Oh yeah. Ill try again!
It is three, just cant get the light/shadow right.
Hmm, Looking top right of 72(?) & bottom right of 250(?) would appear to be not shadowed - maybe slight brilliance difference, but same hue.
Anyway, all my units are green olive apart from my NAXO & SNAXO which are definitely brown olive. A “heat issue” perhaps? They have been both reported as “running hot”, and for sure, either of my Aktiv Isobarik Xovers (from Och Aye You-know-who) can warm up the conservatory when it’s running grin:
Ill have to try again in natural light. Each of the three are each a way apart in seriel no.
The hc being 111xxx,
The 72 being 148xxx
The 250 is. 185xxx
I still reckon that 250 is a darker green than the 72! But the shadow is not helping my case.
The Colour of Olive has come up many times over the years, and Richard D. has frequently chimed in with the received wisdom.
I must have been very lucky. I bought the bulk of my system in one go (from Grahams HiFi, Canonbury in London), but added to it later.
The NAT 01/NA PST had just been discontinued (shortage of tuner head units, I think) by Naim when I bought the system, but the kind and ever helpful James at Tom Tom found me an ‘as new’ example for a bit less than a new one would have cost a couple of years earlier.
Then I added an AV1 rear sound processor (which must be in the running for Naim’s least known and successful product) and the necessary power amp (I chose an NAP250, which I also got via eBay) when I decided to add rear sound room effects to the system. I bought the AV1 via eBay and the seller turned out to be, amazingly, Grahams HiFi.
The last Naim addition to the system was an Armageddon, when I decided to get an external power supply for the LP12. Naim had switched from Olive to Classic fascias, so EBay was able to come to my rescue again.
So a varied selection of sources for the system (which has remained the same for 15 or so years).
The fascias all match well with each other, the only exception being the Armageddon, which is slightly browner in tone than the green of the others. That may be in part because the Armageddon has no internal bulb to light up at switch on.
It all looks (to me, at least) very lovely, but I suppose I’m just an overgrown schoolboy at heart!
Long fancied one of those for the study system in order to to add rear speakers.
All my olive is randomly sourced. The 72 and its 140 as described above are off with my daughter shortly. Which will mean sourcing another nac.
I’d also not appreciated that the sleeve’s wall thickness are thinner on the shoeboxes when compared to the full sized models.
D’you know, I’d never noticed that. Well, well.
Well for me it is all I have had for the last 35+ years, and I have not had ambition to move from the so-called starter system. The 62 and 140 (I have an even more modest starter system before using the 62) has sounded perfectly good to my ears for all this time.
My son has his eye on my system when I die, and hopes it will be specified in my will to avoid problems with the counter claims that may often crop up over one’s estate.
It wasn’t a huge sales success at the time (although it does a fantastic job). I have no idea how many Naim built (and I don’t know how you’d find that out). I have never seen another for sale on eBay or anywhere else.
Only ever seen one on the auction site (or may have been pfm) and that was many, many years ago. Wasn’t in the market for one at that time, so did nowt about it.
Did you ever get the LED display fixed? (your post in 2005)
Goodness, I’m afraid that I don’t remember that far back. Can you remind me, please?
I recall that I was concerned, when I first had the AV1, that the display wasn’t working. The rear sound was being processed, because the rear ESLs were certainly playing, but I’ve got used to the fact that, at the volumes at which I choose to listen, the green and red LEDs just don’t light up very much (perhaps two or three of the nine bars).
There is one amusing (and maybe slightly embarassing) exception, which is Shakira’s ‘Laundry Service’ CD. It’s a high energy Latino music production, and the displays light up for it like no other music that I have. (Maybe Naim intended it to be used for music that I don’t choose to play or maybe I just don’t listen to the right stuff.)
Anyway, I’m very happy with the sound of the system overall, and have no intention to change anything. It probably all deserves a trip to Salisbury to be checked over (and indeed the NAT-01 and power supply are there at the moment, and the CDS II needs a new transport mech).
You’re a very lucky man fergch having a CB NAT 02
So rare , always wanted one but I fear not one will become available ever
Cheers
Love the olive system update given that there are threads to indicate that olive does not not work with CB or Classic series components. We have olive CDX 102 preamp CB HiCap Napsc and Classic 200 cry like a baby over a number of tracks
My Olive system is running great just now, the serviced 82 is brilliant and my Fyne F501’s love it.
Always on the look out for a serviced NAP 250 to replace the incredibly good serviced NAP 140 there just now
The inside of a NAC72.
The modular nature of this pre-amp is genius and allows for configuring to a myriad of user requirements.
This “fully loaded” NAC72, was fitted with the following boards:
Rear row
2x. NA324/7 : Input buffers
2x. NA323/3 : Low output MC cartridge input
2x. NA328/2 : Variable sensitivity boards, with high frequency filtering
1x. NA325/7 : Switching relay, switch-on output delay
Front row
2x. NA729/1 : Time aligned input buffer boards
2x. NA321/4 : Main gain, output drive
These photos were taken when this NAC72 first came to us.
We have since made a few changes, to suit the way we use it now.
First, this is an earlier 72 version, with two BNC inputs for (1) Phono (2) Aux.
We subsequently swapped these BNC inputs for the more versatile RCA phono connectors.
The original components are all apparent.
A full service replaced some of these components, (e.g. capacitors), with new replacements.
We have also added NA326 “straight through” PCB cards now, in place of the NA328 seen on the AUX source input. (We had clones made, as actual NA326’s are rare to find).
The NA323(k) v.3 phono input boards are ideal for low output Linn cartridges. We use it with a rebuilt Linn Troika. These were changed for a later NA323(k) v.5 that we acquired and had updated or serviced.
The early 72s with 2 bnc inputs are a favourite of mine, even though i only have one. I do have two of the later variety.
It allows, as you have done, to create two RCA inputs for phono or line input. DIN there just in case.
Only one of my 72s has phono boards, the other two have their links remade. The 328 cards removed.
Have a look at the TomTom Audio website. They have a number of NAP250s available, including DR versions. But speak to James there if what they have in stock isn’t what you’re after, as he has good contacts and he seems to be able to magic up hard-to-find Naim kit (he has done so in the past for me).
He does indeed. When I’ve sought Olive units in the past he’s been able to magic something up in short order even if it wasn’t listed on their site.
Got a 250DR for my NAC282 about a month ago from a local dealer for a great price as trade in
Quite a few for sale but none at a price I am willing to pay. One will come up at the right price, serviced when I least expect it