View Full Version : Missing Naim gone by!
The Outcast
03-07-2013, 14:58
I was reminising to an old friend of mine tother day about the copious amount of equipment we had both owned over the years. It naturally came down to which pieces of kit that we wished we had kept hold of. Mine was my Naim Nac92/Nap90 pre-powers. As much as i love my valves i do miss those little beauties. They certainly made music. I would love another pair. They make the more modern Naim devices sound dull! No offence like! :sofa:
Preferred the black & chrome stuff myself.
Found some of the olive stuff to close to the edge for much long term listening.
southall-1998
03-07-2013, 15:39
Naim amps are whores to me. Never liked them!!
Andrew B
03-07-2013, 16:14
Whilst I loved Naim CB and Olive stuff, the slender cased Nait3, NAC92 and NAP 90/3 weren't up to the mark IMO. I compared them against a 42/160 I had at home and I was shocked how muffled and lacking in dynamics they were. The build quality was well below what naim had produced earlier too. To me, these three and the flat cap just weren't Naim. Mind you, I've not liked any of the stuff that came after the olive range either. Build and sonics just aren't a patch on the older stuff. Same goes for their speakers after IBL, SBL and DBL.
Still, there is loads of classic Naim stuff on the used market at decent prices (as long as you don't want a Nait 1 or 2) and its incredibly reliable kit.
walpurgis
03-07-2013, 16:15
Not so keen myself. Heard many on friends systems. Wasn't at all happy about the sound. But then, I like valves & Class A.
The Outcast
03-07-2013, 16:16
Naim amps are whores to me. Never liked them!!
Blimey Shane, i like em even better now. Kinky!
southall-1998
03-07-2013, 16:18
Blimey Shane, i like em even better now. Kinky!
Over priced sex from Naim :D Have fun dude !
The Outcast
03-07-2013, 16:19
Not so keen myself. Heard many on friends systems. Wasn't at all happy about the sound. But then, I like valves & Class A.
I like valves and class A too. But every now and again the mood just takes me to have a burn out worts n all!
The Outcast
03-07-2013, 16:20
I like valves and class A too. But every now and again the mood just takes me to have a burn out worts n all!
Cheers Shane
Can't see myself moving from my Naim amps (olive) in the near future.
istari_knight
03-07-2013, 17:18
HC/32.5/160 was one of the best amplifiers I ever had :thumbsup:
losenotaminute
03-07-2013, 17:55
I was reminising to an old friend of mine tother day about the copious amount of equipment we had both owned over the years. It naturally came down to which pieces of kit that we wished we had kept hold of. Mine was my Naim Nac92/Nap90 pre-powers. As much as i love my valves i do miss those little beauties. They certainly made music. I would love another pair. They make the more modern Naim devices sound dull! No offence like! :sofa:
I really like my NAC92/NAP90 combo :). Coupled with a Pure Sound P10 valve phone stage and a 1980s Sondek, what's not to like? Have trialled some fairly expensive alternatives but I can't find anything better. Still pondering the Audiodesk RCM.
Lawrence
For sheer musicality and fun factor, this is the best Naim amps I've heard (and I just LOVE the looks of the 'shoebox'-sized stuff, with those big knobs - way better than that of the current Naim gear):
http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/3135/yz8b.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/825/yz8b.jpg/)
32.5/Hi-Cap/Nap140. Lurvely :)
I also loved my old 72/Hi-Cap/140, which in some ways was more musically addictive than my hugely more expensive 52/Supercap/135s!
Marco.
losenotaminute
03-07-2013, 18:23
Great picture Marco, I agree that the older stuff is more aesthetically pleasing. Shame that everything Naim today is so character-less.
The Mark Levinson gear in the background is causing me to become tumescent! :lol:
DiveDeepDog
03-07-2013, 21:23
I had a 92R + CB 140, although I've not done a direct comparison, I thought it more musical/less tiring than the 72 I've got. (Until I installed Avondale cards)
Hi-caps been a disappointment, modified SNAPS much more to my liking.
TT's have moved on quite a lot since then, its always difficult to compare :)
The 92 and 90 just didn't cut it, even with a Flatcap driving the preamp. if you want a really good naim, but one that will need a damned good service and updated filter boards, look out for a bolt-up 250 and 12S, probably with one of the Avondale power supplies, which should be better than a Snaps.....
The 140 in CB form should never have been made. It was awful new and to me is awful now! The late Olive 140's seemed better, but there's this little ankle-biting quality it has in comparison with its peers that I now find annoying. A Quad 606 eats it and probably costs less, so silly are used prices for naim these days :lol:
For sheer musicality and fun factor, this is the best Naim amps I've heard (and I just LOVE the looks of the 'shoebox'-sized stuff, with those big knobs - way better than that of the current Naim gear):
http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/3135/yz8b.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/825/yz8b.jpg/)
32.5/Hi-Cap/Nap140. Lurvely :)
I also loved my old 72/Hi-Cap/140, which in some ways was more musically addictive than my hugely more expensive 52/Supercap/135s!
Marco.
You're MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD, all of you............................. shuffles off mumbling into his beard.............:mental:
Andrew B
04-07-2013, 10:42
My wife (who seems to have an uncanny ear for musically satisfying bits) swears by the Naim CB kit. It's never out of our bedroom system for long (AND she's only gone and took my Xerxes too!). She likes the Olive range sonically as well, but prefers the CB range because it has "the cute little eyes" :)
Mind you, I do think its a design classic and the cases often look new after 30 years of use. Can't say the same for much else. Cracking internal and external build and so sexy too. Ya gotta love it!
DiveDeepDog
04-07-2013, 22:34
The 92 and 90 just didn't cut it, even with a Flatcap driving the preamp. if you want a really good naim, but one that will need a damned good service and updated filter boards, look out for a bolt-up 250 and 12S, probably with one of the Avondale power supplies, which should be better than a Snaps.....
Argh, should've said SNAPS have been Avondaled, along with my 102 :lol:
Cracking internal and external build and so sexy too. Ya gotta love it!
Depends if you like build to tractor standards rather than Rolls/Bently :lol:
istari_knight
05-07-2013, 15:19
They are quite unpopular in certain circles today but if one looks at the facts instead of opinion...
High build quality
In house upgrade path
Fantastic aftersales service
World class service dept.
High residual value
Made in the UK.
In the world of hifi I reckon they are one of the safest, financially sensible buys... Whether one likes the sound or not is another matter :ner:
They are quite unpopular in certain circles today but if one looks at the facts instead of opinion...
High build quality
In house upgrade path
Fantastic aftersales service
World class service dept.
High residual value
Made in the UK.
In the world of hifi I reckon they are one of the safest, financially sensible buys... Whether one likes the sound or not is another matter :ner:
:lolsign:
The Outcast
07-07-2013, 14:54
:interesting:: Mixed views then?
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