Re-entering the Naim arena. NAC72/NAP140/HC vs. new Nait 5si ?

The 72 combo worked great with vinyl , i know that much! what is the source you`re thinking of? 

And..... what speakers. 

I would have go for the 72/140 which is an amazing combo, especially with good sources.
It's my second system, connected to Chord Hugo/Thorens TT and it's not a 500 series system, but truly enjoyable.
Works great in a dedicated small room with the legendary ESL 57.

BP.

I have ESLs as well but currently out of use prior to selling. Your look really nice.

I hope someone gives mine as nice a home as they have had over nearly that last five years. In my view there is no finer speaker, and I am not planning to replace them with anything else, and use headphones alone ...

ATB from George

What are you going to be using as a front end and what speakers?

If it was me though I'd go for the 72/HC/140 regardless. Brilliant combo.

I have both an SN2 and the olive combo you mention.  Whilst I prefer the SN2 (better resolution, quieter, more neutral) I could see where somebody else would prefer the olives.  I would think think the 72/HiCap/140 would be more satisfying than a nait5si, but if possible try to audition.

Yes.

Thank you my friends for your appreciated responses..... I think I am going to go with the 72/HC/140 combo for now, plug it in a listen for a while and maybe audition a Nait5si just for comparison sake. BTW, I am using only a nice TT as my source, no digital !

With a vinyl source I think that's a good decision.

Enjoy.

why compare used with new? why not compare nac72/140 with used Nait 5si-2 or Nait 5i-2?

OK, I have sought enough advice from all of you, (which I sincerely appreciate) and a few other Naim guys I know and they all say the 72/140/HC is likely going provide the longer term enjoyment over any of the Nait5 integrated versions . Now for a further adventure, one of my close friends has a NAC 102 he feels I should try if I decide to pull the trigger. He said the 102 will have slightly better overall resolution over the 72. Would any of you agree with that statement?

Ooh, that's likely to provoke a response or two!

With a digital source, many claim that the 102 has better resolution than the 72.

However, if vinyl is your source, then a veritable army of support will emerge for the 72 over the 102, if long term musical satisfaction is your goal...

Let battle commence! 

Oh My ! I certainly did not wish to provoke a riot ! 

I am very glad I have found you guys out there because there is a wealth of Naim information in these vast number ....

Answers and points-of-view within this conversation will save me from a lot of demo time !

Okay, in that case, have the 72 serviced then keep it and enjoy the wonderful music that will flow forth from your vinyl collection.  No need for a 102.

Naturally, I am completely unbiased in this, having owned a NAC32.5 (predecessor of the 72) for many, many years.  Oh, and the brother in law has a serviced 72/hicap/140 with a Rega Saturn CD player, a Nottingham Analogue turntable and PMC stand mounted speakers - all of it sounding wonderful.

Enjoy it!

Best regards, FT

I've owned both. I'd stick with the 72 personally even though I'm less of a 102 critic than some. The 72 was definitely one of those Naim products where the sum of the parts exceeded.  And it'll look better with the 140/hc IMHO. Also consider getting them serviced if you can, assuming they haven't already been recently seen to. It will make a significant difference.

regards

Mark

It' s really a tough decision, i ownend this combo  22 years or so ago with Lp12 source.

Like said above, is probably a better solution for an analogue source.

With a prospect of residual value in mind, if you' d sell them at a  later stage, you' ll probably get pretty much your money back, not so with any other item you buy.

Regards

Roberto

Good advice and I completely agree. There is something ( to my eye ) very attractive to the modular design of the 72/140/HC and it probably represents pretty good value just as it is. Sure, you can move into a different preamp and spend a small premium in doing so, but at this stage I ask myself, why !

I do have a couple of questions that someone might be able to help me out with ?

Currently installed in the 72, the seller tells me they are MM boards in the phono section which are reported to be the " 322/4 "

1.) Is this one single board that handles both channels, or a pair that is a dual mono design?

It is my understanding that most, or many moving magnet cartridges typically have higher output MV than their MC counterparts, therefore; the 322/4 design  will most likely have a certain set of " MV sensitivity" parameters they will work within? Forgive the questions my friends, I am just not familiar with how some of this stuff works...

2.) Do the 322/4 phono board(s) only handle moving magnet or can they be used if i upgraded my cartridge to a higher output moving coil cartridge, or would I need a different board(s) to accommodate that?

3.) Although the seller reports recapping has been done a bit ago, which I would imagine were done with same value and quality as the originals, are there any premium cap upgrades that can be done, or have been done by anyone out there to the 72/140/HC which will really lift its overall performance ?

I have heard of many audiophiles taking their standard built products and having them upgraded with premium quality caps in critical areas, yet I am not sure if this applies to the Naim philosophy or wether doing so will alter the sound in such a manner that it does not sound like a Naim anymore?

Just askin'

1)  They are a pair, one for each channel.  NA322/4 boards are the last variant (i.e. most up to date) of the 3 series MM boards, and suitable for most all MM cartridges.

2)  They are for MM carts, or could be used for HO MC carts.  However, in my experience, HO carts fall between two stools.  Better to go with either a proper MM or else change the boards to NA323 either S or K type)  which can accommodate LO MC carts.

3) The factory can service the NAC to make it as good as, or maybe even better than new.  Any other work, outside of Naim, could be a waste of time - In trying to make something "better" it's all too easy to usually make it worse in some way.  Naim don't just throw it all together and hope it'll work out for the best.  There's lots of time and R&D effort in getting the kit to perform just so. Certainly any modification to the kit will make it sound different, and not necessarily in a good way, and anyway, discussion of same (unauthorised modification) falls outside the AUP of this forum (please read rules).

33 1/3,

Congrats on your new olive boxes- with vinyl they should bring a big smile .

If moving beyond MM cartridges, imo, you would be better served with a separate phono preamp. Things have come a long way since these "s" and "k" boards were developed.

ATB,

Mark

varyat posted:

33 1/3,

Congrats on your new olive boxes- with vinyl they should bring a big smile .

If moving beyond MM cartridges, imo, you would be better served with a separate phono preamp. Things have come a long way since these "s" and "k" boards were developed.

ATB,

Mark

But the old board are fantastic value for money IMO. And you won't have yet another box, or boxes, if you go for a Stageline which would need a separate power supply.

Who said anything about a Stageline?   Lot's of good options that are self-powered and great VFM.  I understand if you want to use the older MC boards as a stop-gap, but ultimately getting a better stage will allow you to hear what a modern MC is capable of.

Good luck in your journey!

It would be worth enquiring who di the recap, if not Naim or Class A of Sheffield (assuming you're UK based) they won't sound as intended. Whether you like the alternative is up to you but probably best not discussed any further here.

Understood and thanks for letting me know. 

Skip the 102. 

Consider AV Options for a restore of the 72 if you are in the US.