I found a Japanese-made Ortofon ST-7 step-up transformer, which allows the use of a rebuilt Linn Troika MC cartridge.
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Overall SQ good with the Ortofon graham ?
Cheers
Might check out the cartridges from Grado Labs. I understand that they sound great and some should work with a MM phono stage.
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Got mine a month ago. Pairing it with my Yamaha NS1000 and Rogers ls3/5a se. Amazing little amp!
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Very good indeed - thankfully!
Really? Isnāt that kind of as @HungryHalibut would say a Mullet? I donāt think that little 25wpc Nat is a very good match for the Ā£6000 K1. You did though get the dedicated ProAc stands ?
A mullet is surely the other way round - say, a pair of very expensive loudspeakers on the end of a modest turntable and amp.
This ālittleā system sounds very good, but only Ian2001 and Peter Swain, who supplied and installed the turntable system, have heard it (of those who contribute to this Forum).
How so?
Price of speaker is no bearing of powerā¦ we are not talking PA systems here.
The Nait 50 is 40 W RMS per channel into 4 ohms (less for 8 ohms higher for 2 ohms) with a peak power of 225 Wā¦ that is quite a punch for domestic situationsā¦
Sure I would not run a night club with it, or a very large room with thunderous contentā¦ , but EDM, trip hop or progressive house into average sized rooms with suitable speakers itās phenomenalā¦ it really kicks out deep with a damping factor of 36 into 8 ohms and freq response of 4Hz to 45 kHz +/- 3dB (in fact on poor sources or content, rumble artefacts can become noticeable)ā¦ and yes when working in these sort of driving conditions give it plenty of space around to coolā¦ I prefer not to put a level above it as it can then get rather warm.
the Nait 50 in my opinion is one of the best sounding amps Naim have produced, and thoroughly deserves the best speakers and sources you can give itā¦ you will appreciate it even moreā¦ (yes itās not perfect technically, but it is extremely enjoyableā¦ and turns heads and raises comments when people are not used to listening from it)
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In total agreement with you Simon
A gem - love it
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I do see your point. Following the source first principle (based on budget) it does seem a bit mismatched. However, in practice it might work very well!
My guess is that based on whatās gone before it is likely that the āhypeā regarding the Nait 50 will calm down over time and it will find itās way into peopleās second systems or those who want a simple system in a smallish room (and like the retro looks plus not fussed about a remote control).
It seems to me that, just like the hifi magazines, from time to time, on the forum āthe giant killerā product comes along e.g Hugo Mk 1, Kudos Cardea C10 which supposedly obliterates all competition. The fuss doesnāt tend to last that long though. Personally I think that you would be better of just putting a well balanced system together with a reputable dealer and leaving it at that. But each to their ownā¦
Have you heard a Nait 50 in a suitable system and environment?
All I can say is that in 44 years of Naim ownership the Nait 50 stands out as one of my best purchases 
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I suspect they hadnāt. These comments always pop up when something genuinely good appearsā¦ I remember when the Hugo 1 appeared . there were loads of such comments ā¦ all going on about hype and hope it would go away ā¦ but that DAC all these years later still holds its own and largely introduced software defined DACs and FIR taps into the world of hifiā¦ but there were many that were upset by the disruption and denied the advancement it broughtā¦ because it was too cheap, small, not conventional enoughā¦ you name itā¦ā¦
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Your right that I havenāt heard it but thatās not really my point. I am sure itās an excellent product as is most of the Naim kit and in a suitable setup (Russell Red K50) will provide itās owner with yearās of enjoyment! For those who wish to match it with some Magico or Apogee speakers feel freeā¦
Anyway, didnāt you recently have a Chord/ATC system. Why did you get rid of that? I have always been impressed by the Chord gear! Apologies if I have got you mistaken with someone else.
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Hi, I posted it else whereā¦ I down sized from my 552 systemā¦ I got disillusioned and was listening lessā¦ I swapped away from Naim amp to Chord Ćtudeā¦ still listening lessā¦ I thought I was finished with hifiā¦ especially as this occurred with my creating and producing musicā¦ where you formally learn the techniques to manipulate sound to make it enjoyable, like time well, give pace and rhythm, be emotional, give intensity, add distortionā¦ you name itā¦ and it appeared I had seen through the hifi faƧade, and the bubble bust. Wind the clock forwardā¦
I then later heard the Nait50 at my dealer after having stumbling across it on this forum I think ā¦ my curiosity was piqued ā¦ this sounds fun, not only on processed produced music but also choral and orchestral. Yes it was not super technical, but it appeared to focus on enjoyment over technicalitiesā¦ something for the reasons above resonated with me moreā¦ listened to various speakers at price points and sizes at the dealer
I brought home on a demoā¦ but felt my ATCs were masking some of the goodness and wonderful immediacy and subtlety the Nait50 brought in the upper mids that I had heardā¦ so back to the dealer about trading in the ATCsā¦ and he smiledā¦ and said I wondered how long it would take or words to that effectā¦
We tried various speakers at home demoā¦ I wanted stand mount ā¦ had quite a few bum steers including various of the very capable Dynaudio speakersā¦ but they were not for meā¦ in the end he said try these, the Russell Kā¦ I had tried before with the 100s but didnāt gel with meā¦ too bright. I had reservations of the 50s because of the diminutive size, kind of just a bit larger than LS3a/50 speakersā¦ but I had learned to disregard pre conceptionsā¦ so I brought a pair back for a multi week home demoā¦ they worked wellā¦ not perfect, but they gave the immediacy I wanted and lovely low level transient detailā¦ voices and noises sound like they are now in your room on a wider range of tracks, I could hear more creative production techniquesā¦ it was uncanny, and they provide beautiful tonal insight to my earsā¦ oh it was gorgeousā¦ yes the bass could be a slightly loose compared to the ATCs but much of that was dealt with room treatment, but not totally ā¦ but they were more extended in the bass in my mid sized room and importantly tuneful, and I could better hear my music as I had created it in my studioā¦ another true test of an amp and speaker system are duetsā¦ where you can listen clearly to each voice in the mix hearing the performers own separate intonationā¦ they passed. So I bought a pairā¦ at least for the time beingā¦ and waved good bye to my ATCsā¦ they had served me well for many years, but I had moved on.
I still use Chord Electronics sourcesā¦ the DAVE and Hugo mk1 ā¦. But I am enjoying my new Naim amp tooā¦ and importantly I am listening most evenings again now and finding it rewardingā¦ to use that cliche I am rediscovering my recordingsā¦ wonderful.
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Interesting!
To be honest I think this happens quite often with hifi. Itās all to easy to get caught up in the upgrading cycle or latest fad (downsizing?) spending more and more money and listening to your gear less and less. Btw I have done this!
Although the technical aspects of hifi are important I feel that at the end of the day putting together an enjoyable system is a bit of an art, hence my comment about finding and using a reputable dealer to put together a well balanced system that works in your room, which it sounds like you have done.
I have also found that just swapping out various bits of kit for the latest āmust haveā product rarely works. Although I could appreciate the qualities of the Hugo 1, and Kudos C10 they didnāt work well in my system in my room.
I guess my point is it seems to me that the Naim 50 is in danger of turning into another of those āmust haveā products which is a shame as I am sure when matched well, as you have done, it is an excellent bit of kit.
Anyway will leave it at that and for those who have to purchase blind for whatever reason, as Public Enemy once said āDonāt believe the hypeā! Although I am sure in sympathetic system itās a great little amp!
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Indeed never believe hype - use it perhaps to make you curious - but always listen and decide for yourself ā¦
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No need to patronise the Nait 50 : )
I almost did the same before I heard it at home.
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Yep go listen to the Nait 50
Iāll leave it at that !
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I bought my Nait 59 blind, as I would have bet large amounts that a Nait 50 was not going to be a reboxed XS3 as some have suggested.
About ten seconds after being switched on there was a discernible difference to my Nova , and in a good way.
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