Someone told you that Naim is better than Arcam. Wow...
System advice
I’m still a newbie to audio world, but a couple years ago I got Monitor Audio Platinum PL II speakers with XLO Signature cables (good old stuff), Arcam Alpha 9 amp & preamp and Naim CD5 XS with FlatCap XS. Sound was great for me - juicy, involving, deep. But then I was talked into having the whole stack from Naim. I replaced Arcam amp/preamp with Naim NAC XS 152 & Naim NAP 155 XS. I was told it will be an upgrade from Arcam and that having full stack from Naim will provide great synergy.
The problem is.. I almost stopped listening to the music right after this change. There’s something unpleasant in the sound. There’s a lot of details, good resolution but... I don’t feel amused anymore.
Recently I understood that there is no synergy between speakers/cables and amp/preamp. It’s like some sweetness, warm is missing in this sound..
But now I have no idea in what direction I should go. Any advice for a noobie?
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p.s.: I failed to mentioned that his preference for NAIM products is very specific to certain model numbers, but I don't know which ones he prefers. |
Chalk this up to an expensive lesson learned — never just blindly follow a salesperson’s (or anyone’s) advice because your ears are the only thing that matters. A good dealer should let you borrow equipment for a day or two to let you hear it in your system, and in this case that would’ve told you everything you needed to know. Time to start over and get rid of the Naim amp/pre so you can start enjoying music again. Obviously Arcam is a good place to start, but their sound could’ve changed over time so again don’t just buy blindly. Luxman and Parasound were mentioned and would also be worth exploring, and I’ll add Ayre as another good candidate. I’d try to get an amp with at least 100Wpc to make sure you have enough headroom for your speakers. Best of luck. |
FOCAL speakers and NAIM electronics are the same company now . https://www.focalpoweredbynaim.com No small wonder that your buddy suggested the pairing out of one or more of possible reasons: -possible EZPZ convenience? Dunno - possible limited audio brand experience …dunno again…, , or just plain considerable personal bias simply cuz he likes them! but in total who cares now ?
TAKEAWAY
Yes, FOCAL with NAIM make a decent enough pairing IMO,….. but regardless, that duo combo never has and still does not stir my drink FWIW.This hobby is very personal journey with a “like” or “dislike” outcome that no post in this forum can predict for you,
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- 24 posts total