Phono stage card identification ( na323 iss2 )
Posted by: stutgart on 30 January 2018
Hi ! i want to try those card in my 32.5 because the na322 issue 1 that i have sound muffled ( no high-end or presence ) cannot find a cartridge that make the vinyl sound full ranged , it does not sound bad it sound muffled like i have said . i was thinking that the card were defunct purchased an other pair same sound . So i think those are moving coil card but from internet picture none as those transistors in the back ( ztx384c ) . '""It is not a diy mod """ . maybe those were for special cartridge ???? Anyone knows ??? thanks for info i if someone can suggest a full range sounding cartridge for those board .
stutgart posted:....... Anyone knows ??? thanks for info i if someone can suggest a full range sounding cartridge for those board.
I checked this out (as well as could be done from a photo) and this is what The Man Who Knows Naim replied: -
"That card started as an 'S' variant, but it's had the loading capacitor removed (the two empty holes between the left most two gold receptacles) and a current source added to the first stage. The photo isn't good enough to tell exactly where it's connected, the expectation would be that it's on the centre stage of the circuit.
The board will sound very odd without the loading cap, don't know what the current source mod will do, a guess would be nothing good."
I wouldn't advise you to look for a cartridge which would sound right with these cards - it will be a very odd cartridge indeed.
Possibly decide on a cartridge you like and then buy the (unmodified) Naim cards which are suitable for its characteristics.