I have owned 3 Nait 1s (2 red LED smooth knob) and 4 Nait 2 (3 chrome bumper) in my time and I have kept Darran at Class A busy with my servicing. They are wonderful little boxes that really do perform much better than the sum of their parts and they are the cutest of things especially the chrome bumper editions. I consider the Chrome Bumper Nait 2 iconic.
I have had so many because I used to have to sell my Naits to finance the next purchase (UQ, SU, Exposure XM, Atom etc) and I always regretted it. I missed the little fella. It was so simple and produced a lovely sound. You’d have thought I would have learned from my mistakes!! But no, the march for the new box of tricks and the search for sound nirvana kept leading me on!
It was only when I was more financially stable (daughters had fled the nest) that I was able to keep the Nait and buy something new as well. Then, and only then, was it possible to live with 2 amps for a while and do a proper A/B comparison. The Nytech CA352 proved to be the tipping point. I kept switching between the two little boxes and the Nait 2 was spending more time on the sidelines. The lack of bass and grip was clear. The midrange and treble were good but not on the same level as the Nytech. The CB Nait 2 was sold.
I could have kept the Nait and got it out occasionally to remind me of the Naim sound but I prefer the new sound so what would be the point? I’m not for keeping things and not using them. Beware! Nostalgia can be powerful.
“I’m drowning in my nostalgia” - David Sylvian