recommended components

contributed by Ced Taylor

The following is a list of recommended components for servicing and modding Naim gear. All should provide equal or superior performance to stock Naim parts though there are alternatives wherever possible.

Most parts have been tried but some are recommended, generally by Pink Fish forum contributors.
 

 

           
Item Pic Component
(click for datasheet)		 Comments Supplier order code cost
Powersupplies PSU reservoir caps
yes BC Components 114 series Very High grade with extremely low ESR and ESL. expensive and some report a slightly bright presentation. Farnell
CPC (cheaper)		 Various
10,000uf, 63V
306-381		 Various
£20
    Kendeil Possibly the best cap available. Les worstenholm prefers them slightly over the BC 114 series as they are smoother and they can be had cheaper. Rumours are that naim are now using them (rebadged with their name) since the demise of SLCE.

Avondale

AudioKit

22000, 63V

Various
10 000uf, 100V
22 000uf, 100V

£18ish


24 Euro
43 Euro

  BC components 154 series Also well regarded Farnell
CPC (cheaper)		 Various
10,000uf, 63V 		Various
£xyxyx
  BHC Aerovox ALS 30 Popular in DIY generally. Very competent cap and not too expensive and easy to source. Good in preamp supplies. Farnell Various
10,000uf, 63V 		Various
£xyxyx
  BHC Aerovox ALC20A and ALC20T Used by Naim for 10,000uf and lower applications. They are snap in and soldertag types that fit the slim line cases, Nap 140 and certain other items. Farnell
Arrow Electronics		 Various
10,000uf, 63V 		Various
£?
             
  Transformers C core
transformers		 Apparently the best for preamp psus: very low noise, very low impedance. avondale n/k n/k
Toroidal transformers Best for poweramps though can be used in all supplies. Avondale can supply super quiet super low impedance custom toroids for extrememly high performance. avondale n/k n/k
    R cores One off custom trannies available at very good prices. Great sound but hum somewhat. Delivery is reasonable and the guy speaks excellent english. Hi fi tuning Various Various
Voltage Regulators ALW (Jung) supperregs (positive and neg versions at all voltages) Astonishingly good. Aboslutely slaughers all monolithic regulators. Sound is apparently 'bigger and more sophisticated' than Avondale APX board though the presentation is different so not necesairily better. ALW Audio N/A Approx:
£32 as kit
£62 ready made
  Avondale tracking regulators apparently very good, better than single regulators or simple double regulators. Not tried personally but probably the only other form of regulator worth using. Avondale audio N/A £20.00
      Avondale APX board Probably the only worthy competetor to the ALW superrgulators. Based, I believe, on a gyrator preregulator with lm317 output reg. Also has onboard reservoir caps and rectifiers. Can be paralleled for improved performance. Avondale audio N/A
  LT 1033 A highly regarded 7.5A monolithic regulator Percy audio N/K N/K
  LT 1085 A highly regarded 3A monolithic regulator Percy audio 412-284
  LT 1086 Alternative to LM317 Farnell 412-119
  LT 317T Extra high quality variant of LM317T from Linear Technology.

Percy audio
Mouser

  LM317T Bog standard. Naim use the TO220 in their lower quality power supplies and the TO3 package in their higher quality supplies. Farnell 412-132
  Bridge Rectifiers IR MB series Naim use these, eg 36MB40A, 35A, 400V. They are Bridges Farnell 371-932 £4.52
    MBR20200CT 20A, 200V (dual 10A) Shottky diodes in TO220 package. Recommended by Les Worstenholm as better than normal silicon diodes, EAch didode can be used as a 10A half bridge by itself or use 4 to make a single 20A full bridge. Farnell 352-6240 £2.95
    MSR1560 Highly regarded soft recovery diodes from OnSemi.
           
Preamps low power Transistors:        
  ztx 384 npn /
ztx 284 pnp		 Naim used these- now discontinued. Replace with BC550, BC560 N/A N/A N/A
  Phillips BC 550 (npn) /
BC 560 (pnp)		 Phillips, apparently, produce the better types, gives flat earth sound 316-3246
434-863 		£0.08
£0.09
  2SC2547 (pnp) /
2SC2240 (npn)		 DNM use these, apparently good
  2SD786( npn) /
2SB 737( pnp)		 apparently superb, better than the ztx parts but discontinued and very hard/expensive to source. Cricklewood electronics N/A N/A
  2SC3329 (npn) /
2SA737 (pnp)		 replacements for the 2sd786 / 2sb737. Possibly not as good. Cricklewood electronics N/A N/A
           
           
10uf, 35V (tantalum) Input/output coupling caps: Panasonic EF tantalum caps (10uf, 35V) Naim use these (I think) though probably any tantalums are pretty ok Digikey P2065 ND £1.00
  BC components solid aluminium 128 series caps (10uf, 25V) Les Worstenholm recommended, PRT and musical but slightly bright. Better than tantalums. farnell 577-443 £0.67
  yes Rubycon Black gate N series bipolar caps (10uf, 50V) Very sophisticated and open but not very musical. Very round earth. 2-3 week burn in. Audio com £3.00
    Evox Rifa SMR 10uf/100V Use for the buffer board OUTPUT cap only. The best- Superbly musical, dynamic, superb tight punchy bass and open. Film caps, though slightly dry sound. Elfa 65-553-04 ~£7.00
    Evox Rifa SMR 2.2uf/63V

use for the INPUT caps on both the buffer and gain boards only.

 Farnell 389-1070 £2.76
    Evox Rifa SMR 3.3uf/63V Use for the gain board output cap only. Farnell 389-1082 £3.26
  Multicap RTX 2uf, 100V 36mm x 46mm huge size
      Multicap RTX 1uf, 100V 20mm x 46mm parts connection    
      Multicap RTX 1.5uf, 200V 36mm x 46mm huge size parts connection    
  Multicap RTX 1.5uf, 100V 24mm diam x 44mm l
  yes Elna Silmic series10uf, 35V Fine; musical and colourful. Appealing mix of flat and round earth but not significantly better than tants. Audio Grade
Audiocom		 £0.90
47uf, 40V powerrail decoupling caps (preamps) Roederstein EBU Bipolar caps Naim used to use these in their cheaper preamps Buerklin
  SLCE cocq series bipolar Naim currently use these in their top of the range preamps N/K N/K N/K
  25V 56uf SP Os-cons Power rail decoupling only. Don't do 47uf but 56uf is excllent. Farnell 431-1190 £2.04
  Rubycon ZA series Good and cheaper Farnell
  Rubycon Blackgate N series 47uf, 50V N/K but see input Audiocom £7
Panasonic NHG series Les W recommends as the best all round electrolytic Farnell 319-8893 0.09
  47uf, 40V feedback decoupling cap (preamp) yes Elna Silmic, 47uf, 35V Superb, the best electrolytic available. Audio Grade
Audiocom		 £0.75 -£ 1.50
  Black gate N 47uf, 50V Not tried but some good reports £7
    Evox Rifa MMK, 47uf, 63V Polyester cap, box, 16.5w, 32h, 41l, pitch 37.5. significantly better than the silmics though big. The best found so far and beat polypropylenes for some reason. Elfa 65-507-84 7.58 Euro
Feedback resistors Welwyn, RC55Y series good in feeback loop, 0.1%, 0.25W, 15ppm. Les W recommended Farnell Various
10K
340-133		 £0.90
  Vishay S102 bulk foil stupidly expensive. 0.01%, 0.6W, 2ppm. some people reckon worth using though reports are they sound 'soft..

Farnell

Percy Audio

Various
10K
309-8151

various
n/a

£10.20

~£6
  Caddock TR020 ultra precison apparently near vishay quality 15ppm, 0.33w, 1% but cheaper. A possible alternative. Percy audio n/a ~£3
      Vishay Dale RN60, 0.25W 1% Reports have this as the best. Non-magnetic. mouser Various
10K
71-RN60D-F-10K		 £0.60
Resistors BC components, SFR25 series, used by naim, 5%, 0.4W Farnell Various
10K
332-811		 £0.90/50
  Vishay Dale RN60, 0.25W 1% apparently better than the SFRs, non magnetic, copper leads Mouser Various
10K
71-RN60D-F-10K		 £0.60
  Potentiometers Alps blue velvet, 20K x 2 used in naim preamps, good quality

Hifi collective
Schuro

 £10-15
  Alps black beauty better version of the blue Hifi collective £30
  Panasonic top pot

HIFI collective
Shuro
DIY paradiso

£40-70
  Nobel top pot, possibly the best HIFI collective £30-60
  removable board pins and sockets Tyco AMPMODU 141009-3 (pins) and AMP 141402-3 (sockets)  
               
               
               
Poweramps output transistor collector decoupling caps elna silmic, 470uf, 50V May well be the best quality though I've not tested them Schuro 1.89Euro
Rubycon ZL, 470uf, 50V These are extremely low impedance Farnell 779-040 £0.62
47uf/68uf feedback cap          
Elna Silmic,50uf Drop in replacement    
56uf, 25v oscon SP Drop in replacement Farnell
68uf, 25V BC 128 solid aluminium Drop in replacement Farnell
47uf transistor decoupling cap 68uf, 25V BC 128 solid aluminium Drop in replacement      
      Elna Silmic, 47uf Drop in replacement      
47uf oscon SP Drop in replacement
10uf, input coupling cap various See preamp coupling caps for advice but if using Evox SMRs which are great, 2.2uf is fine.
DC output protection Vellman K4700 kit If the poweramp has no output protection eg avondale NC220 boards or by disabling the SOAR protection on Naim boards then this kit can be use. Apparently can't be heard in circuit by Les W.

Maplins

CPC

VE24B

HK0074366

£16.99

£13
  Transistors   NA001 MJ15003 output transistors, BUV20 also good but expensive Farnell £3
        Nait One Trannies
Try: BD711 - NPN & BD712 - PNP, both 12A @ 100V, 75W TO220 NPNs are numbered 003, PNPs numbered 004
        ZTX384s may be replaced by BC182 or BC546. Also ZTX651Q & 751Q
      NA005 BD743's will replace the NA005s- recommended by Naim.
  ztx 653 npn used to replace ztx 652 N/A N/A N/A
               
Xovers Caps Audyncap Plus polypropylene Recommended as the best by several people, but expensive and huge. Don't like the sound of them in other applications but may work in xovers. plus electronik
    Audyncap Q4 polypropylene Supercheap polypropylenes of good audio standard plus electronik    
         
  Inductors   Jensen paper and beeswax copper foil air core inductors. Apparently The best. plus electronik various
    jantzen air cored foil inductors- but apparently of good quality. partsexpress.com various  
      Mundorf also apparently very good foil aircored inductors plus electronik various  
               
  Resistors   Caddock MV311 10W, non inductive. Superb apparently but rediculously expensive. Rhopoint various £25?
      Intertechnick MOX 10W metal oxide plus electronik various ~£0.50
INTERCONNECTS  
interconnect wire- signal apparently exceptional n cheap maplins XS38R 0.49p/m
  Belden RU59 possibly the mana cable?
  5 pin din, 180o   Preh twistlock, 5 pin, 180o locking din plugs signal interconnects      
      Preh twistlock, 5 pin180o locking din sockets      
5 pin din, 240o Preh twistlock, 5 pin, 240o locking din plugs powersupply interconnects Farnel 308-900 £1.71
Preh twistlock, 5 pin 240o locking din sockets Farnel 309-961 £1.07
4pin din Preh twistlock, 4 pin 240o locking din plug poweramp interconnect Farnel 437-219 £1.69
Preh twistlock, 4 pin din socket Farnel 437-270 £1.03
8 pin neutik 8 pole neutrik speakon plug (<=3mOhm contact resistance) Easy to use for low impendance umbilical psu power cables farnell 724-567 £6.81
8 pole neutrik speakon socket use for multirail psu power cables farnell 724-579 £4.75
4 pin neutric 4 pole neutrik speakon plug (<=3mOhm contact resistance) use for superlow impendance psu power cables farnell 4169426 30.2
4 pole neutrik speakon socket use for superlow impendance psu power cables farnell 152-306 £20.02
Phono plugs Eichman Bullet plugs apparently the best money can buy by a long way. Reduces cable differences alot. Trichord research £26/set 4
Burndys FCI metalock bantam 19 way pin plug   Farnell 105-321 £6.14
  FCI metalock bantam 19 way panel socket   Farnell 105-330 £3.21
  FCI metalock bantam AC basic hood   Farnell 105-583 £2.53
  25 solid machined pins lowest impedance pins Farnell 150-623 £5.65
  25 solid machined sockets   Farnell 150-626 £6.70
  Interconnect- PSU power cables 2.5mm 3 core flexible mains cable comes in several colours B&Q or hardware shops approx £1/m
  CY control, 3 core(2.5mm) + copper shield Raydex CY type farnell 385-3275 £2.94
  CY control, 7 core(1.5mm) + copper shield Raydex CY type farnell 385-3380 £2.05
               
MAINS Mains cables Audioquest type 4 speaker cable Flatresponse
  Belden 19364 3 x14awg core + foil shield, highly recommended takefiveaudio
  Belden 83803 3 x12awg core + foil shield & braid screen takefiveaudio
  IEC sockets Shurter 4300 10A sockets apparently the best schurter CPC, takefiveaudio
  Shurter 4781.0100 15A sockets apparently 2nd best schurter takefiveaudio, arrow
  Wattgate 320, 10A, 250V sockets generally considered teh best IEC available, but this model does not have gold plated pins and is consequently much cheaper. Welbourne do excellent price, most places far more expensive. Apparently the wattgate are made by Marinco. Can take up to 6mm core cable. Welbourne labs US $20
marinco 320IEC similar/same part as the wattgate. also an excellent part.
 parts express 110-400 ~us$20
               
  Mains plugs MK Toughplugs Generally considered an excellent standard plug

B&Q or hardware shops

Farnell

n/a

107-757

approx £2.50

£2.87
  Mains Haydra Micromark 4 ways mains hydra Star wired Mains PLUG which accepts up to 4 mains cables. Maplins VD 02C £6.99
  8 way earth blocks screwfix D1385-66 £1.99
      4 way earth blocks   screwfix D2386-66 £1
               
ENCLOSURES Cases Enclosure, hi fi/video, aluminium, removable top/bottom, black anodised, 442x88x254mm Ok full size black anodised aluminium cases, bit Flimsy: flimsy top/bottom/side panels, more solid front/back panels but look good. RS components 226-139 £62.02
  probably good for outboard phono stages Lincoln binns
    wood side paneled, polished 5mm thick aluminium front, 3mm top bottom panels. very nice looking. The CH1 (US$140) is Naim full width case size-ish(445 x 330 x 83mm) and the CH3 (us$105) is a bit larger than half width (240 x 330 x 83mm) IAG audio various approx £40- £70 depending on size. Delivery is apparently about us$20.
 

IEC inlets
  Fuses Must be slo-blo types
  LED
  Switches Use 16A, 250V rocker switches for power.
  Knobs Anodized Black and Aluminium knobs, very nice looking in 15, 22 and 28mm sizes, priced accordingly Maplins Alu: YR64U, YR65V, YR66W
Black: RK89W, RK90X, RK91Y		 £1.29-£1.99 depending on Size
PCB MAKING EQUIPMENT  
ferric chloride pellets 50g packets of senso developer for which makes up 1L of solution, Look under 'pcb chemicals' Mega Electronics (600-008) £1.05
developer 250g packets of ferric chloride crystals, Look under 'pcb chemicals' Mega Electronics (600-011) £1.60
pcb boards Single and double sided pcbs of various sizes, coated and uncoated, from 1oz to 2oz copper. Look under 'PCB laminates' to find the boards Mega Electronics Various various
Developing Trays Trays for develping and etching the pcbs. Look under 'sundries and accessories' Mega Electronics 900-011 £2.05
 
 
 
CD MODS  
Superclocks (for CD players) Kwak Clock V cheap, DIY, very good, requires, annoying, + & - 5V rails Elso Kwak N/A approx £20
  Trichord clock 4 Avondale recommended as stunning in naim cdplayers. Trichord Research ~£200
  LC audio superclock Ready made, expensive, comes in several variations LC audio various
  Guido Tent's Xclock very simple but apparently v good DIY. Only needs +5V. Apparently better than the kwak clock for naim gear. Guido Tent approx £20
  Audiocom superclock Ready made, expensive, comes in several variations Audiocom various
Opamps (for CD players) AD 8610 exceptionally good, still hard to get hold of, smoother than ad825, very dynamic prt. However comes as SOIC package so requires adaptor. Analogue Devices
Mouser
Schuro 		£3-6.00
  AD 825 arguably second best, apparently different character to ad8610 (more bite) farnell 284-038 £3.16
OP627 Also a superb replacement but costly. Comes as a convienient DIL drop in replacement however. farnell ~£13
  Brown dog adaptors allows the above opamps to slot into a DIL package footprint on a pcb Brown Dog (cimaron) £20 for 10
  yes AD 825 modules Ready made modules of the above,expensive compared to DIY LC audio
Audiocom		 A601030 £14.50
               
USEFUL PARTS              
  TO220 Insulation kits TO220 sil pads Sil pads+ bushes Farnell 522-636 £0.70/10
    TO220 screw fixing kis screws to fit Farnell 520-160 £1.10/10