Hi are you looking at a full amp, pre-built boards or self build from bare PCBs. A link would be useful. I don't have any direct experience but I would be careful about quality of semiconductors, i.e. are they genuine there are a lot of fakes. Bare PCBs could be an option with semiconductors from qualified sources. Also I would recommend using an output protection board. This will protect against turn on thumps and DC in the event of a failure. The Wellemen K4700 would be suitable.

Tim, are you sure that you like the sound of the NAP140 before you proceed?

Hi Martin, no I haven't listened to a Naim amp before I thought for the money it was worth the risk, do they have a very destiked sound to them ?.
It seems that people who buy them really love them what do you think about them ?

Hi Tim, it's not for me to say what I think, it's just that Naim polarises opinions and I want you to hear one before you order blind.

From my own experience, I would definitely get it checked out by an engineer to make sure everything is safe.

Very good advice I think about adding in some protection circuitry too.

This might seem strange when part of the object is to buy cheap but I'd prefer to do that than risk frying my speakers!

Pity - James' knowledge is superb.

Back in the NAP140's heyday, I thought it by far the worst of the bunch, the 135's and Nait 1 being head and shoulders above it for musical reproduction - even the mid period 250 sounded 'forced' in comparison with the amps top and bottom of the range and this was shown up even more when the 180 was new, our demo 250 needing to go back to the factory for adjustment*. I do appreciate that decades of use and several 'services/recaps' later may improve things no end for a now silly-money used one if you really want one.

I don't know the clone model as discussed above, but honestly, if you really want a taste of the distinctive Naim sound, why not ask Les at Avondale, as he used to have some stocks of good used original boards I remember and of course the NCC200 boards take the old circuit probably as far as it can go without substantial re-design and you can raise or lower the sense of perceived power into speakers with supply size.

* For some reason, this version of the circuit as used by older pre-new-cosmetic Naim seemed to need regular service to reset offsets and so on, let alone replace some caps which could either drift off, or possibly get replaced to justify a high service price. Avondale may feel differently about this and I'd always ask their advice before buying anything as regards a kit.

I'm trying to be fair and honest as I knew the models. The newer stuff may not drift off in the same way and I don't think the NCC200's are affected at all either, although I have no personal experience with these, only contact with someone who had a large twin-transformer version made for him some years back and with which he's delighted.

Ok thanks. On a speaker hunt, but need to flog the old stuff first as I think my time with 'BBC Derivatives' has come to the end. I don't want a HiFi bling box and neither do I want smaller active pro monitors which 'point and squirt' too much with no 'breathing quality' to back up the uber-precision further up. JBL 4412E's beckon, but it may be wishful thinking - time will tell.

S'cuse the drift - as you were gentlemen.

Just want to say a big thank you to all the input you guy's have given me ,I've decided to blow this one out to many reliability issues.
Great advice
Thank you