So the 332 and/or 333 are bad apples. And from that you throw source-first out the window? Or perhaps the 350’s are to round earth?
I would say the sample set is to small for those conclusions.
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Not sure how you came to that view from the discussion on this thread.
Certainly not my conclusions.
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Source first is for cowards! It’s a safe bet, because throwing more and more money at a source will usually improve your system, but at ever increasing cost.
That isn’t to say that a mullet is a better idea, but the knack is to find a balance between the two. Naim have always made this easy by having a clearly defined hierarchy within their range, and selecting a source, preamp and power amp from the same level is generally a safe bet. Of course it gets more complicated if you mix brands, and price is not always an accurate indicator of relative sound quality. Good dealers are usually the best source of advice on matching components.
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Source first and system balance are the flip sides of the same coin 
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I have just purchased the 222 with attaching power supply. This is a bit of an experiment to perhaps reduce box count in my home office. As an exercise I ran my NDS/555DR analogue signal via HiLine DIN into the back of the 222 and just used the preamp of the 222. The difference was night and day. There is simply no comparison to the musicality of the output of the NDS. I have not played around with the supercap/252 combination yet but I will.
I also saw some comments about “source” and opinions around back end first. Correct me if I am wrong but my understanding was the NAIM founder built the company on a philosophy of, ”source first” and then build from there. Moreover my understanding is that this has been to date encapsulated into the entire manufacturing design philosophy of NAIM. That is, we have all been purchasing this design philosophy.
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Yes, a nice reality check thanks. And a 350 is only going to magnify the shortcomings of the 222 even more.
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Source first is a suggestion of what order to upgrade in (not a recommended destination).
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KJ Leisuresound ?
They sold me a pair of Heybrook HB1s
A very important point.
It only ever was a mantra/doctrine/optional philosophy. Personally I found that getting speakers right early on is far more rewarding
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No this was a dealer in Eastcote but went to KJ with my brother in law and he bought a Yamaha 340 cassette deck. Despite my egging him on he wouldn’t buy a Nak!
Incidentally the reason the chap in Eastcote remained a Linn dealer was because some of his Michell customers liked an Ittok on the Focus.
Any current Naim source is essentially a “source good enough” in my view. The 222 is way too good to worry about but for all those of us prone to source anxiety and panic, adding the 300 should take most of it away. Going higher - just add more boxes, sure, why not.
222/2x350 could be perfectly balanced if one needs the 350s for their speakers and room. Having said that, I would assume your speakers are already sorted!
In my case, the NC250 works so well with my Martens that if I am to add a box, it might be the NPX300?
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The 222/555 is plenty of source for the 350s in my experience. Source first is a guiding principle, it’s not an absolute. Like so many things here it gets taken to extremes.
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@ElMarko you are not helping me with this kind of statement…the temptation is building.
I get the source first approach, but balance is king I think, and providing ‘enough’ information, but at the same time providing enough clean power to a particular set of speakers, to do the information justice, is as good approach as any. And that’s before we start taking in to account usability and simplicity. the 222 scores here, not as good as the 272, which is a true ‘Swiss Army knife’ of preamps.
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Source first for me. The only issue with that is that you still should never have a completely unbalanced system. The best turntable or CD player/streamer will sound rubbish through poor quality soeakers. The speaker-amp combo needs to do what you want in your listening room. But there are many amps and speakers that can do the job so source is where I would want my best components.
My recently upgraded DAC and to a slightly lesser degree phono pre has completely transformed my expectation of source components. I had no idea a DAC could do that in a system. It’s completely uplifted my system and I didn’t even know there was anything missing. The power (yes I know it sounds bonkers to think a DAC brings power) the articulation, the tone WTF?! The bass notes resonate and smack me around. The highs are so extended it’s making my low sensitivity speakers sound like horn speakers. Insane.
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I was wondering when someone would try this. Nice job.
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I’ve always followed a “whatever component upgrade sounds best for my current budget, and also paired with my next likely upgrade” philosophy.
this means I get the best sounding upgrade I can afford every time. I agree this might compromise any ultimate end state, but its a journey not a destination for me, so my source (or indeed my desired end state) won’t stay the same for an extended period.
appreciate the initial question was perhaps a nod to Naim’s philosophy, rather than having any interest in knowing mine!
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Cutting to the specific dilemma that intrigues me is what is the best VFM upgrade from NC222/300/250. Assuming upgrades are done in steps, do you upgrade streamer and pre amp first or power amp first, keeping budgets as comparable as possible.
This probably means the following comparison, keeping comparative budgets broadly similar.
222/300/350 vs 333/332/250.
Of course dealer and, preferably, home demos are essential but would be interested in views as well as experiences of this comparison.
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This is exactly the comparison I will be making in Jan at my dealer’s. Currently I have neither, so for me it’s all about which I prefer / sounds better to me, and do I think it’s it worth the money to upgrade to this level.
I’m less concerned about budget than I am box count. Don’t really want to go over 4 boxes. So for me it comes down to what sounds better with 350s. 222/555 or 333/332. This also assumes 333/555/332/250 is not a better use of boxes.