Naim Audio

May 18, 2023

Naim Audio It’s not often that I get genuinely excited by new products. Reviewing consumer electronics can get a bit like working in a chocolate factory. Your palette becomes jaded with a succession of lookalike products, all offering much the same. However, something occasionally comes along and makes me sit up and look for my credit card. Today, that product is the new NAIT 50 from Naim Audio. Naim Audio is a classic British brand established in 1973 by the late Julian Vereker. In the ensuing half a century, Naim Audio has established itself as one of the leading premium audio brands alongside Linn Audio. While Linn is based in Scotland, Naim still produces its high-end products in Salisbury, deep in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside. ADVERTISEMENT To celebrate 50 years of business, Naim has announced the NAIT 50 integrated amplifier at the Munich High End audio show. The NAIT 50 is a suitable product to mark the company’s 50th anniversary. The integrated amplifier is limited to just 1,973 units; if you’re quick, you can get your hands on one. With a visual design harking back to the early days of Naim Audio, the NAIT 50 has the latest ... [+] technology behind those gorgeous retro looks. Naim Audio Born from the legacy of Naim Audio’s NAIT 1 – released in 1983 – the new NAIT 50 integrated amplifier features technically improved circuits built on the knowledge gleaned by Naim Audio in the intervening 40 years since the NAIT 1 was launched. ADVERTISEMENT In a press release to mark the launch of the NAIT 50, the engineering team at Naim Audio claims the NAIT 50 offers exceptional amplification performance for its price, adding that it “reproduces the most exacting dynamics with all the confidence and authority the brand’s customers have come to expect from a Naim integrated amplifier.” Suited to all types of loudspeakers, the NAIT 50 can be used with a streamer to make the ultimate hi-fi system. New features on this anniversary edition include a high-end headphone output, making it an even more versatile and convenient product. At the rear of the NAIT 50 are the speaker outputs, RCA Phono and two classic 5-pin DIN connectors ... [+] for analog inputs. Not an optical or coaxial input in sight. Naim Audio ADVERTISEMENT The gorgeous NAIT 50 is handcrafted in Naim’s Salisbury workshop and has an uncompromising design quality. Alongside its premium sonic performance, the NAIT 50 has a smart, sophisticated aesthetic with aluminum construction, providing the legendary chrome-bumper look. The amplifier's front panel blends tradition and modernity with a nod to the iconic design cues of the NAIT 1. Pricing & Availability: The Naim Audio NAIT 50 will be available as a limited edition of just 1,973 pieces and will cost $3,599 / £2,699 / €3,000. Headphone output power: 1.5W @ 16Ω. Gain: Phono: +40dB (@1kHz RIAA) Pre-amplification (and headphone): +16dB Power Amplifier: +29dB. Inputs: 1 x RCA pair (47kΩ), in MM phono level 5mV, 2 x 5-pin DIN (stereo, 47kΩ), line level. MM Phono: 47kΩ and 100pF. Frequency response: Line: -3dB @ 4Hz to 45kHz Phono: -3dB @ 6Hz to 30kHz. Peak current in 1Ω (1kHz 1mS): Peak +/- 15 (peak power at 225W). THD+N at 2/3 full power 8Ω @1kHz: 0.015%. Clipping input signal (maximum volume): Line: 88mV Phono: 710mV. Signal/noise ratio: ref. 1W @ 8Ω, A-weighted: Line: 80dB, 1V input Phono: 78dB, 5mV input Signal/noise ratio: ref. 25W @ 8Ω, A-weighted: Line: 93dB, 1V input Phono: 84dB, 5mV input. Crosstalk: Line: 85dB, (at 1kHz, 25W @ 8Ω) Phono: 80dB. 8Ω damping factor: 36. Dimensions (H x L x D): 8.7 x 20.7 x 32.1cm. Weight: 4.5kg.