Hi Guys need some advice on purchase.
Living in Australia no where near dealers, approx 2000 kilometres to my nearest Naim and ATC dealer.
Looking at the purchase of a Nap 300Dr or 250Dr with HicapDr as they are on a Closeout sale.
Or do I ditch that idea and go with an ATC 40 Active and ditch all the boxes and continuous Upgrades.
Not really interested in a multitude of Black Boxes.
I have a NAC 272 recently discontinued unfortunately as I’m only interested in Streaming and playing Vinyl on my LP12.
Thoughts would be much appreciated as I only listen to Rock and contemporary Rock very little else.
Your profile doesn’t say what you have at the moment. Is the NAC 5i mentioned actually a Nait 5i being used with the 272? If you get the 250 or 300, what speakers would you use? Whether the ATC actives are a good idea depends on whether you prefer them to you alternative speakers.
With a 272, a Hicap is irrelevant, so don’t buy it. If you get the 300, a power supply on the 272 is virtually essential in order to get a well matched system. The 555 PS would be ideal.
Remember that buying cheap is only ever a good idea if it’s what you actually want. You know I’m sure that the 272 is superseded. Might a 222 be a better way forward? How high do you want to go?
ATC40a owner so biased
Would suggest new 222 (has MM input,) + analogue line input for MC phono stage if required.
Balanced outputs. Can add power supply at a later date.
Would suggest 222+SCM40a +good quality power csbles.
You don’t need that Hicap as you don’t have a separate Naim preamp. My choice would be to get the 300 and SCM40 passives, but my first priority would be to get an XPS for the 272.
It’s not comparing the same ATC speakers, but there’s an opinion on the relative benefits of active vs passive in the review below with Naim amplification.
Unfortunately though there’s no clear cut winner. I went the active route for various reasons, but you may prefer passive? @JonathanG wrote that article and may be able to ‘amplify’ on his excellent article, but I’ll wager it’ll be a matter of personal preference.
OP the New Classic NAP 250 is also worth bearing in mind. The New Classic NAP 250 offers better grip and stronger sustained drive into passive SCM40’s then the NAP 250 DR and NAP 300 DR are able to.
Hi @Gavmic, I assume, as have others, that you’re comparing passive ATC SCM40s with the active versions. My experience, which seems to be shared by several others, is in favour of the actives when the passives are driven by a 250DR. But with a 300DR in play, the comparison is much more dependent on personal taste. My preference is still for the actives, but Rock is a fairly small proportion of my listening and in your shoes I’d be very tempted by the passives + 300DR at a good price.
As for adding a power supply to your 272, I always used an XPSDR when I had a 272, but I’d be a bit wary of buying a new one now, with the new classic gear beginning to appear. You might be better off putting the money towards a NSC 222 if Australian prices get a bit more reasonable.
Gavmic, glad the article helped and you enjoyed the read. There’s no question the active route is cheaper/better value than passive as you’re getting comparable performance to the 300DR/PS combo but for less money. Worth noting that as I said in the article at that level of Naim power amplification the passives are better in some areas while the actives are better in others, so they certainly don’t sound the same. It’s very interesting that Musicraft report the new 250 is even more capable than the older 300DR but it tallies with views I have heard expressed elsewhere.
Coincidentally I’m off to the ATC factory next week to see how they do things which should be very interesting indeed. They’re just a brilliant speaker manufacturer and they share a wonderful synergy with Naim in that they both strive for a very ‘live’ sound. Both firms favour tremendous speed, scale, transparency and dynamics and I’m sure you’ll enjoy whichever combination you choose.
I didn’t realise you were the actual Reviewer of the above items. How in depth did you get, your a fantastic writer and so informative.
You basically changed my thought processes and gave me closure on products. Great job.
Your so lucky to head off to the ATC factory,that would be an amazing experience.
Did you know the Original owner who passed last year and was an Aussie. Some great minds come out of this Country and venture elsewhere.
The Linn is currently running a Lingo, Grace Unipivot Supex 1000Sdx with the matching step up. Looking to upgrade with Tangerine Audio specs etc,bearing.
Have a Superline with Air Plugs hence the Hicap Dr which I will replace with a SuperDr
No I dot have a power supply for the 272 as yet
I’m very thankful for your kind words and I’m glad that somehow I helped with your decision making. As for how in depth I get, well in the case of the SCM50’s I had them on a very extended loan because I kept them to review the SME Model 60 turntable too using the Naim NAC252/300 combination - so for more Naim/ATC coverage you may wish to check out the Model 60 review too. As a result the SCM50’s were in my room for around 4-5 months last Summer and as you can imagine the worst thing about that was handing it all back!
Basically when doing any review I do often get sent relevant insider technical background and design information as well as PR pics, although I always try to include some of my own photography. I also get direct access to technical/engineering and sales staff at the factory for any questions I may have. With bigger or more complex kit usually the manufacturer will come personally to my house to install the equipment as ATC, SME and Naim often do.
Factory visits are an integral part of the job for me but especially with my personal favourite brands (see my two part visit to Naim). As a result on that visit I got to spend the whole day there including several hours spent with Steve Sells, Naim’s electronics design director. So for instance I was led through the engineering thinking behind Naim’s new range and that information will be very useful when I eventually get my hands on the new Naim products for review.
As for Billy Woodman sadly I never met him, but certainly knew of him and have watched clips of his jazz piano playing - he was a stunning pianist. He was truly one of the greatest loudspeaker designers in history and certainly left an incredible legacy. A look at ATC’s client list says it all - you don’t get your loudspeakers fitted in Sydney Opera House if they aren’t any good!! Client List | ATC Loudspeakers
The TA upgrades to an LP12 make a difference, and I say that as an owner of both a full Stiletto and a cherry-plinth LP12. However, other options work well and cost less, including the SRM baseboard and the complete range of products made by Theo Stack.
I’d also suggest that none of them will make as much difference to SQ as a Karousel bearing, a decent sub-chassis and an outboard power supply.
There are of course entire threads on this that are well worth reading if looking to improve an LP12, and some here will know your arm (which I don’t). However, none of these (or how to power your excellent Superline) has much to do with the active versus passive ATC debate.
