Did you move from a 272 to a 222?
Can you say a bit about your impression of the differences please?
1 Like
I had a 272/555DR/300DR and PMC Twenty5 26. Now 222/300NPX/250NC and PMC Twenty5 23i. Well what I can say is, not missing the first system while sat here listening to the second. Iām not going to preach to the church here, about which is the better system. However, in my room, my hearing, the second system seems to integrate better into itās surrounding. I could say more immersive with the music. I have played music, which although well familiar with, I know hear new detail or nuance in the track. As I always say, after a lifetime of owning different audio systems. There is no right or wrong, it is whatever brings you enjoyment, while listening to music. After all, is that not what it is all about. 
14 Likes
Oh yes, nearly forgot. Before anyone one says, the above findings is due to PMC speakers. Well, I have to say I purchased and used the in vogue speaker ATC SCM40, both passive and active versions, in the room.
1 Like
I replaced the 272 / XP5XS / WitchHat leads after 5 years with the NSC222 / NPX300 / special Naim leads comboā¦to feed our NAP300 DR. I know my music very well , real ECM fan, lot of high res downloads on my Melco.
In the beginning the 222 sounded a bit dull / flat compared with the 272 but after several days the sound started to open up.
The new combo is 4 weeks old now and left on continuously . Now the sound is clear ( absolutely not harsh) open and 3 dimensional, much more little details from individual instruments (also with Radio Paradise in AAC 44.1 kHz). The sounds from instruments is also more realistic. Bas is getting lower and more controlled. I was very happy with the 272, but sonically spoken this is a real upgrade and for us the money worthā¦ā¦
But if the investment is too high, I first tested the NPX300 with the 272 for several days and this is also a real upgrade compared with the 272/XP5XS comboā¦ā¦ā¦
Speakers are PROAC Response K6.
But most important: enjoy music!!!
9 Likes
Totally!
1 Like
Perhaps we need to accept itās personal taste as whatever works for that person is right for them.
Ownerās bias, dealer influence, Naim marketing, etc. could always explain away someoneās view.
1 Like
For my part, I like the sound of my 272 system and also the old look, both the shape of the box and the Naim green logo. Changing my 272 to a 222 is therefore something I would consider carefully, there is no need to rush IMO.
9 Likes
The 272 has never sounded ābrokenā when Iāve heard it 
4 Likes
My system sounds great and I prefer the muted aesthetics of the classic kit. SQ and improved streaming functionality are my primary motivators. Iāll need some confidence the SQ improvement is significant enough to make the jump and we donāt have any direct comparisons to evaluate so thereās that. And not having a dealer local means I canāt home demo. I thought Linn might be an option but home demo is not an option there either so Iām reluctant to go that route. Iām patient and at a good place so no biggie.
4 Likes
Thatā¦ is a very god answerā¦!!
Nothing gets worse, because a new version has come alongā¦ 
5 Likes
For me, there are three reasons that Iām not even thinking about replacing my 272 with a 222:
(1) Iāve only had my 272 for a couple of years and Iām pretty happy with it, so a ābitā of an improvement in sound isnāt worth the cost of selling the 272 and replacing with the 222
(2) Having access to more streaming services is something I can live without. I can already get the things I want on my 272 (e.g. Qobuz) by using 3rd party software. I can be pretty sure that if I was to spend the thousands necessary to swap to a 222, that in 3 years weād be back in the same place again with an even newer box that had even more streaming services :-).
(3) this is the main reason: Iāve a lot of older equipment with mostly analogue outputs or S/PDIF outputs. Currently I use all 3 analogue inputs and 4 of the TOSLINK S/PDIF inputs of my 272. I canāt do this with the 222 as it really has only 2 usable analogue inputs and only 2 TOSLINK S/PDIF inputs. Why they wasted an analogue input on a MM phono input, Iāve no idea. I do have a turntable, but I have a phono pre-amp. I would imagine that anyone who is prepared to spend the money required for a 222 will already have a phono pre-amp? Thereās possibly TOSLINK to BNC adapters I could use to get around the digital input issues, but it all sounds like too much hassle for me.
7 Likes
Your last point made me wonder if Naim had done any market research on the inclusion of a MM phono stage. I for one am very pleased that they did as it has allowed me to use a TT that was gathering dust and its a very good phono stage. But not everyone has spare TTs lying around the house.
3 Likes
As I understand it, the NSS333 is a streamer rather than a streaming preamp. Any phono stage or powered socket would therefore be on the 300 series preamp.
My guess is a Naim Server Streamerā¦
If you read for example the stereophile and hifi+ you understand exactly why Naim invested in a phono inputā¦ā¦ā¦turntables are a hot issueā¦.ā¦ā¦
1 Like
No rush dĆ©pends also on your age, I am 69 now, so the sooner the better, to enjoy as long as possible from a better sound quality , also from the better headphone output and from high res Qobuzā¦.and from the more stable streamer functionality.
And my dealer gave me 2000,- euros for my 272/XP5XS combination, which is important too.
I am afraid that in a view years the value of the 272 will drop fast ā¦ā¦ But I liked the 272 very much, that is for sure, itās very good (almost a bargain)ā¦.but the 222 is a bit more hifi in my opinion, but I could live with the 272 tooā¦(especially in combination with the Witch Hat morgana leads to my NAP 300 DR and an external power supply).
Enjoy your music!!!
3 Likes
No argument from me on that
69 is the new 50, they sayā¦ So if you are not immediately sick, that argument fails 
1 Like
Great match the Morgana leads with 272 and 300 
Just FYI, Witch Hat are about to release a Morgana lead for the 222 and New Classic 250.
How do I know, I hope to be the first to take delivery very soon.
1 Like
I really donāt think the current streaming board is going to become obsolete or require workarounds in the way that the old version did. Those 1st gen streamers were never designed to handle any sort of web streaming service and it took Naim a lot of effort to get them to handle it. They were designed about 15 years ago, and the fact that they survived for as long as they did was pretty impressive.
The current range (Unitis and ND streamers as well as the 222) have internet streaming support as a central feature and will no doubt evolve to cater for any new services if they should appear. The underlying technology for all of these devices is just good old fashioned TCP/IP which is a mature protocol thatās been around for decades. It doesnāt need upgraded hardware every few years to keep it working.
11 Likes