NAIM delivers music with a bunch of fives

A new range of affordable hi-fi separates sees Naim emphasizing ease of use, but the sound is still familiar, says Andrew Everard

Take five – that’s the word from Salisbury, where Naim has launched its new-look range and moved on from the familiar slabby look that has served the company so well for so many years. Where once there was heavy thick metal casework, the familiar square buttons with their illuminated legends, and a backlit Naim logo to show the power was on, now we have a new design with a three-box fascia style based on the massive NAP500 power amplifier, and – ready for this? – round buttons, each with a subtle green-illuminated ‘collar’ when they’re activated.

The 5 series – shades of BMW? – forms the entry-level Naim range, and if past form is followed, it will be what the company’s dealers sell in volume. A brighter, more three-dimensional logo grabs the eye, along with a thick metal front panel and subtly fluted sides. The proportions remain the same, and the equipment couldn’t be anything but Naim with that high-quality crackle-finish black paint, though the whole appearance is more contemporary, and a lot less industrial in appearance.

The range extends from the CD5 CD player and Nait 5 integrated amplifier, to a preamplifier/power amplifier combination. There’s a tuner, too, and a power supply that upgrades the amplification and even the CD player. But, as reported in last month’s coverage of the Frankfurt show, one thing remains constant – the connections to the rear of the equipment still use the familiar locking DIN plugs, not the phono sockets that are pretty well universal elsewhere in the hi-fi market.

Much else will be familiar: the CD player still uses the swing-out disc-loader seen in past Naim players (a transport bolt must be removed before it can be operated); and the disc is held in place with a little magnetic puck. But there are new features, too: for example, the amplifier now allows the user to set the relative gain of each of its inputs, which prevents nasty surprises when you’re switching between sources; and they can be programmed to respond to remote-control commands for other components. So, for example, pressing the ‘play’ remote button for the CD5 will automatically switch the Nait 5 to its CD input, and pressing one of the tuner commands will select the relevant amplifier input. It’s a little thing, agreed, but it makes the system easier to use.

The CD5 uses Philips’ VAM1205 transport, with a Hall-effect motor, and this feeds an 18-bit 4x oversampling digital-to-analogue conversion system, the player being controlled by Naim’s own software. A large dual-winding transformer is used to power the digital and analogue circuits separately and, of course, offboard power supplies can be added further to improve the player’s performance.

The Nait 5 delivers 30W per channel into an 8 Ohm load from a power amplifier section based on the design of the NAP500; and the preamp section uses a discrete resistor ladder for volume control, which allows the remote control of volume and balance – along with input level matching – without any sonic penalty. Input switching is through solid – state devices, again under the control of in-house software, and the power supply uses separate transformer windings for the preamplifier and power amp sections. Upgrade routes include conversion of the amplifier to a preamplifier for use with one of the company’s power amps, but there’s no provision for headphone users or those for whom LPs are still a source of music. Naim believes in keeping these functions separate, and can supply the Prefix or Stageline phono amplifiers, and the Headline headphone amplifier.

PERFORMANCE

Don’t let 30W per channel output put you off – The Naim combination sounds superb across a wide range of musical styles, and never wants for power or definition. For review purposes Naim provided a pair of its NACA5 speaker cables, terminated with the company’s dual banana plugs, but conventional 4mm bananas will also fit into the socket on the rear or the amplifier, and the amp itself comes with a pair of Naim plugs you can fit onto your own cables. The interconnect provided was used between CD player and amplifier, and Naim can supply suitable DIN-to-phono cables to connect other equipment, as can cable specialists such as Naim’s near neighbor in Salisbury, The Chord Company.

After a day or two of running-in, the Naim’s lose their initial rough edge and deliver a sound that combines bite and excitement with real bass weight and power. Never does this system sound brittle or harsh, even when used with highly revealing speakers such as the Monitor Audio Studio 20Es or PMC FB1s I had to hand for this review, instead, the impression is of confidence and assurance, whether you choose to revel in some large-scale orchestral works or the delicate detail of a chamber or solo performance.

And performance is the operative word, this being a system that never just plays music. The directness of communication ensures that whatever is loaded into the CD player commands the listener’s attention, and while its necessary to wind the amp’s volume control up to around the 12 o’ clock position for realistic orchestral levels in medium-sized rooms with speakers of average sensitivity, the Nait 5 never shows any signs of stress or hardening, even when conveying highly dynamic works. This has long been a characteristic of Naim amplifications – modest power outputs on paper but a bigger, freer-breathing sound than one would expect – and the Nait 5 integrated amp isn’t going to change that perception.

What it will challenge is the myth that grew up in hi-fi magazines of a decade or so back, suggesting that Naim equipment is best suited to users whose music of choice is more rock, jazz or blues than classical. True this combination does have superb rhythmic ability, and when playing music driven by bass and drums can get feet tapping like few other systems, but anyone expecting a presentation that sits well forward and can even be oppressive is going to either be disappointed or pleasantly surprised, depending on their taste. The attributes that make the Naims so appealing to fans of electronically generated or reinforced music, also allow them to serve the classical listener well. Whether with the motive power of orchestral basses or in the clean crisp way solo piano is presented, the CD5/Nait 5 combination delivers music in a manner that’s consistently exciting without ever becoming irritating.

That really should come as no great surprise: Naim’s own CD label produces a wide range of music from jazz and blues to a variety of classical genres, and the recordings are of exemplary quality, both in performance and on technical grounds. For this test I listened to a number of these discs as well as delving into favourites and less-played CDs in my own collection, and every time the Naims kept me listening for longer than I expected. The delightful chamber programme on Naim’s ‘Concerts Under the Dome’ disc highlighted the delicacy of touch these components are capable of, while the excellent Bach Collegium Japan/Suzuki recording of Bach’s St Mathhew Passion (on BIS, 3/00) tested the system’s dynamic ability – a test it passed with flying colours. Orchestral and choral textures are beautifully realized by the Naims, and the drama in such a recording is brought impressively to the fore.

The magic of this Naim combination is its ability to present the whole picture of the music while still making it possible to zero-in on individual instrumental lines within the scoring. It’s even impressive with historical recordings, such as the recent Naxos reissues of Beecham conducting Delius. Of course, the high-quality 78-to-digital transfer helps, as does the use of digital noise reduction to suppress hiss and crackle. But aside from the fact that the sound is mono, the sense of musical involvement  is impressive, the Naim delivering a convincing view of the orchestra and choir in Sea Drift, while making it easy to follow soloist John Brownlee. I have to admit loading up the disc out of curiosity, having received a review copy, but soon found myself utterly engaged with the music making, and the way the Naims let it breathe through from the better part of three-quarter of a century ago. It really does go to show that a combination of modern equipment and present-day recordings technology can bring historical recordings back to life.

But then music is music, and Naim built a reputation under its late founder Julian Vereker for equipment that’s able to draw the listener into whatever’s being played. Many a Naim owner know the feeling of finding him/herself still listening in the early hours, so addictive does the music prove; and the new Series 5 components are going to introduce a lot more enthusiasts to the ‘Naim hangover’! These are excellent components, whether used separately or together, and deserve to further expand the popularity of the company’s products.

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