Upgrade question....

Posted by: mykel on 10 May 2001

Currently

MimicII / TD160/Basic+/AT140lc / Nait1 / early Kan1's

I want to upgrade my amp to pre/power. I have a $1K Canadian budget.

I have been thinking 32.5 / 110.

( I have a lead on a 32.5 with 72 mods for about $400.00 maybe a touch more. )

Is this going to be a good combo for the money; or can somebody recomend alternatives, whilst staying within budget?

I was thinking of re-capping my Nait and maybe doing the new Linn tweeter as per Ron's post. I got talking to an old friend - Terry Richardson ( Canadian Naim rep )about having him do the recap. Anyway by the end of the conversation I was looking at putting the money into a pre/power instead - and maybe doing the tweets at a later date.

How is the sound of the 32.5 / 110 ?
I find the Nait1 / Kan1 combo very entertaining but also very edgy on all but the best recordings. Will the new idea smooth this out?

thanks

mykel

Posted on: 10 May 2001 by mykel

I can't remember ever listening to a 90, but I have been told that it has not nearly the control, omph or speed of the 110. ( Which I have not heard in YEARS )

What is the potential upgrade path for the 110. Can it be taken to 140 levels?

Keep the comments comming, any and all are appreciated.

mykel

Posted on: 10 May 2001 by ian123running

Mykel,

quote:
What is the potential upgrade path for the 110. Can it be taken to 140 levels?

Last year I bought an old 42.5 / 110 for a second system. The 110 is serial number 7***, so quite old. It had never been serviced and was a seriously cheap S/H buy, but nice and clean.

I spoke to Naim's excellent service people and they outlined the options including service and re-capping, and upgrading to 140 specification, and even putting the amp in a new style case.

The work they did is quoted on the despatch note:

"Upgrade 110 power amp to NAP 140 specification power supply stage, Serviced by replacing all tantalum capacitors, speaker sockets, din socket and bias transistors"

They even changed the identification plate on the back to NAP140.

I chose not to change the case as it wouldn't then match the 42.5, but it was tempting.

They also serviced the 42.5 so I've now got a really neat pre-power, effectively new, for a total outlay of about £550.

It sounds good to me. It is improved by a Hi Cap. But a 102 in place of the 42.5 is a total transformation, showing what the 140 can do.

Hope this helps,

Ian

Posted on: 10 May 2001 by mykel

This does sound like the route to go.
However I would have to wait to have any recapping / conversion performed; but it is nice to know that it is available when funds permit.

Now I just have to find a 110 !!
Like I said I have a solid line on a 72 spec 32.5
so that part of the battle is a bit more certain.

thanks again

mykel

Posted on: 10 May 2001 by Andrew L. Weekes

At the weekend I compared one of my 110's with the PA stage within my brothers Nait3 (which is a NAP90 board).

Using the Preamp within the Nait (NAC92) the 110 was a significant improvement in speed and control, easily beating the NAP90 stage. It made for a much better and more exciting listening experience.

110's are a serious bargain s/h, using essentially the same amplifier boards that are used in 140s', 180's, 250's and 135's. The primary difference between amplifiers is in the different capacity and regulation of the power supplies.

Andy.

Andrew L. Weekes
alweekes@audiophile.com

Posted on: 10 May 2001 by Alex S.

Hi Mykel

I have a 110 and I'm never letting go of it.

Have a listen to the 140 with a 32.5 before you "upgrade" a 110. I prefer the latter; there is real synergy with a 32.5.

My advice would be to invest any funds in a Hi-Cap.

Alex S.

Posted on: 11 May 2001 by Martin Payne

The 140 is hugely better than the 110.

The option to upgrade/service at a later date seems to me to be a good way to upgrade painlessly when funds permit.

cheers, Martin