Commanding soundstage with great recordings Realistic dynamic contrasts in sound Well-defined bass

Saab-like ergonomics

Like others, I was a bit concerned about the proprietary "features" of this CD player like the DIN interconnect and the magnetic puck that clamps the CD. After listening to this unit for a very short time (2 weeks), I forgot all about the oddities. This is a fabulous CD player and one that you will hopefully enjoy for years to come. In comparison to several Arcams (FMJ CD23 & CD92), the NAIM conveyed a much more realistic sense of space, particularly on well-recorded classical music. With the Arcam's, I felt like I was listening to top-rate studio equipment, but with the CD5 I felt like I was actually in the hall. The Arcam's have a more analytical, forward perspective than the CD5 that you might prefer if your tastes are toward the most detail. I thought that the Rega's (Planet and Jupiter) were more musically similar to the NAIM, but simply not as good. Then again, the Planet is about 1/3 of the cost, so let your budget dictate your choice. I am a single guy with no accountability, so I can spend two-grand on a CD player and not be killed by a loved one. Two closing thoughts: First, as another reviewer mentions, leave the unit powered. It takes way too long to warm up. Second, all of the oddities -- DIN interconnect, CD puck, power switch on the back of the unit -- make NAIM gear the "Saab" of audio gear. Just laugh when you have to deal with the ergonomic oddities and simply enjoy your music otherwise!

Similar Products Used:

Arcam FMJ-CD23 and CD92 Rega Planet 2000 and Jupiter 2000 Musical Fidelity A3.2

transforms digital data into unbelivable music. For the price it has no real competition

shines so much more with a power supply that after you hear one with a hicap, etc. you will REALLY want a power supply too.

Very musical player... Wait you don't want to read all that usual audio adjective salad. I had an old Philips (late 1980s model cd player and loved it for many years. I listened to many other suggested upgrade players such as Harmon Kardon, Arcam, Linn Genki. Most times when I would audition these I would really try to hear how they were better than what I had. One fine day I heard the Naim CD5 and then I knew what a difference a really good cd player can make. If you're starting out on the upgrade path and already have a reasonable player but want MUSIC, go listen to one of these babys, it will blow your doors clean off.

Similar Products Used:

Philips 960, H/K 5 disk changer, Linn Genki, Audio Research cd3

Sound

Not Free to all Audio Folk

After a long time of searching - eureka!!!! It happened. My system found the missing component(s). A CD5 and a FlatCAP 2. I have combined them with a Cyrus 7 & PSX-R, connected with Chord Co Anthem Interconnects. Powering some rather wondeful Dynaudio Contour 1.8 Mk2's connected with odyssey speaker cable. Oh yes - don't forget all components are on a Nordost Pulsar Points and a Saturn 5 Audio Unit. Power block and mains cleaner by Music Works - very good. The CD5 has launched the rest of the system into space. Made it substantially better than it ever was with a NAD S500 Silverline. The NAD was good, but I was a fool not to listen to the Naim earlier. Fantastic product, fantastic performance and should be more expensive. I have listened to expensive players and more expressive amps than the Cyrus 7. But at the end of the day they like each other, i like what i hear, i feel emotional, i feel happy that i have saved money. Note: It sounds better with the Cyrus amp and PSX-R that the Nait 5. Faster attack, punchier sound. The Nait does not do it justice. My opinion only and a happy conclusion to a long expensive search for quality hi-fi at around the £7000 (everything) Also the CD5 sounds so so so so much better with the £54.50 Nordost Pulsar Points

Similar Products Used:

None anymore

Timing, timing, timing! The power & frequencies are there when you need them.

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I use the CD5 in conjunction with NAIM's NAIT5, Flatcap II and NAT5. My speakers are Totem Acoustic's Sttaf speakers. (Although my English is rather bad, Sttaf is corectly spelled... :)) It's the set that makes it great value for money. The CD5 is the most accurate CD player i've heard. My passion lies in Jazz, Vocals, Classical and Instrumental music. If you like this kind of music the set is unmatched in the $10.000 and below class (i.e. amp, cd, powersuply, tuner, cable and speakers). The NAIM products take some time to 'start-up'. After a few weeks, noticable differences could be heard in clarity and instrument seperation and positioning. I keep the equipment always power-on. Ready for take off. All the thing mentioned earlier in the other reviews are true and great. But for me, the CD5 stands out in timing. Timing is so important. The dynamics and high-frequency-harmonics found in natural instruments (glides & glitches on strings, pick & plocks on basses and guitars, hishes and air escaping with brass-instruments, oooh yes, those hi-hat little thingy harmonics which makes them sound so rich). They are all there. Life-like. And they are there no mather what happens in the rest of the music. Whoa! Great job. It's not the beat of the music which makes you tap your feet, it's this world of timing and unconcious little sounds that makes you swing. That's what makes this CD5 such unbelievable. Warning: if you can afford them, listen to the The Totem Staff speakers; if you can't don't. Warning: if you can afford the Flatcap II, listen to it, powering the CD5 and NAIT5. If you can't don't listen to it, you will be spoiled. Is there a catch? Yes there is: you can't adjust bass/treble/loudness and all that funny knobs on the NAIT5. B'cause there arn't any knobs or sliders to adjust them. And that's a *great* thing. You get what's on the CD, nothing else, just like the performer/studio intended. I believe the CD5/NAIT5 combi gives you pure music. Well, you might notice that there are a lot of bad recordings out there... ;)

True,accurate, sound reproduction. Quality build. Five year warranty. Each unit is individually inspected and signed for before leaving the factory to assure quality control consistency

You have to use the proprietary Dinn Interconnects.

The Naim CD5 represents an excellent bang for the buck. In the true Naim tradition, there is no compromise in the selection of internal components. The Naim utilizes a unique CD tray which swings open. You place the CD in the tray, and place a small "puck" on top of the center part of the CD. The "puck" magnetically holds the CD in the CD Tray. The Naim CD5 has a five year warranty. Each unit is individually tested and signed before it leaves the factory. The only drawback, that I see is that you have to use the proprietary dinn connectors, with a RCA converter to use with all other manufacturers equipment. Sonically, I tested this against the Linn Genki, and Rega Jupiter. I was most impressed. Wonderful highs, honest mids, and warm moving bass. You actually can feel the music come alive. Very accurate to the recorded material. The Linn, while being fairly good just wasn't as lively. The sound was a little bland. The Jupiter, came in very close to the Naim. But was a little more laid back. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is truly a world class CD player in the $2,000.00 and under class. You owe it to yourself to give this unit a "test drive" at your local dealer. You will not be disappointed.

Similar Products Used:

Linn Genki, Rega Jupiter, Luxman D112,

Take a listen and find out

None

This is one amazing CD Player and it truely shines in a Naim Sytem. I use a 112/150 along with a Flatcap II and this combination is amazing. The synergy between the equipment is unmatched for this price. You have to spend thousands more to achieve the level of performance of the Naim 5 series. Jazz, vocals, and even pop achieve of new level of rhythm and musicality with the addition of the Flatcap II. I am using Dynaudio Contour 1.8 mkii speakers and its a wonderful combination. Anyone with a Dynaudio speaker should look at the Naim 5 series. Email for any questions.

Similar Products Used:

Arcam FMj23, Linn and Sony 333ES SACD

Robust, Full-spectrum, Analog sounding.

A little awkward to load the cd with the magnetic button.

Finally our search is over. Thanks to all the previous reviews we decided on the Naim CD5 with the Flatcap2 amp on the reviews only, never listened in person. The sound reproduction is the finest analog sound available in this price. The reproduction was full-sounding, clear and multi-layered. Didn''t miss any instruments. Vocals, Pops, Jazz all sounded like we were there in person. We enjoyed 5 hours of total listening bliss the day we received the units. We were very disappointed in the sound of the Linn Ikeme which was very detailed in the mid-range to treble, but completely lacking in base. It left us wanting for the other half of the music. We also listened to the Arcam CD23, down to the 92 and 72, and the Rega Planet. Not even close.

Similar Products Used:

Linn-Ikeme, Arcam CD23

Perfect imaging. Reproduces the sound as recorded. You are listening to the music, not the equipment, or a price tag. Available upgrades actually make a difference, flexibility within Naim products. Questions? e-mail me at jddaddy@juno.com

Those who are looking for a CD player with "features" will instantly look the other way. (no digital out...)

If you are into audio, if you can hear the difference, buy it, if you can''t, don''t.... This review is about a CD-5 in a system with a Naim Pre 112, a Flatcap 2, and a Naim 150 amp. I have been in corporate audio production for 18 years, and have spent hundreds of thousands of other people''s money on professional sound gear, but never any for myself. I always "waited" for the right sound to come along before I spent my own money for myself. That time has come with the Naim gear. (As a preface, my speakers are Vandersteen 2CE Signatures.) I am fortunate enough to have a friend who owns a high end audio store. For years, he has let me shlep gear into my living room, hook it up listen, decide, return. That is the only way you will find what you are looking for. After carrying in every brand name under the sun, including amps that took the two of us to lift (Mac''s) he finally said, "Don''t let the size or design of this next system throw you, just hook it up and listen". I was the one hooked.... I have heard so many brands, so many price ranges, so much hype, this Naim CD-5 cut right through it. Simple, straight forward, wonderful sound. I WAS hearing music, not charts, opinions, reviews. All the details of my favorite music was right there in front of me. Voices centered between the speakers so perfectly, that friends swore there was a center channel speaker, but there isn''t. And if the voice travels in the song, you just watch it go... Highs are not shrill, just clean, mids are present when need be, and full of detail. Lows are tight, and you only hear the lows when the music plays the lows.... Also try this. Buy the Bendini Sonic Clarifier. (It''s about a hundred bucks)Listen to a song you know really well. Put the CD into the Clarifier, listen to it again. I promise you will hear a difference. So now I''m all happy and done shopping, right? Well, then we bring in a Pro-jet Perspective turntable with a Blue point cartridge. I pick an acoustic song from Houses of the Holy, and match up the CD to the turntable. I listen to one source then the other. I cannot believe how warm "this one" sounds. (The Naim preamps allow you to adjust the output volume of each input separately, so you can match them up) Now I am hoping I am choosing the CD. Wrong! Go back out to the dumpster and get the records you threw away! Analog still sounds

Awesome dynamics, bass and rythm

DIN cables and manual door opener

Mark Levinson does beat this Naim CD5 in terms of timing and the way it is so easy with music, but for the money, it is a rip off! Meridian sounds warm and instruments are very good. But it looses out on the dynamics and bass weight. Tonal quality, the Naim CD5 is very good! The Meridian had some software bugs too. Krell 280cd is too shrilly and needs a fine equipment partnership, a bit too thin in the midrange it could just be equipment matching. The Linn is too bland and lifeless which can be a good thing for others.

For me the Naim CD5 rules and is the absolute value for money. Take the FLATCAP2 if you have the extra $$$ if not, the standalone unit is VERY GOOD ENOUGH! 5 STARS FOR SURE!! STEREOPHILE CLASS A COMPONENT 2001 is NIGH ON PERFECT!

Similar Products Used:

Mark Levinson ML390s, Meridian 588, Linn Ikemi, Krell 280cd

the music, not a dead end purchase.

it takes an age to burn in

I've had the naim cd 5 for just over a year now aling with a nait 5 and b&w cdm 7nt's. This player is just amazing when i initially reviewd it aginst the above players i used a particularly awkward (natalie imbruglia) track which completely falls apart on less than ideal equipment. the arcams were murdered by it, they just pulled it apart so it sounded like 2 slightly out of sync recordings playing at the same time. the cyrus and roksans just sounded bright and splashy. the MF got it right but had no emotion at all. the naim however actually made it sound good!!!! Then the dealer smiled and hooked it up to a flatcap 2. WOW what a difference it jsut made everything gel even more i just couldn't sit still (nothing to do with the ammount of coffee i'd drunk either. Unfortunately the naim/ b&w combo had already blown my budget by about a grand but i just had to have it! so the flat cap fell by the wayside. about 2 months ago the chance for a 2nd hand hi-cap came up and i took it. what can i say, if you can, do it it's worth it. I've never heard a better cd player than the hi-capped cd 5. yesterday i listened to the MF NuVista 3D and it's ok but IMHO a Hi-Capped cd5 blows it away if you want music and not measurements.
As to the so called mechanical shortcommings of the cd5.
1) my puck has never fallen off. just put it on properly. and it's still holding the cd tightly after a year of almost constnat use.
2) naim and other manufacturers have found that a digital out seriously increases jitter and so don't have one. exposure recommended that the digital outs on it's players were cut to improve sound quality.
3) manual loading... not a problem

if you're not an audio poseur, want a cd player that just plays music in a musical manner and doesn't cost the earth then you have to get this player. then hi-cap it for the best musical experience this side of a cdx.

Similar Products Used:

musical fidelity a3 / nu-vista 3d, cyrus 7, technics generic, roksan kandy/caspian/, arcam cd72/ cd92/ fmj,