NAP 350 - Who’s Tempted?

To change from my current 3 x 250’s I’d need to go for 6 x 350’s, so with that kind of box count, it’s a no from me.

1 Like

Have exact the same experience with active 135/52 into DBLs vs 552/500 into DBLs (but non-DR in my case).

1 Like

Hi there!
you forgot the Chord music i.c. also… :wink:

1 Like

We have a seed off that tree. I’m trying to persuade my wife not to sow it in the garden. Health and Safety and all that!

Roger

2 Likes

I was mightly impressed a few years back when at Salisbury…I thought the 500dr stood up to the Statement pretty well. Yes the Statement was better…but I thought the 500DR was close…

2 Likes

Maybe I’m missing something. I’ve had a 135 active four pack for about 8 months now. My dealer and I took a lot of care of setting it up properly, but I have not seen the need to touch anything since. It just sounds great every time.

7 Likes

Same here with my tri amp set up. The only time I touch anything is to strip down for an occasional clean or to change an interconnect. Active is fussy has never been my experience with the exception of Snaxo instability when I tried some 3rd party XLRs.

2 Likes

I am not tempted at all. The original 300 arrived with a bang. The DR version then got everyone hot under the collar. Now the 350 has the forum salivating. And yet my recently serviced non DR 300 continues to work its magic on my SBLs. I do actually like very much the new aesthetic though that is definitely not temptation enough.

8 Likes

I think several factors were in play when I owned my active system. Firstly, it was extremely revealing of all source material. At the time I wasn’t convinced by CD and therefore relied heavily on my LP12 and tuner. LP12’s of that era were notoriously difficult to keep tuned and when they went off they went off big time! My incoming mains supply was never the cleanest, so some evenings the system could sound very average. Couple this with the number of racks and wiring that was required to be kept tidy and it was enough to make me re-evaluate the shear effort required to enjoy music. In the end I went back to a simpler passive system that I very much enjoyed for over 20 year. Don’t get me wrong. When an active system is good, it’s very very good but when it’s bad you yearn for a simpler life!

3 Likes

I would not blame the LP12, it’s the Nap 500 that are so superior into DBL’s.
Maybe the passive crossovers in Kudos are not so good …

If I could stick a pair of 350s in a couple of Classic cases, yes. But as I can’t, no.

1 Like

Running short speaker cables could be another plus…using dual mono…

1 Like

I am looking forward to the day when I could pick up another 500dr …at a reasonable price…I don’t think I will have to wait that long…

1 Like

What do you think is reasonable?

had the details and pricing from @Cymbiosis

current system LP12/NDX into 252/300DR so do have some options when I hear the new 300 in action - I use Titans T505

as and when I will post my comments on hear, but the 252/300DR is a lovely combo into both of my current sources - I will need to change the NDX at some point so new streamer or NDX2 are both options - IMO 300DR is one of the best NAP’s naim have ever made so it will be interesting to hear

really looking forward to 300, 200 was a nice set up but did not match my current system IMO -

1 Like

Ummm not sure…one day my boat will come in…then I will know…at the moment it not so much a boat more like a boogie board!!!

I was there at the same time as you and that’s what I thought too actually.

1 Like

I was “OK” when I heard Kudos 808 speakers with a 500DR (heard at Signals) but when the Statement was plugged in, the whole game changed to my ears, and suddenly it just all felt so much better, coherent and instantly much more enjoyable.
I found the 500 detail was good, but it was lifeless and flat in comparison to the Statement.
It’s all relative of course.

The 500 “lifeless and flat”?. Neither of those characteristics could describe how mine sounds driving 808’s even in comparison to the superior Statement Power Amps. Sound preferences are as you intimated at Blythe very subjective

1 Like

Very subjective, and I’m certainly not saying that the 500 is lifeless and flat, I just felt that relative to the far more expensive Statement, it did to my ears.
Compared with most other systems the 500 makes those systems sound relatively lifeless and flat too !

2 Likes