NAD vs. Cambridge Audio

Well, I ended up buying a Naim Nait 5i. I listened to a CA650A against the Naim and definitely liked the Naim sound better. It seemed smoother and the CA seemed to have the highs overly accentuated. I've been using the Nait for 2 weeks now in my living room and the setup sounds wonderful !!!

Rob

Great choice, and definitely worth the extra money. It has a very organic sound that is captivating and involving.

CA gear, like some other brands, might be bright w/ the wrong cabling, speakers, etc. Because of a bad mix of gear, is why some folk go for softer, warmer gear, as it is just blend easier to mate. I find my CA amp staggering for the money in my system as it is set up. It's all about synergy.

That is one thing I've always liked about Linn and Naim. The synergy in their full system makes it hard to do much better for the money spent, even though it is a bit pricey. They make it easy to enjoy the music.

My vote goes for the NAD. I have not heard Cambridge Audio but I do own Arcam.
I just received a 315bee to power Studio 40s v4. It's bit early to talk about it as the amp has been playing for only 15 hours, but I can say that, right out of the box, it is distinctively heavier on the bass / upper-bass frequencies compared to arcam (arcam maybe the same as cambridge audio with a higher price tag). Much much warmer. Another thing that striked me is how much more detail it reveals. Really, this little NAD could make the 3x more expensive arcam pass for a bestbuy superstore brand. In any case, burned-in or not burned-in, it plays loud without shouting, it is very musical, and it feels a lot more dynamic/powerful than 40wpc. Very nice indeed. I do not know yet if I need more power; I will make the decision to keep it or to get the 326 next week.

How can someone say one brand is better than another brand he admits he has never heard. That is illogical.

Having heard both--but not with the various speakers in question that everyone who has auditioned may have employed, I would say that the anwser is a bit complex.
The NAD is 'punchier' a trademark of that piece--but,(to my ear) a tad bit more grainy--think Krell versus, Pass for example.
The Cambridge was to my ear a much more 'musical' sounding piece--some may say 'coloration', I can't argue in either direction.
For listening to MY favorite music on the speakers I like, the Cambridge is more musical.
Both are great products and well represented though. If you can try both...try to do so.

Good luck,

Larry