One of my real highlights of this year was treating myself to some new hi-fi. Specifically, I bought the 50th-anniversary special edition Naim Nait 50 integrated amplifier.
We never officially reviewed the Nait 50 at What Hi-Fi?. We don't tend to review and star-rate limited edition models due to their exclusive nature, but it was impossible to say no to a sample of this one-off Nait amp back in 2023. I had never heard the original Nait 1, you see, so I subsequently took an in-depth look at the history of the original half-width Nait integrated, which this '50' model is an homage to, and spent quite a lot of time listening to this lovely little new amp in our test rooms.
The biggest hurdle was the price. As a limited edition model (only 1973 units were made), the Nait 50 was priced at £2699 – which was simply too steep for me. Over the past year, the price has dropped to £1199, which was far more amenable.
And now? The Nait 50 has absolutely plunged in price to an astonishing £999 at Peter Tyson. That's a third of its original asking price, with an overall £1700 saving. Having looked at the Naim and our What Hi-Fi? forums on the topic, I know there are plenty of hi-fi fans out there who were tempted by the Nait 50 but felt the original price was simply too high.
At £999, however? I cannot recommend it enough – it's a charming amp that isn't just a nod to an iconic piece of hi-fi history, but it's such a great amp to listen to in its own right, too.
The Nait 50 was designed to celebrate 50 years of Naim's history, in particular being an homage to the 1983's Nait 1 "shoebox" integrated.
But while it has kept the very appealing retro looks and dimensions on the outside – even down to the off-centre Naim logo – inside it's a whole other story. This isn't a revived amplifier; Naim's engineers took the chance to completely overhaul the electronics and update it, while still keeping in spirit with the Nait's original purpose and personality.
So the power rating has been upped from 15W (into 8 ohms) to 25W per channel of Class A/B amplification. The moving magnet phono stage is all new, the power amplifier design is based on the latest, sixth-generation NAP 250, while the brand-new headphone amplifier section is borrowed from the five-star NSC 222 streaming preamplifier.
The balance control spindle of the original has been swapped out for the new 6.3mm headphone socket at the front, while the left-side volume dial is now machined from solid aluminium and feels lovely and tactile to use. There are some oddities: the power LED button always glows, albeit dimly, even when in standby mode (it grows brighter when turned on), while we wish we could make even subtler volume changes.
Inputs are simple: a pair of RCA phono inputs for your turntable, and two DIN sockets. That's it. There isn't even any standard RCA line-level inputs, and you don't get a DIN-to-RCA cable supplied in the box either – which is my only real gripe with this amp at its full high price. But, as I was only going to use this amp with my turntable, this didn't deter me.
How does it sound? Incredibly fun. In my in-depth hands-on feature, I said: "While it has been redesigned to modern standards, Naim’s engineers have done a great job of ensuring that this Nait 50 retains the enthusiastic sonic character of the original Nait 1 that was so liked. During listening, our technical editor Ketan Bharadia kept referring it to as having a “puppy dog-like” character – it’s zippy, energetic and inherently likeable."
There's ample detail, punch and rhythmic drive, and despite the comparatively 'low' power rating, we have no problem driving a variety of speakers, from our reference ATC SCM50 and Epos ES14N speakers to the more modest Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 and 606 S3 standmounts. We also tried the PMC Prodigy 5 floorstanders and the Musical Fidelity LS3/5A speakers, along with the tiny Neat Iota II speakers I use at home.
Getting the best results is more about matching the sonic signatures of the speakers and source you'll be pairing with the Nait 50. The amp is obviously "flavoured" – this isn't a neutral-sounding amplifier by any means – but what it does do so well is communicate the inherent "message" of music, and simply entertains us with whatever song we're playing.
Modern amplifiers do have a more mature, neutral balance, as well as offering a larger scale of sound. But if you value rhythmic punch and sheer fun, and pair it with the right components, then this Nait 50 will delight you for hours (not to mention years, or decades) to come.
You may not need another amplifier in your system, but sometimes, it's okay to splash out on hi-fi that feels a little special, or a little quirky, and just plain fun. The Nait 50 is a great little amp with both heritage and modern engineering behind it, and I don't regret taking the plunge and buying it this year at all. And now that it's available for even cheaper – just £999! I find that astonishing – I would urge you to give it another look. I think it's worth it.
MORE:
Read our in-depth feature on the Naim Nait 50
Black Friday hi-fi deals: the best prices on five-star turntables, stereo amplifiers, speakers and more
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