I agree, although I hear a significant difference in Radio 3 on the NAT 01 vs the streamed version. Even in my office where I have a Superuniti I prefer the FM module over iRadio for Radio 3. To my ears, there is a more crispness, better clarity a “live” feel. I don’t know why this is, but good radio (esp 3 and 4) is unbeatable. As an aside the Jazz Groove on iRadio is very enjoyable despite been lower bit rate, so my take is that the way the station is broadcast seems more important for sound.
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I think this has been covered off elsewhere many times. FM radio in the UK is digitally encoded using a dynamically compressive and lossy and relatively low sample rate codec. That is it technically FM in the UK from the BBC uses lossy bit reduction using NICAM3… Online codecs use a different sort of lossy codec that is more efficient and uses psychoacoustic compression techniques… ie it discards information that most of us don’t hear.
Sure the actual FM ‘DAC’ is at the FM transmitter end and the tuner if you like is effectively part of the digital reconstruction filter… and I agree it can often sound wonderful depending on the tuner. I love FM on my humble NAT 03… but as a format it relies on digitally encoding… and has lesser resolution and bandwidth compared to most high definition audio streams.
But technically FM in the UK (at least from the BBC) is a digital format… and it relies on an old style lossy digital encoding format in the distribution network to the transmitters.
In a similar vein, most if not all modern vinyl is digital as well, but as far as I am aware don’t rely on lossy compressive digital formats… The disc, stylus, arm, cartridge, equalisation filter etc are all part of a convoluted electro mechanical reconstruction filter.
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FM transmission is still analogue and FM tuners are analogue,I think that’s why it sounds better than digital streaming.
I rather doubt that you will succeed, as they hardly ever come up for sale. People who have them know that they’re onto a good thing, so will not be minded to sell.
My NAT-01 was drifting off-station, so returned to Naim HQ earlier in the year. Now back in the system, and sounding as good as ever, thank goodness.
It would probably get my vote as Naim’s greatest ever product, although it would be a very close run thing with the (original) ARO.
But good luck in your quest! If you can’t find one, the NAT-02 is a bl**dy good alternative.
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Yes you might be right,I will have to be thankful for all the years I had NAT 01´s. Great to hear that your NAT 01 is back in business. 
I now have a Tandberg 3001A which has the advantage of being phenomenal in retrieving weak signals and a NAT05.
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You what?
On that basis a streamer is analogue as it produces an analogue signal, filters it and passes it through an analogue line out stage , and that would suggest wifi is analogue as it uses a variety of analogue modulation techniques. Sorry your statement I believe is a non sequitur.
BBC FM radio in the UK is a digitally encoded medium, full stop.
Your definition of what is digital or analogue appears arbitrary, and is based on your personal preference of replay device.
But sure you prefer the audio of content (digital) reconstructed through a tuner compared to your streamer and DAC… that is perfectly fine… I rather enjoy my NAT03 as well.
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… not forgetting the additional dynamics compression applied to the fm feed, which is not applied to internet streams - on R3 at least. More compression at ‘drive time’ too apparently - keeping the fm commuters happy!
I’ll have to compare fm and dab in the car sometime. If I can work out how to change it… 
indeed - I believe I mentioned that further above - and not only is the dynamic range limited compared to 16 bit encoded PCM - it is lossy encoded using non linear PCM as part of the NICAM3 encoding. Doesn’t stop it sounding good with the right tuner though - and it kind of shows that bit perfection as often raised in audiophile land for digitally encoded audio is a bit of a nonsense.
As far as DAB vs DAB+ … I always felt that DAB sounds mediocre and somewhat lack lustre - its codec used is one of the first of its type and goes back a few decades.
DAB+ however has the potential to sound superior to DAB subject to the bandwidth and codec used, and launched in the UK back in 2016 … and I don’t really have a complaint for casual listening with DAB+ for many stations - though I believe the BBC is still using the legacy DAB format.
BBC claims that they broadcast analogue.
BBC Radio broadcasts throughout the UK on analogue, DAB digital Radio, digital television and online .
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Final emission from transmitter - yes. Distribution to transmitters - no. As described several times earlier in the thread. I’m sure you could find independent corroboration if you wanted to.
Yes transmission is the key.
The nice warm and natural sound from FM radio may have something to do with the gigantic transmiter tube the analogue signal has to go through…
Whenever @Simon-in-Suffolk is kind enough to post, personally I always learn something. I had to look this one up!
Simon has been kind enough to patiently post on this very topic a number of times. IIRC he is located on the Suffolk coast, so perhaps secretly he is a chat bot for BT at Martlesham (old location) or Beeb’s distribution network. On the other hand, one of his excellent posts highlighted the best f&c shops to visit - which a chat bot might locate…well anywhere??
I have a NAT01 and for the “final mile” via a G17 rigged by the late great RS himself, I just enjoy the music. I best not highlight to @anon70766008 that my Nat02 is incoming later this week (there is another still available), since I previously highlighted his wasn’t in use! Pleased to hear its back in a system!
Ultimately, using a stream to FM radio, my only frustration is that the pips are way out of sync, so I prefer FM via aerial - no doubt if he has a mo, Simon can give a brief outline as to the different digital treatment?
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They do - because technically the ‘DAC’ is at the specific transmitter end of the UK FM distribution network - and so the radio is broadcast and a digitally recovered analogue signal… I think I explained that several posts back…
If you want to understand the digital encoding and decoding technology used in the UK BBC’s FM radio network since 1975 - you might find this interesting - particularly the last sentence in the summary
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l understand that, and I also hear that an analogue tuner sounds better than a digital streamer.
Hi - glad you find my musings enlightening 
You might find the link I posted above insightful.
But in short with your streamer the DAC and analogue reconstruction filter is in your streamer. With FM radio (BBC FM) the DAC is at the transmitter end - and the transmitter, radio path, aerial, tuner etc - is effectively the, albeit extremely convoluted, analogue ‘reconstruction filter’ of the digitally encoded BBC FM radio distribution network. Reconstruction filters are ultimately lossy and vary in approach design and so different reconstruction filter and analogue filter designs do indeed sound different to each other - whence why CD player models sound different from each other playing the same CD… Here your NAT is providing its part in the FM reconstruction chain… .hopefully that makes some sense… and why it matches yours and possibly many peoples’ preference.
Yes some radio tuners can sound better than some DACs and vice versa.
Isn’t it great we have choice to suit our idiosyncratic tastes.
Fascinating article. I never knew that the BBC was using digital encoding of radio in the 60’s and 70’s!
“And most people still think of FM radio as ‘analogue’…” sums it all up at the end of the article!!
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It’s good if everyone is happy 
What Dac have you found to be better than a decent analogue FM tuner ?
With all this knowledge, don’t you long for a serviced NAT01? Seriously.