Naim Olive

I found this picture from a few years ago. I ran the 82/140 for a couple days when I was in between some boxes. It was surprisingly good.

11 Likes

My top tip: if you have a nice olive set up, keep it, service it, don’t upgrade.

5 Likes

I have now completed the Naim part of my turn-of-the-century system, with the addition of a tidy pair of 135’s.

28 Likes

This is the history of my journey to where I am now, in picture form, (my Olive Grove):

Missing are the Nait 3, and the 92R/90.3/flatcap.

36 Likes

Can’t agree more. I have very little experience of the current electronics but what I have heard has not remotely inspired me to look outside of the Olive gear whilst I still have passive speakers.

1 Like

Not so much a grove, more a shrub…

12 Likes

Do I see a 250 and a HICAP in that pile of boxes on the right? If so, all you need is an S-NAXO 2-4 and the necessary cables and you could try a wonky active system with the 135s on the tweeters :grinning:

On the right are 2 hicaps, a supercap, 250 and 180. Oh the possibilities :grimacing:. Don’t tell Mrs. G? :shushing_face:

Oh. You could use the extra SUPERCAP with the S-NAXO 2-4 instead of the HICAP :grinning:

Better still, source another pair of 135s, add a S-Naxo and Bob’s your uncle. Oh, and a bit more Fraim…

@PaulDavies, @BigAl, I made a decision recently not to get a snaxo and second 250, and to stay passive with the 135’s. I’m very happy where I am now, although I do know better than to say never.
The supercap will be used with an LP12 I plan to get next year. The rest?..

1 Like

System all looking wonderful @Graeme. What will be your 2nd system set up? Looks like you have plenty of Olive boxes to make something great.

What LP12 spec are you thinking. I have upgraded mine to Kore, Cirkus and upgraded tonearm with mods from Audio Origami and a Lingo!

Good luck with the Lp12.

Thanks @Dan_M. I’ll probably sell most of it to fund an LP12, but the supercap is staying. I don’t know the first thing about LP12’s except they seem to be the go to deck for Naim owners and I can get a good deal from our man in Leicester. I’ll be guided by him at the right time.

3 Likes

I started my LP12 journey with a vintage Valhalla ps, Akito arm with pre Cirkus bearing.

My LP12 journey involved upgrading the power supply from Valhalla to Lingo 1. Means you can play 33 and 45s. Valhalla is 33s only unless you use an adaptor.

Had a service done. Then tone arm bearings were shot, so I had the tone arm repaired by Audio Origami.

Then had a Cirkus bearing and Kore sub chassis fitted.

New cartridge, good phonostage and all sorted for now.

It’s modular so upgrades are endless with LP12s.

Great decks. Not fussy as some say. Sound beautiful whether basic or top of line. Looks like we have the same tastes!

3 Likes

Beautiful, Graeme.

The only logical next step is active DBLs with 135s on the tweeters, 250 on the mid range and 180 on the bass.

1 Like

You have chosen the right man for the job :grinning:

1 Like

Hi @Graeme the Olive Grove photograph really surprised me, as I never imagined that you kept so many of your olive boxes whilst on your journey to your destination! Congratulations on the wonderful set up.

1 Like

All you need to do is to upgrade to a CDS/PS now so that it is entirely a brown olive setup :slight_smile:

1 Like

I don’t really understand why I’ve done it @GeoffC. I don’t think of myself as a hoarder, but when it comes to my Olives, I just can’t seem to let them go. Same with my bikes. :man_shrugging:t2:

3 Likes

Hmm :thinking:

I have been holding out for grey boxes for some time now, even though I know the brown are sonically just the same. The four brown boxes came up in the last few weeks at the right price and with the right provenance. But yes, if I really want to match everything up, it would indeed be a lot easier to find a cds/ps in brown.

1 Like