Naim NAiT XS review

The Naim SUPERNAIT, released in 2007, was unusual because it contained DAC circuitry and had digital inputs so that users could connect their 21st-century digital sources – computers, media servers and the like – directly to the amplifier.

This marriage of convenience and high performance proved hugely popular, to the extent that Naim has now produced the Son of SUPERNAIT, the less costly design whose development name apparently was the NAIT Speed, but which is now officially called the Naim NAIT XS.

Fitted into a slimline aluminium Series 5 case, the amplifier is powered by a 380VA toroidal transformer, but can be usefully supercharged with a flat-cap, hi-cap or Super-cap external power supply for anyone who wants to extract the maximum amount of performance from this no-frills design. It might look like the familiar NAIT 5i, but under the hood there's a powerplant derived from the SUPERNAIT.

Clever technology

Although the NAIT XS benefits from an optimised, shortened and simplified signal path, this isn't the only performance-enhancing feature it enjoys.

The design is the first to employ Naim's newly developed bayonet PCB mounting technique, which permits the board to 'float', reducing microphonic effects. Furthermore, the heatsink is castellated to provide maximum cooling for reliability, enhanced dynamic performance and to reduce the capacitance effects of a small number of longer PCB tracks.

Naim has been aware of the problems caused by vibration creeping inside its electronics for some time, and the XS includes features specifically designed to reduce it. That's why, for example, the mains switch and IEC socket on the rear panel are also allowed to float and aren't immovably attached to the chassis.

This controlled freedom reduces air- and structure-borne vibration entering the amplifier through the mains cable. Many detailed aspects of the construction of this amplifier might sound far-fetched to a cynic, but each has undergone stringent listening tests to demonstrate its validity and justify its inclusion in the design.

This extends as far as the precise placement and tightness of the cable ties used to dress the minimal cable runs. While that might sound rather like obsessive/compulsive behaviour, if it makes an audible difference where a cable tie is placed, then why not address that situation? Especially when the cumulative effects of these 'insignificant' considerations are audible and beneficial.

Amp connectivity

The amplifier has six line-level analogue inputs, one of which, like Naim's preamps and the SUPERNAIT, outputs power to run an external Naim phono stage, which is a worthwhile facility for those who value the superlative performance that vinyl offers. Conversely, for those who don't, there's an auto-switching 3.5mm stereo-jack socket on the front panel for connecting an iPod or other MP3 player.

The XS also offers a unity gain option and an AV bypass function, whereby it can be used in conjunction with an AV processor in a home cinema system. This is controlled by a rear-panel switch, which for normal use should be set to 'off'.

Be warned: when the bypass mode is selected, the signal connected to the AV input passes straight through the XS at full gain – neither the volume control nor the mute button will have any effect upon it!

Versatile device

The Naim NAIT XS provides preamp-out and poweramp-in sockets that are connected with a linking plug for normal integrated-amplifier operation. It also provides an unfiltered analogue stereo subwoofer output through a pair of RCA phono sockets.

This duplicates the preamplifier output and has no low-pass filtering applied. (Since this is a full-range signal and the output is happy to drive long interconnects, it could conceivably be used as a line-level feed to another power amplifier and speakers to extend the main system's sound into a second room.)

While the XS is obviously going to work well in a system with other Naim components, the model is also designed to be sufficiently versatile and flexible to be included in a wider range of set-ups with non-Naim sources and loudspeakers – which, in part, is how we tested it.

Mid-range

The £1,250 XS sits between the NAIT 5i and the SUPERNAIT in terms of pricing and position in the company's integrated-amplifier hierarchy.

Comparing it with these two amplifiers (£735 and £2,350 respectively) demonstrates how well it sits between them performance-wise too. While the NAIT 5i is a very respectable and musically informative performer, the XS clearly has the beating of it in an A-B comparison.

Not only does it sound cosmetically more polished and capable than the NAIT 5i, which sometimes sounds a little raw alongside the XS, but it also seems more temporally organised and better able to define the space between notes, as well as the note shape itself.

In this respect its performance moves closer to that of the range-topping SUPERNAIT, an amplifier whose communicative skills and expressive ability are comfortably in the premier league.