A little more expensive but I found the Olive 102/Snaps/Hicap/180 to be a cracking amp lots of PRAT.
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SNAPS & Hicap?
Or do you mean NAPSC & Hicap?
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If it’s flexible, it’s NACA4.
If it’s semi-rigid , it’s NACA5
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It is the stiff semi-rigid cable, white…
So the NACA5
Thanks
I bought a pair of Cable Talk 3.1 cables. Much cheaper than finding “original” NAIM NAC A5 cables. These are built eye like the Naim or ? @Richard.Dane
No, nothing like NACA5, but much closer to NACA4. Cable Talk 3.1 is a decent cheap alternative to A4.
If they’re long enough then should be fine. If they’re old then cut off the ends to get rid of any possible oxidisation and then solder into a pair of Naim SA8 speaker connectors.
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3.5 to 4m in length
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Wonderful! This gives me a chance to say what a fantastic amp the 32/SNAPS is. It’s SO musical and so capable of dealing with anything that’s thrown at it that you will actually wonder (many times) how it manages it. Personally, I think it’s one of those sweet spots in time in the Naim ranges when there’s a fully “complete”, final destination product. I prefer it to the 32.5/HiCap for this reason. With the 32.5 you become aware that you could go further and do even better while the 32 just delivers its magic, without hinting that you should go shopping again.
If you can’t afford an NAP250 then I would go for an NAP120. You may not have heard of it, but it’s great. It’s not immediately impressive (which I’d have to say the 32 is!) but it’s one of those amps that does its job quietly. 10 years of trouble-free ownership slip by, and only then do you realise how goddam brilliant it has been. Personally I’ve never got on with the 42/110 in anything like the same way, even though I had one of the demo combos from Grahams at home for probably a year! I think it was a bit harder to get it to sound refined and not have it tend towards loose and splashy. But back then it was the next step on a path from the Creek and the Nait, and they both majored in being splashy and loose.
There is one general recommendation I would make and that is not to think of the pre-amp power supplies as something you can mostly do without. It has been pointed out to me on here that I wasn’t fully equipped on this subject, which I remember agreeing with, but my view is that they are invaluable. This is why I recommend the 32/SNAPS, to save you a bit of money while at the same time trouncing the 42 (that being my very humble opinion). 
Good luck with your purchases. You have some huge pleasure coming your way.
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Enjoyed reading that Christian.
Valhalla/Ittok LP12 into 32/SNAPS/250 is the most full phat Ive ever heard my Kan 1s. Lovely.
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Thank you. I think that’s about peak LP12 territory too, though funnily enough I think the Valhalla is just a terrible way of doing motor control. If I could afford to collect vintage hi fi (and had the rooms for it) I would definitely have that system - plus a pair of Isobariks (which I already have, but which never, ever get played). I might add a second LP12 with a Breuer and Asak, or maybe a Supex 900. I did once have a Grace and Supex, which just looks beautiful on an LP12, but while it’s fantastically musical, it really is a bit too pipe and slippers. I just need more musical information than that these days, and perhaps a Bruer would do it. The Ittok certainly does, and the gap between it and the G707 is suprisingly huge, but that would then be two of the same turntable. An FR-64 would probably fit the bill since Julian liked it - and he was miles ahead of all of us - but I’ve never actually heard one. It’s also visually at the opposite end of the spectrum to the timeless elegance of the Grace. 
But, yes! Isn’t the 32/SNAPS an absolute gem? Nor did it get outdated with newer sources. In fact I’d say it got better with them and delivered even more than we got in the '80s.
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I have a 32/HC/160/Kans in a bedroom system and agree with musicality!! I kept the 32 in single rail format and pulled some unnecessary boards to open it up a bit more. Good 1980’s sound but where have things progressed in 40 years - not a lot really.
FF
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I recently swapped my 12s and SNAPS for a 32.5 and HC to go with my 160 and Acoustic Energy AE1 (mk1) speakers. It was a spontaneous thing that I hadn’t planned for but I am very happy with the result.
There is a synergy going on with these early units and it all just seems to fit right, producing a great musical sound for really very little money!
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I think it looks fine but a bit weedy on the deck compared to the super arms that followed. Certainly it was way outside its comfort zone with high energy carts like the Supex. I really only heard (sadly, briefly because the Supex was near end of life) what the SD900 could do when gripped by the RB1000 that replaced the 707 on my deck. Nostalgia perhaps not what it used to be…
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Yesterday I reconditioned my very old AR3a (foam ring at the bass drivers was brittle and was replaced). Man, these speakers are something very special, very special sound.
How would they do on the 62/140 combo? What do you guys think?
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Oh, lovely!
It’s like cars, though, isn’t it? It’s what you saw in your teens that really gets you excited!
That’s very interesting about the Supex in a Rega arm. It backs up my comparison with the Ittok, albeit more than 30 years ago, when I had the two decks side by side. The difference in performance was a chasm and it really surprised me quite how big it was. But, nonetheless, it was fabulously easy to listen to. Like wallowing in a warm bath. I gave that LP12 to an ex-girlfriend of mine and, like the two other G707s that have passed through my hands, I’ve regretted letting them go ever since. Interestingly, @anon55098131 was saying a few days ago that Jimmy Hughes was a little disappointed in the sound of the Breuer, too. I’d still like another Grace, and perhaps send the Supex off to Expert Stylus.
The remaining question then is whether to choose a 12S (another thing I regret selling) or a 32. On phono they are very close indeed so perhaps the 12 wins for period authenticity.
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I have no experience of the 62/140 so I’m afraid I can’t help you with that.
The foam surrounds of my AE1s perished too, so thinking it would be a simple DIY task I ordered the replacements and set to work. Boy was I wrong! It couldn’t even get the woofers out! So took them to my Linn/Naim dealer where Ross worked his magic and they are now good as new.
They are a solid and very well built little speaker. Also be very wary of YouTube videos!!
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I keep meaning to send my Supex off to Expert Stylus! Perhaps now is the time to do it!
Back on topic (though I’m enjoying the Grace/Supex drift) - how about a 32.5 ? A friend has one and it sounds lovely. Probably not quite as warm and friendly as its predecessor but would be very close with just a single rail SNAPS for power.
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Crikey that’s a story all by itself. The AR3a is legendary and a good pair would still be a very capable ‘speaker now I’m sure.
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Much as I respect AR AR3as, I never really rated them that much compared to Allison’s speakers under his own name. There were plenty of AR3as around when I was at school in NH, usually, but not always fronted by AR turntables. I also had a teacher at school who used to restore them.
The speaker that really captured me though was Roy Allison’s Allison Six. Here was a standmount speaker that used the boundaries of the room to really perform - positioned right they could sound amazing and like a far larger speaker. It should have been an ideal speaker for UK buyers, but never seemed to have taken off. It seems that NVA in the UK tried to make a sort of updated and uprated version, but I’ve only ever seen one pair many years ago, so no idea whether any more were made. I have a pair of Allison Sixes awaiting restoration - someone had fitted replacement mid/bass drivers. I tracked down some spare original drivers in the States and just need to find the time to complete the project. Should be great on the end of one of my vintage Naim systems.
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