So here’s a scenario for you guys.
My new Bartók Apex is more or less burnt in.
It is my intention to replace my Naim amplification, to either a Vitus SIA-025 MK2, or a Dan D’Agostino. But, nothing that has a built in DAC or a streaming capability. I only have one digital source.
My dealership has just thrown a spanner in the works, (Bless him😀) by suggesting that I upgrade my current speakers first. Which are Kudos Titan 606.
He suggests various speaker brands including the Magico A3.
If you were in the same boat, would you upgrade speakers, or amplification first.
It goes without saying, as much as I’d love to, I can’t afford to do both at the same time.
Although not set in concrete, my initial upgrade budget would be around £24,000
If you choose the Magico, as long as your current amp can manage 4Ohms speakers, there shouldn’t be any issue.
Of course, the amp will immediately become the weakest element of your system.
But overall, your system should already sound way better than with your previous speakers.
It is generally admitted that a speaker upgrade always provide the biggest sound improvements.
What do you not like about the Kudos Titan 606? You need a reason to consider changing them. It’s not as if they are some kind of bargain basement option. Otherwise you may be guilty of changing stuff at random in the hope that some kind of (undefined) magic will occur.
In other threads there has been a fair amount of advice that Naim amplification may provide a limitation eith Bartok. I do not know exactly as it is a long time since I changed my Naim pre-amplification ( with Elgar/Purcell/Verona/Verdi) but that judgement held true for me then. However that is my subjective opinion and, like subjective opinions in general, is individual.
Loudspeakers can make a big difference but that is not necessarily an improvement especially if you are content with what you already have.
Or to put it another way, a poorly chosen amplifier ( or front end) into a perfect loudspeaker will still result in poor sound. Not that I am in any way saying Nain is poor. Just not an optimal choice in this instance in some opinions e.g. @Dunc and maybe me.
Back when @Dunc started playing around going direct into his Naim 500 amplifier I brought in a Dagostino Momentum stereo amplifier on demo to go direct from my dCS. At the end, I felt my 500 DR outperformed it.
As always, your mileage may vary
PS - those are original Kudos Titan T88’s from the initial batch of 5 first built
As said my times, it’s not the naim amp that’s the real problem, its the naim pre amp.
Just remove that and go directly into your 300 naim amp’s.
Yes a fully balanced design amp should also bring an additional upgrade, but it’s that naim pre amp that will be mostly colouring the sound you have.
You will hear it immediately.
This should be your first way to go and then after a while if you like it, try and work out what you feel you are still missing.
Then you will be in a much better place to go forward
There is nothing I don’t like about my 606s. It’s not just what I like, it’s what the rest of the system likes. If I had my old Spendor A5s from 2010, then got myself a Vivaldi Apex, the Vivaldi would be non too happy with the A5’s. A complete imbalance.
My dealer didn’t say, “Your 606’s will be more than happy with a SIA -025, or visa versa”. He simply suggested the speaker upgrade.
My ideal world would be, that my 606s would sound
100 times better with a better amp (SIA-025).
Be a lot cheaper too!
Wow! I have learned a lot from Dunc. As he WAS a Naim man through and through! But he saw the light.
He has given me some great advice, which included the suggestion, to ‘try’ binning the 282 preamp.
Well, today I did. Two family members plus me, did a demo without the 282 preamp. All three of us said, “282 preamp, get your coat”!
Nop.
I was referring to keeping your Naim amp and just upgrading to Magico at first.
Now it seems the Naim enthusiasts here around think you shall not change your amp, but get rid of or replace your preamp…
So, I’ll let you with the other Naim folks
I mentioned in a reply to Greg, three of us tried it today without the 282 preamp. All three of us confirmed it was better without the Pre.
It’ll be on eBay in a week or two.
If you only have (and intend to remain at) one digital source why are you looking at an integrated amp? If you are shopping for a new amp I would at least compare an integrated with a power amp at the same price point. So, for instance, if you audition the SIA-025 Mk.II I would at least audition the SS-025 Mk.II. Your Bartók APEX has an output impedance of only 3Ω on its balanced outputs. It will be more than happy driving the 10kΩ SS-025 Mk.II directly.
