At the moment I’m using a Naim Uniti Nova with Bowers & Wilkins 804D3 Speaker and Naim Super Lumina Speaker Cable (and a single Bowers & Wilkins DB3D Subwoofer).
I’m still waiting for the NAC-N 272 successor (“NAC-N 372” or whatever it will be called). Because of my living room conditions (sideboard configuration, etc.), my wife’s aesthetics demands and my personal point of view I’m restricted to a future box count of 4 black boxes. Initially the next setup I wanted to buy was a NAC-N 372 + 555 PS DR + NAP 300 DR (mostly pre-loved as far as possible). I did a lot of demos with Naim stuff (< 4 boxes) at my dealer last year and actually I’m really excited about this combo. Now my dealer did offer me a “onetime opportunity”, he does have a pre-loved NAP 500 DR to offer in really good conditions with an extreme attractive price point (< 50%).
Do you think the NAP 500 DR could be too much for a “NAC-N 372”?
Should I save my money because the synergy of NAC-N 372 + NAP 300 DR could be better anyway?
I know there is no info, spec sheet, listening experiences or whatever available for a NAC-N 272 successor, but imagine it coul be the level of a NDX2 + NAC 282 or NAC 252, with or without a separate PSU necessary. Perhaps there will be two NAC-N 272 successors at two different price points, one with internal PSU and one with separate PSU necessary. Who knows…!?
Well the problem is nobody knows how good a replacement 272 will be. However, Naim only replace when the new unit is much better than the outgoing units. As a 300 dr owner i would dearly love a 500 dr, and that price seems very good. It will be overkill for your Nova while you wait though. If it was me i would take the offer, if it does not work out you are unlikely to lose much, if any money. You could ask your dealer to demo the 500 with a 272, if you like what you hear it will give a fair idea of what a replacement could sound like.
If you can only accommodate 4 boxes, remember that a 500 power amp is nearly two boxes worth in one casing and is very heavy.
Imagine also that once you have the 500dr sitting pride of place in your existing system, how difficult it will be to exercise budgetary self control during the period you await the arrival of the 272 replacement. You could face torment denying the place demanded by a 552 pre-amp to allow the 500 to perform as naim intended!
@obsydian I knew somebody would say this, but actually the Super Lumina Speaker Cable were a bargain pre-loved offer as well (< 50%) and I already did have the upgrades mentioned in mind. Probably I would not have bought them else. But believe me, that was an amazing upgrade to my existing speaker cables. The Nova did improve with these cables so much. I really did not suspect this. I cannot describe it in one sentence. I thought about writing my impressions with Nova + Super Lumina SC into a new topic here in this forum but did not find the time to yet. To sum up I can say I do not regret this purchase a second!
@northpole you are absolutely right. Thank you for your straight advice. I never thought about buying a NAP 500 DR. The NAP 300 DR fits better sizewise and I think it’s a good match for the NAC-N 372 as well. BUT that’s really a great price! I don’t want to miss this opportunity. And reading all the feelings and experiences about the NAP 500 DR in this forum does make the decision even more difficult. As you can read above I do have a subwoofer for gaining the bass level a little bit. One of my additional conflicts is: do I still need my subwoofer respectively can I sell my subwoofer in favor of the NAP 500 DR? Will there be too much bass level with the NAP 500 DR in my room with 35 sq m (plus subwoofer)? Do I need a NAP 500 DR although I have a subwoofer? I know, I know, it’s not all about the bass level… My dealer is expecting the NAC-N 372 to be at the level of the NDX2 + 282 or even 252 and did give me the advice to match it with a NAP (250)/300/(500) DR. But he would not consider a NAP 300 DR with an offer of NAP 500 DR < 50% in mind. But, yeah, you know, he’s the dealer
@Gazza I will try to demo the NAP 500 DR with a NAC-N 272. Good advice, thanks! May I ask which speaker and what NAC do you use with your NAP 300 DR and why don’t you upgrade to a pre-loved NAP 500 DR?
I have a 272/555/300 and it is a brilliant four box combination. I certainly wouldn’t swap the 300 for a 500 as it’s too unbalanced. If you were contemplating moving to an NDS or ND555 and a 552 I’d say go for the 500, but as you are not, I’d say don’t. A system should be built based on components that are balanced in the context of the overall setup. Buying stuff just because it’s a bargain is rarely a good idea. You dealer really should have your interests at heart, not simply be trying to palm off a part ex that he’d rather not be carrying in stock.
I am using standard interconnects and naca5 at the moment. As yet a bargain nap500 dr has not come along, i am biding my time. As ever on the forum there is advice in every direction, best have a listen yourself and decide…its more fun.
None of us know what the 372 might be like or even if it will exist. Your dealer is just making stuff up to get a sale on the 500. His name’s not Daley? For what it’s worth, when I asked my dealer about the 372 he said the latest he’d heard was that it wasn’t going to appear. So who knows? Whatever you do, get something that works with the 272 as you may have it long term.
@anon4489532 Haha, no his name is not Daley Actually he did say he “expects” this and that and would advice Naim to do so, because he does see the trend of Streaming-Pres… but you are right, I would not match the 272 or 372 with a NAP 500 DR in first mind. I will think about that carefully!
@Guinnless a requirement for this statement was that a seperate PSU is necessary according to him. I personally think a level close to a NDX2/282 could be reachable with a seperate PSU, but not above. I would like the idea if Naim would offer 2 price points respectively 2 different levels in SQ with 2 different next gen NAC-Ns (one with internal PSU and one with external PSU). But as @anon4489532 said none of us know waht the 372 might be like or even if it will exist.
I love the positive thinking of this thread, “think it/want it hard enough and it will happen” :0)
I am in the unfortunate position ( or is it a blessing?) that having spent too much on ‘stereo’ last year i am unable to afford a new streaming/pre amp platform to accompany my recently acquired power amp this year, however when I am in a position to buy a new box I am hopeful that the wishes of this thread will have been fulfilled in full!
I have grown very fond of my NAP300DR and it would be nice to complete the ensemble with another black box, ‘singular’, but If they haven’t I will need a change of plan.
If you’re limited on a box count of 4, have you considered the NDX2 and XPS DR with a SN2 and HiCap DR? - source first. A 372 better than a NDX2 seems unlikely?
I listened to and considered the NDX2/SN2 once. That’s an excellent (!) 2 box solution and preferable if you are limited to a box count of 2. But now I streched myself to a box count of 4 and for some reason I do prefer the “372”/PSU/300 over e.g. NDX2/PSU/SN2/PSU or NDX2/282/PSU/250 or NDX2/252/SuperCap/250.
It’s impossible to demo/listen to every configuration possible, but from my experiences so far and from reading online I think “372”/PSU/300 is the best way to go for me. I do find my Bowers & Wilkins 804D3 need an AMP > NAP300DR to really shine respectively play at their full potential. As a positive side aspect of buying a NAP first the Nova is allowed to stay until a NAC-N 272 sucessor will be released.
I sort of see your logic. I tend towards source first though, so logic would say that the NDX2 as a source will outperform a 372, because the sensitive streamer components will be separate from the pre-amp of any other option. And then the preamp in a 372 may not be better than the other options. Add to that the unknown as to whether or when there will be the fabled 372. I’m don’t know the speakers, but if they perform with the Nova, and of the higher amps should do justice? Tricky with so many options.
I would have thought that it is the sensitive pre amp stage that needs to be kept separate from the electrically noisy digital bits.
There is also the argument that by designing an ‘integrated’, like the 272 that the individual parts can be optimised to work with each other rather than needing to push their signal output ‘out’ through a standardised general format and back ‘in’ the other side into a separate pre with its standardised input. Designer Stan Curtis informs this augment in HiFi Critic. Gains and losses in applying both strategies.
Imagine a NDX2 and a NAC 252 (or NAC 282) without any internal power supply, short signal paths optimised to each other, the new streaming board / technology and all the new isolation standards / technologies introduced in the new Uniti range und Muso 2. I think without any power supply there is enough room to put a NDX2/252(282) into one black box with some decrease in SQ because of Streamer/Pre squeezed into one box. In addition to that e.g. a 555 PS… That would be the ultimate new NAC-N 372!
It’s not only about the room or space available in a box. When the 272 was introduced, Naim also stated that this was as far they could go if you talk about integration; please remind that a pre-amp and streamer infuence each other - a streamer is a noisy device … while a pre-amp needs benefits from it’s own enclosure.
That’s right, but nevertheless they successfully did it in the 272. Now drop the internal PSU of the NDX2 and put in some advanced isolation technology additionally to the new and better streaming technolgy and you got it. I know it’s easy to talk but a lot of work to do it right, although I think this would already sound better than an existing 272.
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I don’t want to miss this opportunity. And reading all the feelings and experiences about the NAP 500 DR in this forum does make the decision even more difficult. As you can read above I do have a subwoofer for gaining the bass level a little bit. One of my additional conflicts is: do I still need my subwoofer respectively can I sell my subwoofer in favor of the NAP 500 DR? Will there be too much bass level with the NAP 500 DR in my room with 35 sq m (plus subwoofer)? Do I need a NAP 500 DR although I have a subwoofer? I know, I know, it’s not all about the bass level… My dealer is expecting the NAC-N 372 to be at the level of the NDX2 + 282 or even 252 and did give me the advice to match it with a NAP (250)/300/(500) DR. But he would not consider a NAP 300 DR with an offer of NAP 500 DR < 50% in mind. But, yeah, you know, he’s the dealer 
Actually he did say he “expects” this and that and would advice Naim to do so, because he does see the trend of Streaming-Pres… but you are right, I would not match the 272 or 372 with a NAP 500 DR in first mind. I will think about that carefully!
