The Naim NAIT (acronym for "Naim Audio Integrated amplifier") is an integrated amplifier from the British hi-fi manufacturer, Naim Audio. The original NAIT is one of the most recognisable pieces of hi-fi equipment ever made. Hi-fi critic Lucio Cadeddu recognised its legendary status, referring to it as "one of the most controversial and famous integrated amps in the history of HiFi". Having already made their name producing solid-state pre-amplifier and power-amplifier separates, Naim launched a low-powered integrated amplifier that embodies the qualities of its amplifiers, aimed at cost-conscious audiophiles. Since the NAIT was launched in 1983, it has had six updates. In 2007, Naim released a high end amplifier, the SUPERNAIT. As of 2018, there are three models available- the entry-level NAIT 5si the mid-range NAIT XS 2, and the flagship SUPERNAIT 2.
History
Up to that point a manufacturer of solid-state pre-/power- amplifier separates, Naim Audio wanted an entry-level integrated amplifier to complement their range and widen their appeal. They worked to create a low-powered model that shared the family characteristics and sound. The approach, seemingly against the received wisdom of the time that power and sound quality go hand in hand, remained nevertheless controversial, despite the fact that NAD Electronics had trail-blazed five years earlier with the top-selling low-cost audiophile amplifier, the NAD 3020. The Naim Audio Integrated amplifier (or NAIT) was created by Julian Vereker as a minimalist black shoe-box design that includes a phono and two line-level inputs – one for tuner and one for tape recorder. The phono input, for moving magnet cartridges, is derived from the NAC 32 pre-amplifier. The NAIT was launched in 1983, ten years after the firm was founded. In terms of styling, the NAIT, priced in the UK at £253, was housed in a small black aluminium "chrome bumper" case shared by other "half-size" Naim components at the time. On the left side of the front panel, a plastic volume knob is adjacent to a small-diameter rotating potentiometer that controls the balance. Then follows a bank of three press-button selector switches – for each of phono, tuner, tape – then a power on–off button. On the right side is a light-emitting diode (LED) indicating activity status. Sam Tellig of Stereophile said that the NAIT was "a profoundly anarchistic, almost subversive product". The first "chrome bumper" version was followed by a second, then two Olive incarnations (including the NAIT 3), and three NAIT 5 versions. All bear the Naim Audio logo, but none have any markings or other indication of their model numbers on the fascia. Between 1983 and 2007, Naim had only one integrated amplifier available, although the product has seen several guises. Naim extended the range with the SUPERNAIT in 2007, and the XS barely a year later. In 2013, the NAIT range consists of the entry-level NAIT 5si and the top-of-the-range SUPERNAIT 2, with the XS 2 slotting in the middle. Some of the models provide an upgrade path for their equipment by allowing the simple insertion of an external power supply unit.
Design and power Insistent on the unimportance of specifications in general, Naim never published technical specifications for this low-powered design. Trade speculation of its power output ranged from 5 to 15 watts per channel. Naim confirmed years later that the NAIT is rated at 13 watts. Part of its mystique seemed to stem from its low power: in developing the successor to the NAIT, Naim founder Julian Vereker remarked that R&D "cooked up a more powerful version and presented it to me on my return [from holiday but] it sounded awful." In its product manual, the NAIT is said to have "low continuous power output ... balanced by a very large peak current capacity so there are no restrictions on the size or type of loudspeaker that may be used. But please don't expect the impossible". Hi-Fi Journal wrote that "the NAIT excelled in musical terms ... and would comfortably drive loudspeakers that caused other amplifiers to sound lumpen and distinctly unmusical". And for that reason, many people who owned the Quad Electrostatic Loudspeaker (ESL) – which are known to be a very difficult load for amplifiers – would choose the NAIT to drive their speakers. Reviewers attribute the perception of power of the NAITs to the over-engineered, dedicated power supplies that ensure generous current delivery for musical transients. As part of the 5-series redesign, mechanical and electronic changes introduced in the NAIT 5i (italic 'i') include attention to wiring, control of internal heat dissipation, radio-frequency interference and mechanical vibration through more efficient materials, compliant mounting and decoupling. The SUPERNAIT benefits from a fully active line-level preamp developed for the NAC 552 pre-amplifier, and its output section is derived largely from the NAP 200 power amplifier. In launching the 2013 NAIT range, Steve Sells, electronic design manager of Naim, explained how the new NAITs fulfilled the goal of delivering sound quality performance. They are stripped of superfluous components and features, and as such, the digital–analogue converter (DAC) previously available on the SUPERNAIT has not found its way into its successor. The transformer is deliberately positioned as far away as possible from the inputs to avoid electromagnetic interference, while the power supply and its capacitors are closer to both the transformer and the output devices. Non-audio circuitry for controlling the amplifiers are optically isolated from signal sections, and are designed to power down when not in use, to avoid interference.
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