272 vs 222 sound quality

Did you trade in your XPS when you bought the 222 or why haven’t you plugged it in?

The Organik mono DAC modules and the latest refresh of the casing and power supply make the Selekt DSM a very interesting proposition. The new Naim amps with their balanced inputs should match very nicely too.

Saying that. I’d hang on a bit longer and see what else comes from Naim this year…

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There’s a bit of a gap between my ownership of the 272 and the 222 so my evaluation isn’t back to back. But as I remember it and from my notes, the analog section between the two was very similar playing vinyl. It was the digital section which was the substantial improvement in the 222 that stood out. Both fed a Luxman m900u. I’ve since swapped the Luxman for a New Classic 250 which seems to have a slightly different voice than the previous model. The new classic seems more acoustically rich in the high midrange, most specifically in with piano. There seems to be more control and richness in these areas. (Focal Sopra 2 and NACA5, Rega P8 and Aria MK3 phono stage)

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Preamp from 222 sounds a class better to me….much more details, more open….

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It’s too bad we don’t have any direct comparisons from which to get feedback.

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Very interesting. How did you make the comparison?

So your impressions were that the preamps were equivalent, Matthewk?

I have no back to back comparison. While I believe the pre is better it’s the digital section that really seemed remarkable to me. That said, it’s a different cartridge, different phono amp, the 222 is really new with maybe 25 hours on it. Lots of variables. The 222 sounds great. It will be sticking around for a while.

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Having the same 3 black boxes at home, have contemplated upgrading to the 222 for a while. Until I heard it.

The sound is better in every metric but the magic is just gone. It’s a different type of sound, more Cyrus like. Leaner, faster, cleaner, if you’re into that sort of affair.

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Wah-oo. Now things are getting interesting. What was the comparison - 222 slotted into your set-up at home ie. 222/555/250dr? No meat on the bones and cyrus-like sounds a little concerning…

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I think it’s has been well reported that the 222 is clearer and more detailed, but doesn’t have the weight of the classic range of amps. I found the same with the Linn. I have Naim, as I like the weight of the presentation.

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That could be the sound of new components that have not been properly burned in? How long had they been used from new? My experience is that new boxes can sound a bit ‘thin’ for several weeks, although it can come and go.

Bruce

Correct my impression after a listen to the new stuff is exactly that.

But they weren’t side by side comparisons so I guess until then it’s all just opinions.

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Yep - perhaps when folks post opinions they should include essential details such as equipment run-in, exact comparison (rather than down the track revealing that it was a 6-month gap between listening sessions, in different locations), and, music genre. The latter always strikes me as a big factor infrequently addressed. Acousticy/vocal prowess does not necessarily carry over to rock, for example, and vice versa.

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Funny, my dealer always plays acoustic or vocal to demo a system, and I say, no, no, no, we need some complex rock music to see how this really hangs together when things get going :sunglasses:

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To me, its quite remarkable that so few people have done - or rather have reported on - the 222 vs 272 comparison… so far… :thinking:

Interesting…

What seems to be lacking - on this thread at least - is for a ‘committed’ existing Naim owner to post on a real side-by-side comparison (at a dealer or elsewhere - we don’t mind…!., of 272 vs 222.

Perhaps 272 owners see no reason to consider the 222…?

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Maybe because the ones who were asking for a 272 replacement for quite a while have already moved on, and the ones who still have them are not interested in changing them in the immediate future?

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Purely subjective view here, but I’m sure at least a couple of 272 owners already upgraded to the 222. I’m sure I recall reading a few on the main New Classic thread. Maybe they’re off and happy listening to music right now :wink:

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We waited that long……too busy listening now, for comparisons……:blush:

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@randi , @gthack , @NoNaim - All good answers… :slightly_smiling_face:

Most of the reports I have seen, regarding the 222, seem to be from Naim newbies… So as @randi suggests, some 272 owners just ‘gave up’ and looked elsewhere…? And/or as both @gthack and @NoNaim say, no reports means the new owners are just happy listening.

As another thought, perhaps the 222 is a no brainer - as its using the latest Naim streaming solution, so is a definite move on wards for a 272 owner, not needing a comparison. The 222 sound is what it is. The 272 will always be older, less up to date…

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