Nait 50 downgrade?

Just to follow up, I’ve tried the Nait 50 with many speakers both easy and hard to drive. Sensitive and not sensitive. We also moved to a different home during this time and tried in two different rooms.

Quad ESL, Acoustic Research AR3A, Spica TC-50, Fink Team Kim, and now Klipsch Klipschorn. The Nait 50 worked well with all.

I have been on a quest to arrive at a system to take me forward for the next several (many) years and resultant corner horn purchase. Several different amplifiers are here. The Klipschorn really highlights the characteristics of different amplifiers.

Of all the amplifiers tried in the past few months, my head tells me to like the single ended triode valve amplifiers more than others but the heart says the Nait 50 is the best. The Nait 50 is absolutely thrilling on the Klipschorns and every listening session is like a special event and hard to stop.

I will give the SET/SEP and it’s ear friendly distortion curves one last try and having an amp made from my spare stash of tubes (46…directly heated pentode).

I would say the limitation here is mostly the other components on the system much as to what @Simon-in-Suffolk has indicated.

Another great integrated amp indeed, went from SN2/HCDR to Aethos.

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I currently use only streaming as a source. With Nait 50 in my room it’s always a narrow range around 8:45 that sounds 90% of the time.

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I know from my own experience (albeit with only a slimline setup), it’s very, very hard to get a ‘full’ active Naim system to sing. It really is so uncompromising in every single way. However (and l doubt some ever get there), once ‘truly’ singing, nothing will touch it, when compared with a similar passive setup.:fire:

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it looks like its in the marketing copy that most dealers carry

" The ultimate listening experience

Fully regulated 25W of power per channel, three input selections (MM phono, Stream, Aux), a discrete transistor MM phono stage: NAIT 50 combines power, performance and versatility. It reproduces the most exacting dynamics with all the confidence and authority we have come to expect from a Naim amplifier. It can be linked with all loudspeaker types, as well as a streamer, for the ultimate hi-fi system."

So if the above is wrong - there could be an interesting trades description case brewing…

I seem to remember that someone qualified from Naim mentioned about the new Naim specified drivers that are used in this amp and others in the product range… can’t find the reference right now

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It came up in the original NAIT 50 thread. Read down from here

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They changed it. It initially said it was based off the 250. Hence the questions about whether regulated and the answer was no, not regulated. I also vaguely remember something about the transistors…think they’re just using the older.

I don’t see how they could fit such regulation in that case.

To me, doesn’t matter. It’s a brilliant amp. Also looks brilliant and the volume knob feels brilliant in use. Never thought I would say but I the look over my Olive Nait 2!

I think you might look at the pairing of the Supernait and ProAcs and your room. I originally auditioned a pair of D20rs in my listening room which is 3m x 4m and they really didn’t work, overloading the bass and tending to sound thick at low volumes. I’m guessing you can’t pull them away from the front wall into your room by the minimum 25" they need because of the dimensions of your room.
The D20r is a fantastic speaker but needs space and a bigger room, and perhaps a bigger amp like a NAP250dr or similar not smaller. Just a thought.

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For my Friends Max B and Claunc, this is probably the best system i have at home. I have mixed sensations though. Sometimes a little lean, sound not so out of box like the Sats all we know excel. Snaxo Is with factory reccomended setting, i could try moving up the bass a notch.

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£1450 at my local dealer and still no sales !!
Sorry to be controversial, but this is sounding more and more like listen to my hi fi than listen to the music.

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If you were alluding to my comment above. I have Naim sbls. And high volume in my small room is not high volume for my speakers. Sbls is not hard to drive. But they need quality source and amplifier. In a small room the Nait 50 has all the quality that is needed.

Well as of this morning I search for ‘Nait 50 regulation’ and it pops up in many dealer places on the web in marketing product description for the amplifier.

I see however the main Naim product description at Naimaudio.com has been updated to remove any ambiguity.

Not specific to this issue, the wording looks wrong in places on the marketing web layout for the product, like you get when something is poorly translated into English… bizarre… one example the word ‘design’ is used instead of ‘dimensions’ or ‘physical dimensions’. Another is the inconsistent use of comma and full stop to represent decimal point. Doesn’t give the impression of quality and reduces trust and confidence of what is stated :roll_eyes:

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Sorry… what’s your point about listening to music and hifi… and why would listening to music via hifi be controversial? This is a hifi forum? You have me scratching my head on that one…

One thing that appears to set the Nait 50 apart is the phono and preamp stage use a +/- 12V supply rather than the traditional + 24V

I say appear as this is based on my squinting at photos of the internal PCB printing, perhaps @110dB would be kind enough to clarify ?

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I’m guessing that as the potential difference between 0/+24 and -12/+12 is still 24v, it doesn’t matter.

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Hi Simon
I suppose another way of putting it is do we recognise that different is ok in terms of sound , and that better will always be subjective.
Perhaps the right approach is to opine that x is more “pleasing” than y. That’s great because it’s personal rather than absolute.
Just my view

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I see, I totally agree. Many of my musings on here reflect exactly that, the audio recording and replay chain is relatively so compromised that recording productions, replay equipment and speakers focus on sounding appealing or engaging… what some might term ‘musical’. However that means that subjectivity is in the equation, and therefore personal preference. Additionally we deconstruct sound and music all differently in our heads… therefore in a compromised chain where choices are made, one size can’t or rarely optimally fit all. This is why it’s so important to listen and decide for yourself.

I am sure if you are like me you sometimes hear others’ über hifi replay systems… and to my ears they sound poor… but to them it will be near perfect. I suspect they would not get on with my replay system either. But equally we know people / friends who hear music and sound the same way as we do… and then our systems and replay preferences tend to match.

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Post ~386 in above thread from @110dB:

“The Nait 50 does not have regulation for the power amp section.

  • Have we an error in our marketing material?

DR regs would not fit inside (doubles the size of the power amp section)
It still kicks out a heathy 225W peaks into 1ohm“

On your latter point, the new Naim website was discussed a while ago. Seems it was constructed via AI and hence all the odd wording, missing information, untimely graphics, and mistakes. Shame as the old website was very good and informative.

Back to the Nait 50, I don’t have a concern about the design as relates to sonics or aesthetics, as we know it’s fantastic. There are indeed many people who preferred the non-regulated amplifiers.

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Indeed, I remember seeing, however also thought it had been fixed… perhaps other than the regulation error the Nait50 pages haven’t been addressed yet? I don’t know, but as a shop face to a brand and firm I am fond off, it doesn’t feel good enough. I certainly wouldn’t accept that for my business. Initial impressions and all that….

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