NAIM RELEASE NEW DR POWER AMPLIFIER RANGE

The Naim Power Amplifier range has been revised and reintroduced for 2015 to include output transistors developed during their research and development on the Statement project, alongside Naim Discrete Regulator power supply technology. The new DR technology is the result of two flagship R&D projects and has been introduced to the core range of 2-channel Naim power amplifiers, giving them a new lease of life and significantly boosting sound quality.

The new versions of the power amplifier range offer even more of the fundamental Naim sound – pace, rhythm, and timing, for which the originals have become renowned. They form the heart of a high-performance system with a Naim pre amplifier and source product, or can be partnered perfectly with the new NAC-N 272 streaming pre amplifier.

DISCRETE REGULATOR TECHNOLOGY EXPLAINED

It has long been noted of the importance of a clean, stable, low-noise power supply to audio performance. Naim’s DR technology is the latest progression of this philosophy; adapted and improved for use in their flagship Statement amplification system, and has now been introduced to their wider range of power amplifiers – the NAP 200, NAP 250, NAP 300, and NAP 500.

A regulator is an electronic device designed to maintain a constant direct current output voltage regardless of fluctuations in supply voltage and in current draw from its output. Naim’s discrete regulator is a unique in-house design providing ultra-low noise supply voltage to critical electronics. The new topology, which was benchmarked against various alternatives and refined over a 2-year period, has proven to be inherently low noise and capable of fast recovery to transient current demands.

The NAP 200 DR features a single Naim DR module that powers the external NAC 202 or NAC 232 pre amplifiers. This differs from the application of the technology in the NAP 250 DR, NAP 300 DR, and NAP 500 DR where it supplies the entire power amplifier. The circuit is arranged on the main board in a similar way to its application in the flagship Statement amplification system, enabling it to handle the extra current demands. Both versions of this circuit substantially reduce the internal noise floor compared to the older, non-DR versions, providing a clean and stable voltage reference that is vital to great performance.

STATEMENT TRANSISTOR TECHNOLOGY

Naim began developing a new output transistor as part of the Statement project capable of bettering the previous reference NA007 transistor in terms of sound quality. After over a year of prototyping and listening tests, Naim developed the new NA009 transistor in collaboration with a specialist semi-conductor manufacturer more used to creating military and space exploration grade components, such was the attention to detail involved. The NA009 is a custom Naim design using non-ferrous materials and matched internal dies. Using non-ferrous materials dramatically reduces internal mechanical noise by minimising the vibrations created by high levels of current passing each other through the transistor legs.

To reduce stray or unwanted capacitance, which is a gateway for noise, the NA009s are mounted on ceramic insulators, reducing transistor capacitance by a factor of 9 over the mica counterparts used in the original NA007. The new NAP 250 DR, NAP 300 DR, and NAP 500 DR power amplifiers feature this new transistor technology. Revisiting the design of these classic amplifiers also gave Naim the chance to pay attention to every aspect of the design and introduce small changes to layout and componentry where they made a difference in the listening room. One example of this attention to detail is the tiny compliant bends applied in the legs of sound critical resistors which decouple the component from any mechanical interference. Combined with major technical innovation, these small improvements lift the musical performance of each power amplifier significantly.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY

Power AmplifierNAP 200 DRNAP 250 DRNAP 300 DRNAP 500 DRNAP 200 (Ex-Demo)NAP 250 (Ex-Demo)
Price£1,995£3,495£7,295£19,500Was £1,925  NOW £1,650Was £3,395   NOW £2,925
AvailabilityJune/July 2015June/July 2015June/July 2015August 2015ONLY 1 LEFTONLY 1 LEFT