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Thread: My own little amp bake-off

  1. #1
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Mid Lincs

    Posts: 1,445
    I'm Buffet-blower.

    Default My own little amp bake-off

    Been meaning to sit down and put my thoughts into type regarding my recent amplifier journey but had so little time. As those who know me well enough by now, I've had a fair few amps through my hands over the years, but not really done a proper comparison with 3 bits of kit, each of which I love in its own way. Each one has a different presentation, but up until now I really found it difficult to choose betwen them. Robert brought the Nait 2 up with him as it made for a very interesting wild card.

    They are...

    Exposure XV
    Naim 42.5/HiCap/NAP110
    Naim Nait 2 (chrome bumper)
    Sony TA-F770ES

    Both Naim amps have been serviced in the last 6 months, the Nait by Naim, the 110 by Mark at Witch Hat Audio. The HiCap has more recently been serviced by Class A but having done more comparison since this bake-off, the result hasn't changed much.

    System is as per my sig (excepting Sapphire Mk1 in place of the Edens) the Royds are such an easy load for all of these amplifiers so put no special demands on them at all. A good thing.

    Music used - album title (or artist) in brackets. *=vinyl

    Dave Weckl Band: Like That (Transition)
    Count Basie: The Blues Machine (88 Basie Street)
    Chopin: Nocturnes (Pollini)
    Shosotakovich: Symphony No.10 3rd movement (BPO/Karajan)*
    Fleetwood Mac: Angel (Tusk)*
    Kate Rusby: This Old Horse (Sweet Bells)
    Richard Rodney Bennett: Reflections on a 16th Century Tune (Central Band of the RAF)

    I had an old friend over for the weekend when we did this comparison which made for an interesting result - we agreed on 90% of the result, although he is an Exposure nut and therefore not un-biased.

    After doing further comparison over the last couple of weeks (when time's allowed!) I'm comforted by the fact that the result hasn't changed much.

    Naim pre-power: Very up-front, slightly manic perhaps, and musically clumsy at times. Masks subtle details, bass is dry compared to the others but on the right material it's extremely entertaining. The Chopin and the RRB were fairly convincing, although the Pollini's piano lacks real body and sophistication in its sound - there's lots of fundamental but little in the way of resonance and harmonic detail. Makes the piano sound too simple - if one had never been up, close and personal to a grand piano one might think it sounds great, but a real piano just doesn't sound like that. A darn sight better than my old 72/Hi/180 though which was disastrous on piano.

    The Naim does get a lot of the musical dynamics right though, and from this it constructs musical phrase/sentence in a very convincing manner. The subtle push/release in phrase is present and correct, and gives music direction and purpose. By doing so it begs the listener's forgiveness and largely achieves it.

    Nait 2: This was the really interesting one as it is in fact my original N2 which I sold to Robert many years ago after I got my first Exposure amp. The Nait's delivery is softer, less in-yer-face than the 42.5/Hi/110, and really rather listenable. Its lack of power is obvious (even with the Sapphires) but used well within its envelope it's a happy, perky little thing. It shows less detail than the pre/power and exhibits less of a tight rein over the music - it is possibly more characterful, but in an easier-going fashion. Still very much a 'Naim' though but whilst a lovely device to listen to music through, I hold no regrets whatsoever selling it in favour of the Exposure X back in 1993.

    Sony 770ES: This is where things get interesting! A few years ago I'd have thought the idea of comparing a big Jap bruiser to a small 'fashionable' British amp would've been daft. However it isn't and thankfully most of us are now more open-minded. In terms of tonality, the Sony beats both Naim amps hollow - Pollini's piano now sounds much more like a piano, the harmonics/resonances are a lot more sophisticated, ambient detail has now appeared (Pollini is famous for making the odd 'grunt' now and then, and in this instance the piano's sustain pedal creaks every so often!) and the sonic picture is more dreamy, atmospheric. Within a few minutes I'm being drawn in.

    On other material the Sony shows similar traits. Musically, it's virtually up there and stamps very little of its own sound on the proceedings. The fact that it has huge reserves of power c/w the others is a given, and all of a sudden the Royds have grown in size too. One accusation Robert made about the Sony was that it sounded 'safe' as though the musicians were being too careful about their playing, lacking enthusiasm. That could be true, although playing in a studio is a very different discipline to playing live and we should take that into account, to be fair. Bottom line though is the Sony acquitted itself very well indeed - a different beast to the Naim amps, but no less enjoyable. Its presentation is more neutral and whilst it's arguably less bouncy, it's sound is less of a caricature, possibly more cerebral even. The listener has to meet the Sony half-way.

    Exposure XV: Flag to the mast - this is the best amp here, overall. Its phonostage is stunning and elevates it to the top of the pile for the vinyl-lover. The XV's magic bullet is its bass - it underpins everything with strength, authority, and is the foundation for all music. After all, bass is the root (or its inversions) of the musical chord, and the XV never lets us forget that. Tonally, the Exposure is darker than the others but retains a large amount of the sophistication of the Sony but with the life and verve of the Naims. It strings together musical phrases so beautifully, and has a sense of gravitas, realism even, that the Naim amps simply don't have.

    In order of preference:

    1. Exposure XV
    2. Naim 42.5/HiCap/NAP110
    3. Sony 770ES
    4. Naim Nait 2

    2nd and 3rd place were so close as to be reversed, dependant on material.
    Richard.

    Round & round bits: LP12/Cirkus/Kore/Herc II/Roksan Nima/Hana EL
    Megabits: Bluesound Node 2i/TEAC UD-H01 dac
    Making it louder bits: Phonostage: Dynavector P75 Amp: Cyrus 8vs/PSX-R Speakers: Royd Sintra II
    Connecting it together bits i/c's: Flashback Premier. Speaker cables: Van Damme Hifi

  2. #2
    Join Date: Mar 2012

    Location: London and Somerset

    Posts: 2,097
    I'm Dave.

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    Thanks Richard, great informative post.
    Kraken, Saturn, Emotion, Flying V Rocket, Planets.

  3. #3
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: A Strangely Isolated Place in Suffolk with Far Away Trains Passing By...

    Posts: 14,535
    I'm David.

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    I've said it before, the Naim pre and power is the 'wrong one' here. Riddled with high order and crossover distortion and crudely band-limited, I'm afraid there's character added in spades. If you like this, I'm not at all surprised the Sony would sound safe and bland perhaps.

    My own experiences with CB Naims is that the Nait 1, Nait 2 and 135's towered way above the middle models including the 250 made in the mid 80's, the 135's definitely offering the very best of what Naim could offer back then, since input transistors were matched pairs I recall. They easily reproduced preamp differences and how much better the 52 was/is compared to the lesser models made at the time.
    Tear down these walls; Cut the ties that held me
    Crying out at the top of my voice; Tell me now if you can hear me

  4. #4
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Mid Lincs

    Posts: 1,445
    I'm Buffet-blower.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jollyfix View Post
    Thanks Richard, great informative post.
    Thanks Dave - was a bit short'n'sweet I'm afraid as haven't had much time to go into great detail, will get onto a more musically-relevant description when I can.

    (other) Dave - it's worth trying the 110 with some LS6.
    Richard.

    Round & round bits: LP12/Cirkus/Kore/Herc II/Roksan Nima/Hana EL
    Megabits: Bluesound Node 2i/TEAC UD-H01 dac
    Making it louder bits: Phonostage: Dynavector P75 Amp: Cyrus 8vs/PSX-R Speakers: Royd Sintra II
    Connecting it together bits i/c's: Flashback Premier. Speaker cables: Van Damme Hifi

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