Not my experience with my Nait 50. Are you sure they weren’t testing a Nait 1 by mistake?
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Fortunately mathematics is not music…
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Lol… indeed nor mine with three different NAIT 50s… it is a very quiet amp… I can’t even hear a hiss from the ATC tweeters with ears close… which I could with my previous Naim amps including 552… I have heard one theory why the noise is so low is because of the compact layout… and the smaller transformer…
It is a cracker isn’t it… mine is strutting Moby out at the moment…
I see the Naim distortion and noise specification is 25 W into 8 ohm @ 0.1 % THD+N @ 230 VAC. Naim doesn’t say what frequency that was measured at… so I assume average… so not the lowest… but many enjoyable sources and amps don’t have extremely low distortion…let alone speakers.
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My experience also - my Nait 50 is as quiet as a mouse
It’s an absolute cracker, loving it
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I’m a believer in well designed low powered amps sounding better within their specs for this reason.
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Interesting that in their review of the NSC222/250 they say that this is the quietest Naim they’ve ever tested. Made me curious and if this has anything to do with speaker hiss/noise at max volume, then my Nait 50 is probably same or even slightly quieter than the 222/250?? The 50s phono is (as expected) noisier.
And leaving measurements aside, while their description of the 222/250 sound character and sound quality rings really true (some shockingly strongly resonating parts why I personally like the NC), I find all this “Sound: calm, balanced, universal. No heating and no brightening” … really rather odd and almost nothing to do with how I’d describe the Nait 50?
Strange but good to see the full review.
All the best classic hifi components don’t measure well.
The scientists can’t yet measure listening pleasure.
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Hello all,
I’m very late to this thread. But was having a read through and there seems to be a lot of love for the Nait 50!
Not sure if this is the best place to post so I apologise if not.
I can see there have been plenty of comparisons with the Nait 1 vs Nait 50 but how does it compare to the Nait 2? I imagine some big differences.
Question is do I sell all this:
Naim Nait 2
Chord Qutest
Sbooster BOTW with Ultra MKII
Allo Digione Signature with custom LPSU
And get:
Nait 50
Bluesound Node X
Caveat is I’d be using Linn Kans mk1 and an early LP12 which I’ll slowly make some upgrades to.
Thanks.
with the Buesound, keep the Qutest.
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I have the Nait 50 and Bluesound 3i. I have not heard the Nait 2, but would be surprised if there was not a significant difference in favor of the 50. Also, the 50 is an excellent headphone amp, and I believe, an excellent phono amp, although I don’t have a TT. However, if you want a streamer, I would suggest looking at the EverSolo A6 which by all accounts has a much better DAC than the Bluesound (and of course much better functionality/use-ability as well).
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Hope of help as I’ve only had my Nait 50 for a short while, so still new and needs more running in, but I can share my perspective.
I sold my Nait 2 not too long ago but not because I had decided to replace it with the Nait 50. However, I did buy the Nait 50 afterwards as I felt I was missing the Nait 2! So there you go. The Nait 2 kind of fell “victim” at the point of changing all my gear to the NC. I do think the NC gave me what I’ve been missing with my Classic gear and mostly why I’ve been keeping the Nait 2 through all this time.
So, no side by side but I do know my Nait 2 and how it sounds.
And I’ve never had or heard a Nait 1, so cannot draw parallels.
So, are the 50 and 2 alike?
Yes, definitely. The Nait 50 is a true reincarnation. Not sure how many such successful examples there may be in hifi. It is also, at the same time however, more organised, detailed, sophisticated and nuanced. And it sounds way more confident. Its phono stage is very good indeed, just too good to compare, let alone the added headphone amp. What else? Yes, crucial for me, it has retained almost the same impressive immediacy and physical music presence. Well, here is the thing - almost, but not quite. The way a voice, a trumpet or a violin comes out of the Nait 2 and literally physically cuts through the speaker grills into the room can be breathtaking in a way I have not yet heard from the Nait 50.
Should I then have kept my Nait 2?
The Nait 2 holds its virtues and if it’s matched well and no TT is used, then one might just stay happily with the Nait 2, but the 50 is more capable and versatile, while very much the same spirit and naughty boy inside. With vinyl it’s so far quite awesome and you have an Atom HE or very similar level headphone facility.
With all of that said, early days but I am still not sure that the Nait 50 will replace my resident Nytech 402 power amp with the Atom HE for streaming. Let’s see but at present it’s Nait 50 for vinyl and fun, and Nytech for streaming.
Great little amps that honesty keep my NC250 on its toes!
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Nait 50 doesnt match that well with either my early or late Kan 1s. Kan 2s should be a better match but dont have any at the moment so not tried. This is with '89 and '02 spec LP12s.
I’d stick to vintage CB Naim if you want to keep the Kan 1s and combine with a vintage LP12.
The best sound I got from Kan 1s was with serviced 32.5/Hi/250 plus pre-Cirkus/serviced Lingo1/Ekos2/Goldring refurb Troika.
The best music I got from Kan 1s was serviced boltdown 12/160 with pre-Cirkus/serviced Lingo1/Ekos2 and a modern Linn cart, either Adikt or Krystal. The Valhalla/Ittok/VM95ML beats the Lingo deck on some music though, typically 70s rock/funk.
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Thanks for this I’ll take a look at the Evasolo. Thanks for the feedback.
This is what I’m currently getting from my set up on a well mastered recording with my Nait 2 and Kans. It’s a great way to describe it!
What speakers do you have your Nait 50 paired with?
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Spendor D1
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Hello new to this forum and just my input for LS3/5A speakers. I have had the Nait 50 for a few months now and cannot fault it. I have a new SME M2 9R on a Linn Majik
With a 2M Black into a pair of Rogers LS3/5a SE. Gave up my Tannoys GR Sterling’s just cannot keep away from LS3/5A’s. Anyway a thoroughly wonderful sound. Cheers
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I just thought I’d provide an update… my Nait 50 has been more or less continuously since last Saturday… and yes I have noticeably heard it settling over that time… both up and down in performance… I do find that fascinating…
Anyway on Thursday evening, and even more so Friday evening I have been enjoying it immensely driving my ATC SCM 19 driven by DAVE with DNM interconnects… I have missed that Naim sound… but I am fairly sure I am hearing things and balances in familiar recordings I have not noticed before… and my previous Naim was a 552/250…
Yes perhaps there is not as much air as my previous Naim amps… I do notice that say on the Johnny Cash at San Quentin album… but the tonal balance is attractively full… with the upper mids appealingly rendered. Pianos sound wonderful, and so do strings… and percussive punches really punch… think Pink Floyd The Wall. Sure dull recordings however stay dull with no apparent artificial brightness added.
I also notice busy, very dynamically compressed/wall of sound type productions (think Oasis Wonderwall) stay in control and focussed rather than sounding a glaring mess…
Any surprises so far? Well I guess a little surprised by Hiline between DAVE and the Nait 50 just didn’t gel with my ATCs… made upper mid too prominent with some apparent glare and balance not to my liking… the copper based DNM HFTN interconnects appear perfect giving even tonal balance and a natural organic feel that I enjoy.
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Thank you, was thinking about the Hiline … good to hear your thoughts.
You are welcome… that is with ATCs which have an open slightly forward upper mid which gives them that lovely insightful feel for me … if you had Dynaudio Evokes for example which are more laid back and recessed in that area , the Hiline might be the perfect tonic.
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Agreed, and my Spendor D1s are also open and transparent and not lacking the higher freq end insight. .