I have a NAC332 on loan (with a NC250) whilst my SN3 is in for diagnosis.
I’ve been running the 250 for a week as a power amp, with the SN3/HiCap as pre. The combination sounded sublime, full and rich with stack of detail.
With the NAC332 in, it sounds thin and all the bass has gone for a walk. Even after an hour or so running.
So my question.
Is warm up still and thing? Will it improve? Or does it only show its wares with the PS?
It will probably get a bit better as it warms up, but its certainly not going to change massively either way how ever long you leave it powered up as modern circuits don’t, unlike a valve, etc.
warm up? Ideally a Naim preamp needs to be well run in over a few months and then be powered on 24/7. Once cooled, they all take about 2 days of constant power on to get back to peak performance.
The NC range has some standby options for the energy conscious but the fundamentals for performance haven’t really changed.
2 days!!
Thanks.
I shall reserve judgement for two days. My kit is normally powered on 24/7.
My CDi takes days from cold.
Give it a bit of time. It looks like you have a Naim source it’s worth checking the 332 ground switch is set to floating.
Naim kit can take a bit of time to initially run in. My 350s sounded great from the off and then became very bass light for a few days before settling down. Now they come out of standby and sound great from the off.
And you put the speakers cables in correct way?
That doesn’t sound right at all in my experience.
G
Cables are still in the NAP250 not touched.
The 332 and other NC kit have a different sound signature, more detailed, but to me lacks the presentation of the older kit. Perhaps that is what you are missing.
The 332 will take some days left on to warm up. However, the NPX300 does change it dramatically. It becomes fuller, more fluid, and more holographic. It’s really a drastic change for the better.
I would give it a couple days. I wasn’t too sure I made the right choice at first when I went from SN2 to the NC332 NAP250 but I love mine now. I just added the NSS333 and it is very warm and rich and everything but thin. I also recently added 2 subs which is what my system really needed. Keep in mind the NAC332 might sound like it has a bit less bass than the SN3 but it is much tighter, detailed, cleaner and more powerful sounding. You will probably need to crank it up a bit more to appreciate how much better the NC is. Don’t get me wrong though with my NC system even at very low volume with the added subs it is very good with no signs of sounding thin.
Hi @R32Paul
I had a slightly different configuration / change than you = SN2 + HiCapDr + NAP250DR when I changed to the NAC332 preamplifier. I demoed the unit at home over a long weekend, and from first use, it was clearly better than the SuperNait in every department, and as time went on it improved further.
A couple of things to check → There is a maximum volume setting for the NAC332, which is factory set at 80%, you might want to try adjusting that upwards (note, I don’t use a streamer as a source, so for me, I think the risk of damage is low). Personally, I think it works better at 100%.
My second tip, is to leave the rear switch on the NAC332 set to always on. I only switch everything off, if there are thunderstorms forecast. Then when I reboot the system, I initially set the amps to standby as I power up, then to always on.
In my view, the 332 works very well indeed without a power supply.
If you get a chance to hear it with an NPX300 + NC250, to see the difference, then do so. But you should then try it without the power supply and test a pair of mono NAP350s only … which is what I did, and puchased!
Sounds like it’s almost too much of a change if a naked 332 sounds so so/meh. I mean, it’s not a cheap pre and should sound amazing even without a power supply on it IMO.
I had the power supply on demo for a couple months burning it in and I agree with this 100%. After I returned it though, I quickly got used to not having it and still sounds great without it so you don’t really need it.
Even if is the case, it’s worth checking they are right at the amplifier end with positive and negative handed correctly on each channel.
They are thanks.
I used a NAC332 for almost 2 years without a PS and everyone who heard it here was amazed at its capabilities.
Having recently added an NPX300 to the preamplifier it’s taken another big leap in quality, and visitors are even more reluctant to leave once they hear it!
I ran the 332 for many months without the NPX300. It sounded fine bare. Although, as I’ve stated previously, I feel the 332 is a bit overpriced in today’s market. Once you add the NPX300 to it, it lands in the special category.
I have a 332 and 333 and NC 250. I found them to be a significant improvement over my SN3. I initially ran them without NPX300 power supplies. I first ran with standard Naim cables. I found the units to be cable sensitive and used Chord SarumT. I found it took about 3 weeks of continuous play to run in. The NC gear has a very different sonic signature than my previous SN3. Bass tighter and leaner with much more nuance and texture. A few months later I added two NPX300 power supplies. Have no regrets.