Naim NAT 03 Rare Olive Green Series Tuner w/Naim Interconnect

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General:
This Naim tuner is so hard to find that we actually had to track it down for purchase from an audiophile in a tiny European town.

It's currently tuning FM very well and is easy to use as it has a single knob and power switch on the back.

Also included is a Naim DIN5 180 degree audio Interconnect to connect the tuner to your Naim preamp or integrated. The interconnect by itself is several hundred dollars.

Originally configured for 220V operation and internally converted here at SkyFi for 120V use. The original power plug was cut and spliced to change over from the European style plug that was originally on the cable.

*Note the display shows dim in our first photo as no antenna was connected. The tuner increases the display brightness to let you know when a station is properly tuned in and playing. See other photos the display is bright and very easy to read from across the room.

Brand Background:
Naim Audio founder Julian Vereker MBE (1945-2000) was a racing car driver, entrepreneur, and self-taught engineer with a deep passion for music. Spending his spare time listening to and recording his friends playing live in the 1960s, Julian found that playback on his system at home fell woefully short of the experience he craved.

Not content with second best, he decided to design his own amplifiers and loudspeakers, ignoring accepted wisdom, and focusing on aspects of performance that made music burst to life. These first designs laid the foundations for a range of iconic and award-winning hi-fi products that would reach well into the next century.

Ownership:
Single Owner

Connections:
One Naim DIN5 (180) output socket and one 75 ohm FM antenna input with a BNC PAL style input connector.

Cosmetic Condition:
8/10 = Very Good. Excellent front faceplate, one minor flaw on chassis side or top. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested in our lab.

Included:
NAT 03 tuner, Naim Interconnect, and Power Cable.

Approximate Age:
1997

Soecs:
Tuning Range
FM 87.5 MHz  - 108 MHz

Output Level
250mV per channel at 100% modulation

Dimensions: 
16.93" W x 11.81" D x 2.20" H (430mm x 300mm x 56mm)

Recommended Cables:
Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Good

Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Better

Packing:
Will be packed using our highly developed in-house process and custom packing materials.

Testing Process:
We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure that there are no signs of heat stress or damage. Capacitors are checked for telltale signs of predictive failure including bulging, shrunken wrappers, or physical leakage. We also inspect the PCBs for discoloration from resistors or transistors that may have been running hot.

On vintage units we often spot check select capacitors for value and ESR. Vintage analog tuners also have moving parts related to the tuning gang and dial string. These parts are inspected for smooth operation.

If the unit passes visual inspection it is bench tested for a handful of key performance parameters using a Sencore SG80 AM/FM Stereo Analyzer. The SG80 allows us to “simulate” an ideal radio station using precision test signals instead of music. This device in conjunction with an oscilloscope allows us to properly evaluate the following parameters:

1) AM Reception (Where Applicable)
2) FM Mono Reception & Tuning Meter Function
3) FM MPX Reception (Stereo)
4) Dial Tracking: How accurately the tuner dial or display indicates the actual frequency of the broadcast being received.
5) Stereo Separation: A properly working stereo tuner will have minimal crosstalk between the left and right channel.
6) Sensitivity & Signal Strength Meter Function: By lowering the output of the SG80 we can simulate weak stations and determine how well the tuner will be able to pull in weak distant stations. This adjustment also helps us verify signal strength meter function.

If the tuner has acceptable performance related to the parameters above we connect the unit for listening tests with a simple dipole antenna. We listen for audio reproduction quality of local stations and evaluate how many stations the tuner can receive while we sweep through the dial.

We are looking to verify that the tuner can decode stereo on strong local broadcasts and pick up a wide variety of local stations at the bottom, middle, and top of the frequency band. At this point we also test convenience features such as muting, filters, built in oscilloscope function, etc.

We finish up with an extended listening test on our long term test rig. We tune in to a strong local station and monitor for drift over a minimum period of 2-3 hours.