In the six years since the latest NAIT integrated amplifiers were introduced, our research and development team has worked on a number of updates and improvements. The result is an updated power amp section for the SUPERNAIT 3, providing more rhythm and intimacy to music playback, whether driving a pair of speakers or your favorite headphones.
The SUPERNAIT 3 benefits from major performance enhancements, including a built-in phono stage, making it a perfect partner for a turntable, as well as streamers, CD players or any other music source you want to enjoy with classic Naim sound.
It also includes a Class A pre-output stage that doubles as a headphone amplifier and ceramic cooling technology that minimizes coupling between the cabinet and output transistors for optimal sound quality. Its inputs are decoupled and individually hand-wired to minimize noise and interference while the internal switches use low-noise, stable-current DC supplies derived directly from the NAC 552 reference preamplifier design.
The SUPERNAIT 3 can be upgraded with our separate power supplies, power amplifiers and cable upgrades are also available so you can get the most out of all your sources.
Characteristics
With our signature obsessive attention to detail, all in the service of the best music reproduction, the SUPERNAIT 3 benefits from the following features:
- Class A headphone amplifier
- Alps Blue Velvet volume potentiometer
- Input selection with reed relay
- Ceramic insulators for power transistors
- Section of the galvanically isolated control microprocessors
- Board mounting with microphone isolation
Upgrade from the NAIT XS3 to the SUPERNAIT 3 and you'll benefit from a number of performance improvements, all designed for even better sound quality:
- Complete 24V DR module included: enjoy the enhancements of even purer power and performance thanks to Naim Discrete Regulation technology throughout the entire preamplifier stage.
- Larger toroidal transformers in power stage - higher power and faster recovery.
- A higher number of discrete components soldered onto the signal circuit allows for a minimization of the negative effects of vibration and thermal transition conditions
- Cabinet-mounted input connectors hand-wired with soldered leads to circuitry for even better vibration isolation
- Balance control with Full Alps Blue Velvet potentiometer
Technology and Construction
Upgrades in detail:
- Our research and development group has found a way to more than double the speed of the voltage gain stage, thereby doubling the speed at which the loudspeaker output stage reacts.
- The transistors of the second gain stage have been optimized so that they do not need to be shielded by a cascaded transistor stage. Removing the cascade stage decreases the amplifier's stabilization requirements, thereby doubling the slew-rate and ensuring another leap in sonic quality.
- The phono circuit topology includes three stages: the gain stage; passive equalization; the final stage of gain and the active equalization. This allows for excellent noise performance, extended RIAA equalization in addition to the audio bandwidth, and plenty of headroom for overload.
- All RIAA equalization capacitors are through hole mechanical mount, with very low mic sensitivity and excellent transient performance. Since the phono stage is thousands of times more sensitive than the other inputs, this greatly improves sound quality.
- The input impedance is 47 kΩ in parallel with a capacitive load of 470 pF: the gain is perfect for MM cartridges with an output equal to 5 mV.