What's the best naim?

Posted by: woodface on 19 March 2001

What do you guys consider to be the best product that naim either currently make or have made? Please don't just opt for the Nap 500, think about how representative the product is of the brand, VFM, cultishness etc. I am going to plump for the Sbl! It's not to everyones taste it could be seen as controversial even; but it has a design integrity to it that is typical of the brand and is the most satisfying speaker i have heard in the long-term. With the sbls I forget about the hi-fi and listen to the music. Answers on a postcard please etc.

Posted on: 19 March 2001 by Top Cat

...for being the best tonearm in the world.

John

Posted on: 19 March 2001 by andrew mcmullins

The best bit I've heard is my NAT01 tuner. The only reason for saying this is that I've not heard a better Tuner. In part this is simply because it has been going so long with so little change that it is a classic.

The Armageddon which I used to have might also have been in there ...

Posted on: 19 March 2001 by Tony L

quote:
What do you guys consider to be the best product that naim either currently make or have made?

32.5 / Hicap / 250 The amp that got them where they are today. Old skool classic that still holds its own against most amps now.

Nait 2 Excellent bang per buck integrated.

52 / 135 Present day classic - not cheap, but a true reference amp.

Tony.

Posted on: 19 March 2001 by ken c

hard one this, but i vote for the supercap.

enjoy...

ken

Posted on: 19 March 2001 by Rockingdoc

and I'd go for the CDS2. I haven't heard a better CD player at any price, and it works fine (if not better!) in a non-Naim system.

Posted on: 19 March 2001 by Mick P

Chaps

I think that if you asked anyone with half an interst in Hifi what they would associate with Naim, there would be typically two responses.

1. Julian Vereker
2. NAP 250

The NAP is now over 25 years old and is symbolic of Naim throughout the ages. Although old it is still modern, and it sums up all the good things about Naim...... quality, robustness, longevity and a laid back appearance.

It brings out the best in any speakers and it communicates music, in a way, few other power amps can match.

The 250 gets my vote.

Regards

Mick

Posted on: 19 March 2001 by Andrew Randle

Active NBLs. They're the only loudspeakers I've heard to take the mantle of the Isobariks. An awe-inspiring design.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

Posted on: 19 March 2001 by Jonathan Gorse

The Naim Nait series 1 - which utterly demolishes 99% of the other amps I have ever heard. It still shocks me how well this little amp communicates musically and it's fabulous on rock.
The purest distillation ever of what Naim is about.

The Naim NAP250 for being a world reference for 25 years - and still the amp I aspire most to owning! I'll get there yet!

Naim DBL - Quite simply the best domestic speaker on earth.

(Just wondering therefore what my Nait would sound like driving DBL's??) - Vuk don't faint - just kidding...

Jonathan

Posted on: 19 March 2001 by Alco

I agree with Omer,

I also love my Nait-2.
Over the years I had many amps, from NAD to Accuphase but the little Nait was way much better.
To me it's THE most musical integrated amp I've ever heard, espacially for the price..

..haven't heard the 250 yet.

Greetings,

Alco.

Posted on: 20 March 2001 by Gromit

but the 250. To think that it has remained desirable after 25 years shows that the thinking behind it was special.

Posted on: 20 March 2001 by woodface

Good to see you are all opting for the more established 'stars'. I was really tempted to go for the 250 myself but the sbls took it on a photo finish as they match the sonics of my room so well.

Posted on: 20 March 2001 by FangfossFlyer

Just

Had a weekend home demo of the NAC52 (thanks The Sound Organisation York!) in my active 250 system with LP12 front end (with Prefix).

No doubt in my mind it's the NAC52 - I was blown away from the moment I turned it on (with no warm up!).

My existing NAC82/Supercap is great but the 52 - is by far the best bit of Naim kit I have ever heard!!!!

Richard

Posted on: 20 March 2001 by Tim Jones

1. Aro. It's revolutionised my vinyl collection and brings clarity and solidity, while keeping the usual analogue virtues.

2. 135s. I just luv 'em.

3. (An odd choice) CD2. Much as I love my CDS2, there was something about the CD2 that came together for me - especially on pop and dance music.

4. Naits (1,2, and 3). Definitely a cult product. A friend has a Nait 2 that never ceases to amaze me.

Posted on: 20 March 2001 by Chris Bell

NAP 500

Sorry, but I could not help but nominate the 500. No single upgrade has had a greater impact on me and my music. Suddenly everything is bigger, faster, more tunefull. CDs, which I had given up for crap are now tops in my listening. Even those stupid ear-candy albums (patrica barber, holly cole) are really incredible. Hell, anything that replaces a six pack, snaxo, supercap has got to be an incredible device. I know its really expensive, foolish in some ways, but I have owned almost the entire line and no single upgrade has possessed so much improvement.

Its really hard to point to a definative product as all of the models listed are great in their own way.

Chris Bell
Breaking in a 500--3 months, arrghhh.

PS: The Nait 2 is also very close to my heart.

Posted on: 21 March 2001 by Colin Lorenson

52 - IMHO.

Had a borrowed 500 for 2 weeks and it was a bummer to go back to 135's, but still VERY good musically. Stepping back from a 52 is not an option. Anything else just sucks the life out of the music.

Colin Lorenson

Posted on: 22 March 2001 by Tony Storey

In my case, this is the the one Naim product that delivered way beyond my expectations. Coupled with a Dynavector cartidge, its way beyond any other music source I have heard.

Posted on: 22 March 2001 by ken c

tony storey: sorry, a bit off-topic, but what dynavector do you have and what did you change from??

enjoy...

ken

Posted on: 23 March 2001 by Tony Storey

I appologise for this being out of context of the thread, but it addresses Ken's question. I currently use a Dynavector DRT XV1, and it is truly amazing. I decided to buy it (last year when it came out) - I thought it was so impressive, I made the decision to purchase it after listening to only one track. Vinyl has never sounded so good - its scary. I have been listening to a couple of Kari Bremnes albums a lot recently which come over as not just music but you get a sensational amount of atmosphere delivered with the performance.. very spritual, and I believe the cartridge is responsible for a lot of this....

The ARO/XV1 goes into a supercap powered prefix(S boards), to a 52 driving two NAP 500's bi-amping Shahinian Hawks.... The deck is an Armageddon powered Linn. Previously I used a Dynavector XX1L which I used for a few years prior to getting the XV1. This is another outstanding cartridge, but a tad lightweight in the performance sense in comparison to the XV1 in my opinion. Previous to that I used a Troika.. (for me this was Linn's last great cartridge). Ken, if you get the chance to listen to an XV1, especially in a Naim context you will be an immediate convert, but beware its expensive (about 2300 pounds when I bought mine). My personal opinion is that dynavector make the best cartidges on the market today.

best wishes