I’ve heard a lot of vintage Naim over the years, and understand why people love it - and where we can, Naim will keep those legacy products on song for as long as possible.
However, there is no contest with a 300DR: the power, precision and performance is on a different level.
Of course, much will also depend on system synergy - dropping a 300DR into a system without the appropriate pre-amp (I use the 552 to feed my 300DR, but you don’t have to go that far!) wouldn’t get the most from it, and then there’s the speakers, cabling, racking etc…
In terms of brightness quiet size HI-fi the new moving line is better and more impresive…but the old ones like 52/2 x 250 active i had before were much more musical and exciting…I remember I was deeper in the music
I run a non dr Nap300 with my olive Nac52/Supercap. At the time I was looking to upgrade my power amp I was looking to find a pair of Nap135s but I was unable to find the pair I wanted at the right price & condition. I did find my Nap300 at what I considered a decent price and have been very happy since.
It drives my Neat MF7s no problems and sounds great. I must admit I would like to hear a pair of Nap135s in my system just to see!!
As Clare said system synergy, would be interesting for you to have a go with some nap 135.
I personally just couldn’t get along with the nap 300, nap 500 was a very different story….
Another point to make is DR vs non-DR - it makes a bigger difference than people think! (And remember, if you have the DR upgrade done now, you also get a full service, which reaps its own rewards.)
It’s a very long time since I’ve heard a pair of 135s, but they left a big impression (sonically speaking… literally!).
The 300DR leaves less of an impression, but as you listen you realise it’s not just about sounding impressive, it’s about versatility as well. The 300DR may not have the ultimate simultaneously slap you round the face & punch you in the stomach ability of the 135s, but it makes up for this in showing the tiny difference in timing between the two attacks as recorded, and you can feel the whorls in the finger prints left on the face (not just general marks left by each finger). It can also be much more subtle when required and make a much better job of being asked to play quietly while still keeping detail.
I still remember the 135s after these years, they left that much impression: fast, powerful, and when required by the music even aggressive sounding; phenomenally engaging driving the music relentlessly forward. Amazing, sometimes even terrifying, a bit like a charging rhinoceros; but do you want a charging rhinoceros to try playing a string quartet?
If you don’t guess …I’ll tell you the secret,going back is loosing big money,i I would like also to be younger but it’s impossible so loosing money is also out of question for me…. Understand!!
Each of us is trying to put into written words what our ears hear. We are trying to characterise the difference between two superb yet different power amps. I rather like @Xanthe ’s description, though the 300DR can also do bombastic and the 135 can do subtle when required. The 300DR provides greater depth of musical insight, the 135 is more exciting. Both are great.
From my experience, the 300DR embodies many aspects of the 135s but it also provides an advancement in terms of rendering a more balanced presentation that does not detract from the responsive immediacy of the latter. Each is able to control the drivers with authority but the 300DR does it with a more relaxed sense of controlled refinement.
