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Compact alternative to NAP90? Quad? Cyrus?

M

mat_mcg

pfm Member
Hi,

I've decided (probably) to replace my NAP90. I'm looking for suggestions for a compact alternative. It won't have to drive particular large or hard to drive speakers, and I don't listen at high volumes.

Budget will be tight. Perhaps a Cyrus? How would one of the smaller Quads be? The 303? 306? Meridian 10x?

I'll be using it was a 200-series Meridian pre-amp and tuner, and a Linn turntable. The speakers are Tannoy sixes, but those might go soon.

Thanks!
 
A Quad 405 is a nice thing and runs Tannoys well. So does a 303 if you can get a decent serviced one, bear in mind they are old now. I do think the Meridian 103/5 sound better though, I've owned a 303, a 405, a modded 405 and a 105. All good, maybe the modded 405 was best of all.
 
I'd tread very carefully. I enjoyed the nap90 in my nait 3 very much and a £1000 later I'm not yet sure if the change was at all worthwhile (although I am getting the new amps back from servicing this week). I think it is probably underrated, suffering from I'd call little ferrari syndrome.
 
I'd second thinking carefully before replacing this amp, and agree that it is underrated. You could always add a second one.

I replaced my 92/90/flatcap with a 72/140/hicap and found that the biggest single improvement was the 72 - the 140 and hicap really didn't make that much difference, but then again I was using efficient speakers that demanded little from the power amp.

Andrew
 
Yes the 72 is a star but does need a Hicap....

OP: You might well like the 90 better with a Naim pre amp; the 42.5 springs to mind
 
Quad 306 is a nice little 50 watter. Input sensitivity is quite high though so low volume control settings on the Meridian pre will sound louder than usual.
Very robust little amps with no internal controls and nothing to drift.

Cyrus 'Power' or 'SmartPower' is also very good.
 
I think the issue is that I find the NAP90 a little 'lean', and sometimes the sound a little 'recessed'. It's hard to find a better way to describe it; it's as if the centre of the stereo image is sitting behind the speakers, somewhat, and the bass is slightly rolled off. It's very dependent on the source material, and with some material the whole hi-fi setup sounds great, but with a lot of material I feel there's something slightly lacking.

Where I waver is that I'm not 100% sure if what I really need is a new power-amp or new speakers. My system is in a larger room than before, and while I always had some issues with a certain 'lean-ness' to the sound it was definitely less pronounced in a smaller room.

I've tried swapping out the NAP90 for the other amps I have in the house, although all are integrateds rather than dedicated power-amps. So running my pre-amp via the output stage of a mid-range Denon integrated, and a little tri-path based amp I have, and I've previously run it via the power-amp stage of a larger (and actually pretty decent) Sansui integrated. The NAP90 trounces all of those in almost every respect, except that I preferred the bottom-end weight, and more forward presentation the Sansui imparted [albeit with a certain amount of wooliness that the NAP90 lacks].

Suggestions? [Thanks!]
 
Surely the Quad 405 is no smaller than a Nap90? In all honesty, the Nap90 isn't all that big in the first place.
 
I don't want to replace the NAP90 with something smaller. My reason for wanting to replace it is that I don't like the way it sounds.

The integrateds I have are normally used in other rooms, I just swapped them in to do a listening comparison. What I want is another power-amp for my main system; the integrateds will stay where they normally are [on a bedroom/computer setup].

I'd rather not have something much larger than the NAP90 just because the location I have the system -- pre-amp, tuner, turntable -- has limited space. I might just fit a Quad 405, but something closer to the NAP90 [or a Cyrus or Quad 303, or similar] would be more convenient.

Does that make sense?
 
I would say a Qaud 405 is bigger than the NAP90.

OP: If you add the 42.5 Naim Pre Amp it should give you the weight you're after. Not expensive, get one, try, if no likey sell on as a pair perhaps with no loss; one of the many good things about the Chrome Bumper era of Naim.

I have a 42.5/90 lurking about and they don't suffer what you describe.
 
Older crimson monoblocks maybe? or the stereo power. 620 or 630s. Had a pair of the 630s here and enjoyed them. Kind of wish I hadn't sold them, but needs must to fund the habit.
 
mat_mcg said:
I don't want to replace the NAP90 with something smaller. My reason for wanting to replace it is that I don't like the way it sounds.
Click to expand...

Ah, I see - a Nap140 then (as it is substantially better than the Nap90 - which I was never very keen on). Then get a 32.5 or 72 to replace your pre-amp.

(I had a Crimson 610/620 combo years ago)
 
Gaius, I think I'm probably stuck with the Meridian pre- for the time being. For various reasons: I have the matching tuner, remote, etc; WAF;

You might well be right that adding a matching NAIM pre might be the way to go, but it's probably not practical right at the moment.
 
You've hit the nail on the head re tryiing the other powers and finding them maybe a bit fuller but the NAP still has the boogie factor. You may have to choose. If you really like what the Naim does in terms of get up and go, edge of the seat excitement, then other stuff may not match up. However, if you find it wearing (I do) then adding a NAC42/32/72/etc will just give you more of the same, as will adding another NAP 90. As you already have the Meridian gear then laying your hands on a 100 or 200 series Meridian would be best IMO. They certainly go well, sound great and while a diehard flat-earther might prefer the boogie from a NAIM, those who find them a bit edgy will breathe a sigh of relief.
 
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