I’m hoping for a self powered New classic 200 Series NAC.
It would certainly ease my upgrade path if I were to go New Classic from Nd5 xs2 and SN3.
Start with Nap 250 then add 200 nac. Lots of choices from there…
The Naim Compatibility and Cable chart, which is for example on the Signals HiFi website (under price lists), shows that the NPX300 will also power the NAC N-272 as well as the NDX2 and the details on the next page say it will power legacy streamers (but is “not suitable for” ND555, NDS or CD555). So that means that 172 XS, ND5XS, NDX and presumably CDX2 can also be powered by the NPX300.
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In my head the logic being that a NSC 222 can do it, you just need one of those with the NP800 network/streaming subsystem removed and you have a NAC 222.
Now what is probably unlikely is a preamp and power amp that can be setup with the NAP as the power source or the NAC, like the 202/200 was in the old days.
New Classic has removed the signal path from the external power inputs so it does then make further sense that they’d have a 200 Series NAC that could power itself and later be powered by a NPX, just like the NSC 222 can.
The fact that Naim discontinued and de-emphasised the lower rungs of the NAC/NAP range (like XS Series and 202/200 and even the NAP 100 and DAC V-1 combo) suggests that from a cost of production and sales pipeline perspective, the market wasn’t there to continue to focus on those ranges.
Now we do have an argument for a NAP that would sit below the NC NAP 250 and be able to act as either a more affordable entry point or upgrade offering as well as being something that you could pair with something like the Atom HE, even done as a half width shoebox and look a bit like that Solstice PSU.
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I’d confirm that specifically before swiping your credit card, there is a voltage constraint with the NPX 300 which means it can’t power certain devices, it’s been discussed on other threads and input provided from @110db to that end.
Thank you David.
I have added a reference to your correction to my post above.
I forgot the signals info re those other sources as they have been discontinued for some time and the original posters interest is in the NDX2 and how it compares to the New Classic series 222.
I’d like to see a new streamer/pre-amp that is not self-powered. The combined streamer/pre-amp has the benefit over separate streamers and pre-amps of both parts being able to benefit from a single NPX300, so keeping costs and box count down. The benefit of what I propose over the NSC222 is that, as there is no internal power supply, the streamer, DAC and pre-amp circuits can benefit from more space for isolation and more sophisticated circuitry.
I don’t see much future for stand alone pre-amps, especially if, to perform to their best, they need their own NPX300 or similar. The classic range seemed to have far more inputs than most are likely to use and who uses the tape facility nowadays. With many fewer analogue inputs (or preferably none), the pre-amp can sit nicely in the same box as a streamer and DAC and share the same external power supply.
Is there anyone else who doesn’t need or want any analogue inputs?
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I think the theory is that digital kit doesn’t sit well in the same box as analog preamp kit.
Even the dac in a streamer box is considered by some as a compromise.
My son’s all in one Nova sounds fantastic into Focal Electra 1027BEs and is a hugely enjoyable listen across many music genres.
Pragmatist says Nova. Idealist says separates.
Hopefully the future holds products for both. 
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Indeed a realist accepts that there is compromise in most things but ultimately it’s their preference that matters, decides whether the spend delivers their goal and is worth it.
I preferred new classic sound (not saying it’s better than classic), simplicity, design, synergy, relative energy efficiency and purchased. Of course YMMV.
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@Tapp Agree, my order going in. Will just have to see how long it takes the boxes to turn up.
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I must complement that it’s more a compliment rather than a complement.
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To my mind the fact the 300ps was released with the 222 and the 250 suggests there is no 200 series PS - logically you’d release the whole 200 series at the same time and the 300ps with the 300 series if that were the case. Complexity costs a huge amount in manufacturing, so my belief is that there will be one PS to serve all streamers/pre-amps up to a certain level delivering significant savings from volume/scale for Naim (and thus profit improvement - material cost saving goes straight to the bottom line). We’ll see.
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Hasn’t Steve stated this fairly explicitly in the New Classic thread? I suspect that the Naim range is going to gradually become much more limited but more coherent than it has been.
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Valid points, reuse and more universal interoperability bring numerous benefits, it’s just the price point that leaves me with some doubt, namely having only a single PSU option across the New Classic range, but perhaps that’s the way forwards, namely, a PSU if you want it (or in some cases need it by default) but coming at at least £5.7k.
I know there’s been reference to a rebadged Solstice PSU (NPX TT), question there being what would that be able to power and would that be the NPX 200, it’s not I know, the same capability as the NPX 300 in a smaller box at least, but has the potential to power a range of devices.
NPX TT power rails:
Type 1: 8 Pin DIN: -18v 300mA, +18v 300mA, Ground
Type 2: 12 Way Connector (Burndy): +5v 200mA, +22v 300mA, Ground Digital, Ground
Also of note, Power Supplies with Type 3 outputs (like the NPX 300) can be connected to Type 2 inputs, so potentially giving a tiered and overlapping upgrade scenario.
The overlap here is the Type 2 connector on the NPX TT and the Type 3 connector on the NPX 300. You could expect a product like a New Classic Supernait for example to be capable of having it’s preamp powered by a NPX TT (rebadged as a NPX 200) or if required an NPX 300 (much as you can today with a Supernait powering the preamp with a HiCap or a Supercap).
You’d expect any new preamps would be designed around 22v and 5v so could be supported by either of those power supplies in theory.
This came up a lot in the days of the 272. Can’t we have a pre/streamer with no internal PS? It never happened. I think the argument was that the better way to separate parts of the reproduction chain was to put streamer and pre in different boxes, though I can’t recall all details of the discussion. I rather doubt it’ll go differently with the New Classic series.
Roger
Naim must have been tearing their hair out (or maybe just laughing) at these requests! Their designs have always been very much focussed of mechanical and electrical decoupling of amp and source components, and they have even extended this design approach to use it with cables, loudspeakers etc. When they read the market and see demand for all-in-one designs despite them being fundamentally compromised in this respect, they produce products like the Muso, Uniti and NAC-N ranges at lower price points than separates, and clearly they have been very popular precisely because they offer lower prices and fewer boxes.
Naim have, of course, learned a lot over the years about how to optimise these all-in-one devices, but now they have doubled the size of their problem. Not only do they have people demanding systems with fewer boxes than their separates, but now they have people demanding more boxes in their all-in-one ranges. What will it be next? A Uniti with no built in amplifier?
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cough Atom HE cough ( has a preamp and headphone amp though )
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The pricing will be interesting if a 200 series pre - costing say £2.5 to 3k - requires a £4.7k P/S to work. I can’t see this being likely…
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Depends if they bring in lower level power amps that can power a preamp like the 200, 180, 160, 140, and 150 did.
I’d be very sad if the 250 becomes their defacto entry level offering.
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Perhaps the difference in sound between an SN3 / 300 ps and 222/250 isn’t enough big to consider a new classic 202/200 ?
Before , the 202/200 was not a big jump vs SN2/ hicap.
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Will there come a new 202 and/or 282 ? And a new SN3?