New! Naim Nait XS-2 Integrated Amp $2450, 60 w/ch

The guys at Naim have brought out an additional integrated amp. The Nait XS-2 joins the Naim Nait 5i and SuperNait.

Why do we need a Nait XS-2? Let’s start at the beginning.

The Nait 5i is the entry level integrated. We love it! It has 50w/ch and a clean, rich sound. Electronically, it is basically a gutsy 50w/ch power amp with five line ins and a volume control. It doesn’t have a preamp built in, so you can’t add a subwoofer via preamp out. (You CAN at speaker level.) The Nait 5i is for 2 channel listening period. Add your source, speakers and call it a day. It has great sound and is very economical at $1450.

Nait XS-2 is strengthened to 60/wch with a larger transformer, 380va, and bigger filter caps. It has a more muscular sound than Nait 5i. It has a preamp section so you CAN add a sub with the preamp out! This is a great feature for those of us who love subwoofers! Toss this on to B&W 805s or CM-5 and be impressed!

Nait XS-2 is a slimmed down SuperNait, not a beefed up Nait 5i. It has 6 inputs including the 3.5mm input jack on the front panel for an IPOD. One other input has a powered DIN-5 240 socket for use with a Naim outboard phono stage. The other four inputs feature DIN-5 and RCA connections. The DIN connections provide superior sound for Naim CD players!

You can improve Nait XS-2 by adding a FLATCAP2x ($1100) or HICAP ($1900) power supply. When adding the additional supplies, these outboard supplies power only the analog circuits to provide improved musical performance. The supply within the XS-2 only feeds the switching functions and front panel circuitry.

XS-2 also features a unity gain adjustment to adapt to your home theater use.

Nait XS-2 is a welcome addition to the line. It sounds fast, immediate and has a solid image that’s hard to believe for the price. It offers the best sound in our biz for just over $2k and offers the easy addition of a subwoofer!