Audiophilepure

“This latest Naim NAIT XS 3 represents a subtle but really worthwhile improvement on its XS 2 predecessor and puts it back at the top of its class in terms of value for money. It has a thorough and even-handed yet engaging and enjoyable presentation that’s hard not to love. It’s a long way from the fierce and feisty NAIT of the mid-nineteen eighties – being far more civilised and powerful – yet very much retains its fundamental love of music. Indeed, if anything, the XS 3 has actually got some of this insouciant quality back, sounding less workmanlike than its XS 2 predecessor.

The only stumbling block is also arguably its greatest strength – the lack of any digital connections. Sadly in electronics, you can’t have your cake and eat it – you either go for all-out sound as your priority, or convenience. With this amplifier, Naim has chosen the former yet hasn’t sacrificed too much of the latter. The design team deliberately omitted a DAC stage to provide the best possible sonic performance at the price. Overall then, if you’re in the market for a superb sounding, purist integrated amplifier in a neat and compact package, then look no further – just go and listen.”

Comments are closed.