The people in NAim are saving my money....

Posted by: Arye_Gur on 13 September 2000

Mike Hanson ,
My system based on a CDi, nait3 with a faltcap,
Ibl's and Linn axis.
The flatcap makes a great improvement with the
turntable sound.

Rico ,
I heard the Nait5 with the Cd5 and I think they are GREAT !

I'm not sure this is the right way to response
to the forum - so I'll be glad if somone explanes to me how to do it.
Thanks.

Posted on: 13 September 2000 by Mike Hanson
You used the "New Topic" button, but you should have used the "Post Reply" button.

From what I've been told by other forum members, the CDI is supposed to be almost as good as a CDX, which makes it much better than the old CD3.5. The CD5 is supposed to be a bit better than a 3.5, so I would strongly suggest that your CDI is superior to the CD5. Therefore, don't make that trade until you listen to them side-by-side!

I'm not sure how much money you want to spend. The cheapest upgrade would be to change the Flat-Cap into a Hi-Cap. Next would be the purchase of a 72. This would be powered by the Flat-Cap, and your Nait3 would perform power-amp duties (like the old NAP90).

Another option, which I suggested in my other message, is to sell the Nait3 and get a used 32.5/110. This would take your system to CDI/32.5/Flat/110. If you don't like the old style looks, then you could get a new style 62 or 72 along with a 140, bringing you to CDI/72/Flat/140, which would sound wonderful. Catch you later!

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

Smilies do not a forum make.

Posted on: 13 September 2000 by Arye_Gur
Mike Hanson ,
Thank you for your advice, I like the idea of buying a pre and use the nait3 as a power until
I can buy a good one.
I don't think buying a hi cap is a good idea for
me now - because the external power supply affects only the turntable.

The deale suggets to change the power stage
at my old nait3 to a new one which he says has
better transistors and sounds better - do you know how it can influence the sound ?

Posted on: 13 September 2000 by Mike Hanson
First of all, changing the Flat-Cap to a Hi-Cap on your Nait3 will improve everything that goes through the amp, including the CDI. At one stage I had a CDX/102/NAPSC/Flat/140. When I upgraded the Flat-Cap to a Hi-Cap, the whole system sounded better. The bass was deeper and more controlled, the highs were smoother and everything sounded much more natural and easy. It's definitely a worthwhile upgrade.

Getting a better pre-amp and using the power-amp section of the Nait3 is quite acceptable too. (You should probably try both just to see which you prefer.) The only negative aspect of this (and it is a minor one) is that the Nait3's controls will be sitting there dead, which may not look as good as you like; of course you could always hide the Nait3, as you don't need to access its controls.

Sound-wise, it's a good way to step up to the next level. If you're going this route, make sure that you get at least a 72 or 102 pre-amp. A 32-5 will be an improvement, but it's not a huge jump.

Some prefer to use the Nait3 as a pre-amp, and add a new power amp. However, I contend that improving the pre-amp will have a bigger impact than changing the power section. Again, you should try all these options to see which you prefer. Catch you later!

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

Smilies do not a forum make.