Dump the Naim, Dump the Naca5?- or what cables to use with YBA??

So I bought a YBA Passion Integrated to possibly replace my Naim 112/150. So far I'm not that overwhelmed with the improvement, but it's only been an hour's worth of listening. Better for sure, but not hugely. Interesting I felt the same way about a Bel Canto Evo recently, maybe I just like the Naim, but we'll see once it's warmed up and I have some time.

One thought is that I'm using NACA5, which is standard wire for Naim, but possibly not that great with other amps. Does anyone habe any thoughts about whether speaker cable coould make any difference at all here?

Thanks,

Bruce

 

What's the rest of your system?

 

right, sorry!

I have a Naim CD5/Hicap CDP and Audio Physic Virgo speakers.

Bruce

 

I use NACA5 with my valve amp. It's good cable, perhaps a bit less refined at the top than some, but there's plenty worse

 

Bruce,

You've obviously gone a little way down the Naim route to have collected that system, but perhaps you could describe what change you want to make in the sound of your system.

The "Naim Sound" is clearly not for everyone.

 

Sure,

I've been thinking of new speakers at some point (the 50W of the Naim amp are good but somewhat limiting) and I know that the 112/150 sounds a bit shut-in. I just don't see myself spending what it takes to move up to where I would want to go on the Naim ladder, so it semed like a good time to look elsewhere. For simplicities sake, I thought a good integrated would be where I would start, since there seem to be many highly regarded one's these days, and I wasn't quite ready for tubes, although I did have a hybrid at home for a bit (a Unico).

My first impressions of the YBA are now that it is much better than either the Unico or the Bel Canto Evo, and probably much better than my 112/150. I say probably because it's different, and that always takes a bit of readjusting, and I have only listened for about two hours in total. It also seesm that I have an affinity for the sound of the 112/150.

The reason I brought up the speaker cables, something I usually put little stock in, is that the YBA sounds a bit flat, and that is not supposed to be a characteristic of this amp, but is something that people say about the Naim speaker cable. I've also heard that the YBA does much better if you change the stock power cable, but I also have a hard time with that (although I do have a dedicated single spur for the hifi).

Bruce

 

Glad to hear the YBA is working out for you now.

Just out of interest, did you try the hicap on the 112? My experience of the hicap is that it can "open out" the sound a little, and certainly improve the bass response with Naim amps.

I haven't heard the YBA, so I can't really comment on how it should compare, but I must admit to not being a huge fan of the stock CD5 when I last heard one. If it were my system, I think this is where I'd make a change.

That said, live with it for a few more days and see how much you want to listen to the system.

 

David,

I have two powersupplies, a flatcap on the CD5 and a Hicap on the 112. I have tried other sources, but sorta like the CD5/Hi for now. It's much better than my Squeezebox 2, but I haven't done anything to improve the SB2 yet! I came close to getting a Reslution Audio Opus 21 after hearing it in my system, but decided to keep the Naim CDP for now.

I'll decide over the next few weeks what to keep, but just wanted to make sure tha I was giving the YBA it's best shot.

BEC