Turntable to Nait 5 (anno 2000)?

Hi guys, could someone please explain what I need (kit and cables), as a minimum, to connect a turntable to my Nait 5 integrated amp (anno 2000, so not 5si). A basic question I know, but I can’t seem to find a straight answer anywhere else… I love good sound but not the technical side of it! I’ve been advised I ‘need’ a separate power supply like Flatcap XS and then a StageLine phono stage (which one?) in addition to the turntable itself but that sounds nuts and would be out of budget… I’m also completely confused about RCA vs. BNC input. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, in layman’s language please… (: I’ve found a box of old vinyls (mainly classical and opera) that I’d love to rediscover…

It depends, what turntable do you have, and what cartridge will you be using?

The Stageline is the natural partner and can powered off the AUX2 socket of the NAIT 5. Yes,a Flatcap 2/2x/2xs PSU will be a nice upgrade for the NAIT5 as well as the Stageline, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Of course, if it’s just a basic turntable and cartridge then there’s probably no point in spending a great deal of money just on the phono stage; Better to spend more on the turntable/arm/cart and then use a basic phono stage such as a Rega Pono or Pro-Ject Phonobox SE.

Or, if coming at this from ground zero, even just plump for something like the Rega P1 Plus with inbuilt phono stage, which is a great deck for the money and has everything you need in one package*.

  • OK, you’ll need an RCA Phono to DIN interconnect, but that’s all…

With the original Nait 5- no i or si, pre 2002.

You will need a turntable plus a phono stage.
If the turntable has a built in phono stage, cheaper ones often do, then you just need to plug in (via a din to phono cable).

If you have turntable without a built in phono stage you need a separate one. You can buy cheap but effective ones from people like Nad or you can buy an expensive but better quality one such as the Naim stageline. Either will work in to the Nait 5.

If you are just starting out and want to keep it very simple, some of the Rega packages include both a cartridge and phono stage. I don’t recall whether the phono stage is built in or not, but a look at their site will tell you. Their tables and especially their packages are about as close to plug and play as you can get. I’d recommend spending the extra (?), and begin with Rega, they offer good value and good sound (which is not always the case in “affordable” turntables). Just took a look at their site - they have a Rega 1 plus package that is complete with cartridge and built in phono stage - basically an ideal starter system :smile:. Further investigation also shows the pricing isn’t too bad and some places seem to have a sale price, so it’s worth looking around for a best price.

You guys are amazing… Thank you so much this is super helpful. The Rega 1 with built-in phono stage sounds like the way forward for now. Out of interest would the addition of a Flatcap make a material difference with such a setup?

A serviced flatcap is a good improvement for a Nait5. A hicap works well too, but I found the hicap dr too much.

Great, thanks!

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