What's the best and the worst Naim ever put out?

I always thought a 102 without a hi-cap just a hissy sounding piece of poop along with the 180.

I still think a 72/hi-cap/140 was better.

Best, must be the 552/500 in making a great thing even better and re-writing the book on the super power amp.

I must concur with a previous opinion that the worst product that Naim have made is the remote. I bought a new pre-amp this year and the remote looks cheap compared to my other 27 remotes on my setee.

The best product has to be the 250 which is unupgradable, whilst all your other boxes go to some happy vulture.

IMHO the best product ever from Naim is the Nait 2, the quintessence of Naim sound. I am more a music lover than an audiophile and I am not into ultra-expensive components so I am not saying that it is the best sounding amp in the range but it really changed my mind and doesn't cease to amaze me, even when compared to the monster amps many audiophiles crave for. This unassuming little marvel goes straight to the heart of the music.
So I am waiting with great expectations for the new Nait 5i (the 5 leaves me cold, the 3 just different but not better than the 2 in my view).
Regards, Betton

HI

For VFM it has to be the NAPSC 2 as best and the SL2 speakers as worst. £5K and less base than Rega Ela's .

Colin

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Worst:
1) Perhaps the first CDS? I remember auditioning one and ending up switching it off to listen to LPs instead..

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At last, I thought I was the only one! Actually it's not the worst it is just hugely overrated...but...

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2) The Nait 1 was a real compromise. I had one for several years and always knew that it was really just the first step onto the ladder

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Well isn't that the point of an entry level amp?

I have some difficulty commenting on "Best" because I've yet to hear the new stuff properly.

Ignoring the new stuff the best product for me is the Supercap - although I still don't have one - with very strong commendations for the 250 and sbls.

Least inspiring.... probably the 180.

Chris

Remote

I guess they are very happy that the remote is the almost only controversial product...

BTW, can somebody post a pic of the dual-rail narcom?

Thanks, Jun

Jun,

I never realised the remote was such a controversial product until you posted. I only read one post at the start of this thread and agreed.

Betton,

I liked your post. You seem an intelligent and articultate person.

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Originally posted by Jonathan Hales:
I always thought a 102 without a hi-cap just a hissy sounding piece of poop along with the 180.

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LOL! that good huh?

250 seems to be leading as *the* amplifier as well as 52 preamp probably from cost/performance stand point.

180 seems to be little short of something from the rest.

The consensus is an interesting thing, isn't it?

P.S.

Betton,

Can you tell me what happened between 7th Sept'00 and 12th Oct'03?

Ciao.

Anyone ever owned a Micromega Stage CD player? The remote control is a black Narcom... or perhaps the Narcom is a grey Micromega? So, OEM indeed!!!

Anyway... I do hope that our wonderful Mr. Dane is making a note on all of this. There seems to be a strong consensus that, if we have to possess yet another remote control then it ought at least to be less complex; more ergonomic and, possibly, original!

Best product? Well, we've all made leaps up the chain and found something that's astonished us so this is a hard one. Personally, I'd have to go for the new 252 or the XPS2. They're positioned to be (relatively) affordable (with about two years saving in my case) but the leap is just huge so, in terms of giving the most benefit to the most number of people (I'm guessing - I haven't seen sales figures)those would be my choices.

count.d: "controversial product" is likely not what I wanted to express - sorry for my poor vocabulary.

Just that there seems to be a consensus about the narcom...

- Jun

4got to mention best thingy when dissing the remote...
I can't comment on the higher end stuff that some of you mention becasue I have not owned it etc, so I'd have to say my hi-cap. Reason being unless you end up at near the top of the Naim ladder a hi-cap is very versatile and gives a big improvement to whatever you plug it into... (Oh and i really like the CDX2 as well).

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I'd have to go for the new 252 or the XPS2. They're positioned to be (relatively) affordable

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Wow I didn't think I'd hear £6000 for half an amp be described as affordable!!

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Originally posted by Mike Hughes:
Anyone ever owned a Micromega Stage CD player? The remote control is a black Narcom... or perhaps the Narcom is a grey Micromega? So, OEM indeed!!!

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Nevermind Micromega's remote! The machine needed to be *working* to even use one. ( yes. mine died after 2 months and no way to get it fixed in the States! )

Way back - years ago - pre Naim, I owned a stage 1, preferred it over the Arcam. The Micromega broke down twice in 4 months so I moved it on, replacing it with ..... a CD3.5. The rest is expensive history!

Strangely enough my Micromega Stage 5 is still running in my second sistem and sounding good if not quite so solid and tight in the bass as the Linn Mimik. Bought it SH on Ebay a year or so ago.

Yours in Music

Syd

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Originally posted by count.d:
P.S.

Betton,

Can you tell me what happened between 7th Sept'00 and 12th Oct'03?

Ciao.

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Dear Count.d,
at that time I was extremely excited by the Nait 5 but listening to it then left me decidedly disappointed (to say the least).
But now the Nait 5i is coming and I'm back again with great expectations...
Cheers, Betton

Jun

This is what I meant when I refered to the 'double row effort' whether this is referred to as narcom or dual rail I don't know, but it has separate preamp and CD sections and separate record and source buttons.

More usable (IMO) than the one you have pictured

Sorry about the poor photo.

VFM:NACA 5.

Regards

Mike

On the Yellow Brick Road and happy

Best Naim product NAT01. Blew everything out of the water when it came out and it was a decade before serious competition started to appear. After 20 years there are now alternatives, but I haven't heard a NAT01 with an XPS-T so the NAT01 may still be king.

Worst product..... sorry, but for me its the SL2, I'm happy to accept that I haven't heard it properly, but I've heard 4 pairs and still can't believe I was listening to a £5k pair of speakers.

Noel.