No more tuner from Naim ?

Clive B posted:

Alba1320 posted:

I continue to toy with the idea of getting a Naim NAT 01, though.

Go on; you know you want to!

I've seen some recently on a well known auction site going for around £600. I even saw an olive one with the rotating wheel tuning indicator. That looked REALLY nice. I was almost tempted to buy that and sell... No I can't bring myself to write it.

Ah the NAT101 - lovely thing (thought they only came in CB flavour ?) - IIRC the tuning dial plastic drum was made from the bottom of a measuring jug. Proper engineering in those days 

There was at least one Olive NAT101 - IIRC Doug had one specially updated to Olive.

Thanks Richard. I expect there's some rather interesting staff specials from back in the day. I seem to recall there was a special version of the XPS (XPS-T) too for the external PS tuners. Was this a special order item ?

james n posted:

Thanks Richard. I expect there's some rather interesting staff specials from back in the day. I seem to recall there was a special version of the XPS (XPS-T) too for the external PS tuners. Was this a special order item ?

I know someone who has one...........

Richard Dane posted:

There was at least one Olive NAT101 - IIRC Doug had one specially updated to Olive.

Richard, make that two I had mine updated to Olive. I was also lucky enough to go to the launch of the 101, people were gob smacked at the sound quality of the 101 when Julian Vereker showed them that they were listening to a tuner a superb event indeed.

The Strat (Fender) posted:

james n posted:

Thanks Richard. I expect there's some rather interesting staff specials from back in the day. I seem to recall there was a special version of the XPS (XPS-T) too for the external PS tuners. Was this a special order item ?

I know someone who has one...........

A large white bear with new speakers ?

Dammit! I wish I'd bought it now!

james n posted:

The Strat (Fender) posted:

james n posted:

Thanks Richard. I expect there's some rather interesting staff specials from back in the day. I seem to recall there was a special version of the XPS (XPS-T) too for the external PS tuners. Was this a special order item ?

I know someone who has one...........

A large white bear with new speakers ?

All very fishy.....

Richard Dane posted:

joerand posted

To further the discussion - anyone still listening to a tube FM tuner? I do my AM listening at home on a 71-year-old six tube radio.

I still have a Leak Troughline 3 that I dig out every now and then.

Your place seems like an electronic V&A ????

james n posted:

Thanks Richard. I expect there's some rather interesting staff specials from back in the day. I seem to recall there was a special version of the XPS (XPS-T) too for the external PS tuners. Was this a special order item ?

Yes, it was to special order.  Most went to the US, IIRC.

Nick Lees posted:

Richard Dane posted:

joerand posted

To further the discussion - anyone still listening to a tube FM tuner? I do my AM listening at home on a 71-year-old six tube radio.

I still have a Leak Troughline 3 that I dig out every now and then.

Your place seems like an electronic V&A ????

Nick, when I first read this thread, I thought to myself, "how many tuners do I actually have...?"  I quickly realised it was too many. I have three Quad FM3s alone, one of which was supposedly owned by Peter Sellers. I was offered his entire Quad system - how could I refuse? 

And, of course, the extremely rare Lecson FMT2 that I bought from the first owner who lived just a mile or so down the road. Now that FM has had a stay of execution I should probably get it serviced. 

However, do i want a NAT01?  Oh yes, you bet!

p.s. Speaking of the V&A, I was there last weekend and can highly recommend the Ocean Liners: Speed & Style Exhibition.

Nick Lees posted:

Richard Dane posted:

joerand posted

To further the discussion - anyone still listening to a tube FM tuner? I do my AM listening at home on a 71-year-old six tube radio.

I still have a Leak Troughline 3 that I dig out every now and then.

Your place seems like an electronic V&A ????

Too right. I picture a very interesting man cave in my mind.

Richard Dane posted:

joerand posted

To further the discussion - anyone still listening to a tube FM tuner? I do my AM listening at home on a 71-year-old six tube radio.

I still have a Leak Troughline 3 that I dig out every now and then.

I've been toying with bringing home a restored Miller Model 560, local sale. Never heard of the Miller brand, built in Los Angeles, but for $150 night be worth a punt. That is a rather handsome vintage metal case and I do have one empty shelf on the rack...

Has anyone heard both a NAT01 and a NAT101? How did they compare? Was the display the only difference? I really liked the look of the olive 101 I saw on that auction site. 

Alba1320 posted:

Alba1320 posted:

Cbr600 posted:

And not forgetting the good old Quad tuners

Indeed; the Quad 66FM, which I own, strikes a nice balance between good results from good broadcasts, with surprisingly listenable and enjoyable results from (the often encountered ) 'less than stellar' broadcasts.

SNIP

'Gratuitous' pics. 

Not sure it quite matches all my Olive gear, though!

 

(credit to the OPs for the pics)

Nice pictures. No knowledge of the more recent quad stuff. I was more thinking of the old school stuff I used to have with my 303/33 range, think it was called fm3.

Clive 

I have heard the 101 about 30 years ago at London dealers The Cornflake Shop it was playing into a PS Audio preamplifier and a Counterpoint power amplifier into Roksan Darius loudspeakers.

I had just gone down to the basement demonstration room to  listen to the Roksan Xerxes and it was tuned to Radio 3 and it sounded beautiful.One of those audio moments that you remember looking back.... incredible musical.A couple of years later I got a 01 off them and like you ,its one of my favourite sources.It went back to Salisbury 10 years ago for a service.I just adore the way it can mesmerise you with the right music and sometimes music I don't enjoy so much like opera.Last night they where playing opera on Radio 3 and there was a tiny bell being hit - very subtle but it was perfectly placed in the soundstage on my Quad 2805 electrostatics.....nothing you don't know as a fellow 01 user.    

BTW - Sad news Paul Jones is retiring from his Blues programme on Radio 2 at the start of May.

Ron Toolsie is a fountain of knowledge on Naim tuners here

Thanks, Tabby Cat. I've been trying to find photos of the olive 101, but I have only found CB units. They too look very appealing. Naim has produced some wonderful iconic products in it history.

Cbr600 posted:

Alba1320 posted:

Alba1320 posted:

Cbr600 posted:

And not forgetting the good old Quad tuners

Indeed; the Quad 66FM, which I own, strikes a nice balance between good results from good broadcasts, with surprisingly listenable and enjoyable results from (the often encountered ) 'less than stellar' broadcasts.

SNIP

'Gratuitous' pics. 

Not sure it quite matches all my Olive gear, though!

 

(credit to the OPs for the pics)

Nice pictures. No knowledge of the more recent quad stuff. I was more thinking of the old school stuff I used to have with my 303/33 range, think it was called fm3.

There were actually two FM tuners and one AM tuner that went with the 33/303 range. Originally Quad made a valve FM tuner that was restyled to match the 33 and this was known as the FM2. It was a repackaging of the FM tuner that went with the 22 series. It was quite deep and had ventilation holes. Otherwise, from the front, the only other indicator that it was FM2 not FM3 was that the station markers were small round magnetic dots that you placed by hand. This was extremely tricky to do! After a couple of years the FM3 appeared. This was a transistor design, much less deep and without ventilation slots. The station markers were now white arrows that you could move and position using the main tuning knob. The AM tuner was also a valve version, or a repackaging of the tuner from the Quad 22 series.

The RF performance of the FM3 was execrable sadly and the FM4 which was styled for the 44/405 series was the first that performed well. They are easily bought still, but there is one common fault which is that the tuner forgets its preset settings and this is caused by failure of the nickel cadmium rechargeable battery. It is easily changed albeit it involves soldering,, although it often leaks before it fails and clearing that up can be a pain.

The 66 shown in these photos was followed by a restyled 77 version that didn't last long and that by the 99 version that also performed well but didn't quite have the Quad look. Over the years I had the FM1, FM2, FM3, FM4 and 99 FM. My absence from the market during the 66/77 years coincided with having three children and other financial priorities!

best

David

quad tuner 66/77 and the table top remote was one of costly losses to get on the market.  the fm 4 was V good.   the best 70s tuner I Had  ,was the pioneer 9000   ??????  sound great till in the late  19 97 .  i purchase audio lab which was stunning.   the pioneer was given away and still works perfectly . now back to the FM3 /LATE FM4 .  still love the quad 33/fm3/303 in my work room    the fm3 works well on an internal aerial.

Clive B posted:

Has anyone heard both a NAT01 and a NAT101? How did they compare? Was the display the only difference? I really liked the look of the olive 101 I saw on that auction site. 

back in the late 1980s- compared the 01 to the 101

01 sounded better- can`t remember details but I bought the 01.  101 very retro but 01 Olive looks simple and elegant.

Using it daily!   David

I don't have a separate FM tuner, but I do know that very high quality tuners are available from the Canadian company, Magnum Dynalab.  Aren't they supposed to be among the best in the world?  So, FM isn't completely dead.

The hifi comics always rave on about Magnum Dynalab. 

Anyone compare them to Nat 01 or 02?

Ray

There are a lot of Magnum Dynalab tuners, at the moment they have 11 specific tuners plus ranges of combo tuner/streamers & receivers.  Over the years the specs & engineering has changed so you can't generalise.    I managed to borrow one a few years ago (can't remember the exact model)  no doubt its an outstanding tuner,  probably more in what it can do with DX performance rather than how it sounds, that said it sure does sound good.  At the time my tuner was an Audiolab 8000T, one of the best of the brit tuners at that time.  Both were nice sounding,  not much difference in that regard,  but the MD was a lot more sensitive.     The only problem I had (have) with the MD's is they are ugly,  fascia full of dials, display numbers & meters,   great for the shack or the man cave but WAF might be a bit more challenging.  

I use a Linx Theta, which is based on a magnum Dynalab. It’s a lovely sounding tuner but have never compared against one of the big NATs. 

The Strat (Fender) posted:

james n posted:

The Strat (Fender) posted:

james n posted:

Thanks Richard. I expect there's some rather interesting staff specials from back in the day. I seem to recall there was a special version of the XPS (XPS-T) too for the external PS tuners. Was this a special order item ?

I know someone who has one...........

A large white bear with new speakers ?

All very fishy.....

As it happens I was invited to the said Bear’s lair yesterday evening.  All was loud and clear.