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Preamp or streamer for Olive Naim

J

jimmymcfarrell

pfm Member
I’ve nearly assembled an Olive Naim system, active SBLs / Snaxo / Hicap / NAP250 x1. Currently looking for a second NAP250 and in a quandary what to use for a preamp.
This system will be digital only for streaming Tidal & TV / movies etc and likely not much else. Not planning on using any analogue sources.
My issue is what preamp to buy. If my active Isobarik system is anything to go by I need a preamp as when I tried running the Linn Isobarik Aktiv crossover from a variable line output of a source component there wasn’t enough gain in the system for the crossover to drive the power amps sufficiently.
So what options are there for preamp duties in the Naim system? Currently looking at NAC-N 272 but not hearing great things about them and struggling with a budget of £1000. Alternatives are Nac102 / Hicap / a streamer but getting a decent streamer along with the 102 / hicap is also stretching the budget a bit too far.
Is there anything else worth looking at to achieve this? Suggestions greatly appreciated. And if anyone has an Olive NAP250 for sale please get in touch.
 
Your budget is looking a bit tight for a Naim pre, PS and streamer. Best I can come up with is a Nait 5 integrated using the pre amp outputs (later versions don’t have pre out). This saves an external PS. and an ND5XS. Should be able to pick those two up for around £1000. You can upgrade later if you feel the need.
 
Can I just use the ND5XS as a preamp? Will it drive the Snaxo with similar oomph to a conventional preamp?
It has enough (digital) inputs for my needs. also what’s the difference between ND5 & ND5XS
 
The idea with getting a conventional pre with the £1k budget was roughly: NAC102 £300 / Hicap £400 / streamer £300 (Bluesound Node 2i). Although the more I think about it, the lack of boxes makes a NAC-N 272 appealing vs the pre/ psx/ streamer solution. 272s do go for around a grand sometimes although everyone selling them on eBay at present seems to think they’re worth a lot more (completed listings say otherwise).
 
Good luck finding a olive Nap 250, Nac ? + PSU at £1000

The obvious budget choice for TV/streaming only, would be a Superuniti IMO.
 
No I’ve got a 2 grand total. And I’m running active SBLs for which I already have snaxo & one 250 so pretty well committed to active separates. The deciding factor is really going to be the price I can get another 250 for. If I get lucky it would mean I could put more of the budget into the pre / streamer. If I have to pay upwards of £900 for the power amp though it means even the 272 at hifi cinema is a bit beyond me. I think patience is what’s needed (which I’m struggling with because at present I can’t use any of the kit I’ve purchased thus far)!
 
There are 2 Olive 250s on eBay right now at the same price and a NAC272. They would only put you about £650 over budget. Plastic? You might be able to save much of that if you buy via auction but as you say you are currently sitting on kit you can’t use right now. I wouldn’t have the patience :)
 
jimmymcfarrell said:
so pretty well committed to active separates
Click to expand...

Thats fine
In the meantime you could just buy the cheapest available Nac preamp and run passive until patience is rewarded.
I'm thinking Nac 112, Nac 92 or even old Nac 42.

el cheapo DAC would make your TV work with above, as you already have Hicap/250/SBL and probably cables.
 
Have you looked at a Uniti? A serviced one with new screen should be with in budget. Will operate as a preamp and has o/p functionality for Naim power amp. I guess it’s not olive though.
 
Woodface said:
272 seems the obvious route
Click to expand...

272/250 A great combo, no idea how that would work or what preamp level in active setup ?

I use Superuniti at my TV setup(CD and turntable connected too), clearly TV as source is not anyway near the best - would active be a waste ?
 
I don’t have Paxo’s with the SBLs so passive is not an option. I was thinking maybe turn the snaxo 2-4 into a 2-4-2 & use dissimilar power amps but I don’t think it’ll be too hard to find an olive 250 for £900 or less. Even so I think I’ll probably still convert for horizontal rather than vertical bi-amp as whatever other amp I get it won’t be serviced at same time as the first one.
I’m not worried about the pre/streamer bit matching the olive’ness of everything else but as Tidal will be the main source I did want a decent streamer.
A cheap (relatively!!) Naim pre amp will still need a power supply. I’ve been offered a 102 / Hicap / NAC A5 cables (instead of the Linn K20 I’ve already got ready to go) for £860 but until I know how much the NAP 250 is going to cost I’m finding it a difficult decision as I don’t know what I’m going to have leftover for a streamer - and as above, with Tidal being main source I would like something decent. NAC-N 272 auctions are so much cheaper than BIN’s so that does sound best option. Just need patience.
Curious about the different version of the ND5 though as they do seem to go for less and how suitable they’d be as a preamp.
This is all for a second system for which I spotted SBLs for sale on here, locally and decided to put something together and it’s kind of spiralled. Hence trying to complete this for no more than £2k on top of the £2k I’ve already spent.
 
If I bought a Uniti I could use it as a pre for the SBLs and also use its speaker outputs to run 2nd speakers for TV duties and not always have to switch everything else on. Can it’s speaker outputs be muted when it’s used as a preamp?
 
Found an ND5XS for £650 but not sure if it will function as a preamp and provide enough gain for the snaxo to drive the power amps?
 
I am just sorting out which boxes are going to a second system, but should have spare olive 250 (and Hicap) available very soon - both serviced in 2017 iirc.

More important, to get value out of the boxes you have, I'd agree with the above comments, Can you perhaps save a bit longer and aim at olive 82 and ND5XS2 (modern architecture) or go Bluesound for streaming? If that isn't going to happen, and you don't mind the older and more restricted design, then surely a cheap 272 is the ideal answer?
 
I have a similar set-up to yours but using Teddy ST60s for the amp side and with a NAC82/Teddy+ for the preamp - works fine. I have tried it without a preamp at all and found that the gain from a Teddy DAC-VC was enough, so my advice is to test before you spend anything.

CHE
 
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