The Golden Age of Classic Naim

I’m not keen on the generalisation ’valve like’ but the earliest Naims were very unlike many of the transistor models at the time.

The NAP 160 is one of my favourite Naim power amplifiers.

I find the later Naims better but not nicer - oddly until we went beyond the Olive and Chrome Bumper. So my Golden Age is very much Then and Now.

In passing - I’d have your Gales. Mine were fine with Meridian but sublime with a modest NAC 42/ NAP 110.

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The owner fitted a Rega Carbon before the sale.
I’ll try it, would love a Grace F9e but may fall back on my stored K18 or Basic ‘T’ if they still work.

This is a photo from the eBay listing as the turntable is back in its box after inspection.

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I really like JonathanG’s perspective because it resonates with my experience. My “golden age” system was a LP12/Ittok/Asak T with a 32 preamp, 135 monoblocks and LInn Saras (I may have got the number of the power amps wrong). It took 5 years of upgrading to get to that system when I was between 18 and 23 years old. Typically, I would listen for 3 hours a day and explored a large amount of music during that time.

I do think that one could regard that era as a golden age independent of my personal experience. That system came from the time that Linn and Naim were working together and before the “break-up”. There was a synergy between those products that made it more than the sum of the parts.

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That looks to be in truly outstanding condition Adam, well done assembling your golden age system…

Hope it brings you much enjoyment…

JonathanG

Wow!

@JonathanG, I follow you!

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This exactly sums up the hi fi dilemma…

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I understand and the deck looks the business. My own guilty pleasure from that era would be what I understand to be the Supex-derived A&R p77. I only mention it because of your reference to the ‘nice tone’ Rega headshell.

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The A&R would be appropriate. I’d have a preference for the old Rega R100 model (which I believe was the Supex made model) but I should probably consider something current. Goldring sounds like a maker of something suitable.

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For me there’s no such golden age

Just a good day every day when I get to listen my 2 naim systems…. Not that FOMO about the old olive era or the new 300 series…

What I have learnt the hard way is to ensure it’s all setup properly including NACA 5 soldering at both ends…

And removing all the things from the mains that could introduce noise

About 4 or 5 years ago I put together a little system for a friend’s daughter; a Technics SL-Q33 turntable (she wanted automatic operation, or at least semi-auto) and a matching Technics SU-V5 amp and a pair of B&W DM100s. For the cartridge I bought and fitted an Audio Technica AT3600L, which I think is similar to the Rega Carbon. I have to say, its all worked rather well together and the AT cartridge, while lacking in refinement, detail and insight, was surprisingly fun nevertheless. I reckon it’s worth giving the Carbon a go while you keep your eyes peeled for a NOS Grace F9.

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Nice way to start a young girl on her first vinyl system Richard - and I think everyone here would agree that if somebody had done that for us at 15 or whatever we would have been blown away!! Around that age I was managing with a Sanyo cassette walkman and some pretty reasonable Onkyo tiny active loudspeakers similar to a ghetto box size. Around 17 I managed to get the money for a set of Mordaunt Short MS30 in my bedroom connected via very long runs of 5A twin and earth to my Dad’s Technics system in the lounge and the rest is history…

It’s been a really thrilling journey since then!!

JonathanG

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With reference to the OP

Olive has a special character imo, not hifi, abit rough around the edge’s and certainly not the best with respect to spec and what not, however it’s very involving, gets you hooked and is what Naim were all about. even after getting a good order Nap 500 i do miss my 135 amps in some situations.

i’m not biased at all, just have a set of ears and many years of listening to Naim audio.
would i have the nac 52 over a nac552 no, but i do think Olive is the golden age considering cd was introduced to the line up, lp was still catered for and the owner was at the coal face.
i’ve found the DR gear to be main stream and a bit boring maybe even class A like?? but hey that’s just an opinion with out data, just a set of ears.

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Sometime around the 52/135 was top for me … but with my current speakers (LRS ribbon panels) I actually prefer the 252/SCDR over the 52/SC.

I have given newer boxes (including NC) a chance but they dont do it for me, and by that I mean me personally. I’m sure they are truly excellent for more modern ears.

And I never thought Naims digitals matched their CD players. I always preferred R2R/NOS dacs

Yes, that does look similar.

The Goldrings I expected to be cheaper than their present chips - I think I’ll start with the Carbon and play with the old stuff in my bits drawer. Where did my Decca (unsuitable) ever go? And my stripped down (headshell and transformer removed) Ortofon SPU GTE (also unsuitable)?

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My first ‘decent’ turntable was a Rega Planar 2, with the same R200 arms & ‘bent tin’ headshell.

An ‘upgraded’ ADC Magnesium headshell came later… :astonished:

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I suspect it always was an upgrade - I just find it ugly.

I’ve spent several years looking out for a clean Rega 3 with original headshell and now I can’t find a picture of one with the ADC on which to pile my contempt.

This looks like one… :crazy_face:

Planar 2, not 3 though…

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It’s still - not right.

Thanks for finding.

*Bonus Trivia - the rubber mat on the Rega 2 was a Linn mat with Linn branding rubbed off. *
Or so I think I recall.

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Yes, so I was told. My Planar 2 had a mat which looked ‘just like’ the then Linn LP12 rubber mat… but with the area where Linn Products should have been sanded away. Shirley Nott… :crazy_face: :thinking: