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?
+1 @akg_ca
Have the Naim pieces had time enough to fully break in? If not,that may be the problem. If it has, then you have a synergy problem. It’s not a lack of wattage. 60 wpc is enough to power the speaker which are 90db efficient. The amp and speakers don’t play well together. Change the amp/pre or the speakers |
OP: I’ve been thinking about your original set up and what you were convinced to change to. Arcam and Monitor Audio are great, but extremely neutral. For many audiophiles they are too laid back and warm sounding. They crave the music to have some bite, extra emphasis in the upper midrange and/or treble. IMHO, B&W and McIntosh fit in this category. If you were really happy with Arcam/Monitor Audio (and I would be) then those giving you advice to go to Naim and other cables fit in this category. You don’t have to crave the B&W / Mc sound to be a real audiophile. Get what you like and stick to it. |
One of my most accomplished audio buddies is a fan of NAIM amps and preamp. He pairs them with Focal Electra 906, and prefers the NAIM over some very good Cary tube gear. The most important thing is that you like the sound. It's hard to say where the issue is for you, but it's always very personal, and of course interactive with the rest of a given system. It might help if you could give some hints as to whether it's too bright, or too dull, lacking bass, booming bass, etc. Have you tried adjusting the speaker placement a bit to increase or decrease bass reinforcement, and toe in? I fine tuned my system with things like cables, power supply upgrades, placement, etc., and other stuff that's supposed to be barely audible, but yet it's made the difference between being good and spectacular with pretty much the same gear. |
