Time for Fraim?

[Chris Dolan]

My Naim Story started in 1983.

 I had a Linn Sondek LP12 Valhalla / Basik LVX arm (recently upgraded from an LVV) and A&RP77 cartridge NAD 3020 and Mission 700s. I was planning to buy some Linn Kans but needed an amp that would work with them.

 I was eager to listen to the Nait as I thought it should be ideal. I also tried the A&R Cambridge A60 and the Nytech CTA 252XD Receiver - which were  popular at the time - but I didn’t think that any of them were right for the Kans (although I think the Nait 2 works well in small rooms).

I went for a 42/110 - subsequently modified to a 42.5 (which has recently been back to Salisbury for some tlc) and then bought my Kans (which I also still have in my study). I then added an Ittok and that system saw me through a variety of cartridges for a number of years. I loved it and I might yet recreate it.

When the Ekos and aro were released I listened to both with Troikas through Kans and Epos ES14 speakers - I preferred the Ekos but didn’t buy either as I ended up swapping my LP12 for a new LP12 Lingo and keeping the Ittok.

I little later I did add an Ekos2/Troika and a Hicap - which all worked really well. 

Around this time in the early 90s we moved home and the Kans worked less well in a bigger lounge. I changed from Kans to sbls and I changed my power amp from a 110 to a 250 but initially kept the 42.2/Hicap. 

I very quickly changed the 42.5 for an 82. Actually I should have improved the pre-amp first. The sbls always sounded brilliant but it was quite a lively combination....... to be continued......

 

[Tom Tom Audio]

This is brilliant Chris and by the way I have an active Nytech system here which is fun but confirms that you took the right direction all those years ago...

Cheers

James

[Chris Dolan]

to continue ............... 

I had been using 2 The Sound Organisation tables for my system but around this time moved to Sound Factory Tripods - a dedicated table for the Linn and separate modular rack for the rest of the kit.  I had thought about Mana but it really wasn’t for me - and I certainly wasn’t keen on the idea/look of systems stacked on multiple Phases.

The problem though was that a also had a young inquisitive daughter daughter and young children can be a pain to the system can't they? When she was about 2 my daughter decided to pull the cantilever out of my Troika. 

I replaced the Troika with a Denon DL-304 which I thought a very good cartridge and great value. When my daughter trashed that too although it was less upsetting than when she trashed the Troika I did see sense and got an Audiotech wall shelf and another Denon DL-304.

As for CD - I had been using a basic Rotel CD player which was OK but back then new vinyl getting was harder to find and I decided that I should get a better CD player. 

I really liked the CDI but by the time that I had made my mind up to buy one it had been replaced by the CD2 - which I didn’t warm to - so I stayed with the Rotel. However when the CDX came out I did buy one - which I still have in my study.

The CDX was no real match for my turntable but it did get a lot of use as most of the new music that I was buying was on CD. Inevitably I then wanted to improve the CDX so bought an XPS which was hugely beneficial.  I so very nearly went for a Supercap instead though because of the improvement it made to the vinyl replay as well but on balance just decided that the CDX needed the XPS more. 

Actually from the time that I got the 82 I had thought that the Supercap was the best bit of Naim kit to add to my system but I hadn’t had the balls to go out and buy one.  On this occasion I was actually quite pleased because shortly afterwards Black happened  .........