Naim XS-2

[panditji]

Finally got to writing about the Naim XS-2 hooked to a pair of Harbeth Compact 7s and am very pleased with what I have heard so far...I was earlier using a Rotel RA-1070 integrated with the Harbeths and was quite happy with the combo although the Harbeths deserved better amplification....

The most instantly noticeable improvement was in the bass as it was more pronounced and tighter which even my wife noticed...The thump coming from a pair of bookshelves brought a huge grin to my face and the naim controlled the Harbeths extremely well..

Huge improvement in the highs as well in terms of clarity and detail...In fact the details it brought out from the CDs is the biggest improvement for me over the Rotel....

It helps the speakers in maintaining the it's famous midrange well and brings out the music nicely....As cliched as it sounds, the Naim is pushing me to listen to all my CDs again in a bid to find out what I have been missing so far....

It's rated at 60W @ 8 ohms and the volume control reaches 10 o clock for listening although I have been turning it up to 12 o clock since I feel I may have been missing out on more sounds in the recording...The Harbeths are a little difficult to drive but the amp does a decent job when it comes to the loudness levels.....10 more watts could have made me more happy but what the hell...

Overall an excellent amp matching wonderfully with the Harbeths....Super combo if you don't feel like splurging exhorbitant amounts on hifi.....

 

[ssf]

Hello Panditji,

What amplification are you using for the Quad 11L ? Although an overkill, have you tried them with the Niam ?

Regards,
Sunil

 

[panditji]

Hi Sunil

My house currently is a mess due to construction and I am unable to test the different combinations....I had always used a Rotel Integrated with the Quads but would like to hear them with the Naim as well...I am sure there will be a difference as the difference showed with the Harbeths as well which have a strong signature sound and whose designer does not believe much in differences between amplifiers as long as they are designed well....

Hopefully after 2 months, I will be able to mix and match the components I have currently and comment on the equipment and combinations...

 

[Dr.Bass]

Panditji, it is a good move. Naim and Harbeth are a known combination. For the XS you need a Naim Hicap2 or HicapDR to really get it to sing and in fact you will get those additional 10 watts also once you do that. Even a minimal Flatcap2 will put a smile on your face because it will clean up the sound a lot and make tiny details properly delineated in the space. You will hear more unforced micro details which will be a big step for Harbeths musicality.

 

[ranjeetrain]

As cliched as it sounds, the Naim is pushing me to listen to all my CDs again in a bid to find out what I have been missing so far....

This is the best part.

It doesn't have to sound cliche. If it's making you listen to your CDs again, nothing else matters

 

[denom]

Panditji, it is a good move. Naim and Harbeth are a known combination. For the XS you need a Naim Hicap2 or HicapDR to really get it to sing and in fact you will get those additional 10 watts also once you do that. Even a minimal Flatcap2 will put a smile on your face because it will clean up the sound a lot and make tiny details properly delineated in the space. You will hear more unforced micro details which will be a big step for Harbeths musicality.

I wonder why these co's cannot provide such an option built into the amps itself. Or is it to make additional money by making the buyer buy this 'option'???

:sad:

 

[Dr.Bass]

If they put it inside the amp then they have to sell it for at least $1000 more, so, many will not be able to afford it

 

[denom]

Either ways, the 'audiophile' will end up buying & paying more so its status quo

 

[Dr.Bass]

Either ways, the 'audiophile' will end up buying & paying more so its status quo

Two things:

#1. Any Naim gear (I have owned a few and heard many), sounds superb on its own. They justify their price tags on their own and much more. What you get with these power supply upgrades is a modular step by step upgrade path which makes sense only when your rest of the setup is up to it. For example, if our dear friend Panditji would have been using a typical Rs.50k mini monitor, he would not be advised a power supply upgrade. His Harbeth can do more and the XS is designed to scale as you go higher on their power supply ladder, hence he is "eligible" for the next step, a flatcap or a hicap. It is worth appreciating that he doesnt have to sell his amp in order upgrade. These things become much more relevant when you actually get into a mid level Naim equipment which typically costs in the range of $5k. If adding a $1k power supply takes it one level higher, isnt it a simple path ? When funds permit, one can take the next leap and get a $2k power supply too!! The best part is, read #2

#2. All their power supplies are designed to work on various equipments. So, a hicap will help upgrade an integrated amp like Nait XS, or a preamp like the NAC 202 or even a CD player like CD 5xs. That is the reason they ultimately get consumed somewhere in the system making a valuable contribution to the over performance. In the event that you dont need a hicap upgrade there are tons of people waiting to grab it from you so the resale value is terrific. In most case I advise to buy power supplies used/preowned.

It is a flexibility, take it or not, you will enjoy the music, the Naim way

 

[arj]

...and if you do not believe in power supplies making a difference, the option of not upgrading the power supply is there

 

[denom]

Two things:

#1. Any Naim gear (I have owned a few and heard many), sounds superb on its own. They justify their price tags on their own and much more. What you get with these power supply upgrades is a modular step by step upgrade path which makes sense only when your rest of the setup is up to it. For example, if our dear friend Panditji would have been using a typical Rs.50k mini monitor, he would not be advised a power supply upgrade. His Harbeth can do more and the XS is designed to scale as you go higher on their power supply ladder, hence he is "eligible" for the next step, a flatcap or a hicap. It is worth appreciating that he doesnt have to sell his amp in order upgrade. These things become much more relevant when you actually get into a mid level Naim equipment which typically costs in the range of $5k. If adding a $1k power supply takes it one level higher, isnt it a simple path ? When funds permit, one can take the next leap and get a $2k power supply too!! The best part is, read #2

#2. All their power supplies are designed to work on various equipments. So, a hicap will help upgrade an integrated amp like Nait XS, or a preamp like the NAC 202 or even a CD player like CD 5xs. That is the reason they ultimately get consumed somewhere in the system making a valuable contribution to the over performance. In the event that you dont need a hicap upgrade there are tons of people waiting to grab it from you so the resale value is terrific. In most case I advise to buy power supplies used/preowned.

It is a flexibility, take it or not, you will enjoy the music, the Naim way

Moral of the story, once your naimed your maimed :lol:hyeah:

...and if you do not believe in power supplies making a difference, the option of not upgrading the power supply is there

Tongue firmly in cheek
:clapping: Nice one :lol:

 

[panditji]

You all are correct.... Dr. Bass is right that the Naim products on their own are very very good and having heard it without the power supply upgrade, it is a huge step up from the Rotel Integrated (their best integrated at one time).....

Denom is also correct as even i felt that the power supply should be sold with the amp if it was that significant ...but had the cost been an additional 200 GBP, it would have made sense to add it to the original product but the entry level Flatcap-2 only retails for 500-600 GBP which is quite substantial...I did get an option to buy the amp with a Flatcap but since I could not hear the difference myself (bought the amp from UK), I did not buy it....So yes, as and when I get some money, I may add a power supply or maybe get another amp if the extra cost is not justified.....

But on the whole, the Naim XS is a fantastic amplifier on it's own...It would be fun to listen to the difference a power supply makes... Does anyone know of any audiophile in Delhi who has a Naim power supply?

 

[kanwar]

Two things:

#1. Any Naim gear (I have owned a few and heard many), sounds superb on its own. They justify their price tags on their own and much more. What you get with these power supply upgrades is a modular step by step upgrade path which makes sense only when your rest of the setup is up to it. For example, if our dear friend Panditji would have been using a typical Rs.50k mini monitor, he would not be advised a power supply upgrade. His Harbeth can do more and the XS is designed to scale as you go higher on their power supply ladder, hence he is "eligible" for the next step, a flatcap or a hicap. It is worth appreciating that he doesnt have to sell his amp in order upgrade. These things become much more relevant when you actually get into a mid level Naim equipment which typically costs in the range of $5k. If adding a $1k power supply takes it one level higher, isnt it a simple path ? When funds permit, one can take the next leap and get a $2k power supply too!! The best part is, read #2

#2. All their power supplies are designed to work on various equipments. So, a hicap will help upgrade an integrated amp like Nait XS, or a preamp like the NAC 202 or even a CD player like CD 5xs. That is the reason they ultimately get consumed somewhere in the system making a valuable contribution to the over performance. In the event that you dont need a hicap upgrade there are tons of people waiting to grab it from you so the resale value is terrific. In most case I advise to buy power supplies used/preowned.

It is a flexibility, take it or not, you will enjoy the music, the Naim way

...and if you do not believe in power supplies making a difference, the option of not upgrading the power supply is there

Power supplies do make the difference[due to my field of work i agree to this], so do the profit margins, i really like the clever way of Naim in milking customers by offering a step by step offering of upgrades to improve the sonics[I do believe it actually does, no reason not to believe in it]. If you have money, get the upgrade, else shut up........and listen.

Addictive drug called Naim.

 

[mpw]

panditji,

congratulations on the setup.

Understand your place is under renovation but a pic of the system as it it would be nice.

I have the Naim Nait 5i ( which is not "upgradable" by the way ) and am immensely satisfied with the value it beings to the table at the price which i got it for.

The existence of all business is to make money.. some of them do it the big bang way.. and a few prefer to let customers have it up step by step.

I prefer the latter though as i find i never have the money to fire the big howitzer up front

Yes.. once naimed.. you are naimed :lol:

They once had a T shirt which read.. "whats your naim ?

The only Harbeths i heard was the 30.1 in singapore and they sounded very nice to my ears. I wonder what would the sound be like when paired with a Naim.

This also means that during my next visit to delhi i must set aside some time to have tea and some naim with panditji

njoi !!

mpw

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Has it got a green-glowing Naim logo? If so ...I'll buy it!

But seriously, I think Dr.Bass's reasoning is spot on and well said. I think the modularity is a very good idea.

I also think that the marketing department thinks that modularity is a good idea, and are, no doubt, very keen on making those boxes look as good possible. And they succeed. Admirably

 

[Dr.Bass]

It is normally said that this modular upgrade via power supplies is a master stroke of a genius. Considering that naim has got it so well since the 80s shows their clarity on this subject. Even today you could get one of their previous generation power supplies and add it on to the latest equipments and it is still an upgrade.

 

[anm]

Congrats panditji

 

[panditji]

Well the choice is still ours. We can choose to upgrade if we think the upgrades add value otherwise simply change the amplifier to a better one.....

The Naim XS is good enough as it is and if I get a good deal on a used power supply maybe I will upgrade if I have the money else buy something better at the same cost....

Right now it is sounding fantastic...If someone knows anyone in the country having a HiCap or Flatcap, we can all get together and hear the difference...

 

[ssf]

For me, it's affordability. A Niam 5i costing a bit more than a lakh, I would probably aspire for. A Nait bundled with a power supply costing close to 2 lakhs would make me perspire. As one gets older, wants vs needs weighs heavily on one's mind

 

[panditji]

Which is why I buy used....It is better value and the losses are minimized if not happy with the performance...But ideally a PSU upgrade needs to be heard first before making a decision for Naim products although generally people seem to hear differences....