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Naim headline 2 impression

post #1 of 75
2/26/09 at 3:53pm
Thread Starter 
hi, Anyone have tried this amp before? please share your impression
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post #2 of 75
2/26/09 at 5:04pm
Yes, it is one of the best SS headphone amps I have heard. It has the usual toe-tapping voicing as other Naim products, with the add-on power supply it is very transparent and detailed. So - musical, transparent and detailed - another high quality Naim product. It generally appeals to the more cerebral, self-assured types.
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post #3 of 75
2/27/09 at 3:03pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks Frihed89 for the sharing.

Anyone can share the impression on different using power supply?
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post #4 of 75
2/27/09 at 6:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frihed89 View Post
It generally appeals to the more cerebral, self-assured types.
It appeals to me.

Seriously, I'm interested in more opinions regarding this beautiful looking amplifier. When the HD800 comes out, I can't wait to audition it with it, and probably with a Naim CDP as well.
I too am curious about the improvements that come with a power supply other than the standard iSupply, which already looks like an above-average wallwart to me.
I know there are a few positive impressions about this amp out there, but there does not really seems to be concensus about the power supplies.
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post #5 of 75
2/28/09 at 7:29am
That is because hardly any one, here, owns the Headline. There is one for sale now on Agon with the NAPSC power supply. This has a much bigger transformer and more filtering than the plug in. The difference is large in terms of greater transparency and more detail. It also brings greater dynamics and, seemingly, better articulation of the instruments in your brain. The PRAT factor also increases somewhat. All-round, there are big gains. Buy the plug-in power supply and upgrade later if you feel squeamish.
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post #6 of 75
3/3/09 at 1:49am
ztsen,

I use it to drive either Grado or AT W5000.

As far as the PSU goes, I found it depends on the cans. I'm perfectly fine with a NAPSC with the AT fones but prefer it with a HiCap with the Grado RS1.

Interestingly I've heard a bigger improvement on a AT W5K over the Grados when I was using the SuperCap.

A NAHA turned out to be one of the most capable amp I have ever used.
( I wasn't expecting much as it looks like nothing )
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post #7 of 75
3/17/09 at 10:54am
mine just arrived and straight out of the box it is absurdly good, using it with napsc. first thing i noticed was that i was instantly jamming along (i can't sit still as i'm typing this).

but in terms of sound, definition was what popped into my head. leading edges are bloody precise but not harsh. there's a slight warmth in the mids and bass is fast n punchy (might be lean for most people). my slow sounding audio technica wooden fones (w10vtg) no longer sound sluggish. it's almost like a whole new fone! basically gave it life and is one hell of a combo now.

there is almost no decay and soundstage and i don't miss it at all, but those aspects are not something i look for to begin with. despite this, other hifi aspects are there in folds. transparency, resolution, detail, etc...

anyways, it easily gets my praises. give it a try.
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post #8 of 75
3/17/09 at 11:09am
Thread Starter 
Can you show the rear side of the headline2, I cant find any picture for the rear. Is the RCA connector fixed at the rear or a extension wired with RCA connector?
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post #9 of 75
3/17/09 at 12:16pm
it is a permanently fixed cord (extension like you say) with a DIN connector at the end. however they do have a version with rca jacks at the end which is what i have. therefore you don't need any other cable as it hooks up directly to your source. i didn't realize this when i purchased it and bought a great set of interconnects only to find out i can't use them. but it sounds great with the cable that is connected to it anyways...

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post #10 of 75
3/17/09 at 1:48pm
Thanks for the impressions, panda. I like the idea of the attached cord that is directly soldered to the PCB. The less connections, the better.
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post #11 of 75
3/18/09 at 8:07am
Thread Starter 
then we will not have the choice of matching of cable..
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post #12 of 75
3/18/09 at 8:36am
True, but the Naim cables that come with their equipment have a very good reputation. On top of that, I still think that less connections do more for the sound than a fancy cable.
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post #13 of 75
3/20/09 at 3:08pm
it doesn't matter, naim wire is good.
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post #14 of 75
4/29/09 at 11:38am
I'm thinking of making the trek to hear one of these. At first I thought the value was excellent - around the same price as an XCan V8 in my country. Then I was told the power supply would cost close to another $400 But then I realise I can save a couple of hundred by not being tempted to shell out for interconnects.

My experience with decent SS head amps is very small - I once heard a Perreaux that I thought sounded excellent, but for it's silly volume control.

I once owned Naim's entry level integrated amplifier back in the early 90s. Can't even remember what model it was, but I remember being extremely impressed with the build quality and sound.
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post #15 of 75
4/29/09 at 3:49pm
That's the cost of the NAPSC I assume. The iSupply is a lot cheaper than that, so you can wait with the NAPSC for a while if you really want.
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