Naim Nait 50 Limited Edition Integrated Amplifier

The Naim Nait 50 limited edition integrated amplifier has been released to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Naim Audio, one of the leading manufacturers of hi-fi separates.

To celebrate fifty years of production, this is a reissued version of their first iconic amplifier, the NAIT 1. The retro look is maintained, while the electronics have been updated with the latest technology.

Only 1973 units have been produced and the classic front panel has gained a ‘stream’ button and lost the tape button. The NAIT 50 has a half-width design, with an aluminium chassis, and chrome bumper. It is only 32cm wide. Finally, the phono stage uses discrete transistors for the best noise performance.

More power and inputs

The new NAIT 50 version now sports a 6.3mm headphone socket and updated electronics. The power supply is fully regulated and the output power is 25 watts per channel. There are now three inputs, two for Stream and Aux and one for Phono. As per Naim tradition the two main inputs use DIN sockets. The phono preamp uses discrete transistors and the on/off switch is grouped with the other controls.

Purist design

Nait 50 is a purist design with no onboard DAC. The amplifier is Class A/B Linear and can provide up to 60 Watts into 2 ohms. The frequency response is a wide 6Hz to 30 kHz. Class A/B combines Class A and Class B to make an amplifier that is both more efficient than Class A, and has less crossover distortion, than Class B. Most modern linear amplifiers use this method of biasing. The output transistors are biased so that they conduct slightly before the input signal crosses zero. This reduces any non-linearities.

Discrete transistor phono stage.

There are some advantages to using discreet transistors in audio stages. Especially ones that need a high gain, like a phono stage. Bipolar transistors will have the best possible noise performance, compared with op-amps. Having discrete components, also allows every voltage and feedback setting to be controlled more accurately. Records are recorded with equalization. That is, the bass is reduced to prevent overmodulation of the groove, and the treble is boosted to improve noise performance.

The RIAA equalization curve used on vinyl records is a very precise recording characteristic and therefore the preamp equalisation must be accurate to get a flat frequency response. Bipolar transistors need good noise performance, as there are several stages of amplification needed to boost the low output of a moving magnet cartridge. This is in the order of a few millivolts.

Update on original NAIT 1

The original NAIT 1 was originally issued in 1983 and had an output power of 15 Watts per channel. The Naim ethos proved that power and size were not everything and the NAIT 1 became one of the most loved amplifiers of all time. Good sounding amplifiers did not need to dominate the room, and a cleverly designed power supply was more important than “grunt”. One of Naim’s “quirks” is the use of DIN sockets instead of RCA sockets, and this tradition is maintained, except for the phono input. The Original NAIT was also an early user of toroidal transformers.

Who are Naim?

Naim designs products that are both modern and timeless. They have no bells and whistles that detract from the sound quality. The units are hand-built in Naim workshops. Julian Vereker founded Naim, and his main aim was to ignore accepted wisdom and design the best sounding amplifiers. Consequently, he gained the contract to provide an active speaker setup to Capital Radio. That was the NAM 502. The success of this speaker led to Naim being founded in 1973. Naim stands for Naim Audio integrated amplifier. They have progressed over the intervening years to make some of the finest hi-fi separates available.