on my next Purchase


I'm new to digital music and decided on the NAD Master Series M12 and M22 v2 for my music room.  With the M12/M22 setup, I'm using a McIntosh MCD7008 (that I borrowed from my rec room Mac analog system).  My next purchase will be a CD transport to replace the Mac MCD or a digital music streamer.  My budget is ~$3500. 

I'm considering the NAD M50.2, but I'm concerned about usability issues that I read about, in particular, it has no remote and the app must be used to initially play a CD. The blog noted the M12 remote cannot be used to start playing a CD.  Does anyone know if the M12 remote can be used or programmed to control the following 50.2 functions:
  1. Open the tray
  2. Close the tray
  3. Play a CD in the tray
  4. Play any CD stored on the device
The idea of ripping my CD library all over again isn't that appealing, but with the 50.2 I won't need another CD player :-).   
128x128oldschool1948

Showing 3 responses by caphill

@oldschool1948

Not sure if you have made a purchase or decided on something by now but if you haven’t, I highly recommend the Naim Uniti Nova all-in-one solution. It is a streamer/DAC/integrated amp in a single chassis. You can sell your NAD M12/M22 combo and just get this Naim Uniti Nova. It currently retails for $7500 new. The amplifier runs in class AB. It is a highly musical sounding unit and I’m pretty sure it will sound more musical than your NAD M12/M22 combo plus a streamer.
The sound is very refined smooth very musical punchy and lean slightly toward a warmer side of neutral but nothing like a tube warm. It has excellent musical and rhtymic drive with great and focus imaging.

The Naim Uniti Nova has a pair of XLR & RCA analog audio inputs so you can connect a CD player to it. It also has various digital inputs (USB, ethernet, spdif, optical digital). You can connect a CD transport via one of these digital inputs on the Naim. Naim makes excellent DAC & streamer.
The Nova comes equipped with built-in Tidal & Spotify streaming apps and is Roon ready.

I happen to own the Naim Uniti Nova in my bedroom setup paired with B&W 805 D3 standmount speakers. They make great combo IMO.


@oldschool1948 

The Naim Uniti Star is a step down from the Uniti Nova. The Nova is by far better than the Star. The Nova is the top of line within the Uniti series. The Uniti series is Naim's entry level series. But the Star is very good for its price point. While the Nova isn't exactly cheap at $7500 but if you must go Naim analog integrated amp + Naim digital front end components you will end up spending a lot more than the Uniti Nova. The Naim separates (digital front end + analog linestage preamp + power amp) will cost you even way more but they are awesome. Naim makes very musical sounding gears but can be pricey. Depending on your budget later down the road or when it's time for you to upgrade, I highly recommend Naim separates. They might pair quite well with your Tannoy. 

@oldschool1948 

So this isn't your main primary system then? McIntosh makes pretty good amplifiers and are generally more affordable than Naim products with the exception of the Naim Uniti series. 
Naim separates will run you up to $90k to $100k which excludes the Naim Statement gears.

The Naim Statement gears, which consist of a Naim NAC S1 linestage analog preamp ($90k) and a pair of Naim NAP S1 monoblock amps ($180k), will cost you $270k total, and this does not include digital front end source components and analog front end gears. $270k is just for an analog linestage preamp (no phonostage) and a pair of monoblock amps. The Naim Statement is Naim's flagship series and these are cost-no-object design gears. They are phenomenal probably one of the best sounding gears I've ever heard.

I happen to own these Naim Statement gears in my main reference two-channel setup but I'm not using Naim digital front end source components. For digital front end components I'm using the DCS Vivaldi full four stacks which consist of a Vivaldi master clock, Vivaldi upsampler, Vivaldi DAC, Vivaldi CD/SACD transport. 
I also have a Kronos Pro turntable with an Audio Research Reference 10 phonostage preamp, 12' Black Beauty tonearm, Air Tight PC-1 Supreme mc cartridge & a discrete class A linear power supply unit for the Kronos Pro turntable. For speakers I have the Magico M6 big floorstanders. The Naim Statement gears pair really well with the Magico M6. They sound spectacular together. 

However, the step down from the Statement series is the 500 series separates and the series consists of the 500 series stereo power amp with a separate PSU (power supply unit), the analog linestage preamp with a separate PSU, and the digital streamer/DAC with a separate PSU. One thing about Naim separates, you can add and upgrade  Naim separate PSU for each Naim component whether it's a CD player, digital streamer/DAC, analog linestage preamp, power amp or phonostage preamp. This also applies to other series except the Uniti series. Cause the Naim Uniti series is an all-in-one box solution that has digital streamer/DAC & integrated amp all in a single chassis.