Advice on Vintage gear Nac62 Nap 90 Nap 140

Posted by: Emre on 18 August 2016

I just saw NAC 62 / NAP 90 / NAP 140 ( 2 of them ) for sale.... it is a very rare event in Turkey.

Nac62 have a green logo on the middle, others are white logo on corner, are they from different centuries? Victorian vs Roman Britain ?  

I may think of a second system and add a source/speakers and have a nice little cool looking system like some of you guys, i have my A5s ready.....

Any advice of combining NAC 62 with NAP? NAP 90 or NAP 140 ? Or use 140s as mono? 

What should i look for before buying? Any common issues? 

What would be a honest second hand price in UK for me to benchmark? 

and last but least will they sound good? 

I think i need a pre 2000s Naim class. 

I would really appreciate your valuable input, i don't think there is more informed group on earth on this topic that what we have it here.

 

 

Posted on: 19 August 2016 by Richard Dane

Emre, it sounds like the NAC62 is an "Olive" version (post '89) and the NAP90 and NAP140 are early "Chrome Bumper" units (pre '89).

The NAP140 is the better amp by some margin, and, provided they are in good fettle, the combination of NAC62 and NAP140 is still an excellent one.  

Firstly, establish age from the serial numbers.  Then find out about any service work that may (or may not) have been done.  If they haven't been serviced within the past 10 years then they may well not be at their best.  And if they have been serviced, was it done by Naim or a Naim trained service engineer?  If not, be very cautious, and to be safe, expect the worst...

The NAC62 may or may not have phono boards inside. It's easy to open up and check (be careful not to catch the fascia when you slide out the chassis).

In the UK a nice NAC62 usually goes for around £120 - £180 depending o condition and whether it has phono boards fitted.  A CB NAP140 anywhere from £200-350 depending on condition  and service history.  

In a way it's a shame that it's not a matching set - preferably both the earlier "chrome bumper" style.  The "chrome bumper" NAC62 and NAP140 are comparatively rare as well, as they were only introduced just over a year before the change to the olive fascia look

There's plenty more to learn about this era of amps so try searching the forum for the hundreds of posts on the subject.

Posted on: 19 August 2016 by Emre

The NAC62 got a phono phono stage with S sing with it. As you will see the pricing - with a negotiating space - are very high. 

Looks like they have an Nap110as well.

I sold my like new 200/202 for similar prices here, with these pricing they are very expensive for second system  

Thank you very much for your answer, i really do appreciate it. 

Posted on: 19 August 2016 by ChrisSU

At those prices, you might be better off looking for some vintage units from a reputable UK dealer. That way you can make sure you are getting something that has been serviced and is in full working order. The postage might be expensive, but cheaper than return postage if you have to send them back to the UK for a service/recap/repair.

When you say A5s, do you mean Spendor A5s? If so, I wouldn't consider using them with a NAP90 - I tried this with an olive 90 and they sounded awful. The 140 may drive them better, but I wouldn't bet on it being a great combination.