Naim has made its products more accommodating to work in mixed component systems, and the NAC 152 XS and NAP 155 XS are perfect examples of this new design focus.

The DiN connections were joined by conventional RCA phono plugs some years ago and 2007 saw the release of the Supernait, which added digital inputs – a feature that actively encouraged the use of non-Naim components.

This was followed by the Nait XS, which borrowed heavily from the amplification of the Supernait (less the digital inputs) and earned our praise.

Naim nac 152 xs and nap 155 xs glamour

Now we are greeted with the NAC 152 XS preamp and NAP 155 XS power amp, which share the design philosophy of the two Naits but are split into Naim's preferred two-box solution.

These replace the earlier NAC 122x and NAP 150x and are part of the new XS range of components that Naim are bringing to market.

Visually, the 152 and 155 are the first "slimline" Naim boxes to sport the brushed, anodized, black aluminium fascia of the more costly Naim units. The fit and finish of the two boxes is truly excellent and belies their relatively modest price.

Internally, both units make use of the new bayonet type PCB fitting for critical boards. This is a system that attempts to achieve some of the isolation of the flagship Naim component – where the boards are elegant floating brass affairs – at a more realistic price point.

This is one of the measures that Naim has taken in its characteristic approach to reducing vibration. Other features such as the decoupled connectors and thick, non-resonant chassis are all present and correct.

The NAC 152 XS preamp is equipped with six line level inputs, four of which support either DiN or RCA connections, one being shared between RCA and a front 3.5mm input for MP3 duties and a powered DiN input for a Naim phono stage.

Like the Nait XS, there is also an AV bypass feature that allows the 152 to connect to the pre-out of an AV receiver and handle the stereo duties of an AV system with its own volume control knocked out of the circuit. In addition, the 152 can be upgraded to full control over RS232 if you wanted to integrate it into a custom install system.

Naim nac 152 xs and nap 155 xs connections

There are three outputs – two RCA (one is listed for subwoofer purposes) and one DiN output. One socket conspicuous by its absence is a mains input, the 152 being powered either by DiN connection to a Naim power amp or by upgrading to the flatcap XS power supply. A Naim system driving remote is supplied.

The 155 is, by comparison, simplicity itself. Offering the same 60 watts output into eight ohms and 90 watts into four ohms that the Nait XS does, it uses a larger transformer which should endow it with better handling of tricky speakers, although the integrated is no slouch in this regard.

The rear panel has left and right channel outputs that use four millimetre sockets and a single DiN connection to provide power and signal to the preamp. It has exactly the same compact dimensions as the 152, so accommodating the pair of them should not prove too challenging.