Naim Supernait vs XS vs Exposure 2010s

Naim Nait XS is a simply wonderful amp - and will go very well with the Gibbons. I do not believe it gives much if anything up to the Supernait, and in fact, getting the DAC out of the box may actually provide a slightly "cleaner" sound in the XS. The Exposure will not sound better than either Naim, but will sound different as described above.

I put listening to an XS fed by an older very high end Naim CD player and played through Naim floor standing speakers in my top ten listening sessions of all time. It just really sounded closer to live music to me than I am used to hearing - including sessions with some much more expensive and carefully set up gear.

In the end, I say soundstage schmoundstage. If the sound of the Naim grabs you, then relax and enjoy what pleasures the it has to offer. I agree with Dbarger, Naim really does offer a "third approach" to music reproduction, one I happen to like a lot.

First a disclaimer; I am a Naim dealer so I am a bit biased towards Naim in general.
I agree (mostly) with Mr. Bargers comments above vis a vis
the XS and Super Nait. Not having heard the new Exposures I can't comment on them (I did like the older ones quite a bit). The comparison between the Super and the XS is NOT in my opinion simply related to whether you want digital inputs or not. The Super Nait can be a stunning amp and to my ears is the more capable piece in that it not only is more revealing than the XS but the power it can display is clearly above what the XS is capable of.
It is cleaner, more powerful and if the source is superb it will respond more like a high end piece of equipment than the XS. That last comment is the key. The better the source, the better the Super will sound. I have it from good authority that feeding a Super with something like a Linn or equivilant analog source is flat out fantastic!

That said, the XS is a beautiful sounding piece and it can be the backbone of a terrific sounding system! It is a bit more lush, a tad less incisive, does not have the jackhammer bass that the Super can and is more tolerent of less than excellent sources.

To sum up...

The Super Nait is an amazing amplifier and a powerhouse with a clear and solid upgrade path to boot. It responds with better sources and can be flat out huge when fed properly. The digital inputs just are icing on the cake.

The XS is an superbly musical amplifier and in comparison to much out there in it's price range it is a huge bargain.
Plenty of power, plenty of inputs, upgrade path, a big step up from their entry level piece the 5i2.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with either of them, it just depends where you ultimtely want to end up.

PS. I have heard the Super Nait throw a stage that is completely enveloping. All depends on the recording.

First of all, I would like to say thanks
for everyone's input.

It is true that John DeVore recommends both
Exposure and Sugden for int ss amps. He also
really likes my Cary 300b sei for tubes. On
the other hand, he has not had a chance to hear
his speakers with the Naim gear. I can attest
that they are a great musical combo. From what
I am hearing, the XS would be too soft for the
DeVores. As engaging the supernait is with the
DeVores, I did find myself wanting a little more
detail not to mention more sound stage width. The
pluck of a jazz or blues guitar string is just a little
too smoothed over. I would like more sheen on the attack.
However, sax, horns and piano are so dead on.

Even with these minor criticisms the DeVores being fed
by Naim seduced me into listening for hours before
buying the Super 8's. I have been in this hobby for
a long time and have listened to a lot of systems costing
in the 100,000 $ range and this type of seduction has
never happened to me before. Sure these systems sounded
intriguing but I would lose interest after about 20 minutes.

So, I absolutely agree that the right musical tone is way
more important than a huge soundstage. Wish I could have
both.

I do like to play around with gear including power cables
and wire. So, I most likely will have to try both.
I do not have an Exposure dealer so I would want to
buy used. Unfortunately, they always sell immediately
on agon.

Thanks Dbarger for the power cord advice. I am really
curious about Naim and power cords. I know they oppose
anything but naim which is a turn off to me, but I am
sure there are pc's to make them sound better. I also
wanted to ask you if you tried the 2010s or was it
the 2010? I hear the s version is a big improvement.

It was the 2010S. As I said, it was fine and priced appropriately, but the Naim XS is much better. I will say that Realhifi has more experience than I, since he is a dealer, in comparing the Supernait and the XS. My experience with the XS, 5i, Exposure 2010S, and Destiny were all in my home, but the comparison with the Supernait was in a showroom, so I would have to ad that caveat...
That said, I cannot imagine the XS being "soft". It is smooth, but not soft, and very dynamic. I recently added a Hi-cap XS to mine and it lifts it again, to really a very high standard. I loved it before, still do, but check out a Hi-cap and prepare to be amazed, again.
I know in absoulute terms that my ARC Ref gear is more audiophile-ish. But the Naim gives me a satisfaction that I have not received with any other brand, and I have tried a lot of brands...
On the soundstage front, I would be shocked if you did not find the soundstage acceptable in the XS by itself, with a Hi-cap it is VERY impressive.

Dbarger, please elaborate on the Hi-cap.
Is it the latest model? I am not that familiar
with Naim but I know there is a Hi-cap2.
What improvements do you get in regards to
transparency, inner detail and soundstaging?

Have you tried an after market pc and power
conditioner on the Hi-cap?

By the way, I know what you mean by ARC being
audiophile-ish. I have heard several ARC set
ups on both Wilson watt puppies and top of the
line Theils and I must say that I have never heard
a more holographic and illuminated soundstage like
that ever.