I can echo your experience. And your picture is just awesome 
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While I can’t comment on the NAP 350 or NPX 300, in my system the NC NAP 250 has been an improvement over the NAP 250DR and obviously a lot less costly than the monoblocs, plus there are a few on the second hand market nowadays.
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Can you post a photo of that?
Hi Jim
By that I mean I bought Russ Andrew mains socket and hard it wired to the mains fuse box with its own fuse if that makes sense
Yes, but I can’t quite envisage what that entails.
I don’t know how you can tell what a 272 without a power supply would be like, using a 250 as the power amp. I would be amazed (and would probs look into doing that in my system) if direct mains power made as much difference as adding a power supply to a piece of Naim kit.
You went for 332, not 552? Did you try the 552 and find the 332 better?
V best, Adrian
Yeah I thought the 552 is getting old so just went for the latest preamp
Soz for a brief hijack but a qq if folks don’t mind.
Out of interest, if an XPS DR is added to a 272 does the PS ‘fully’ power the 272? I.e. does the 272 still have to be plugged in and powered too?
Thx
I tested and have previously posted, NAP250DR (new at the time) v NC250 v NAP300DR, the NC250 is a step up from the previous amp. Evolution rather than revolution, but using NSC222 there was a noticeable improvement, using Fraim, Naim i/cs, Naca5 and S400s.
NPX300 adds more, as revealed by auditioning.
However the NC kit was moved back after test, to a tricky room where it now lives.
There the NPX was tried again and was subsequently removed.
Caveat as always, the NPX does add extra in the right environment, audition mandatory; ymmv.
My Dream Combo, the rack is so cool
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I have the exact same experience when I did a demo about a month ago…
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Let me throw a wrench in the works as well. I remember going from 272+555DR to 282+NDX2 brought a solid uplift in sq. At the same time, mine then 272+555DR+250DR sounded substantially better and more organic to me than the 222+250NC I auditioned at the dealers, using the same pair of Dynaudio Heritage I had at home.
Having said that, I am curious to know at what level the bare 332 sits:
- 282 +2x HCDR?
- 282 + SCDR?
- 252 + SCDR?
The view on 332 without psu depends on the quality of the rest of the system, and your ears and how you hear and view the new sound signature.
Claus
Jason Gould stated in a Youtube promotion video that the bare 332 is well above a 282 with 2 HiCaps. So at worst you can consider it on par with a 252/SC or slightly below. He also stated the addition of an NPX 300 puts the 332 comfortably ahead of the 252/SC.
I’ve had the 332 for 8+ months now and it’s a lot better than my 282 ever was, in my opinion.
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Agreed. I have owned a 252/SCDR/300 in the past and I think this is a notch above.A darn sight less fussy as well.
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Why are you doing this to me? 
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New 332 £8500? To my ear only, and on a brief hearing, l thought it much better than 82 or 282 with any PS, but I certainly wouldn’t give up a 52 or 252 for it.
Add NPX300 £5000? Again, brief hearing only but it supported what seems to be the consensus that it is similar to 252/SCDR but a bit better. ‘(A bit’ is much milder than @BrendanD above, but his ears are probably a bit better/ younger than mine).
In any event, at these elevated prices, there is a problem. Less than £10k will buy a 552DR - with some patience, a serviced 552DR will cost no more than a naked but new 332. To me, going from 52 or 252 to 552 is a bigger preamp upgrade than 332/NPX300 and I doubt I’ll ever try upgrading from a 552. A 552 is a very long way above a naked 332 imho.
Similarly, for those looking at power amps, the NC250 is regarded as a big upgrade over the previous 250 - a similar level to 300DR or better. But a s/h but serviced 500DR looks to cost very roughly £8k.
I have not spotted anyone yet here who has heard 350s and not thought them considerably better than the excellent NC250, but I also have not seen many who would give up a 500DR for 350s.
If you have NC kit and mind about such things at all, I think you can even get the white light to replace the green.
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My 332 cost £4900 and my NPX300 £4000.
So a fairer comparison used kit v used kit.
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