High End Integrated Amp
Discussion
OutInTheShed said:
With that kind of budget, I'd be listening to systems which move away from 2 channel integrated amps, and I'd be considering amps and speakers as coherent systems.
this is the correct answer. Speakers should be chosen first then amps but active systems are where the big gains are to be made.981C said:
Folks
I have a Moon 600i and 680D DAC driving a pair of WA Sabrina X floor standers.
I have made the mistake of borrowing a Constellation 1.0 Integrated which is simply in another league. My problem is I hate the design of it.
Has anyone listened to another integrated or pre-power combo in the 10-25k range that competes with the Constellation?
That budget's a bit wide, making me wonder if this is actually serious? I have a Moon 600i and 680D DAC driving a pair of WA Sabrina X floor standers.
I have made the mistake of borrowing a Constellation 1.0 Integrated which is simply in another league. My problem is I hate the design of it.
Has anyone listened to another integrated or pre-power combo in the 10-25k range that competes with the Constellation?
However, if it is, being a 25 year veteran of the Bristol HiFi show I have to say that 99% of the time the best sounding setups each year have been powered by high end Naim amps.
Edited by RowntreesCabana on Wednesday 28th February 09:53
RowntreesCabana said:
However, if it is, being a 25 year veteran of the Bristol HiFi show I have to say that 99% of the time the best sounding setups each year have been powered by high end Naim amps.
No suitable integrated amps though?Edited by RowntreesCabana on Wednesday 28th February 09:53
Tony1963 said:
RowntreesCabana said:
However, if it is, being a 25 year veteran of the Bristol HiFi show I have to say that 99% of the time the best sounding setups each year have been powered by high end Naim amps.
No suitable integrated amps though?Edited by RowntreesCabana on Wednesday 28th February 09:53
RowntreesCabana said:
Op said integrated or pre-power combo, unless I read that wrong? In which case he could have the NSC 222 Preamp / Streamer / DAC with the NAP 250 Power Amplifier for £12.5 k.
Oops. Read it a few times, still went blind on that minor point!I’ve been a Naim owner since 1997, and just can’t get past the silly prices they’re now charging. I’ll admit I’ve not listened to the latest gear, but one look inside the open casings at a hifi show told me that they really, really aren’t what they were. The wiring was quite untidy looking compared to that inside the olive gear I have.
As everyone knows, Naim had its followers and haters. I’ve no idea how that is now that the venture capitalists own them, so it’s up to the buyer to make their own mind up.
As I replied way up thread, for that money I’d go Accuphase, class A if possible. It’s a beautiful, addictive sound.
Tony1963 said:
Oops. Read it a few times, still went blind on that minor point!
I’ve been a Naim owner since 1997, and just can’t get past the silly prices they’re now charging. I’ll admit I’ve not listened to the latest gear, but one look inside the open casings at a hifi show told me that they really, really aren’t what they were. The wiring was quite untidy looking compared to that inside the olive gear I have.
As everyone knows, Naim had its followers and haters. I’ve no idea how that is now that the venture capitalists own them, so it’s up to the buyer to make their own mind up.
As I replied way up thread, for that money I’d go Accuphase, class A if possible. It’s a beautiful, addictive sound.
You may well be right, but I'm just going but what my ears are telling me and I have no link to Naim and I don't actually own any of their gear.I’ve been a Naim owner since 1997, and just can’t get past the silly prices they’re now charging. I’ll admit I’ve not listened to the latest gear, but one look inside the open casings at a hifi show told me that they really, really aren’t what they were. The wiring was quite untidy looking compared to that inside the olive gear I have.
As everyone knows, Naim had its followers and haters. I’ve no idea how that is now that the venture capitalists own them, so it’s up to the buyer to make their own mind up.
As I replied way up thread, for that money I’d go Accuphase, class A if possible. It’s a beautiful, addictive sound.
Accuphase is a good shout though, but it all comes down to pairing and the house sound he prefers.
toasty said:
The Accuphase website looks like something from the mid 1990s.
I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing i.e. do they concentrate so much on their amps that other things, like marketing, just don't matter?
Yep, and finding prices for their stuff is a challenge. But, it really is worth having a demo. Given the chance, I’d have the basic class A pre/power set up, used. I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing i.e. do they concentrate so much on their amps that other things, like marketing, just don't matter?
A good friend had, until about three years ago, a monster Naim, Linn and Chord set up. Naim DBL speakers, fed by 3x 500 power amps, 552 pre, LP12 worth something silly, loads of PSUs, Chord Dave and MScaler, and about 18 Naim Power-line mains leads. A health scare and age leaned him towards slimming the whole set up down, as he didn’t want to saddle his wife with having to dispose of it all when he pops his clogs.
He’s very thorough in his demos, mostly at home, and he has settled on keeping the LP12, Dave and the DBLs. Almost all the Naim electronics have gone, replaced by Accuphase pre and power. It really is wonderful now.
I wouldn’t judge a company by their website (as tempting as that can be) any more than I’d judge a local car mechanic by his lack of presence on social media!
RowntreesCabana said:
That budget's a bit wide, making me wonder if this is actually serious?
However, if it is, being a 25 year veteran of the Bristol HiFi show I have to say that 99% of the time the best sounding setups each year have been powered by high end Naim amps.
Yes, it's serious. The wide band is more a function of diminishing returns - there's some sHowever, if it is, being a 25 year veteran of the Bristol HiFi show I have to say that 99% of the time the best sounding setups each year have been powered by high end Naim amps.
Edited by RowntreesCabana on Wednesday 28th February 09:53
te out there that's very expensive, also some real 'bargains'. I am waiting to hear the new Moon range before I pull the plug, but my shortlist now consists of D'Ag, Moon, Accuphase and AudioNote. I prefer the one-box solution as I've no space.
I haven't listened to any NAIM kit for more than a decade. Do they have an integrated that plays in this space?
Edited by 981C on Friday 1st March 09:49
Naim have just bought out the Nova power edition, but this is more of a one box streamer type solution. There is a lot of talk on the naim forums about the desire for a Statement level integrated amp as I think their appears to be a push to reduce box count, but nothing concrete from the company. A few copies of the Nait 50 are still around, - £2.5k modern interpretation of the Nait 1
You could of course look at their back catalogue, I give you my CB Nait 2, there’s magic in its 7.5 wpc
You could of course look at their back catalogue, I give you my CB Nait 2, there’s magic in its 7.5 wpc
Itsallicanafford said:
Naim have just bought out the Nova power edition, but this is more of a one box streamer type solution. There is a lot of talk on the naim forums about the desire for a Statement level integrated amp as I think their appears to be a push to reduce box count, but nothing concrete from the company. A few copies of the Nait 50 are still around, - £2.5k modern interpretation of the Nait 1
You could of course look at their back catalogue, I give you my CB Nait 2, there’s magic in its 7.5 wpc
With Naim’s failing ability to repair many of their digital products, I’d be extremely reluctant to go the Naim route for any streaming etc. And, some customers are having screens replaced far too frequently, on boxes costing £4k and upwards. Not funny, not acceptable. Doubly unacceptable considering the elevated prices. You could of course look at their back catalogue, I give you my CB Nait 2, there’s magic in its 7.5 wpc
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