Naim Nait XS 3 Integrated Amplifier White LED

In the six years since the last NAIT integrated amplifiers were released, Naims research and development team have worked on a range of amplifier improvements.

The result is upgraded power amplifier sections for NAIT XS 3, delivering greater pace and intimacy to their musical delivery – whether it's driving a pair of loudspeakers or your favourite pair of headphones.

The NAIT XS 3 has received significant performance upgrades, including a built-in phono stage, making it a perfect partner for turntables, as well as for streamers, CD players, or any other music source people want to enjoy with the signature Naim sound.

The NAIT XS 3 offers much of the performance of Naims reference quality SUPERNAIT 3 in a simpler, slimmer package combining a 70W power amplifier with five analogue inputs plus a phono stage. Its high-performance preamplifier stage is as transparent as you would expect from a Naim Audio amplifier, and it also shares the single-ended class-A headphone output of its larger sibling.

The NAIT XS 3 can be upgraded with the external power supplies, power amplifiers and even cabling upgrades to get the best from all sources.

Features

With Naims typical obsessive attention to detail – all in service of achieving the most authentic musical performance – the NAIT XS 3 benefits from the following features:

• Class A headphone amplification
• Alps Blue Velvet volume control
• Reed relay input selection
• Ceramic insulators for the power transistors
• Galvanically isolated microprocessor control section
• Microphonic-isolating PCB mounts

Technology & Craft

The upgrades in more detail:

• Naims R&D team has found a way to more than double the speed of the voltage gain stage, which in turn doubles the rate at which the speaker output stage can react.
• The second gain stage transistors have been optimised, so they no longer need to be shielded by a cascode stage transistor. Removing the cascode means less amplifier stabilisation is required: that doubles the slew rate and delivers another uplift in sound quality.
• The phono circuit topology comprises 3 stages: the gain stage, passive equalisation and final gain and active equalisation. This enables excellent noise performance, extended RIAA equalisation beyond the audio band and great overload headroom.
• All RIAA equalisation capacitors are ‘through-hole’ mounted film designs, with low microphonic pickup and excellent transient performance. As phono stages are 1000x more sensitive than other inputs, this greatly benefits the sound quality.
• Input impedance is 47kO in parallel with 470F capacitive loading; the gain is perfect for 5mV moving magnet cartridges

Technical Details:

Audio Inputs
MM Phono Input
via RCA, 47k parallel 470pF input impedance, suitable for 5mV cartridges

Line Level Inputs
130mV sensitivity, 47k input impedance, suitable for 2V

Power Amp In
DIN Socket

Audio Outputs
Powered Accessory Sockets
+24V for Naim phono amplifier

Speaker Outputs
70W per channel into 8 ohms (4mm sockets), 100W per channel into 4 ohms

Line Outputs Variable (level)
Pre-amp (DIN), Sub (RCA pair) 775mV, <50 ohms

Line Outputs Fixed (level)
AV (DIN), Stream (DIN) 130mV, 600 ohms

Headphone Output
1/4 inch (6.35mm) TRS Socket

Connectivity
Updates
1 x USB mini-B

Remote Input
1 x 3.5mm Jack on rear

Finish
Case
Black powder coated

Front
Brushed and black anodised

Physical
Shipping Weight
12 kg

Shipping Dimensions
200 x 590 x 500 mm

Weight
8.5 kg

Dimensions (HxWxD)
70 x 432 x 314 mm

Power
Power Consumption (max.)
350VA

Mains Supply
115V, 230V; 50 or 60Hz

Power Consumption (quiescent)
16VA

Supplied with
Supplied with
NARCOM-5 Remote Control, Mains Lead, Link Plug and Safety Manual

User Control
Front Panel
Volume control and front panel buttons

Remote Control
Infra-Red (RC5)