How can it sound worse with a NAP200? I have a uniti from 2009 that I upgraded with a nap200 from 2014. Instead of better sound, the sound became flatter, the base became less clear. There is nothing wrong with the nap200, it was previously in a system together with a NAC-N 172xs. The cable I use is a SNAC4. What could be wrong?
The NAP200 could be exposing weaknesses in the Uniti.
When I upgraded from a 200 to 250 I lent my 200 to a colleague with a view to him buying it if he liked it.
A few days later he brought it back, not finding it benefited his system. He said that he felt the 200 was too much for the Uniti.
Swapping the two units for a Nova might be a better way to upgrade.
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Probably you’ve checked already, but make sure you haven’t reversed one of the speaker cables and it’s connected out of phase. Flat and less clear bass is what you’d get.
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- used a nap 200 with a uniti sounded great
investigate cables and plugs
and just give it a few days to settle down
Mike*
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Thank you for your answers!
After listening more carefully, some of the first impressions remain, but at the same time I can state that it sounds more musical about the music with nap 200 connected.
Have the opportunity to buy a used nac-n 272 at a reasonable price, which I consider, could it be something to invest in?
Never heard the 272 but have read great reviews and if in built streaming is what you are seeking then read no further. Slight issue for me is that the upgrade path for the 272 means the XPS or 555 - both quite expensive. If you went for a 202 or 282 then they can be powered by the 200 and you have a number of incremental upgrade options (Hicaps (1 or 2), NAPSC and Supercap) open to you if the itch gets too powerful.
A 272 would be a nice upgrade on your Uniti, with the same range of streaming inputs available. So if you’re happy with the music available on your Uniti, go for it.
On the other hand, if you want access to a wider range of streaming services, including higher quality 24 bit streaming services, lossless FLAC radio etc. you may want to consider a less dated design such as a Nova or Star.
I remember adding a NAP100 to a UQ2 and enjoying the music less.
I upgraded my Uniti2 with a 200 as I felt the former’s power amp was struggling to drive my floor standing speakers.
It was a definite improvement, but not huge. I concluded the Uniti2 was holding things back and moved to Naim separates.
I was right, I was hearing the limitations of the Uniti2.
Moving to 272 could be effective also, with the provisos ChrisSU mentions.
Hi @Bjorn, your findings don’t surprise me. Once you move outside conventional combinations of boxes results can be unpredictable. Personal taste comes into consideration as well.
Many years ago I was considering moving up from my XS system and my local dealer lent me a bunch of boxes (SN1, 200, 202, HiCap, NAPSC) to play with over the Christmas holidays. One combination I tried, as an experiment, was SN1/HC/200 and I felt the 200 didn’t really add anything to the SN used that way, certainly not enough to justify the additional cost.
As an ex-272 owner, I’d strongly recommend one, provide you don’t need the facilities of the new streaming platform.
Roger
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