Hello all, I’m new to the forum and was hoping for some advice and feedback. I have had Naim amps for the last 4 years, NAC 202, NAP 200 and Hicap. Earlier this year I upgraded to a Hicap DR (small gain) and just recently changed my 202 for a 282. Upgrading to the 282 has made an astounding difference, detail, separation, bass response, you name it its improved, I’m delighted with the sound from my system now so my question is how much difference would making the jump up to a 250 DR make and are there any downsides. Obvious answer is to audition it at my Naim dealer (who I’m sure would be very keen to sell me one!) but I’d be interested to know thoughts from the community first.
In my system change from a 200 to 250DR was similar in magnitude to upgrading the pre-amp from a 202 to 282. No downsides to me.
The only caution would be if you are struggling with too much bass energy in your room. The 250DR will increase this albeit controlling your speakers better in the process but if you happen to have a speakers/room mismatch then the situation could be exaggerated.
Presumably vinyl is your main source? If it’s not then the CD player needs to be upgraded first.
I haven’t heard the 200. I made the move from a 250.2 to a 250DR. so much improvement in every category. It’s like a level above the previous gen. I can only imagine that you will be gobsmacked by the improvement.
To describe the improvement compared to my 250.2. Much deeper, controlled, faster and accurate bass. More midrange definition and beautiful smooth treble which was also considerably more resolving. The 250.2 in comparison sounded dull and boring (in comparison only).
Chances are that you’ll like what the 250 does, although there’s a small minority who have tried it and preferred to stick with the 200, so it’s good to keep an open mind.
Although your room may be able to handle the more extended bass you are likely to hear, you may want to experiment with different speaker positions to get the balance right. My own 250DR, when it was new, produced a lot more bass at first, but it became much more controlled after a week or two of use, so you may want to give it some time to run in before you finalise the setting up.
Graham LS6 Floorstanders. If you aren’t familiar with Graham they are a tiny company in Devon who handbuild their speakers to the BBC thin wall specification. They make a monster called the Votu, most end up in China painted Ferrari red🥴