View Full Version : Naimnet - any experience?
I'd be grateful for your collective wisdom. My simple question is does anybody here have experience -good or bad- of Naim's Naimnet products?
We are in the course of moving to a smaller property and I am coming under considerable pressure to rationalise my hifi holdings - well, more precisely, "get rid of all that lumber".
I will, of course, manfully resist but will probably lose at least one of my systems. If I don't sacrifice something, the focus will shift to the LP collection...
A cunning plan is forming in my mind.
The new place has an integrated Netstreams Digilinx system which is fine for background but not serious listening.
Digilinx is, of course, the backbone for the Naimnet system, and I was wondering if I should smuggle some Naim kit into the server rack (where you know who never goes) and thus comply with the main requirement to lose a number of metal boxes...the music is then distributed by IP to the rooms across CAT6. What is at issue is how well the stream is turned into music and Naimnet seems like an answer - the Naim amp would do the conversion duty and power the speakers and I would not have to rely on the little wall mounted amps and speakers of the integrated system.
I am no stranger to server-based music, having a Meridian Sooloos, and actually think tucking away boxes might be quite a good idea in the circs. I would also need to think about getting a Naim friendly phono stage...
Any thoughts please?
Thanks
Peter
For best SOUND in this situation, I have no qualms about recommending AVI's active speakers, which have had some develkopment and apparently sound better than ever these days. Streaming solutions have been discussed ad nauseum on their site and I'm sure they'd have as good and far cheaper solution than anything Salisbury can offer, who still try to sqeeze old wine way past its best into new bottles with all the streaming bling tacked on, the latter needing updating fairly quickly I believe as things move fairly quickly.
The only thing that I can really recommend Naim for these days is the after sales service, but you pay through the nose for that as well :(
Dave,
Thanks. I'll follow your suggestion up. One fewer box per room potentially as well...which provokes the thought that I could equally keep the Sooloos and splash out on some Meridian boxes and use the patch panel to route signal to some Meridian DSPs and live without the full integration with the Digilinx.
The main attraction of the Naim approach is that I can get decent sound and control everything (lights/heat/music/front door) from one place. As close as I'll ever come to world domination...and an increasingly attractive capability as I advance in years! The obvious flaw in the argument is that my LP habit would still have me bobbing up down every twelve minutes or so anyway....
Best
Peter
For best SOUND in this situation, I have no qualms about recommending AVI's active speakers, which have had some develkopment and apparently sound better than ever these days. Streaming solutions have been discussed ad nauseum on their site and I'm sure they'd have as good and far cheaper solution than anything Salisbury can offer, who still try to sqeeze old wine way past its best into new bottles with all the streaming bling tacked on, the latter needing updating fairly quickly I believe as things move fairly quickly.
The only thing that I can really recommend Naim for these days is the after sales service, but you pay through the nose for that as well :(
David,
I think your assessment of Naim on this occasion is a little coloured/tainted, their equipment is still extremely good from both a build and sound quality perspective - yes it is expensive, but there are good reasons for that and as you describe, their aftercare is second to none in my opinion.
P.
Right,
Deep gulp. I've done it. :sofa:
Man maths has won out and I've bought another system! So far, so good. I have broken the news to the CO and she has reacted calmly, if not with enthusiasm. (The last time we had a conversation along these lines, there was a 6 litre V12 "bargain" sitting outside which turned out to be a hideously expensive lemon, so I was expecting more pushback than I got:spank:.)
Anyway, NS01 (server), NNT02 (tuner), NNP01, NNP02 (amps), NNLS01 and NNLS02 (speakers) are on their way. And a week or two before the AV guys plumb them in to the home integration system.
I'll pair the NNP01 with my Sonus Faber Concerto Grand Pianos, and possibly a sub.
The Naimnet Speakers will go in the study, with the NNP02, and the master bedroom (with the Netstreams Amp 2000 which I already have).
Before the CO gets ideas about capital offsets, I will be boxing up my less than discreet amp, the Sooloos, the dac, the sacd player and the cdp and shoving them in the storage unit in case I decide I can't live with the new system. If I can, there will be some goodies up for sale soon.
I did audition the Naimnet kit before I bought, and it is very Naim-y, but also very easy to use off an iPad or iPhone. However, the problem with this plumbed-in stuff is that it is so location-specific, that only locating it in the flat, and furnishing the flat will tell if it's right. But I am optimistic. The previous owner had a fullish Olive set which sounded great...
Anyway, if I can repose a question I asked before, I'll now need a phono stage for my WTT/Dynavector 10X5. I was thinking about trying out a Dynavector P75. Any thoughts on the match with Naim, please? And any other candidates worthy of consideration, please?
Also, I recall that Naim get precious about what cables to use, or is that old hat? It's just that if I should be running NACA5 or something through the walls, now is the time to do it before the decorators get cracking.
Grateful for thoughts.
Peter
Mr Downs and I shall have to beg to differ on their legacy stuff, but I know of a few people who've used the Dynavector phono stage with success with Naim line inputs, so go right ahead :)
Mr Downs and I shall have to beg to differ on their legacy stuff, but I know of a few people who've used the Dynavector phono stage with success with Naim line inputs, so go right ahead :)
Dave,
Thanks
Peter
Mr Downs and I shall have to beg to differ on their legacy stuff, but I know of a few people who've used the Dynavector phono stage with success with Naim line inputs, so go right ahead :)
Nothing new there then Dave :lol: thinking back to the Epos ES14 discussions :)
Good luck Peter with your new purchases, you'll have to let us know how you get on with the system(s) and maybe even post a couple of pictures :)
Nothing new there then Dave :lol: thinking back to the Epos ES14 discussions :)
Good luck Peter with your new purchases, you'll have to let us know how you get on with the system(s) and maybe even post a couple of pictures :)
Paul
Thank you. The boxes arrive tomorrow and I'll have a little unpack then, but I then need to hand them over to my integrator.
I'll certainly post pics when all done and dusted, unless you all want a stills version of those You Tube unwrapping videos!:)
I was reflecting that this must be the first time in thirty years I've actually bought anything more substantial than a V-DAC new. At least I didn't pay retail...:D
More later
Peter
Sounds like you're going to have a lot of fun tomorrow :)
Don't worry about doing a YouTube video, prefer a few pics once installed :)
P.
Paul
Thank you. The boxes arrive tomorrow and I'll have a little unpack then, but I then need to hand them over to my integrator.
I'll certainly post pics when all done and dusted, unless you all want a stills version of those You Tube unwrapping videos!:)
I was reflecting that this must be the first time in thirty years I've actually bought anything more substantial than a V-DAC new. At least I didn't pay retail...:D
More later
Peter
Hi Peter, how you getting along with your new system?
Any pics / reviews ready yet?
P.
Hi Peter, how you getting along with your new system?
Any pics / reviews ready yet?
P.
P
Thanks for asking.
They are still sitting in the hall waiting to be installed, I hope next week.:)
This will have to do for the moment as a teaser:
http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums/w567/Kember31/8b95ece8-cccf-4847-9b29-b4e09166fa93_zpsbc060b6b.jpg (http://s1330.photobucket.com/user/Kember31/media/8b95ece8-cccf-4847-9b29-b4e09166fa93_zpsbc060b6b.jpg.html)
Sorry for the white bits - that's not toothpaste! I thought I'd better obscure address etc
I haven't wasted any time though - I got a nice set of isoblue stands for them last week from a nice man on another forum...
More later
P
P
Thanks for asking.
They are still sitting in the hall waiting to be installed, I hope next week.:)
This will have to do for the moment as a teaser:
http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums/w567/Kember31/8b95ece8-cccf-4847-9b29-b4e09166fa93_zpsbc060b6b.jpg (http://s1330.photobucket.com/user/Kember31/media/8b95ece8-cccf-4847-9b29-b4e09166fa93_zpsbc060b6b.jpg.html)
Sorry for the white bits - that's not toothpaste! I thought I'd better obscure address etc
I haven't wasted any time though - I got a nice set of isoblue stands for them last week from a nice man on another forum...
More later
P
Nice, look forward to seeing and hearing about your experiences once installed :)
P.S. How on earth can you have them just sitting there like that, by now I'd have bitten all my finger nails off and be considering starting on the toenails!!
Nice, look forward to seeing and hearing about your experiences once installed :)
P.S. How on earth can you have them just sitting there like that, by now I'd have bitten all my finger nails off and be considering starting on the toenails!!
Paul,
I'm maxxed out at work so not fidgeting as much as I'd otherwise be for the next fortnight or so. :)
And subject to the timetable of the British tradesman! Although they have been great and are doing beautiful work (most of which will never been seen. The cabling is so neat and well organised). It is a pleasure so see such pride in work.
Peter
Paul,
I'm maxxed out at work so not fidgeting as much as I'd otherwise be for the next fortnight or so. :)
And subject to the timetable of the British tradesman! Although they have been great and are doing beautiful work (most of which will never been seen. The cabling is so neat and well organised). It is a pleasure so see such pride in work.
Peter
Good, I look forward to your updates (once works quietened down and/or the system's in place) :)
Good, I look forward to your updates (once works quietened down and/or the system's in place) :)
And, eventually, here we are!
My work has quietened down, the decorators have done their stuff, my shelving system is in and the music is up and running :champagne:
11469
Main system:
Sources
[Kuzma Stabi/Stogi S/Ortofon Cadenza Blue/Whest] or [WT Turntable/WT arm/Dynavector10x5/Dynavector P75]
TEAC CD player
Naimnet DAB Tuner (out of sight in the server rack)
Naimnet Server NS02
into
Naimnet NNP01 Room Amp
into
Sonus Faber Grand Piano floorstanders (although toying with some Bastanis at the moment:lol:)
and in the study:
Sources
Xindac SACD player - headphone socket available as well
Mac Mini/MF V Dac
DAB and the server from the main system)
into
Naimnet NNP02 Room Amp
into
Target bookshelf speakers at the moment - I'm putting up some Naimnet speakers shortly.
The Naim stuff is all controllable from an iPad/iPhone or from a laptop or from the wall controllers. Lighting on the same system and heating to follow.
I can listen to music anywhere and everywhere without lots of boxes cluttering the place up. I'm very impressed with both the high quality (Naim) in the study and main systems - very Naim-y- and good enough quality elsewhere (Netstreams amps and Kef ceiling speakers).
Looking good there Peter :) and I take it that you are rather happy with your (relatively) new acquisitions?
Paul.
Paul,
Indeed I am. I had an extended listen tonight to the Kuzma with a fellow AoS member who was interested in the performance of the Kuzma arm. We had a catholic selection and the TT et al sang. :)
After tomorrow, when it is all set up and plugged in, I will update y'all on a couple of new acquisitions (because I can't help myself!:eyebrows:).
Peter
julesd68
29-01-2014, 22:46
Many thanks to Peter for a most excellent session ... :)
A fantastic selection of lovely kit, and an equally lovely and diverse collection of vinyl ... I can't help but think the Bastanis are going to prove an excellent acquisition - keep us updated on how you get on with that and the other new 'toys' as and when they arrive!
Many thanks to Peter for a most excellent session ... :)
A fantastic selection of lovely kit, and an equally lovely and diverse collection of vinyl ... I can't help but think the Bastanis are going to prove an excellent acquisition - keep us updated on how you get on with that and the other new 'toys' as and when they arrive!
Julian,
A pleasure.
P
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