Naim Nait 50 integrated amplifier
In 1988 I purchased my very first Naim amplifier, the original first generation Naim Nait, the firm’s amplifiers have been my reference choice ever since. The term Nait actually stands for Naim Audio InTegrated and for decades the Nait marked the first rung on the ladder of the Naim line. Make no mistake, Naim is an aspirational brand in the same way that Aston Martin or Omega is, so if you owned a Nait you had joined an elite group of audiophiles who had pushed past the budget brands.
Frankly it’s hard to think of any audio firm in the world that more closely embraces all its customers. The Naim forum attracts over a million visitors a month and senior engineers, marketeers and brand ambassadors engage directly with customers there on a regular basis. For many years Naim even invited regular forum contributors to its summer staff BBQ. Factory visits are encouraged and the firm usually hires large and convivial rooms at all the major shows where key personnel are there in force actively engaging with Naim fans. When I started reviewing over 25 years ago Naim were the first in line to buy me a beer and to welcome me, and I think that says a lot about their culture of warmth and humanity. The firm is building some of the best audio in the world because the people who work there love music, they feel it in their hearts – it matters to them.
For me the Nait was the perfect amplifier to take to university, thanks to its compact size and ability to rock my adolescent world like nothing else at the price. Despite its limited output of 15W per channel my diminutive Nait has driven everything from Linn Kan’s to ATC floorstanders. Perhaps more than any other amplifier I have ever used it evokes a spirit of ‘bring it on’ whenever you connect it up and its infectious, ballsy presentation of music has astounded all who have heard it during its 37 years of service. It has never shut down no matter what I have demanded of it, it’s never broken down, it’s survived countless student parties – it’s indestructible and iconic. So, when I heard that Naim Audio were celebrating their 50th anniversary by releasing an updated Nait in the original chrome bumper casework, I begged to get my hands on one.
Only 1,973 units of the Nait 50 were ever made to commemorate the firm’s founding in 1973. Launching at the somewhat lofty price of £2,500, it has taken a while for the majority of these to be sold and Naim are currently discounting the last remaining examples to £1,200. There aren’t many examples of truly legendary audio you can buy for £1,200, heck original examples like mine now trade at high three figures on the secondhand market.
The Nait 50 is cosmetically an extraordinarily accurate replica of the original and it’s deeply impressive just how contemporary and distinctive the original chrome bumper styling still looks forty years on. The attention to detail is astonishing – even the box is a replica of the 1980s original. As I unwrapped it and felt the warm embrace of nostalgia, I half expected to catch myself in the mirror with a mullet, to find that Duran Duran were topping the charts and to discover with unalloyed joy that the 19 year old Kate Bush lookalike walking up the drive was actually my girlfriend. The only bit I don’t really miss about those times is the mullet (which are once more in fashion – Ed).
While the Nait 50 bears an uncanny visual similarity to its illustrious forebear, internally it’s a totally new product. Power has almost doubled from 15W to 25W per channel and there’s a headphone socket driven by Naim Headline circuits where once the balance/trim control was. The front facia is dominated by the large metal volume knob to the left (the old one was plastic), while input selection remains via three beautifully tactile push buttons on the front facia which engage with a reassuring clunk. The original Nait offered moving magnet phono, tuner and tape inputs, while the new Nait 50 accommodates moving magnet phono, streamer and auxiliary inputs. Just like the original, the phono input is RCA while the remaining two inputs are DIN – because Naim say that DIN sounds better (it does – Ed).
The fourth button is marked ‘mains’ and engages power with a soft click rather than the surprising thump through the loudspeakers that an original Nait delivers. Power on is denoted by a white LED this time around. The earliest examples of the Nait sported red power indicators, which were eventually superseded by green LED’s as used on my 1988 example, but I think the white LED looks pretty cool.
The rear panel is quite similar to the original with high quality DIN input sockets and only banana sockets for loudspeaker connection. The rear panel is printed with the familiar legend ‘Designed and made in the UK by Naim Audio, Southampton Road, Salisbury, SP1 2LN’ which is a nice touch. Aspirational? You bet. Unlike other manufacturers who now assemble entirely overseas, Naim continue to build almost all of their products in the UK which is fantastic to see.
In terms of dimensions the new Nait 50 is a fraction deeper than the original measuring 8.7cm (H) x 20.7cm (W) x 32.1cm (D), but you would barely notice if you didn’t have them side by side. It’s clear that in every respect that Naim have done a superb job of paying homage to their heritage – but what about the sound?
Sound Quality
I tried the Nait 50 with a variety of loudspeakers from first generation Linn Kans, a vintage LS3/5A based bookshelf speaker, to a pair of Naim Intro loudspeakers which reside in my study system. My approach was to try the original 1988 Nait first and then swap to the Nait 50 to compare the same recordings via my Naim NDX streamer running Tidal.
First up was Mazzy Star’s sublime album Among my Swan and the track Flowers in December (Tidal 16/44.1) which on the 50 revealed all the achingly fragile beauty of Hope Sandoval’s vocals. Using the Linn Kan speakers the harmonica cut through with tremendous melancholy while the acoustic guitar had superb transparency but just enough mid and lower bass warmth to almost convince you that you’re listening to a full bandwidth speaker. Crucially, subtle playing emphasis and the way the guitarist struck the strings was clearly revealed on every single strum, lending the whole performance an intrinsically live feel. Compared to the original Nait, the Nait 50 offered a shade more warmth and depth projecting greater soundstage tangibility with a smooth and balanced sound.
I switched to the Naim Intro loudspeakers and selected the track Gasoline by Celtic influenced band The Rua from their second album The Rua (Tidal 16/44.1) which is a real favourite of mine. On my original Nait, Roseanna Brown’s soaring vocals cut through the mix with incredible dynamics and openness to the point you could almost feel electricity in the air. Switching to the Nait 50 revealed that the opening piano had much more gravitas, bass extension and timbre than the original Nait was conveying. Roseanna’s vocals were less strident and much more comfortable for sure, but I feel a little of the fairy dust of her performance was lost compared to the original amplifier. If the original Nait was flame grilled steak on the bone, the Nait 50 was a more delicately seasoned fillet.
Feeling in a retro mood I fired up Tom Rush’s legendary No Regrets from his album The Circle Game (Tidal 16/44.1). On the Nait 50 the acoustic guitar and percussion were superbly involving with Naim’s legendary facility with timing and rhythm. It’s this ability to control the attack, sustain and decay of notes that makes Naim amplifiers so very special and the Nait 50 is a great example of the breed. It imbues music with a great feeling of musicians playing together and off each other and delivers a very high level of involvement and musical communication. The original was no less capable in this area, but its execution was more ragged and less controlled especially in the high frequency range.
Conclusion
This is a gloriously evocative amplifier from Naim and in truth a Nait 50 is probably all anyone ever needs to enjoy high quality music in the home, unless you’re driving ludicrously inefficient or low impedance speakers in a large room. Sonically, while it differs from the original, it communicates the infectious quality of music in just the same way, offering up a rendition of familiar recordings which has more refinement, greater depth and often more insight than the original model.
The launch price of £2,500 felt ambitious, but at £1,200 this is the amplifier bargain of the decade. Nobody is offering this level of sonic fidelity, build quality or legendary pedigree at anywhere close to the price. Buy one and you’ll realise why you fell in love with music in the first place and will start listening to music with the same breathless excitement you felt as a teenager. This amplifier is an astonishingly engaging performer and I only wish there was a matching streamer from Naim for those of us who love the shoebox form factor.
This amplifier is so good it could serve as the main system in a Greenwich Village apartment or form the basis of a very nice office system with some genuinely high-end ancillaries. Better still, do as I did and work hard in a lousy bar job and take it to university – you might as well start enjoying high-end sound early and it’s going to rock like a bad ass at all those student parties…