Hello forum members, I am new here. I am on the west coast of Canada and I have a question about Naim gear.
I listening mostly to Vocal Jazz at moderate levels and I love an intimate and musical presentation. I have read over and over about Naim’s PRaT and musicality and have been curious about it for a long time.
What amp/pre or integrated pieces, whether vintage or newer, is the best affordable piece(s) to showcase the Naim sound?
Thanks.
Alan
Hi and welcome, you’d need to know what kind of budget you have. There’s one box options that seem to satisfy many then there’s the separates. Good place to start would be the 200 series
Oh, have a have a play around withthe olive level say a good working order 72 with hicap and nap 250. If you feel you need more (which I doubt) then pull your wallet out……
You might want to consider the Supernait 3. I don’t know if that is beyond your budget.
Thanks Jaybar, I have heard good reviews on the Super Nait series.
Memory is a funny thing, way back in the Stone Age I had a brief encounter with a Nait 1, LP12 and Kan MK1 and that simple set up has stuck with me all these many years later. Something so engaging and simple about that system is what I would love to recreate.
Thoughts on something like a 32.5 and 160 combo?
A super combination, so long as they have been serviced in the last 6-8 years.
Alternatively, you may like to contact your nearest Naim dealer to see if they have any Nait 50 amplifiers left. It’s a little cracker!
I would suggest the SN3 over the Nait 50 the inputs are limited on the Nait 50, which may be an issue for the OP. Also, should the OP ever wish to change speakers, then the SN3, might work with a wider range of speakers.
Ok, thanks for the replies. Can anyone speak to the SN 1 and then the quick change to SN2 and SN3?
Great, if with a known service history.
Or - price in getting both serviced.
In that case I believe 32.5/160 or a olive 72/HC/250 would be a better match.
Not that SN2/SN3 are excellent amps. - SN1 were quite different as I remember, they are cheap if you can find one being serviced.
To be honest you can’t go wrong with most Naim amps.
No idea what your speakers are but low level listening is often a matter of matching speakers.
“SN2/SN3 are excellent amps”
What I meant
Welcome to the Forum!
I started with a Nait XS 2 and ND5 XS. Then moved to SN 2 with NDX 2. A great start with Naim is with an integrated amplifier with a streamer as source. …as you are aware there are endless possibilities.
then there is the upgrade bug and over time I have settled in with: XPS DR > NDX 2 > Hi-Line > SuperCap DR > NAC 282 > NAP 250 DR > NAC A5 > ProAc D30RS.
I do. use Qobuz streaming service, internet radio and a NAS as my music sources.
I started with Nait XS (v1) integrated, was happy with it for 10years. I think starting with slightly more modern gear is an easier place to start. No need to decode serial numbers, service history records, etc. It should just work, and you get the advantages of all the engineering advancements over the years. The older generation Naim is great, but requires more knowledge of the market and products. More risk, simply put.
Secondhand resale market is strong with this community. Thoughtful owners for the most part.
Budget tolerance will dictate where you start…
Nait XS
Nait 50 edition (extremely cool and special amp that’s reselling for great prices)
Super Nait 2/3 is a powerhouse capable of keeping up with big budget rigs
If you have the means, and space - a separate system opens doors for high performance and endless upgrade path…
282 / 250 is a Naim classic combo.
As others will point out - your speakers and source will dictate power requirements and level of the electronics.
What’s your listening space like. Size, speaker position. space to experiment with speaker position.
What speakers have you got, are you happy with them or up for experimenting.
Whet’s your source and source type bias (digital/analogue)
Do you want to build a setup and be ok using that for a while (years that is)
Are you inclined to endlessly tinker and fiddle with a system (no right/wrong answer here, we’ve all been there one way or another)
I’ve owned a fair few Naits including all 3 Super’s, XS, 5 and 3 Series so can probably give some thoughts on those with some thoughts as per above comments.
Age and service history figure here as others have said, they all appreciate it every 10 years or so regardless and sound a lot better for it.
Hi Alan,
The best affordable Naim is certainly the Nait 5si. It has all that Naim sound and is sufficiently powerful. It has a remote control plus DIN and RCA inputs. It’s a slimline component that doesn’t take much room.
IMO, it would need a very high-end and expensive source to surpass the resolving capabilities of the entry level Nait. Buying it new will give you peace of mind. Feel free to spend a fortune on ‘‘upgrades’’ thereafter…
where are you located Alan? I’m in Calgary
Hey Ken, I am on Vancouver Island in a little fishing village called Cowichan Bay. You will have to come out for a visit!
Hey Cat, thanks for the reply! I am often confused about the 5, 5i, 5i2…is it safe to assume that the newest version is the 5 italic?
Hey Mr. M, thanks for the reply! My current set up is a Mac Mini running Audirvana into a Audiolab MDac plus my amp is a beautiful Triode Labs SET 2A3 amp. I have a pair of Linn Kan MK1 as well as a pair of Tyson V3 from Dave at Planet10. I also have a Ariston RD11 turntable that is not currently being used.
I listen at low/moderate levels and I seek details and an intimate presentation.
