Focus 160s

Btw, how's the supernait treating you? Can you compare to your bryston?

Jax, the SN2 is combining with the 160's very very well to give me pleasing audio experience. The high current provides great grip of the drivers for a strong bottom end. Listening to The Dark Knight soundtrack is really neat and exciting. Clear defined bass. The staging is noteworthy, too, even with my LCD in the middle.

I didn't have my 4B with the 160's (to compare both amps, in similar settings) but I will say the bass is similar (yes, you read that right) on the SN2 and the smooth overall balance of the 4B is also present in the SN2. The timing is where I have noted a difference between the two sounds. The coined PRaT is a real thing. Mids on the Naim are also nice and weighty. Overall, both house sounds are very enjoyable. I could have kept the 4B but better synergy with the 160's was key for me.
 
Ooo, those do look fab in gloss black! Sweet!

Here's my advice, go download (hi res only of course) a copy of the album "water" by the beautiful girls. Put that on and crank that naim dyn combo. :evil:

Il have to check that out. The Batman soundtrack is pretty kick-ass, too.
 
I did compare the Naim XS directly to the V70se when I had it. When I bought the C1 sig I bought my dealers pair from the first shipment in the USA. As they broke in (450 hrs) my dealer had a client from California that wanted to hear them with a Naim XS which he had. So Tyler loaned me the XS and P/S with a cd5. Had it in my home for 3 days. I was somewhat surprised how close it sounded to the V70se. With the slight edge going to the Octave having a hair more 'control' in the music. Both had the PRaT that I really liked when I first heard the Naim. I did also notice a slight midbass hump with the XS.

I never directly compared the SuperNait although I was within a hair of buying one after hearing at my dealer when I was looking to replace my Bryston B100sst. But while I was thinking about it I got a wild hair up my butt to try tubes. My thought was instead of buying a new amp I could just swap some tubes. As it turned out my dealer Tyler at NextLevelav had a customer who changed his order from the V70se to the V80 just after it shipped. He brought it over to my home for a 3 day demo. Well it just crushed the Bryston in every way. So I snagged it and never looked back. I'm having a ball rolling tubes. With the right combo I can change the sound from very detailed and linear to warm and musical. Then I had the opportunity to upgrade the the V110. Figured why not because even though the V70se can use the KT120 it can't deliver any more power. The V110 has a switch on the back to change the plate voltage to 620V (110w) from 540V (70w) so I can use all of my EL34's - 6550's and KT88/90's.

Thank you for the write-up, George! I have been eagerly wanting to hear first-hand accounts on the difference between these two brands' integrateds. I am glad to hear the tube rolling is giving you all you want with catering the sound to specific moods and/or music genres.
 
Sean - It's been a week and was wondering how the break is going? Do you leave the SN2 on 24/7? That is what Naim recommends. I leave my uniti2 2 Ndac and PS5 XS always on.

Thank you for the write-up, George! I have been eagerly wanting to hear first-hand accounts on the difference between these two brands' integrateds. I am glad to hear the tube rolling is giving you all you want with catering the sound to specific moods and/or music genres.
Again I almost bought the original SN but the Octave just beat it out. Add the black box and some extra tubes and your talking some serious coin. Of course if you add the ext P/S you'll be close to just the V70SE. I've been reading the Naim forums and the SN2 is getting great reviews over the original SN.

How many hrs on the Dyns?
 
Hi George, thank you for the interest. I do leave the SN2 on 24/7. It has been turned off a few times (speaker movement, storms, etc) but it's been on now for almost two weeks straight. With that being said, not as much music being played as I would like but things have just been a little busy. I have been out of town all this week but hope to get more time in this weekend. I would say I have less than 50 hours of music on the Dyns. They are very pleasing, but I can't wait to hear after they evolve into their final sound.

Also, within the next month I hope to add a decent DAC (with E's help) and run hi res material via JRiver on my laptop. Excited for that.
 
I have found the Naim to run pretty cool, too. Fairly similar to the Bryston 4B SST2 I had previously. Maybe a tad cooler than the 4B.
 
Hey Sean - You're right!! Great in the winter but it fights the AC in the summer :( . Good news is I'm getting a new furnace and AC installed this weekend. Should be a big help especially in the summer. Going from a 12 seer AC unit to a 21 seer. Furnace is going from 80% to 96% efficient. Saving should be enough to hoard some more tubes LMAO!!!
 
Just a friendly bump for an update on the break-in process. This has been a great thread!

And Sean, congrats on a very nice setup, hope you've been finding time to enjoy it :)
 
I am still loving my Dyns. They do everything I need them to. The Naim compliments the tough load and the system plays plenty big. I am saving my shekels for a DAC as it's clearly the weakest link. But for now, music has me enticed.


Just a friendly bump for an update on the break-in process. This has been a great thread!

And Sean, congrats on a very nice setup, hope you've been finding time to enjoy it :)
 
Sorry for the delay - the Dyns (and Naim) have been with me for about 9 months now, I believe. Only about 2 months in this configuration, though.

I think the room would very much benefit from acoustic panels and bass traps.

Nice Sean! Just get?
 
Okay, who thinks the Job INTegrated can handle the 160's?


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