After consulting Naim Audio, I got my NAIM NAP140 serviced and got all capacitors replaced after 30 years by A.K. INTERNATIONAL, authorised service centre and wow what a transformation. My Naim power amp sounds like new one. Only I find is little bit brightness. Is burnin also required for new capacitors?
Secondly, I am replacing my Naim speaker cables with NAC A5 after using A4 for 30 years. The only problem is the banana plugs which are not available in India even with authorised service centre.
Thirdly, Naim preamp NAC 32.5. Does it also requires servicing? I am powering preamp with Naim power amp NAP140.
Anyone experts can give me advise on above 3 points.
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Yes, once your NAP140 has been serviced then the new capacitors require some running-in and a little brightness at first is not unusual.
NACA5 is a good call - especially on an older amp like the NAP140. Do note the FAQ on this here. I would definitely try to get the Naim SA8 speaker connectors though. Iām surprised if the distributor cannot get them for you. I would ask again. Otherwise they are available by mail from some UK dealers online.
Yes, pre-amps also benefit from servicing.
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Running in should help but there is a slightly different sound/presentation in modern caps thatās a bit brighter. Overall, Iām solidly in favour of servicing but I understand why some people prefer to leave them original.
I would not assume that you will prefer A5. Hang onto the A4 and do a comparison before parting with it. Most people prefer A5 but I prefer Linn K20 which is the same as A4. Also, if you go for 5m instead of the minimum 3.5m then you should be able to position the system off to one side which, in my experience, has always been an improvement.
If you like the 140 changes then you should enjoy the 32.5 service. Bear in mind that any authorised agent should service all the cards in the 32.5 for the same fixed price, so donāt be afraid to load it up with two pairs of phono cards, if you have any spares.
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Hi viraf53
Just read your post with interest because I to have a Nap140 (and Nac62) which have both just been serviced for the first time in 36 years! , and like you, wow what a huge improvement. I guess they deteriorate very slowly and you just donāt notice over time. They were a bit bright to start with after the service but have improved with some dozen hours of play.
Now let me step back a bit to last year. I read an old review of the 62/140 + HiCap which was obviously very complementary. However, at the very end the guy said out of curiosity he tried it without the HiCap and it just lost all its sparkle (relatively ā still very good in comparison with other amps). He reconnected the HiCap and the music came alive again. I could never afford a Hicap when I bought my stuff in the 1980s but bought a second hand one after reading the review thinking if it didnāt make much difference then I could always sell it again. But wow it was absolutely true. Huge difference, even considering my 62/140 were in need of a service too.
The point Iām trying to make relates to your stated desire to replace the A4 with A5 cable. A5 is quite expensive (In UK about 7 times more expensive than Linn K20 which is basically A4) and arguably not a huge difference in SQ . My advice would be to cut off the old banana plugs on your A4 and replace with new ones. Use the type which fix the wire in place with a screw, but then fill the remaining gap inside the plugs with solder to give a really solid electrical connection. I think the point about Naim plugs is that they are nickel plated like the sockets on the amp so long term you donāt get any dissimilar metal corrosion at the point of connection. Gold plated banana plugs are probable just as good ā many here use them. Trying this wonāt be expensive and may actually improve the sound and save you having to buy new cable. I use Linn K20 (two 10 metre runs) and it is very good although Iāve never heard A5.
What you save could be put to buying a second hand HiCap (although I donāt know if you can use a HiCap with a Nac 32.5). Obviously not easy where you live, but worth considering. It would make a much bigger difference than replacing A4 with A5 imo.
Happy to be corrected if Iām wrong on any of the points above! We all learn from each other.
As an aside, Iām blown away how good my modest set up is now after the service plus all the other small changes Iāve made recently. Its never sounded this good in all the time Iāve owned the kit.
Best regards. Gordon
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Agree with almost all of that. But - take care, if deciding to re-terminate A4 or A5 (or K20).
See this Thread for lots of good advice, on the hows and whys:
What is there to service Naim NAC32.5 preamp. It has one motherboard and lots of plugin daughter boards. Changing components on daughter boards make any difference to sound. I am not technical savvy person. Please advise what components to change in my preamp.
When I had my Nac62 / Nap 140 serviced they changed 24 tantalum capacitors (among other things). Not sure how many were in each but lets just say 12. Tantalums are a type of physically small electrolytic capacitor and deteriorate over time, like all electros. Replacing them is essential to improving the sound quality. They look like small coloured beads. There may also be other normal electrolytic capacitors in the pre as well. It does not make sense to just service the Nap - they both work together as one.
Regards. Gordon
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Replacing the original capacitors on the plug in boards will change the sound. Itās an overall improvement to me ears. Clearer and more tuneful. Perhaps the timing isnāt quite as āon itā but overall I prefer serviced cards.
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The main reason for servicing or āre-cappingā - is changing capacitors. These deteriorate with age. Fitting news ones will restore the performance of your Naim box to how Naim originally intended.
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On my Naim nac62 especially since it has not been touched once, I recapped it with newer tantalums, the most important thing is these old tantalums measured terrible on the ESR (Equivalent series resistance) part. Changed it and the whole unit sounded different, sounded less hazy and more clear. Sounded bright in the beginning but after some time it settled down.
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I know Hi cap makes lot of difference in sound quality. When I bought 32.5/140 from Riyadh, I could not afford to buy Hicap simply because I lost my job in Saudi Telecom. My contract was renewed but suddenly they told me to go home in a day. Hicap is not available in India.
Is changing of SNAIC 4 pin din to 4 pin din cable connecting pre and power, will buying a new one will make a difference in sound quality. Does the cable also requires servicing if so in what ways.
Please reply.
It depends what SNAIC4 cable you have. If itās an early grey one then changing for a later black version is very worthwhile. Otherwise, as long as itās a genuine Naim SNAIC4, then Iād leave it alone. No servicing is needed here apart from an occasional power down of the system, unplugging the cable then plugging it back in to clean the contacts.
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some more information on SNAICs can be read here;
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Helpful page. Thanks Richard.
There seems to have been two original grey Snaics. Thereās the one in your link and a thinner version with less black banding each end. Do you know which was sold with what components or when? I wondered if the thinner version was supplied with cheaper 42.5, 110 products. They sound a bit different too.
There has been some minor variations. I think there was an early one that was a bit thinner, before the SNAIC.
Not sure what you mean here. Before the SNAIC was ābornā, what you got was a ānormalā interconnect, with 4 pin DINās.
I bought my first Grey SNAIC, in 1985. Which replaced the 4pin DIN i/c which came with my 42/110, bought in 1982. I got my first Black SNAIC, in 1999. In both cases, they were not long introduced, AFAIK.
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Thanks gents! Makes sense. I didnāt realise the thin cable wasnāt actually a Snaic.
I do prefer the Snaic. The bass is fractionally out of sync using the older cable on 32.5/160. I will try the older cable on the 12/BD160 though in case thatās different.
SNAIC, as a term, has become a bit generic, amongst Naim I/Cās.
The non-SNAIC could be called a NAICā¦ 
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Just compared the pre-SNAIC thin grey cable to the original SNAIC with the 12/BD160. Bass is completely in sync using the old cable (unlike it is with the 32.5/CB160). Also, music via the original SNAIC sounds a bit hyper and rushed on the 12/BD160 in a way that it doesnāt at all on the 32.5/CB160. I will have to compare them on the 42.5/110 sometime.
Iāve tried the thin cable vs snaic between 42 and 110 and would agree with your findings that the sound is more cohesive using the thinner one.
I also have a NAT101 & snaps but the effect here is less obvious.
The thin cable is in fact an āinterconnectā so each core is individually screened - left and right and the power rail are effectively separate from each other whereas in a snaic, all cores are combined under one common screen.
Now Iāve opened that can, let the worms commence!
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