A six pack would be quite wide
I stack my Naim monoblocks on the bottom two shelves of my brawn stack.
Nellie is well chuffed with that configuration.
Who’s tempted - I am for sure. Will be getting a listen with the hope to add to NSC222/NPX300 and driving Titan 606s
That said, I’m also going to look at 2 x 250.3 active…
Hi @Smoothfidelity,
Decades ago
Other brands did do matching many years ago. Also about 25 years ago Naim built a jig to match transistors, they were previously measuring by hand. 128x transistors were loaded into a jig (not guaranteed to be from the same wafer). It measured the turn-on voltage and gain. Then sent the results to a PC via RS232 for matching. The PC then sent signals back to the jig and would light LEDs next to matched pairs of transistors. Generally half matched. The pairs were then put into paired kits. This jig is still used today for some transistors.
Naim also matches resistors and capacitors in critical areas such as filters and feedback circuits.
Off-site matching
To my knowledge Naim is the only company to use multiple parameter, single wafer die matching. I could be wrong, it’s been 10 years. It would be interesting to know of others.
I wanted the parallel transistors in Statement to be a close as possible to genetic twins and behave like one big transistor, secondly to complement the two halves of the push pull output stage. Our semiconductor partner went above and beyond to help us achieve this.
Each transistor is serial numbered and parameterised. Measuring turn-on voltage and current gain at different currents. The results are put through an algorithm and matched, the matched serial numbers are giving for kitting. This is done at the transistor manufactures plant where a constant temperature is given.
(Transistor parameters vary with temperature. If a transistor is held between fingers to measure it, it will heat up. This will limit the accuracy of measurement)
Best
Steve
Thank you. Are the parallel transistor pairs used in the 350 matched the same way as the transistors used in Statement?
Hi Steve. Thank you for your input here. I’m sure I speak for many when I say that it’s appreciated.
A question that I hope politics won’t restrict an answer. How go you think that 6 x 350 will compare with 3 x 500 into Kudos 808’s all things being equal.
Hi @Smoothfidelity ,
Yes, The NA009s are matched in the same way. Just a new algorithm as there are only two transistors in parallel.
…I’d like to hear either!
I’ve not listened to 350s on Kudos, so hard to answer.
Maybe others have listened to 250s VS 500s on Kudos Titan range?
(A great dealer called Ross with a shop in Chester has done NAP 500DR vs NC NAP 250 active on Kudos 808)
Yes Steve as you know Ross is my dealer .
I hope that the dem can be arranged as and when the 350’s are released. I’m looking to spend somewhat less than full Statement power amp price as I’ve been told that a very smart guy is developing something special Streamer wise
I’ve been told that a very smart guy is developing something special Streamer wise
Interesting @Cohen1263 . Probably linked to the vacancy currently live for a FPGA engineer? Or are you imagining separate streamer and DAC?
Peter / Cymbiosis have been running 808s active with 250dr for some time. I haven’t heard them myself but I understand that some people prefer the 250s and other prefer the 500 (I have a 500 with mine).
I am going to listen to Ross’ system next week and he is planning on trying out 350s when they come available
It’s not a secret that there’s a Statement level Streamer in the pipe line Tor. The details of which won’t be divulged will they? It’s not the Naim MO and fair play.
Yes I’m giving that dem the swerve as I can fund the 350 option as and when. Let us know what you think of the comparison Tim.
I certainly will
It’s not a better streamer that’s need, it’s a better dac that’s needed.
If it’s got a good streamer board as well built-in, then that’s a bonus. But it could well be separate at this level.
Do you actually own any Naim gear these days? It’s an open forum and everyone has a right to express their opinion but why bother if you’ve moved on?
Just saying they will/might be developing a statement dac that might have a streamer board built in, rather than they will/might be developing a statement streamer.
Very different things indeed.
Sorry if that offended you, well actually i am not. Lol.
Plus yes i do still own some naim, but not sure what that has to do with anything.
Plus i have no clue why you, and a few others get so hung up on things.
We aren’t “hung up” about it. But if you can’t see that it’s odd then fine. You seem to be fixated about undermining the performance of the 552 and ND555 in particular and I’m only bringing attention to it because you replied to my post in the manner that you did.
I was only referring to what you said in the first place, about a statement level streamer, it would be a statement level dac.
Nothing to do with how the nd555 or 552dr perform, it’s you that have mentioned this, not me, it’s looks more like you are insecure on that one, not me.