Show us what's inside

Where I started my Hifi journey

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The Cambridge Audio P35

http://www.stancurtis.com/AR%20amp.htm

Now I managed to get the circuit diagram for this, which made modifications easy, as a fresh graduate Electronics Engineer, but on a limited Hi-Fi budget (Thorens TD160, Mission 774 (not the LC), AT OC9/Goldring MC4000, Denon Stepup transformers, Quad FM3, Castle Warwick speakers on Target Stands with Audioquest Indigo cables, Chord Company custom DIN cables).

So that Ribbon cable between the input & power board, replaced by silver wiring. Phono stage rebuild with lower noise matched transistors & opamps, better Caps and even Vishay ceramic resistors.
Better wiring from the Power board to output with Michell speaker posts. Better caps throughout, Alps volume control, bypass caps on the reservoir caps, then a bigger transformer which had to be housed in a separate case.

All good fun - I got power levels up to 50W, THD down and the phono stage much quieter. Served well for a good number of years.

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The output fuses have been bypassed so it looks like someone’s been inside (could be a Naim official mod though)

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Probably best to get an expert, such as Darran or @NeilS to comment.

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Quad FM3 FM Tuner




Meridian 200 CD Transport

Still used by Malcolm Collins, of HiFi Critic, as his reference CD spinner.
I have mine feeding the NDS, for the odd & very occasional spin of a CD.

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…as well as yours truly!

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Sim Audio Moon i5



Bakoon EQA-11R Refererence Phono Stage
A current amplifier, so no Loading settings on the Cartridge (today a Lyra Skala)

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Still some of the best looking kit from that era.

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I came really close to getting a Meridian 200 or 206? to use as a cd transport only this week. In the end bought a cd5xs.

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CB NAP160

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I just love the design, where the entire playing mechanism is bought out to load the disc, and then when it closes in a solid confident manner.

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No, that looks completely original to me.
Main caps look to be 1986 & 1988.

Lovely condition though!

Regards
Neil.

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Were the output fuses used in any version of the 120 Neil ?

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OMG, computer porn!

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Quite !

Thank you, Neil.
So the serial number 0420 makes it an 80’s unit, right? Or is it, as Richard pointed out, an early 70’s example which perhaps had been serviced by Naim somewhere in the 80’s? I know it was paired with an early 70s NAC12 which had its DIN phono input changed to RCA during its lifetime.

Hi James,

Yes they were, but we always bypass them now. I really don’t know the reason for having them. Seems odd, they go against the Naim ethos!

Regards
Neil.

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Cheers Neil

James

Hi Tony,

The early numbering system makes it hard to date.
But it may well have had the caps changed in the 80s.
We make more changes to them these days.

Regards
Neil.

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Naim dac.

Still amazed that almost all other dacs at that price point was mostly air with a transformer and a dac board.

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You can see where you more has gone with N Dac. And how a bigger external PSU was part of the design.

Bit like an ndx2. Yes, naim will provide a starter psu, but you really ought to buy a xps or 555. Where as with the nd555, they told you straight away to buy a 555.