Being a 252 owner I am really interested in the new 332. Obviously the question is is this the 252 replacement, or less with internal psu, but then maybe better with external psu? But there are also all the diviations from standard naim ways of doing things some would say religion. A powersupply can be put in the same box as the electronicx. I understand that this could work in Statement but this is I suppose not a vertical design but a regular fullsize naim box in the new 200 series design. But still this can work. Is it a new less magnetically noisy transformer or is there so much space in the box that this can still work?
Then there is the grounding with the pre being the main ground, something that in the old days ment a lot of taking the signal back and fortg between main pre and power supply. As I understand the 332 there is no more snaic. Only 2 burndies one for power, and one for power to the digital parts of the 332.
As I understand it the burndy on the 2252 both carries signal and power in one burndy, so in many ways these changes seem to remove previous complicated setup.
Finally there are the use of balanced connections, as I understand this is mostly a way to streamline production probably the same with the psu they seem to use one transformer as far as we know at least there is only one model of psu in the new classic range until now, unlike the many different transformers in the many different old PSU models.
Claus
Mere speculation obviously , but I would be very surprised if the 332/300 was significantly better than the 252/supercap.
I think it will sound different, but time will tell whether this difference is a substantial improvement or not.
My reading of us is that Naim have moved on from their traditional ways into the modern era, getting rid of some of the idiosyncrasies in order to make the products easier to sell while maintaining the excellent sound – I’d be surprised if they are actually surpassing it significantly.
It will probably be no different to 82/282, and 52/252. There will be people who will prefer one over the other.
The 350 mono blocks, however, I think it might be an actual improvement on previous power amps.
.sjb
But compared to the 52 to 252 the changes in the 332 that we can see seems much bigger, and even then people or some did claim th
at the 252 broke the Naim magic. For outsiders to Naim y it is still not balanced only balanced connections, and still the posibility of external psu if this is what makes people think Naim is strange.
I agree with Sloop. Having a big transformer inside a preamp can’t be good. I am sure Naim will have minimised the damage and it will sound good and allow the 332 to be bought first and upgrade to a separate ps later. While this then makes for a redundant transformer it is no different to an NDX2 in concept.
I suspect that a bare 332 replaces the 282/Hicap and a 332/300 replaces the 252/SC in hierarchy terms. How this plays out in comparative terms remains to be seen.
It hasn’t been a problem for the SuperNait’s - SN2 and SN3 both sound great.
Well the transformer isn’t a magnet. When powered by the NPX300 it just adds deadening mass - which is probably a good thing.
Or with the CDX2 or NDX2, both of which have a transformer inside - but they can also be powered by an XPS, when the transformer is not used or powered.
Or for many high-end amplifiers by other brands. I think there’s plenty of evidence that it can be done well.
Naim seems to have managed to put a transfer in the statement pre and few have said this does not work. or we should have a psu for the statement pre now!
Well, in a very non compromise way. A transformer ray is mostly in the direction up/down mounted the classic way as I understand it. In S1 they have mounted it standing on the side and also in the bottom of the stack which I assume is to reduce any noise to minimum so one could look at it as separate boxes IMO. Not the same thing as a transformer in say a 332. That’s a pretty sick transformer by the way 
If you stood a NAC332 on its side then it kind of follows the form of the Statement S1 - even a similar perspex division between power side and pre side.
It’s also ridiculously heavy. Think Thor’s hammer ….
So maybe the bigger benefit having separate boxes side by side is not for the noise in the box itself and instead the noise it sends to the boxes you have above/under it?
I’d suspect there are multiple force at play here not least making the seperates accessible to those new to the brand but also making upgrades in the future smaller steps that aren’t mandated by having a mix of power sources and cabling types.
Naim will also have to be compliant to numerous regulations that weren’t in play when the previous generation was designed and productised, going as we have, from always on because that’s “best” to I’ll manage the power requirements on your behalf based on if I’m actively reproducing sound or not, and If I’m not I’ll sit here patiently using negligable energy to do so.
My reading of what Naim have quoted publically is that the 300 Series is really designed to perform optimally with external power supplies, having internal supplies is just a means to remove the need for things like HiCap’s and XPS’s and let someone get up and running quickly in a scenario where they have no power supplies nor can they afford to add one immediately or perhaps even any time soon.
In those situations the redundancy is better managed as well, you’re not in a state of having to constantly recable everything or trade in redundant power supplies as you upgrade, an internal PSU in a NAC 332 becomes dormant and is removed from the signal path once an NPX 300 is connected, doesn’t get much simpler than that, a compromise of sorts perhaps but one that is compliant from a regulatory perspective and that still achieves the performance goals of the system architecture whereby anyone at a 300 Series level is almost certainly going to be adding NPX 300’s eventually one way or another.
I think you would notice a big change going to the 332 … according to my dealer the sound is very refined and detailed with excellent clarity… I always found the 252 a little relaxed … so it could be an excellent move…especially with the psu. I bet you would enjoy an audition…let us know how you get on…
Julian Vereker had a set of Nap135´s standing up with the transformers downwards ,I’ve heard.
This was a little trick that could keep a NAP250 cool when driving Isobariks hard - especially if a desk fan was blowing on them at the same time.
It’s certainly interesting seeing the new ways, or should i say more normal ways.
I don’t think the transformer will be doing too much damage in the same box, but it’s a shame that they haven’t moved to a different way to power the pre amps other than the same sort off transformer, i guess height might be the problem there. But they have a transformer back in the mono amps, and that looks to be fine, and the pre amps don’t need much power to run, unlike the amps.
But getting rid of the power cable between both units is definitely a big plus as this can bring more noise, etc, than the transformer in the same box.
Plus i am sure the new volume control will be miles better than the old pot design plus no balance pot also in the mix, these 2 things alone will certainly inpove the sound quality and ensure more details dont get lost in them pot’s.
I would be very surprised if the new 332 isn’t performing better than the 252 just with the 2 inpovements above let alone other bits they will have done and maybe if you add the extra power supply it probably be superior to the 552.
It certainly looks less stuff in the way inside the box compared to the old pre amps, and i guess the less stuff the single has to go through, the less it will be altered or lose.
But time we tell as no one has really heard them properly yet, but i can see quite a few people switching over to it once they compare it too the old pre amp’s
