Looking for advice to connect a Phonosofie 3 with a build in PREFIX to a NAIM superuniti

Posted by: rugosoft on 02 September 2018

we "inherited" a LP player Phonosofie 3 with a build in PREFIX and want to use it with a  NAIM Superunity integrated device. Recently I have been advised that you need a special power supply for the PREFIX. Apparently the combination of the Phonosfie 3 and PREFIX is a special build solution of NAIM originally designed for a LINN LP player. Does anyone on this forum have an opinion on what would be the best technical solution for this setup? Would there be a power supply available that could be used witout the need to buy a Flatcap or supercap ? And if the only solution would be a NAIM powersupply which one would then be the right choise. I am asking these questions because I get from the NAIM shops so many different stories and I am not a specialist that can interpret the different stories. Would it make sense to invest in a new Flatcap? Or would it be more clever to remove the PREFIX and use a different pre amplifier?

Please help 

Posted on: 02 September 2018 by Richard Dane

Firstly, Phonosphie used to be the Naim distributor for Germany. You should know that the Phonosophie P3 was a very special turntable.  Naim's founder, Julian Vereker, used one and Naim built a special DC power supply to power the motor of the deck.  The full Naim P3 had not just the P3 motor PSU built by Naim but also the Naim Aro Unipivot tonearm and also a built in Prefix MC phono stage. 

The Prefix was originally designed as an MC phono stage that would fit inside the plinth of the Linn Sondek LP12.  After the informal partnership between Linn and Naim became strained, the Prefix found itself into other decks, the Phonosophie P3 being a Naim favourite. Properly set up a fully Naimed Phonosophie P3 is one of the worlds great turntables and can front the very best systems. 

The Prefix came in 3 different types - two for low output MCs - designated S or K  (S had slightly different load and an earlier top end roll off that suits some MCs better), and one for Medium output MCs designated E or sometimes as R. The Prefix can be powered directly from the AUX2 powered input socket of a suitable Naim pre-amp, or alternatively via a dedicated power supply such as a Hicap, or Supercap. Signal is then taken from one of the signal OUTs of the PSU to the pre-amp of your choice, or in your case your Superuniti. In my opinion, while a Flatcap will work, a Naimed P3 with Prefix deserves at least a Hicap.

Alternatively you could remove the Prefix.  You would then need to refit the tonearm leads to the arm (Is it a Naim Aro?), which then allows you to use it into a regular phono stage from another maker. Note that if you don't have the tonearm leads for an Aro then you may well have to source secondhand (try some Naim dealers) and be patient.