Naim steps up from its entry-level range with XS

The FlatCap XS power supply gets a new fascia panel to match the rest of the XS range, plus improved display board power management, but is otherwise the same as the current FlatCap, and the NAIT XS will be available with the new fascia, but is again otherwise unchanged.

The £1750 CD5 XS gains the beam strength mounting for the transport first seen in the NaimUniti, which is reviewed in our August issue, on sale this week.

But the most striking addition for a Naim player is the inclusion of a transformer-coupled digital output, with switching designed so you can either use the player's analogue output or the new digital feed, but not both at the same time.

In fact, Naim says pretty much everything in the player is new apart from the transformer and mechanism: the motherboard has been redesigned, and is now a four-layer design for better signal transmission, and the analogue board is updated.

The £990 NAT 05 XS tuner is also an all-new design, using Naim's bayonet mounting PCB for the sensitive audio circuitry.

Like the CD player it has both RCA and DIN outputs, with user selection between them -– or you can use both at once – and there's an option to upgrade the unit with the FlatCap XS power supply.

The £895 NAC 152 XS preamp has the same parallel DIN and RCA inputs and 3.5mm autoswitching front-panel input seen on the Nait XS, loses the tape monitor function, and has a line-level output for a headphone amp.

There's a new motherboard, the bayonet PCB mounting, and a double upgrade path, in which both audio and control sections are upgradable.

Finally the £1025 NAP 155 XS power amp has a transformer that's larger both in capacity and size, new reservoir capacitors derived from the Supernait, castellated heatsinking for better thermal performance, and a 20% hike in power output, to 2x60W.

Completing the range are the Nait 5 XS integrated amplifier, at £1350, and the £675 FlatCap XS power supply.