And the journey starts

I definitely have considered that from the beginning and made the decision that I want to build something that will last. :smiley: With that in mind I went for the 300DR which will be the endgame amp for me for at least a decade (all working well). Widely recognised as a superb amp and the only way up is the 500. However the 500 is not for me, neither financially nor psychologically.

What I am trying to establish now is making a decision on which preamp+ps and streamer I am going to go for.

Choosing the amp was easy and straight forward. I decided on a standalone and then decided on the best one for me.

Choosing a preamp+ps is not very easy at all and I have to say that this is caused by the large and messy number of choices available. And it gets further complicated when you bring the streaming and power supply choices into the equation.

At first i thought it was a choice between 282+SC and 252+SC but it transpires that it isnt. Because there are other choices such as 272+555DR. The latter is a very tempting alternative especially since it would keep the number of boxes down and also would be a lot better financially (compared to 282+SCDR+NDX2+XPSDR). But the further complication is that the 272 is an old product with an old streaming platform so longevity is questionable.

So for the time being I am sticking with the 300DR + Nova. If I was happy with the Nova on its own before I’m sure to be happy with the combination until I eventually decide and get what I want in regards to the rest of the components.

You never know, in the near future Naim might bring out the 372 and that might be the answer ot my questions. :crossed_fingers: :smiley:

Spot on advice, thank you and also exactly my thinking. From what I have seen Naim products take most of the hit in depreciation in their first 2-3 years and then after that they depreciate very little (same as cars really).

There arent many Naim dealers near me unfortunately so I have only found 1 and some online places. I will eventually get there. :smiley:

I think that’s really wise. A new platform 272 will no doubt be along in the fullness of time. You could always get a cheap used 272 and 555DR in the meantime and sell the 272 if the new one really was substantially better, though that would doubtless lose money on the sale.

1 Like

I did, I was running an NDX/555PSDR combination and traded in my NDX for an ND555 head unit (they did take some cash from me as well). That’s a UK dealer, the Naim price list has head unit separately.

1 Like

Worth a call to Acoustica in Chester as I know they have a very nice 272 used for sale… Even if a 272.1/372 comes along, you’ll not loose too much on a used one if you have to change…

1 Like

And Acoustica stock ATC – just saying’. :grinning:

Roger

and Dynaudio…

I’m running LP12, NDX, CD5Si, 282, 300DR, Hi Cap 2, Radikal, ATC 40’s - it’s a tidy system and sensible - still running in the 300DR and ATC’s are unbelievable for the money. I was told by a reputable Naim dealer that the 300DR was the only amp you’ll ever need. The 500 series is just so highly priced I wouldn’t buy them. I love my system - cables are next and a big part of getting to nirvana - expensive too, power cables also. At each stage of your purchases I would spend some time with each move as it takes time and will be worth it in the end. But most important purchase is source first. Whatever you do enjoy it’s a fantastic hobby.

2 Likes

By the way, do you happen to know where does the old NDX sit in the hierarchy of streamers in terms of sound? Does it too have the old architecture like the 272?

NDX uses the old platform. It’s good, but the NDX2 is, in my opinion, quite a lot better, with the advantage of the new streaming platform and also a proper discrete output stage.

1 Like

From what I read often here, Ndx seems to be on the level of Nd5xs2. 272 more on the Nd5xs level.

Finally connected them and they’re in their temporary position. I can definitely hear a difference. It is subtle but it is definitely there. Now I know what people have been talking about when they said that the 300DR grips them speakers by the balls. And very tightly it does.

6 Likes

I must be doing something wrong. When I tried my Nova connected to my 300DR the sound was worse than the Nova on its own!

I never tried the Nova on its own, maybe it would have been even better :slight_smile: The Nova was a placeholder while I was waiting for

I got a pair of absolutely immaculate 606’s ex demo for £4.5k this year (delighted with them btw). There are always bargains out there, I agree with HH you could make a significant saving

This may not be entirely unexpected. The 300 may be showing up the deficiencies in the source. While the Nova is good it’s totally outclassed by the 300. When I got my 300 I had already added a 555PS to my 272, and the two work really well together. But what’s not there in the first place can never be added.

4 Likes

Sounds as though somethings not right to me. I have a 250DR with my Nova and it significantly improves the SQ over the basic Nova, I also know that if I added a 300DR I might not expect it to leverage the full potential of the 300DR but I would expect another increase in SQ, I would not expect it to be worse than the bare Nova unless there is some other unresolved issue in the chain (i.e. dirty mains, brain/brawn interference, platform instability, etc…)

2 Likes

Agreed, i had both, and each was a nice step from the Nova. I wonder if it is the din to twin xlr lead that is faulty. My dealer made mine up for me, but you can buy online flashback cables etc on a return if not satisfied basis.

1 Like

That would be a strong suspect IMO being a non standard item…

1 Like

Agree with this. When I added a 200DR to an Atom I thought it sounded worse. Muddier and removed the fun of the Atom - and the 200 is a relatively modest power amp.

Thats quite a range of experiences adding power amps to the uniti range. The recommended power amp upgrade to the Atom is a NAP100, so a 200DR should have been a good upgrade…oh well, I know what i’m hearing from my system… maybe the type of speakers in use makes a difference?