Hi.
I have sn1 with hicap.
but want to listen olive system. so i’ve bought nap140
and finding preamp for matching this.
I usually listen to vinyl and streaming audio, but I often watch live performances on YouTube. As you know, when the volume of YouTube is not constant, a volume-adjustable remote control is essential.
To solve this problem, I purchased a remote volume-adjustable blue-sound node, but digital volume-adjustment is not very satisfactory.
I know 140 and 72 go well together, but I saw somewhere that 102 is a remote version of 72. Is this true? So are 72 and 102 similar or identical tones? If anyone has matched 140 to 102, or compared to 72, I’d like to hear your opinion
The Naim Nac 72 matches the nap 140 well, both being shoe box or half width size. The 102 is full width size and has a remote control. The 102 is the equivalent of the modern day 202.
The 72 is arguably the more popular and better of the 2 preamps. Your other option is an 82 which is the equivalent of the modern day 282.
If I had a nap 140 I would go with a nac 72 personally as it would work best in terms of looks and sounds.
72/ Hicap/ 140 was a classic setup for a good reason - for the money, it was great and it still is. Whether it is much better than SN1 plus Hicap may be down to taste, system and room, though I would expect it to be better a lot of the time (and different anywhere).
An 82 is a good deal better than a 72 but it is bigger, as @Dan_M says. More important, depending on source (not You Tube), and speakers, the uplift to an 82 may not be worthwhile for you.
FWIW, I went 72, 82, 52 over 30+ years and still use the 52 every day with a 250 power amp - the Olive kit is great!
I had a 72/HC/250 for years and loved it. Quintessential Naim for me. Wanting a remote I went to the SN1 as it was new at the time and was disappointed with the SQ which prompted me to upgrade pretty quickly.
I never got on with the 102, I demoed it with a 180 iirc, and it just didn’t do it for me. I definitely don’t think the 72 and 102 have similar sonics. The 140 should sound great with a 72 as it was pretty popular for years but I don’t have experience with it.
A NAPSC and a hi cap really are essential to make a 102 sing. But with them both, it really does sing very well. So much so, I still have my 102 setup in reserve.
So if you need a remote get the 102 Napsc and an Olive HiCap and you will have a wonderful Olive set up. More spare cash then get an 82. A sublime preamp. The 82 comes with Napsc. A HiCap with 102 and 82 will bring out the best.
I bought my first Naim Amp 20 years or so ago. I listened to a 102 v 72 with both a 140 and 180. I bought the 102 with a 140. I thought the 102 to be a little more forward and rhythmic which is what I wanted with my type of music.
The 102 was a better preamp (for me at least) compared to the 32.5 and 72. It also solve the remote question… Half box freaks have all excuses for it’s aversion.
Thank you for your answer, I’ve heard a lot that 72 goes well with 140. But there are a lot of comments saying 102 is also okay. I want to know if there is really a difference between 72 and 102.
I am satisfied with the combination of sn1 and hicap, I used 282 + 250.2 + hicap for about a month,
but I went back to sn1. To me, 282+250.2 was a bit modern, and it sounds somewhat bright.
I have two sets of speakers, so I’m thinking of configuring sn1 + kef104/2, olive set + celestion sl6si.
I’m considering 102 because it’s just too hard to get 72 and I need a remote control. 82 is over budget.
Much discussed back then.
Never came on with 102 but strange enough 202.
102 need a Napsc, 72 like a Hicap.
Both are getting old by now, count in service expenses for olive kit.
I’d like to add that if you found 282/250 bright and went back to SN1 you might want to hold back on upgrading. I haven’t heard the 102 but the 202,282,82 are all a lot “brighter” than the SN1. At least it seems so in my experience. Off course both pre and power amp counts and the 140 is also quite “bright”. Maybe it’s just that the separate boxes are more revealing and therefore is perceived as brighter. You need a good source when you go up the Naim ladder.
