Naim Nait 5i vs 5i italic

i don't know the difference, but naim 5i was used with totem at the ces show last year...i own arro and would love to own one,as arro is one of my favorite speakers....i know there should be a difference in which someone will let you know here on the gon, but naim , spoke with them last year and the first company electronics they said was naim, then unison tube hybrid, dwhitt

Check here:
http://forums.naim-audio.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/48019385

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.

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.