Daniel Hertz integrated amp. 4 power amp stages in 2 channels with a software adjustable digital crossover. Another 2 box solution including a source. Designed by Mark Levinson at his new(er) job.
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There were some pairs of active Kans at the factory. One pair lived in the component stores area piping in Spire FM. However, they weren’t being run active, but had a set of Naim PAXOs connected to them, which worked surprisingly well.
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I first heard an active system in Edinburgh at Russ Andrews shop - Isobariks with 3 NAP250s - and was mightily impressed. My bank manager was not interested, the philistine. Eventually I bought a NAP120 and NAC22 to go with my Naim speakers - 602 IIRC, made by Mordaunt Short (also bought from Russ Andrews). I decided to try active, so made a copy of the NAP120 (I know, bad boy) and got an electronic crossover from Naim (well, one of the engineers, actually). I don’t know what model, but it was very narrow (about half the width of the NAC22) with a screw-down top on the casing. I surgically removed the crossover of the 602s and fed the speaker wires out to a panel on the back of the speakers. The difference was astounding - really good. Years late I replaced the power amps with a couple of NAP250s, then replaced with NAC22 with NAC82 (IIRC) then later still replaced pretty much everything with SBLs, 4 135s and NAC52. Relatively recently I replaced the SBLs with Ovator S600, but couldn’t afford to go active. Sold the SBLs and 135s, and bought a NAP300. Good, but I felt not as good as I expected. Changed the 300 for a 500 - much better.
But I still yearn to get a second 500 and SNAXO. I guess that yearning will never be satisfied now. What a shame.
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There must some secondhand Ovator SNAXOs out there that will crop up from time to time, so never say never…
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The SNAXO will join all the other Naim units from the past, as being only available ‘pre-loved’ from select dealers and your favourite online auction sites. All part of the fun… 
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Back in the old days of the Sound Organisation Roger and Haimish offered to convert my Kans, and more recently Norman Solomon said he could get Ian to convert them. But I never took up the offer. The Kans now cohabit with a Unitiqute; but I still ponder running them active.
If anyone’s after a 242 SNAXO, there’s one on a well known auction site currently. Sadly I was looking for a 362.
I have active Kans,over the years I have had Naim amps
from 2x Nap 120 up to 4-pack Nap 135 active,they are
amazing !
Some day I will try a pair of my passive Kans with my Nap 500 …
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Well I was able to muck around. I had passive Kans. I modified them by making the passive crossover external. So now I had the two terminals on the back, so simple to activate.
I had the advange of a shop full of Naim! We loved active SARAs, although being a bit naive we used to just use a 42 and 2 x 110s.
So the active Kans weren’t actually factory legitimate. Just me with a soldering iron.
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After 30 years of Naim I went active last year. I’ve heard active many times, DBL, NBL, SBL. Active is a revelation, we have SL2, SBL and IBL and on SL2 every aspect is improved by at least 50%. This is with 552, SNAXO/Scap and 2 x 250.2. You don’t need fancy amps, just get the best pre you can afford and fat power supply for the SNAXO.
To hear my 01 on a live broadcast via the active is an amazing experience.
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You may have tried it already but active IBLs is fun like an eighties GTI engined car.
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It’s not to hard to do. And you can just mount the passive cross over in a separate box, ala Isobarik style, so you can swap between passive and active.
Whilst you’re at it, a rebuild of the passive crossover with direct wiring of components, new capacitors and high spec coils improves the passive experience. And upgrade all cabling to Naca5 or Linn. A fun way to improve a classic.
And sure, you’ll notice the improvement with just your Unitiqute.
Later if you stumble across the right active kit then have even more fun maxing out the Kans.
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You see. I told you so 
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I have seen it claimed many times over the years that the NAT-01/NAPST is the best source component that Naim ever made (provided it is getting a decent VHF feed from a Ron Smith or equivalent aerial, of course).
My own NAT-01 is fantastic (or I hope that it will be when it comes back from a full service at Naim HQ). I have always craved the very rare XPS-T to replace the NAPST, but I gather that very few were ever made, I’ve never seen one for sale, and I have now given up looking.
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Yes ,Direct Live Broadcast on a NAT 01 is the best.
Would also like a XPS-T…
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We should suggest to Naim that, if we get (say) 30 people to commit to buying an XPS-T power supply (maybe even each putting up some or all of the money upfront), they will produce a limited run of them. We’d ask them, please, to go back to an Olive case to match the 01 head unit.
It is almost Christmas, so I must be allowed to dream of nice pressies to come.
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Me too. I wonder if you were to buy an olive XPS, would Naim Audio service and convert it to an XPS-T? The only downside would be that it would require an extra Fraim shelf.
IIRC @Polarbear has one.
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I listen to Linn DMS/PMS in active with Snaxo/Scap and also in passive tri-amplification with 3x nap 250. At this level, between active and passive, the difference is small, the external passive filter of the Linn isobarik is excellent.
My impression is the superiority with 2 or 3 amplifiers which advantage the easier result compared to a single amp of the same category; two or three nap 250’s are superior to a single nap 250. A nap 500 is equal or superior to 3x250. A pair of 135’s or a nap 300 sounds less easy than 3x250, the lesser total power output takes away from the dynamics.
A friend who owns B&W 802s (good bi-passive filtering), the result is much better with 2nap250 Olive compared to a pair of nap 135s. Same feeling with B&W 804.
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Yes, he does and he’s very happy with it. As far as I know Naim decided there wasn’t enough demand to make it a viable item and the XPS-t remains a very rare item.
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Ive been an active fan …for years.
Yes its a faf ,yes its space consuming ,can be pricey,sometimes sounds off and needs a reboot,but once youve heard your beloved speakers unleashed from their passive xovers its hard to go back …
I have both an active Isobarik and Active Ovator system , both speakers unloved by many passive ,but operated actively are massively enjoyable ,crazy different but both addictive . To me its like hard wiring the music to your brain.Its faster harder hitting clearer more understandable,more real.But it has suffered from the lifestyle changes of the modern day .
I just wish every music/hifi lover could experience a good set up once ,i doubt any would say it did not surpass the coresponding passive setup …by quite a margin
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