Naim Audio Supernait 3 Integrated Amplifier

In the six years since the last NAIT integrated amplifiers were released, our research and development team have worked on a range of amplifier improvements. The result is upgraded power amplifier sections for SUPERNAIT 3, delivering greater pace and intimacy to their musical delivery – whether it's driving a pair of loudspeakers or your favourite pair of headphones.

SUPERNAIT 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.

It also includes a Class A preamp output stage which doubles as a headphone amplifier and ceramic heatsink technology that minimises capacitive coupling between the chassis and output transistors for optimum sound quality.

Its inputs are each individually decoupled and hand-wired to minimise noise and interference while internal switching employs ultra-low-noise, constant current sources which are derived directly from the electronic design of the flagship NAC 552 preamplifier.

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

Features

With Naim typical obsessive attention to detail – all in service of achieving the most authentic musical performance – the SUPERNAIT 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

Step up from the NAIT XS3 to the SUPERNAIT 3 and you benefit from a range of superior features, all designed to deliver even better sound quality:

    Full 24V DR module built-in: enjoy the purer power and performance improvement of Naim’s Discrete Regulation technology for the entire pre-amp stage.
    Larger toroidal transformer in the power supply: provides greater power and speed of recovery
    Additional leaded through-hole components in the signal path: further minimises negative effects of vibration and transient thermal conditions
    Chassis-mounted input sockets hand-wired to the circuit boards: offers enhanced vibration isolation
    Full Alps Blue Velvet balance control


Technology & Craft

The upgrades in more detail:

    Naim 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 an 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 and the RIAA resistors 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 47kΩ in parallel with 470pF capacitive loading;  the gain is perfect for 5mV moving magnet cartridges.

Specifications

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     

80W per channel into 8 ohms (4mm sockets), 130W per channel into 4 ohms
Line Outputs Variable (level)     

Pre-amp (DIN), Bi-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
Power Power Consumption (max.)     

400VA
Mains Supply     

115V, 230V; 50 or 60Hz
Power Consumption (quiescent)     

37VA
Physical Shipping Weight     

17.25 kg
Shipping Dimensions     

240 x 590 x 500 mm
Weight     

14 kg
Dimensions (HxWxD)     

87 x 432 x 314 mm
User Control Front Panel     

Volume control, balance control and front panel buttons
Remote Control     

Infra-Red (RC5)
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
Supplied with:  

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