Limited-run Naim NAIT 50 amp marks 50th anniversary
Analogue amp is a 70's throwback in all the best ways
Naim has been producing some of the best wireless speakers and hi-fi separates around for what feels like forever, but that’s not entirely true. Turns out the British brand has ‘only’ been around for fifty years, although that’s still a milestone work marking. So mark it Naim has, with the limited edition NAIT 50 amplifier.
Taking its cues from the first NAIT amp launched in 1983, the NAIT 50 will be limited to just 1973 units – a nod to when the company first set up shop in Salisbury, after founder Julian Vereker was so disappointed with the sound of contemporary pro-grade recording equipment he decided to make some of his own.
The hand-built amp is machined from aluminium, with a pared-back front panel that mimics Naim’s earliest models. It’s a lot smaller than the current crop of high-end amps, which are typically aimed at rack mount hi-fi setups.
It’s a purely analogue amp, with no DAC on board for streaming from a digital source. You’ll have to add your own if you don’t have a turntable, CD player or other suitably old-school source to supply it with. There’s an MM phono stage input for vinyl fans, plus dual DIN inputs. A new 6.35mm headphone output up front makes it more versatile than the original NAIT.
With enhanced circuits, Naim says the NAIT 50 delivers outstanding amplification performance within its price range. Customers can expect “precise reproduction of even the most demanding dynamics, exuding the confidence and authority Naim-integrated speakers are renowned for.”
As a limited-run model the NAIT 50 carries a premium price. If you’re one of the lucky 1973, expect to pay $3599/£2699/€3000 to add one to your stereo setup.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor