How good is the the analog pre-amp of the 222?
Has anyone tried connecting a Ndx2 to the 222 and compared it to the onboard streaming (without the addition of the 300 PS)?
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Some have reported that the Nd5xs2 is a bit better vs the 222, as streamer/ dac.
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You’re going to get varied impressions in different listening environments and preferences so you’ll need to listen for yourself and decide. I prefer the 222/250 to the different NDX2 fronted systems I demoed but these weren’t head to head comparisons. I just never got on with the NDX2 without a PS, needs a 555 imo. People will say the dac is better in this or that OC streamer but you really need to listen b/c the dac deployment and overall design in the NC is different and presents the music in a more spacious, focused, quiet, presentation that translates to a more realistic and musical experience in my experience. It’s quite different than the OC and some don’t get on with it so you definitely want to listen for yourself.
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What I mean is will a better streamer such as an NDX2 or say a ND5XS2+Qutest improve the SQ of the 222 vs streaming from its own onboard streamer. Not using the 222 as a streamer into another pre.
Using the 222 as a stand alone preamp seems like a waste when you could just get a dedicated preamp.
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be quite a bit better i would have thought, before i got a 252 supercap, i used my NDS with a 272 (the older version of the 222) and it was way better than i was expecting. i bet the 222 is better than the 272 it replaced.
i didnt run my 272 as a pre for long because i got 252 which is a whole new world
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I second that, if pre-amp is what you need, then better just go for 332, needs a bit more budget than 222 but obviously better on analog section. Or get 252 if you prefer OC
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Good question, I’ve been wondering about this as well. The 222 sounds very good, however I would be very curious to compare it directly to the NDX2. On paper the NDX2 should be better…
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