250 vs 250 DR

OK, I must be misunderstanding what all the bits are that one pays for buying a turntable.

Not my area so I’ll shut up!

G

Gentlemen I’m afraid we are going out of topic.
I would appreciate your perception about the demo 282/250 instead of my turntable price.
Thank you.

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It’s the Forum.
Ya can’t escape the change of focus.
Happens all the time. Upside: makes it fun! :upside_down_face:

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Seeing that the 250.2 is definitely an old amplifier make sure he’s giving you a good price on it. See if he can lend you a 250DR so that you can compare the two.

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The 282 is a much better preamplifier than the one inside the SN3

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I think you are on the right track with a planned demo of the 282/250. It will not show you the difference between 250 and 250 DR, but I guess the most important is to hear the 282/250 at home with your sources and speakers. It will be interesting to hear your impressions.

You could also listen to 282+ SN3 in case you would like to see if that combo would be an improvement and alright as a stepping stone, looking for a 250DR. It would also highlight what the 250 can do, compared to the power amplifier in the SN3.

Most people are happy with a 282/250 DR, but I seem to remember at least one forum member who found that a 250.2 was better as it somewhat ”tamed” the sound signature more to his liking. This was coming from a SN2 I think.

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As indicated I think it will all depend on the price being asked for the 250-2. I run a 250-2 with an 82, the TT is a lowly P3 and a Hana cart. It sounds sublime. Would a better TT improve the sq? Of course it would but you don’t need it to enjoy the 282 and 250 non dr. Just make sure you are not overpaying for the 250. (I have also run the P3 through my 252/scdr with the PH-10 and its psu-10. There is still a noticeable improvement.)

A balanced system of source, amps, speakers and room is a nice to have but don’t believe that your current source can’t benefit from a better amp combination. There will be a combination where spending on amps or speakers will not give value for money but I don’t think you have reached that yet.

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One of those evenings, I extensively tested 250DR against good old 250.2, switching NDS/282 between them two. Tracks that I know very well, repeated few times with focus on some critical notes… Not night and day, but after a while, 250DR came as a clear winner… More refinement, more hi-fi, more music at low volume… Truly a Discreetly Refined step-up in SQ. :slight_smile: To my ear it was all about subtleties. And it did not make 250.2 any less of a damn good power amp.

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Ok let’s talk money…
My dealers prices are:
282 - 3.000€
250 - 2.000€
Also he takes my sn3 for 3.000€.
Considering i will pay only 2.000€ i believe is a bargain.
Cosmetically both are excellent & knobs are in perfect condition.
Any thoughts about the prices.

PS the small amount gives me the opportunity to move to a better turntable.
Also i have already ordered the goldnote ph-10 & waiting for it.

That looks pretty good to me, and a safe enough option upgrade wise.

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Good choice on the PH-10. If possible, get the matching PSU-10, it really is a substantial upgrade.

I had the 282/250.2/hc combo for years (moved from the 202/200) and loved it and threw a number of turntable/cart combos at it and all sounded lovely…was fortunate enough to get the upgrade to Dr on my 250.2 and had it recapped at the same time…certainly a step up in sound quality but an option is grab this deal and in a few years time look to trade up but I think you’ll be very happy with the 282/250.2 combo anyway…it’s a good deal and a recap isn’t a bank breaker if it’s needed

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You should buy it !

The prices are fair enough

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Lol! First I have to disclose I have an SL1210 from the olden days, it may be ‘cheap’ but it sounds fantastic through my 252/300, to say that your technics tt won’t do your 282/250 justice is as unfounded as it is unqualified, to rubbish it because it costs £1300 is none sense. Second naim’s products have never sounded rubbish, you’d think that obsolete products suddenly underperform, I’ve had non dr naim’s kit and enjoyed great sq from them. Third not everyone can afford or is prepared to spend thousands and thousands on hi fi kit, and great sounds can be had from keenly priced used stuff. I’d be surprised if some of the nay sayers could correctly guess a dr amp over non dr in a blind test. Finally I thought that the dr part of a nap amp was to do with its ps for the pre amp rather than it’s own power circuit, I thought that power amps weren’t so fussy when it came to ps as the pre’s, but hey Ho… mate try the non dr 250 with 282, I reckon you’ll be pleasantly surprised - and I dare say your DJ tt will give great music too!!!

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… just to add the 282/250 will give you a great upgrade over the sn3, keep your technical too!

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The DR supply in the 200DR does indeed relate to its supply for the preamp. The 250DR, 300DR and 500DR cannot power preamps, so the DR tech is a part of the power amp. The DR is a very significant upgrade for these power amps. The 250 DR sounds very very different to the 250.2, which is a much slower and fatter sounding amplifier. Having owned both, IMHO the DR version is a whole lot better.

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Prices are about right for kit in perfect condition not needing a service.

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I think you just have to try the home demo and decide if it’s an upgrade worth 2000 euro.

You can check the serial numbers of the pre/power amps at Naim’s site to determine year of manufacture.

I assume the NAP 250 is a NAP 250-2. Olive and CB NAP 250s could not be DR’d. DR upgrades are no longer available in the UK. I’d imagine the NAP250-2 will control the ovators far better - hang on to those especially if you’re planning to upgrade in the future as they are highly regarded speakers no longer available new which is a shame.

I assume you are in the EU somewhere - it may be worth checking with local dealer/regional service centre just in case they did DR upgrades rather than returning to UK - always an outside chance they might have some DR upgrade kits.

Source first has been the mantra for quite some time but I’m more sceptical of this than I used to be and I’m sure the Technics is a great deck.

Yes, better sources tend to sound better, but the home demo will show if your proposed system is a major improvement with the existing source or if the NAC282 is just too revealing and doesn’t sound as good with the Technics as you’re expecting. I reckon it’ll sound great but you have to listen and decide for yourself.

Good luck.

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Hi I found the 250.2 a very good amp…slightly on the warm side in the bass. On changing to the DR I noticed the following:-
More detail, a cooler more impactful bass and a more explicit midrange.
I would say the combo you are considering is definitely an upgrade you will hear and appreciate. The 282 tends to balance out the 250.2 nicely. The DR upgrade although good - potentially could shift the balance of a system…it all depends on the speakers cables and room setup. Hope this helps…you need to be in the hands of a good dealer. Also the 250.2 may need a service - make sure you negotiate with your dealer let him know that a service is due immanently on the 250.2…

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Why go back to non-DR? According to Martin Colloms rating in Hificritic, a classic 250 scores 29 only while a Supernait II scores 77! You can use your SN3 as a preamp and connect to a 250 DR first. If fund is available later, you can get a 282 with Hicap later. 250 DR gets Audio Excellence Award from Martin Colloms in the last issue of Hificritic. You can get a copy. Of course, taste is very subjective. So compare 250.2 and 250 DR if possible. A passive preamp such as Townshend Allegri is an alternative for 282 which scores 230!

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