The new NAIT XS3 & SUPERNAIT 3

SN2 and NAIT XS2 showing as discontinued on the NAIM web site, so new ones should be up soon…

It’s more exciting than Muso2!!!

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And now on the website…

All looks good! And sure it sounds good also!

The biggest improvement is that there is now a button with ‘phono’ marked on it. :nerd_face:

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Well they’ve overhauled the Muso range, the ND streamers range, the NAPs, the power supplies, and now the integrateds.

That means only the si, 272, v1 and NACs are remaining. I strongly suspect another on that list is either axed or replaced this year and the rest next year.

interesting times.

Forum announcement can be read here:

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Looks good - for those that don’t need the phono input, there should be some good deals around on the SN2 / XS2.

How useful will that be though? I’d guess that most people looking at an XS3 or SN3 will have MC carts in their turntables.

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All looks very good, and I also didn’t think I would ever see ‘phono’ on a naim unit again!

I am guessing that a Supernait 2 will not be upgradable to a 3 should anyone have the desire?

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I had heard the phono stage rumour, but not this:

“our research and development team have worked on a range of amplifier improvements. The result is upgraded power amplifier sections for SUPERNAIT 3, delivering greater pace and intimacy to their musical delivery – whether it’s driving a pair of loudspeakers or your favourite pair of headphones.”

So having just bought a SN2 and NDX2, are feeling a bit frustrated by being beaten by new technology so soon. I guess that’s the luck of the draw, but still, having saved for a 2 box solution to have it outdated in 3 months is darn frustrating.

Always worth a discussion with your dealer with a hint of frustration, and you
may get a not too expensive upgrade. Worth a try.

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Isn’t it great, though, to be able to plug in something like a Rega 3 without needing yet another box. If anyone wants to use an MC there is the powered socket for a Stageline MC version.

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There are good reasons why an MC stage in the same box is not a good idea - even in the NAIT 3, Naim warned against using the MC boards as noise and interference from the transformer was a problem that was only partially cured through a special shielding kit.

I guess that anyone moving up from a MM cart could either then go to a high output MC, which should work fine with the MM phono input, or else a dedicated stage such as the Stageline or Superline for low output MCs. Otherwise look at a step up for the MM input. I’ve used a few SUTs on my NAIT 2 with low output MCs. Even with the little Ortofon T10s, performance was surprisingly good.

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Hi Mike - I’m sure your system sounds just as good as it did yesterday. It’ll be an incremental change with the SN3 rather than a massive step so relax and enjoy the music.

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And my supernait 1 and Nait 5 still sound fantastic! In the Naim world old does not mean worse.

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Great news – I have been waiting for this announcement for weeks; and I really look forward to listening to the new SN3. I hope it does present a big improvement over its predecessor. If not, well, I’ll buy a pre-loved SN2, and save a lot of money.

Looking at the spec, I noticed that the SN3’s quiescent power consumption is quoted with 37VA – that almost quadruples the SN2’s power consumption when idle (10VA). How is this possible? If true, the SN3 might produce more heat than my late granny’s electric blanket…

I know that most people here don’t really worry about power consumption and carbon footprint in the audio department, but I felt uneasy when leaving my XS2 permanently powered up. With the SN3, it would be even worse… Maybe I have to switch it on and off – against advice from Naim… Anyway, I hope the quoted quiescent power consumption isn’t correct…

I think that’s exactly my point Richard, it is just that the phono stage IMHO will be of limited use to the sort of person who is considering an XS3 or SN3.

On the issue of performance, I wonder as to whether the improved power supply for the pre-amp section makes a HicapDR upgrade more or less obsolete – too little improvement to be bothered… Obviously, not only would this help with keeping the box count low but also help with saving energy… :wink:

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I was also just thinking whether a Hicap DR would still be of much benefit- if not then I’ll have another box to lose if I go down the NDX2/Supernait 3 route as opposed to keeping the pre/power setup.

The power supply for the preamp is pretty much unchanged from the SN2, both being DR. It’s the power amp where the big improvements lie.