This week Naim launched a special edition Nait 50 amp to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
To catch up with readers who missed the news, the Nait 50 is an “updated” version of the Nait 1 integrated amplifier, first released in 1983.
And while there have already been plenty of heavy anniversary releases this year – Rega’s 50th Anniversary Edition of the Level 3the revised 30th edition B&W Nautilus Speakers, And Bluesound 10th Anniversary Node X update just to name a few – I can’t help but notice that the new Nait 50 is particularly special for a number of reasons.
The first reason is a simple one that I’ve been screaming about for ages – the Nait 50 is a wonderfully compact piece of hi-fi, which is a rarity these days. Our editor-in-chief Becky Roberts expertly made that clear last Christmas we need more “good” but small Hi-Fi this year.
I later followed suit, when I got an opening look at Cambridge Audio’s tiny MXX10 streamer in February. The reasoning here is simple; many of us, especially those who live in condos or shared accommodations, don’t have the space for large racks, forcing us to paddle up the creek without a paddle when we want to use loose gear. I regularly have the Which Hi-Fi? forum and our social media channels, I know this is a problem for many of our readers as well.
So in a world where half-width design amplifiers are becoming increasingly rare, the compact 8.7 x 20.7 x 32.1 cm Nait 50 automatically caught my eye. This was aided in fairness by the fact that, based on the press photos I’ve seen, the Nait 50’s aluminum chassis and chrome bumper styling make it look rather posh.
The second, and in my view more important, reason I’m excited is that it’s a beautifully focused, almost purist product with a simple goal of doing one thing right and that’s it.
I’m not the first Which Hi-Fi? executive to lament the current trend in hi-fi of brands trying to pack too much hardware or functionality into every product they make. Our tech editor and regular hi-fi sage, Ketan Bharadia, expertly made this point in his latest Mumbling from the test room column, explaining why less is often more with a DAC.
The bottom line is that after reviewing the wonderfully no-frills TAD DA1000TX, he lamented DAC manufacturers’ desire to offer a wide range of digital filter options. While this sounds strange, the reasoning is that the effort usually results in a fair amount of faff for the end user, where they have to tinker with the DAC to get the best audio. As a result, it would be much better if the engineers concentrated purely on offering the taste of sound they like best, so that the listener can simply enjoy their music from the start.
While it’s not the same with the two product categories, I agree that sometimes it’s better for a product to do one thing well than five things half-heartedly – which is exactly what the Nait 50 seems to aim to do. Just like the Rega Brio, to give another example of purity.
Unlike many of the amps we review, if you take a look at the purist specs of the Nait 50 you’ll notice there’s no digital-to-analog converter (DAC) or wireless functionality to be seen, with Naim selling buyers directly instructs them to pair it with an outboard DAC or DAC/streamer if they want to play music that way. There’s just DIN and phono inputs, plus a very modest 25 watts per channel into 8 ohms – which, let’s face it, is all many hi-fi owners will need anyway.
This is a very rare and in my opinion a bold move by Naim in today’s market where virtually everyone is adding this functionality to their integrated amplifiers. Even Rega joined the party this year with its more expensive Elicit MK5 – which was unveiled in April and is the first Rega amp to use a DAC circuit specially designed by the company.
Likewise, Mission seemed obligated to offer modern connectivity – including Bluetooth – when it launched its updated classic 778, the Mission 778x. Which is fine and certainly fills a gap in the market as something compact, affordable and conveniently equipped with modern conveniences.
To be clear, I have no problem adding all of this to an amp if done right. Head over to our guide to the best stereo amplifiers and you’ll see plenty of examples of top performers with them. I also can’t make any definitive statements about whether the move paid off until Which Hi-Fi? gets a Nait 50 into his listening rooms and actually tests it.
But deep down, I can’t help but feel a little bit of respect for the brand’s willingness to release such a focused and compact product.
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