Nat 01 Tuner

Service history. If not serviced and aligned in recent years then budget to have it done by Naim. AFAIK only Naim can properly service and align a NAT01.

Ensure you budget for an appropriate aerial if you do not have one already installed.

And possibly a lightning rod or two as well

Many thanks for the advice I am waiting to hear back from Naim for a quote for service etc and actually emailed Ron Smith Aerials last night and had the most detailed and comprehensive answer back from Ron Smiths son I presume. I emailed just prior to the Germany Poland match last night and by the full time whistle Ron Smith Aerials had Google Earthed my address and sent me a full and detailed report unbelievable service!

Bob The Builder, I actually went to the launch of the NAT 01 tuner it was simply stunning in fact I don't think there's much to beat it today.

That must have been a fantastic event I have always known that the Nat 01 was held in very high esteem but it is only recently that I have begun to realize how high and to think that in relative terms it cost as much new as an NDX costs today people under the age of 30 do not realize how important radio was back then

Me and my friends as teenagers back in the mid 80's used to travel 3 or 4 miles up onto the Race Hill in Brighton so that we could tune into David Rodigans reggae show on Capitol. Happy days indeed. 

A service and realignment as previously advised is an excellent idea. As far as I am aware the tuning head is no longer available, neither is a replacement display (mines and olive). Having said that my NAT01 has been in almost daily use and was services some 5 years back. It's been totally reliable.

I have just been quoten by Keith Beech-Hall@naimaudio.com 325 pounds for full service on a Nat 01 which of course will be taken into account.  Also George Smith@ronsmithsariels  after looking at my house and the surrounding areas and my proximity to the BBC National Transmitter at Rowridge on the Isle of Wight said that I would be fine with one of the smaller Galaxy aerials a  12 @ 155 pounds or a 14@ 175 pounds + installation, he reckoned I would probably be 'OK' trying  a diy loft installation before if needed I then stumped up for a full roof job.  Well at least I know where I stand and what the implications are should I choose to go ahead.

I took the plunge 11 years ago and have been delighted with it. Mine had a Naim service for circa £450 as I recall. I still think it has the edge over my NDS. I use a quality 6 element aerial and decent downlead. Excellent signal on BBC R3 and full quieting.

While the 01 is wonderful, given the rest of your system I'm wondering whether getting an NDX with FM module might be a better use of funds. You could also consider swapping the ND5 and 202 for a 272, again with the module. The performance is very very good, and may be 'good enough'. 

I used to have an 01, popped a Ron Smith Galaxy on the roof and the next thing I knew Building Control appeared and made us take it down. In the end we needed to apply for planning permission to put the aerial on the back of the house.  You might be best to check with the City Council before taking the plunge. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

While the 01 is wonderful, given the rest of your system I'm wondering whether getting an NDX with FM module might be a better use of funds. You could also consider swapping the ND5 and 202 for a 272, again with the module. The performance is very very good, and may be 'good enough'. 

Good point(s),  plus keep in mind we might not have FM (other than local radio) in a few years.

And that's why I didn't put a Ron Smith up! They tend not to look that good on country cottages. I won't be parting with my NAT01 for sure.

A few years could be a good many years!

I'm not a betting man,  but ..............  RADAR data for digital listening will hit the 50% target next year & the DAB transmitter install program will be completed at the end of this year reaching the same (90%) as the FM population.   Vaisey will be politically obliged to set in motion the schedule or abandon it altogether.  

It's easy to let the heart rule the head and spend say £1500 on the tuner, service, aerial and installation and then use it for two hours a week listening to radio 3 and 4. And then if you need planning it's a few hundred more. That's not to say it's not lovely sounding of course. But would the tuner module suffice? With a simple five element roof aerial it works very well. 

There are awful lot of cars out there without DAB modules. Usual political botch and you never know they could have a bigger mess on their hands at the end of next week!

Ah but some of us listen to  most days of the week and for several hours. Agree if  it's the odd hour or so it's expensive eye candy.  The interesting thing for me is that my tuner has out lived every other component in my system and that has to say something 

Absolutely, if you have it on all day it's a bargain. It's just worth having a good think before taking the plunge. 

...and I'd have to agree with that. I had much the same dilemma when I spent a fortune having a Revox B77 totally refurbished a year or so back. Yes, great to look at but it needs to earn it's keep in the system. Now they're even talking about reel to reel being the new vinyl revolution. Strange world!

Thank you for all your advice as always, positive and negative but all good.

Olive Nat 01 picture

Very nice and just like mine. I still wonder what it's like with that upgraded power supply that Naim once made. Based on a modified XPS?

It needs to be well away from anything powered in order to sound as it should. 

Bob the Builder posted:

The Olive series does look lovely.