Naim amps. - high current?
Posted by: Calum Ferguson on 23 August 2018
I’m sure I’ve heard on here that Naim amps. deliver higher current than expected? Meaning the power ratings are conservative or something? Vague I know and I did a search but could not find anything but it was in the back of my mind. There are some men in white coats outside
They are certainly conservatively rated; original Nait being a case point.
This has been discussed before. The power rating might be a bit conservative but in general, they are close to what is documented. However, their stability into very low Ohm loads and ability to deliver very high transient power relative to the measured flat output is what sets them apart a bit and is where this whole concept of "Naim watts" comes from - which is a bit of nonsense in all fairness.
With that in mind, if you have speakers that need a 60w amp minimum, you still should not drive them with a Naim Atom (for example). On the other hand if you are looking at two amps of similar power rating and one is Naim, the Naim is likely to keep a grip on things when the going gets rough better than the non Naim amp in many cases.
When I started in hifi, I had a few integrated amplifiers before buying a Naim 62/90 combination. It was entry level for Naim but a big step up for me. My mates at the time had large Technics etc amplifiers, and my ‘measly’ 30W per channel was often derided by them. However, whenever we had bake-offs, their kit sounded no louder and often did a Jekyll and Hyde trick when the volume went up. The Naim just seemed to keep its tonal balance better. I decided then that perceived loudness was not just about the power specifications but also bass definition and coherence. My Naim stayed musical beyond the point at which others had become noise. My mates pondered the idea that it was outputting far more than the rated power (possibly to save their egos) while I always believed that it was just well designed.
I had a NAD 375BEE rated at 150 watts into 8 ohms. I replaced it with a Naim 5i V2 with 50 watts. The little Naim had easily as much power as the NAD, and produced stronger and better defined bass.
I like to joke that 1 British watt = 2 Japanese watts, and that 1 British watt = 3 Chinese watts (NAD is made in China).