Prior to buying the 222/250 I was content to stay on the legacy streaming platform having done all the workarounds to get lossless and high res Qobuz and radio stations integrated. But I have to say it’s quite nice being on the modern streaming platform. Everything just works and all my music sources are easy to get at and sound wonderful. Naim finally got the software where it needs to be.
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Hi Nitrous - who is your dealer (re. 222 > 555 cables)? How is it all sounding? Cheers.
Hi Django84, dealer was Adventures in Hi Fi near Chester City Centre, and the cables came as part of the Naim offer on NC Kit. The NSC 222 has now been in place and powered off 555DR for just over a week now, and I’m really impressed with it. Sound wise it is clear and open sounding, plenty of information but never harsh.
Tonight I’ve been using Chromecast to get some BBC Sounds Podcasts, which although only AAC 320 kbs is still a nice addition to have.
Hope this helps.
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Thanks! Ha - I know Adventures well, I think. Certainly the Naim dealer in Chester when I worked there in 2000 (from NZ). I had a listen to the brand spanking ‘new’ (old!) classic gear. Blimey.
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Small world!
There are two Naim dealers in Chester and Adventures has moved shop since it was first opened. I think they moved about 2016. The other one is Acoustica.
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Ah - could’ve been Acoustica. It was in a nice old semi-detached.
Well after some delay, mostly on my part, I finally got the 555 legacy to NC burndies ordered and installed. After reading some comments here about the differences of using a PS with the 333 v with a 332 or digital v analogue if you will, I half expected to not get a significant uptick in SQ adding the extra output of the 555. Well it turns out there’s still a good amount of gain to be had with the second output.
I’ve been doing a lot of listening since getting the 222, much more so than in the past, and now I’m plowing back through my albums and hearing a more musical and engaging experience. It seems almost criminal to be getting so much enjoyment out of a 3 box system.
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Interesting. Do you find that adding the 555ps takes away something (the drive and urgency) from the 222 that makes it so endearing in the first instance? After running mine with one 555 and then two 555 psu, I’m back to bare and enjoying it more that way.
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That’s surprising to hear. Have you auditioned the NPX300 with the 222? Personally, I refuse to use the old power supplies with my 222 because the cost of that niche cable is a rip off IMO.
It’s as much a surprise to me and defies all my previous experiences of adding separate (OC) power supplies. I was fortunate enough to get the NC/Legacy Burndy cables complimentary with the purchase of the 222 under Naim’s special offer. I haven’t listened to any of the other New Classic components as my intent was to simplify and downsize using the best combination of existing OC components that I have rather than buying more.
Adding the 555(s) improved the detail, spaciousness and refinement as expected but seemed to lose some of the drive and engagement of a bare 222…… so that’s where I am at the moment.
Not at all, the 555 totally adds to everything. It makes me wonder if you have it hooked up correctly. Initially the 555 was only connected with the XPS to NC cable and even that improved the sonics. And using both outputs of the 555 even more so. Yeah the burndies are a little spendy but it’s worth the cost for me.
A question for Naim historians - Is the NAP250, in its various iterations, Naim’s longest-standing product?
(And I know that today’s NAP250 shares almost nothing but its model number with the first bolt-down components from Salt Lane all those years ago.)
I can’t say for sure if it’s the longest running but it very well could be. For me it was always the slam dunk of Naim components with the exception of the 250.2. Loved my olive 250s and the NC 250 is pretty special.
I have an ancient Olive NAP250, but I have to say that it is bettered by its big brother, the mono NAP135s.
I would never change them, but need to come up with a sensible plan with Audio T in Brighton to send everything back to Salisbury for TLC. I have started that process, having got back my NAT-01/NAPST, and Audio T are due to deliver my much-missed CDS II on Tuesday with its rebuilt transport mech.
Well yeah, two boxes that cost considerably more should be better. I never wanted to fuss with mono blocks but I admit the 350s are appealing.
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Yes; all connected correctly. The Burndies were shaken and relaxed before installation…. they’re probably less stressed than their owner.
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I confess that I have never shaken a Burndy - and I’m feeling very relaxed about it!
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Naim’s first power amp was the NAP200, but it was a regulated design that soon morphed into the NAP250. The 200 we know today different, and arrived years later, so I guess you can’t really say it’s the same product.
That leaves the 250 as Naim’s longest standing product by a long way. The New Classic version is a major change, but it’s still a fully regulated design so perhaps it still counts?
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If those locking nuts weren’t so hard to get in place I would do some a/b testing but I noticed a nice uplift in SQ so can’t be too compelled to try. I will say it’s nice the analogue out cables dangle nicely b/w the burndies without touching. Some how I have all my cables hanging freely without touching.
Exactly what I also like particularly about the 222 (and Atom HE as well) and have decided not to mix OC and NC (apart from other practical reasons), good to hear your impressions.
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