Morning all
No joy with oasis tickets so thought I would refocus on something that may be more achievable
I am intend on improving my LP 12 listening
Is there a huge difference in terms of value for money from going 300 series all the way or 333 and 250 as I’ve heard that the 250 is a legendary piece of kit
Vinyl all the way for me and I have a top end LP12 playing via a SuperNait at the minute
Views welcome on the hugely knowledgeable forum
If Nick from Wimbledon is out there thanks for your tips on LP12 upgrade path difference is ridiculous
R
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So many variables, but starting with a direct comparison of 250 vs 350. The 350 is the replacement for the 300 series, which for me, in a large room, drives my speakers better and gives an improved sound. Therefore I would expect the 350 to do the same and be better than the 250.
On the other hand I also run a 250 in a smaller room and putting a 300(or350) in there would add little with the speakers I run in that room.
Probably best to talk to a dealer and think about the room, speakers, amp combination that you would like to arrive at, and then how best to get there.
Thanks Bruss
I have a reasonable size lounge but listen to low to low medium volumes thanks for the advise
R
I have a full 300 system until you get to the power amp and here I have stuck with the NC250. Whilst the 350 is more impressive I slightly prefer the voicing of the 250 with my speakers. I don’t play at very loud volumes either. I suggest if you decide to go this way, give both an audition.
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Thanks for the advise Paul
R
i’m kind of the opposite to @paulbysea 222 and 350. i compared 222 250 + 300 to 222 350 and felt for (roughly) the same money i preferred the clarity of the 350. speakers are pmc twent5 26i room 5x11m.
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Thank you for your insights too
R
Better put my listening ears on as the wife says in a demo
My wife says “keep your wallet in your pocket”
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250 vs 350?
I’ll assume here that both are NC.
I have asked a similar question before and didnt get a definitive answer.( olive 250x2 vs a pair of 135s)
So, is a 350 just 2 off 250s Albeit that a 250 can drive 2 channels and an individual 350 one.
So, start with a single 250, then buy another when funds allow. With each 250 just driving one channel.
I run a 300 system, without the external power supplies, using a NC250 power amp. The 250 is all the amp my Ovator 400 speakers need. If I upgraded my speakers then a pair of NC350s would be on my shopping list.
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NSC222 + NC 250 with S400s here in a second system (replaced Nova), in a difficult room.
Separate audition - at home - on Fraim with NPX ps in the mix, listened to NAP250DR (almost new), NC250 then NAP300DR. Each was a step up. IMHO upgrading to NAP350, no speaker upgrade would be necessary. IMHO S400s are very capable, auditioned a pair of 606s, the winner stayed, to my ears, S400s were the clear winner; YMMV.
There was a post from Steve Sells explaining the differences. The NC350 is a bit more than just a mono NC250.
@Ronan - as others have said, you need to really listen for yourself and see what you think. The NC250 is a fantastic amp, but the 350s move things on quite significantly (as they should given the price difference). Good luck with your audition 
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Thanks for that. That post fills in some gaps.
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Thanks for the kind words.
There are lots of great comments on this and other threads.
The commonest view seems to be that upgrades from a balanced system are most satisfying musically if you start at the source and work backwards. However, not everyone thinks that in every case.
In addition, there are some speakers that need more than any 250 can give, whatever the source. I’d pick Shahinian Hawks as fine examples of that, but comments here suggest that big PMCs might qualify too.
I have used an olive 250 with 62, 72, 82 and finally 52 as preamp in the last 30 years - it was ideal with the first 3 and great with all 4. That 250 has been serviced twice and now sits between 82 and Neat Xplorers in Tasmania. Only the 52 showed that the 250 was not quite ‘as good as it gets’ to my old ears.
The new 250 is a lot more capable than that 250, though also slightly different in presentation. Having heard what it can do with NC 200 and 300 boxes at Naim HQ, I suspect that few of us have the front end to NEED more than the NC 250.
Does that matter? If you hear 350s and like what they do to SQ in your house more than you like (say) a 552 would do in your system, and if you have the cash to hand, it doesn’t matter what any of us here think. All your options will sound great, but your ears are better arbiters of relative merit than any comments (most obviously including mine).
Good luck!
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Thanks James really helpful advise
R
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Thanks Nick
You put things so well
For me music is the great escape as I too reach older age and hopefully will get more listening time
It’s a balance for me re cash I have BW 804 D4 so was hoping that a 332 250 would suffice in driving them but hear the 350 community comments so will be as open as finances permit lol
Again thanks for taking time to enlighten me
R
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Dear nick is naim HQ did you audition 332/300 with nc250? How were your impressions?
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See Dan’s thread on the visit for lots of comments from multiple listeners.
(NAC 332 v 552 - any direct comparison? - #2 by paulbysea)
To summarise my waffling notes: -
NC250 was clearly excellent and is broadly comparable to my 2-box 300DR - I doubt my old olive 250 would have driven Focal Scala Utopia speakers so well.
I don’t prefer a 252 to my old 52 - slightly different rather than better. Otoh, a 252 is very good.
Without extensive comparisons it is hard to be sure, but I reckon a 332 by itself will beat a 282 easily, but not a 252.
The 332 really benefits from a 300 (Naim and outboard power supplies…) and 332/300 will probably out-perform 252/SC - I’d expect more detail and quieter background with no loss of boogie.
On the other hand, almost everyone agreed that a 552 is still ahead. Looking at s/h 552 prices is eye-opening if comparing to the new prices of 332/300.
YMMV of course.
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If you want to improve your LP-12 experience, it would be useful to know more about your LP-12.
What is it sitting on? Which bearing and tonearm do you have? The more I improved my source, the more the rest of the system impressed me
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Thanks for you advise, Nick had previously guided me on the source is key approach which I took
and now have a Klimax LP12
R
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