Naim CD51
- Thread starter oldbag
- Start date
Looks very nice 
I got a rega planet to go with my rega mira amp a few years back ( would have liked to have gone with naim at the time but was more than I could afford, well that`s what the wife said anyway
).
I`ve been happy with the set up but have now got a squeezebox on my shopping list (aprox £200ish), or if you have the cash maybe try the transporter instead aprox £1300ish
.
All of the owner comments on these network music players have rated them very highly, even against some high end cd players. you can even download the server and software music player and use over your network to get a feel of how these devices work. I`m currently listening on my laptop via wireless network connection from my desktop that my son is also using to play online world of warcraft on, no probs at all and actually sounding good via my sennheiser pmx 200 with streaming lossless flac audio files.
Just another option for you
I got a rega planet to go with my rega mira amp a few years back ( would have liked to have gone with naim at the time but was more than I could afford, well that`s what the wife said anyway
).I`ve been happy with the set up but have now got a squeezebox on my shopping list (aprox £200ish), or if you have the cash maybe try the transporter instead aprox £1300ish
.All of the owner comments on these network music players have rated them very highly, even against some high end cd players. you can even download the server and software music player and use over your network to get a feel of how these devices work. I`m currently listening on my laptop via wireless network connection from my desktop that my son is also using to play online world of warcraft on, no probs at all and actually sounding good via my sennheiser pmx 200 with streaming lossless flac audio files.
Just another option for you
I used to have a Naim CD5i, if that's what you're refering to.
Upfront sound, very boppy, but can be fatiguing on the wrong kind of music.
Personally I replaced it with a N OS DAC, which cost 1/5th of the amount and IMO sounds better.
Upfront sound, very boppy, but can be fatiguing on the wrong kind of music.
Personally I replaced it with a N OS DAC, which cost 1/5th of the amount and IMO sounds better.
Nobski, my brother is looking into a networked music solution and like the look of Slim Devices hardware. You say they are highly rated - do you have any links or can you point me in the right direction to find out more about them, other than the website? I did post a question the other day regarding storage and if anyone had any experience in these things - LinkNobski said:Looks very nice
I got a rega planet to go with my rega mira amp a few years back ( would have liked to have gone with naim at the time but was more than I could afford, well that`s what the wife said anyway
I`ve been happy with the set up but have now got a squeezebox on my shopping list (aprox £200ish), or if you have the cash maybe try the transporter instead aprox £1300ish
All of the owner comments on these network music players have rated them very highly, even against some high end cd players. you can even download the server and software music player and use over your network to get a feel of how these devices work. I`m currently listening on my laptop via wireless network connection from my desktop that my son is also using to play online world of warcraft on, no probs at all and actually sounding good via my sennheiser pmx 200 with streaming lossless flac audio files.
Just another option for you
I know he would be really interested to hear from anyone who actually knows much about it all!
Triad2000 said:
Nice one, enjoy.
Ref the question about N OS DACs. I replaced the CD5i with a Derek Shrek version (mk1), which I prefered for it's more natural and more relaxed style. That was replaced with a Shrek mk2, which did a much better job on the frequency extremes. I now have a Bel Canto DAC2, which has almost all of the naturalness of a good N OS, but then adds lots more detail (that's the big weakness of the 1543 DACs that I've heard) and also a much wider sounstage and better placement of instruments within the mix.
For transport, I now use a Meridian 500, which will be getting it's clock mod completed today. IMO using a dedicate transport is better than say a cheapy DVD player (used to use a Pioneer 575), though the improvement would probably be hard to justify in a cheap system.
Ref the question on Squeezebox. I know several people with these. On there own, they aren't the most amazing source from a sound quality point of view, though their functionality is wonderful. The people I know who have them, run them into external DACs. One of them uses a £3k Audio Synthesis digital pre amp/DAC, which sounds damn good. Note that the SB is not as good as source as a decent transport.
Triad2000
Enjoy your new cd player, I did look at the arcam myself
Thanks for the info Mr_Sukebe, all very interesting.
From a system and price point of view I`m very much in the lower leagues as far as audiophile systems go, so the squeezebox should be adequate for my audio set up although it would be nice to have a high end set up like you have.
One of the big appeals of a network player for me is having all my music available to be played either by artist, genre, playlist, shuffle etc. just like an ipod ( mp3s @ 320kps ) which I`ve taken to connecting with my amp. While not as good as my cd player its good enough while I`m doing other stuff, especially after a few glasses of wine. With the squeezebox I`m expecting it to match if not surpass my rega planet cd player even without an external DAC, so I will have all the convenience without the drop in quality of my ipod. It would be interesting to know how the transporter compares, especially in a high end set up when it comes out. One of the `mods` I will do is replace the power supply with a linear one which seems to be popular.
mark66
The main sites I have looked at apart from Slim devices, their forum and related wiki is hydrogenaudio ( flac lossless audio settings with eac + other stuff ) and softsqueeze ( software player ). Have read a few reviews from google search links and from main slim d links. You can get by with a fairly basic rig to serve the files to the squeezebox, with hard drive prices coming down all the time it doesn`t need to cost a lot to get enough storage.
Does your brother have 4000 cds to need the 2Tb of storage, that will take about 28 days of solid ripping if each cd takes only 10 mins (if my maths is correct)
What amp and speaker set up will your brother be using ?
Enjoy your new cd player, I did look at the arcam myself
Thanks for the info Mr_Sukebe, all very interesting.
From a system and price point of view I`m very much in the lower leagues as far as audiophile systems go, so the squeezebox should be adequate for my audio set up although it would be nice to have a high end set up like you have.
One of the big appeals of a network player for me is having all my music available to be played either by artist, genre, playlist, shuffle etc. just like an ipod ( mp3s @ 320kps ) which I`ve taken to connecting with my amp. While not as good as my cd player its good enough while I`m doing other stuff, especially after a few glasses of wine. With the squeezebox I`m expecting it to match if not surpass my rega planet cd player even without an external DAC, so I will have all the convenience without the drop in quality of my ipod. It would be interesting to know how the transporter compares, especially in a high end set up when it comes out. One of the `mods` I will do is replace the power supply with a linear one which seems to be popular.
mark66
The main sites I have looked at apart from Slim devices, their forum and related wiki is hydrogenaudio ( flac lossless audio settings with eac + other stuff ) and softsqueeze ( software player ). Have read a few reviews from google search links and from main slim d links. You can get by with a fairly basic rig to serve the files to the squeezebox, with hard drive prices coming down all the time it doesn`t need to cost a lot to get enough storage.
Does your brother have 4000 cds to need the 2Tb of storage, that will take about 28 days of solid ripping if each cd takes only 10 mins (if my maths is correct)
What amp and speaker set up will your brother be using ?
Last edited:
Nobski said:Thanks for the info Mr_Sukebe, all very interesting. From a system and price point of view I`m very much in the lower leagues as far as audiophile systems go, so the squeezebox should be adequate for my audio set up although it would be nice to have a high end set up like you have.
Your thoughts are exactly the same as my friend who has a Squeezebox 3 (SB3) with he AS DAC. He has himself compared the SB3 vs a good dedicated transport, and thinks that the dedicated sounds better, but frankly doesn't care because of the functional benefits of the SB3.
On it's own, I'm told that that the SB3 isn't really a match for a decent CDP, so I can't imagine a Rega unit getting too troubled by one.
Adding an external PSU to a N OS DAC DOES work. Been there, bought that I can talk about it from experience.
Cheers Mr_SukebeMr_Sukebe said:
I suppose I might eventually add a DAC to improve the listening experience ( I will give you up to £100 for your Bel Canto DAC2, lol
all I can afford 
)Currently my speakers are not set up in a very good shaped room as far as position etc goes. One of the criteria for my new house was a better proportioned living room to allow for a better set up of speakers for hifi and home cinema which I will have with the (hopefully) new house. As far as alternate power supply for a device like the squeezebox goes do you have any recommendations sub circa £70ish or higher ?
For my current set up I have a Russ Andrews supersocket and yello power extension block which I`m not sure have made a difference that I can hear, but I can see how this stage of power supply could make a difference. I would be interested on your thoughts on these type of products
With regard to your offer on my BC Dac2, as you know, this is not the buy and sell forum, and I'd get into all sorts of trouble for discussing it here.
Personally I don't know much about PSUs, only that they "can" work with the right kit. The same is true of power cables.
I tried a £70 Audusa a few years ago. Helped my old Meridian DAC, made my Naim integrated amp sound worse, and just changed the presentation style a little on my Naim CDP. So it really is suck it and see. If you do want a decent power cable, go on the Zerogain forum and see if someone is willing to knock one up. There's a chap on there who's pretty much an expert now and makes them at much more sensible prices than the normal market stuff.
Personally I don't know much about PSUs, only that they "can" work with the right kit. The same is true of power cables.
I tried a £70 Audusa a few years ago. Helped my old Meridian DAC, made my Naim integrated amp sound worse, and just changed the presentation style a little on my Naim CDP. So it really is suck it and see. If you do want a decent power cable, go on the Zerogain forum and see if someone is willing to knock one up. There's a chap on there who's pretty much an expert now and makes them at much more sensible prices than the normal market stuff.