110 repair or 140 spec upgrade?
Posted by: Chris Dolan on 04 September 2001
I think you'll find it's an "almost 140", retaining the smaller toroid of the 110? I'd save my bucks and repair the 110 - it's a cracking amp anyway.
Rico - all your base are belong to us
I didn't ask any questions about the 140 spec, but you may well be right.
Chris
Naim service are of course the experts, so you should get "the real oil" from them.
I looked into precisely the same when I had a 110 about 2.5 years ago. It seemed to me that if I sold the 110 I could buy a 140 (with luck, serviced in last few years) for less overall. OTOH yours effectively owes you nothing after such lengthy ownership, so a couple of hundred spent on a box you're unlikely to sell perhaps isn't such a bad thing.
If you search there should be some posts from a couple of forum posters who've had this upgrade done.
I really liked the speed of the 110, and it certainly bounced along in a particularly musical manner. I re-capped my own - and while I don't pretend that it didn't lose some of it's "Naimness" (I didn't get Aerovox caps, and did only the PSU caps, not the signal caps)... it certainly improved an 19 year old amp beyond all expectations. A proper service at Naim will no doubt stun you, whichever route you take.
Rico - all your base are belong to us
-=> Mike Hanson <=-
--Eric
However, both items were s/h, and the 140 may have been much newer than the 110.
Still I was well impressed at the time.
YMMV.
cheers, Martin
My immediate reaction was just get the 110 repaired.
The more I thought about it the 140 spec seemed more attractive particularly looking at resale value.... but I'm not actually looking to sell.
As matters stand I'm going to go for the 110 repair. I can't see myself getting a CDSii without selling my CDX so a second system front end upgrade is unlikely.
Jeremy
You're right, but I my post was a bit sloppy. I was given the price from Phonography on the basis that "Naim will charge" - with no mark up. That's why I "presumed" vat would be added - but partly because I wasn't paying attention!!!
Chris
PS I haven't commented in the Ekos v Aro thread due to mixed feelings but I voted for the Ekos.
quote:
Originally posted by Rico:I think you'll find it's an "almost 140", retaining the smaller toroid of the 110.
Nope, it's a full 140. I had a 1982 110 repaired/upgraded recently, and it came back with, apart from the upgrade, PREH DIN sockets, non-sticking-out 4mm sockets and a nice new metal serial number tag declaring to be a "NAP 140".
I think Rico is correct, and I've also said this in the past regarding 110 to 140 conversion.
I've recently been in direct contact with Naim and was informed that a kit was available for £120 which consists of the power supply section only. This brings the Nap 110 'close' to a Nap 140. This confirmed literature printed about this modification in the hi-fi press when it first became available.
I'd suggest close is still good, but it's not the same.
Martin
Your 140 was probably a 'full' one so the upgrade should be huge. I found the upgrade from my 110 to 160 to be enormous. Can't actually describe it.
Brian
Has anyone heard a 120? I want to find one of these beauties.
Alex
I understood the upgrade to be based around the power supply area too. But in which case, why have Naim removed the old serial number tag saying NAP110 and replaced it with one saying NAP140?
quote:
why have Naim removed the old serial number tag saying NAP110 and replaced it with one saying NAP140
I don't know, Duncan. It's got me puzzled and almost stopped me making my post. I went ahead anyway because I think it's an interesting issue which crops up from time to time. Although I don't own a 110 anymore, I made the enquiry recently due to this topic being discussed on the forum once again. I wanted the facts 'from the horses mouth'.
All I can suggest is that perhaps the information I have, which was orignally available a long time ago, is now superceded. Maybe they actually do competely modify 110's to 140 spec but not all naim employees are aware of it.
Brian
What were you on when you bought the Gyro?
Alex
My wife has just advised me that what I'm on can be sourced directly from Laboratoires Garnier in Paris.
[This message was edited by Alex S. on TUESDAY 11 September 2001 at 17:10.]
I vote for keeping the 110 and getting it serviced.
-John
110->140 was, for me, a revelation; w-a-a-y beyond my expectations.
Control, excitement, power, excitement. Oh, and did I mention excitement?
Huge!
Martin
My s/h NAC82 arrived at home while I am working in Boise, so when I get home I get to experience the difference between a NAC62 and an 82. I want to hear singers ad-libbing things just for me, instruments I never knew were there, choirs of angels, etc. I expect it will just sound a bit more musical and revealing. Same with the upcoming CDX upgrade. Oh well.
It was the same with the 110->140 upgrade; specifically noticed more controlled and tuneful bass but did not get the rapture.
(Unfortunately the trip home has just turned from a 1.5 hour flight to a 14 hour drive due to the sad events of today.)
-John
quote:
Originally posted by JohnS:
My s/h NAC82 arrived at home while I am working in Boise, so when I get home I get to experience the difference between a NAC62 and an 82. I want to hear singers ad-libbing things just for me, instruments I never knew were there, choirs of angels, etc.
Don't expect these miracles off of a CD3.5 & FlatCap (or from a Lingo, IME).
Sorry, Martin
-J
I went from 110 to 250, but even that was not "huge" with Kans but was necessary to use sbls.
I've been told that the repaired 110 would fetch about 100UKP, but that upgraded to 140 spec it would be worth closer to 400UKP.
I'm still inclined to the 110 repair.
As a side issue, I'm disappointed that the number of people who apparently have viewed the thread, so few have bothered to vote!
Are the "views" just registered users?
Chris
quote:
Originally posted by Chris Dolan:
As matters stand I'm going to go for the 110 repair.
quote:
As a side issue, I'm disappointed that the number of people who apparently have viewed the thread, so few have bothered to vote!
I didn't vote after you said that you'd made your mind up.
The cost of upgrading over a simple servicing is £140.
Consider that it might cost you 1/4 of this amount just to send it back to Naim if you want to do this in the future, and the upgrade itself might (?) be more expensive, also.
Have you had a definitive answer from Naim as to how close the upgraded unit is to a pukka 140?
I've voted yes, but I've just been re-reading the post and noted this is for 2nd system with restricted source. Tough call - worthwhile, I'd say, if you might improve the source at some point in the future.
cheers, Martin