Naim Olive

Which power amp, Mr. T.?

suzy, it’s a 250. Sounding very sweet with the 102 up front :wink:

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I like an olive with my CB sandwich

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Bet that sounds good @GrumpyOLDvinylJUNKY . Often surprises me how well the P2 grooves along with standard conical mm.

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Well I don’t know yet,
Waiting for my MM BOARDS to turn up🤣

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Nice to see the SBL. Thought you had a mk1 - this is mk2. You might take a minute to re adjust the upper „tweeter box“ :grinning:

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The /4 322 boards are worth getting, but very hard to find nowadays, Naim/Class A serviced of course.

I have a P2 so not actually heard the old Planar 2.

Youll need E boards converted from MC boards for that 10x5. Trust me.

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Any of the 323/523 boards - S or K - can be converted to E.

I have 523 E’s in my 82, with my DV10X… :slightly_smiling_face:

I was up in my loft the other day. Found a serviced pair of 322s, unserviced 323K and a set of 326 boards. Not that i currently need any of them!

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Ha ha, been waiting for someone to say that,
Yeah I know,
Not really bothered at mo,
As I’m taking them apart, cleaning them up, moving them to my place,
rebuild and new gasket seal,
Good news on mk2,
I thought they were 1’s
Thanks

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Really ffs, just spent money having MM boards recapped,
That’s good to know, thank you,
At mo, I’ve also got 322/2 boards, can they be converted?
Thanks

No. Only 323 or 523 boards cab be converted between S,K & E.

Changing between S and K is a very easy change I believe - just 1 component. Changing from S or K to E is more significant.

My 523 E’s were S’s originally.

Why won’t the 323 work?

322s will work but sometimes the output of a “high output” MC is about a quarter of a proper MM so 323Es can often work better.

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Both the 135 CB and the nap 250 CB are fitted with Holden&Ficher 500VA transformers. The 135 and 250 Olives are fitted with Nuvotem-Talema 600VA transformers, which are bulkier and heavier. The listening differences between the CB and Olive; in my sole opinion, the CB sound is softer and warmer, with a more prominent midrange. The Olive sound is dynamic and clear, the listening range is wider; the very good revealing sources, CD players, turntables … give an advantage to Olive live music; for me. Naturally, the difference between CB and Olive is a matter of personal preference.

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I had always intended to get to the 52 - it has long been my dream pre-amp but I have certainly read opinions that a good late 82 with POTS 8 is better than an early 52.

Now mine is a very late mint 82 and was serviced by Naim earlier this year and I love the thing so there’s a part of me that thinks maybe I should just get a supercap and stop there rather than going to the trouble of finding a 52 with all the associated cost plus the issue of buying something which may have been modified, abused or at least not serviced. I would certainly be interested to read experiences of those who have moved from 82 to 52 because it’s a direct comparison I have never done. I’ve heard both amps sound fantastic for sure and in fact I’m still staggered by how good my 82 actually is (and I speak as someone who has had a 552 a 252 and currently a 332 in the system on review at various times!)

I do wonder if the 82 is actually something of a sweet spot in the range, given how affordable it is and just how visceral it sounds.

One of the things that has struck me recently with the 300 series here just now is that it represents something of a shift back towards the exciting and dynamic sound of Naim back in the chrome bumper and olive era - but with added refinement. It strikes me as more exciting to listen to than the classic range - I’m certainly finding it very involving - it hits very hard and fast…

JonathanG

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I wondered the same thing @JonathanG as my 82 was one if the last ones made. But……I got an offer of a mint mid release 52 (pots 8) for a very good price (well below ebay etc) from my dealer in York.
The difference was better than expected, mids especially just shone and the whole listening experience just made me smile more!
I also much prefer it to the later 252.

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What others have said, mm /322 will work. But 323s converted to E so much better. I had 322s with a 10x5 cartridge it was ok/not great. The E is excellent.

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The change from H&F to Nuovotem occurred around the end of 1992/beginning of 1993, AFAIK.

Not sure how this aligns with the CB-to-Olive change…?

@Richard.Dane - ??