I had 200/202 combo for nine years,bought them pre-loved in 2010,being from 2005.They always worked with no problems.Last year upgraded to 282 from new.
Just to add to the other comments below, I had a HiCap serviced by Class A and that made a hugh difference. I also bought a very early Lingo 1 PS for my LP12, it was around 18 years old and so I sent it again to Class A and Darren there specialises in servicing them. Wow what a difference this made, others have found the same and so getting electronics serviced if old can make a difference on other makes as well.
Thanks . Iām not doubting at all but Iād just never heard of it before my naim purchases
I have a mixture of New and Pre loved in my system - I would just make sure of the provenance of any pre loved equipment - most owners take really good care of the equipment but sometimes pre owned does not mean pre loved
202 should be fine depending on age , or look for slightly older NAC 82 , I uased a 200 non DR for 12 years served me very well
if you are going for the 202/200 as @anon4489532 mentions napscc is a must
I guess the condition of any piece of used equipment is dependant on how well it was looked after. From my experience Naim kit seems to fare well, perhaps because of its initial cost, reputation for good resale value or maybe the people who buy Naim are just nice and are extra sympathetic to stuff.
What I have discovered is that you can buy an old amp in a case which still looks superb having been ātreated nicelyā, but which sounds quite poor. I would consider budgeting for a service if you buy used.
The beauty of Naim pre owned amplification gear it is not only that it is significantly less expensive than new, but you know you can still get it brought back up to optimum performance. My 52, SC and 2 x 135ās were all bought secondhand in the last 10 years or so and overhauled by Naim. Total cost somewhere between Ā£6 and Ā£7k (canāt remember exact prices). The other massive advantage benefit, of course, is that the 52 and 135ās are no longer available. Iāve never worked out what it would cost new to achieve a similar level of Naim performance with new components but I imagine it would be a significant multiple of Ā£6k.
That you can access support from the manufacturer, (Naim!) for most of their kit, that will get your used purchase back to excellent working order, should this be required, significantly reduces the risk when buying used Naim.
Of all my naim gear only my NDX2 was bught as new, as I felt with the complexity of the item I preferred to have a full warranty. I will have no hestitaion however in buying pre/power amps or power supplies ex demo or pre loved in the future such is the build quality.
And donāt forget a NAPSC2 very cost effective upgrade
Never underestimate the value of having OEM support for equipment. There are a large number of UK hifi firms that have gone to the wall or sold out. Many no longer provide proper support. MF being one. Yes, they still sell gear, but its not made in the UK. And they no longer have the ability for it to go back to their factory in Wembley.
Maybe its not so issue for most. But I suspect that it is for many members of this forum. And hence why we buy Naim.
Indeed. My NAC 52 cost me around Ā£1400 to buy plus Ā£400 for Naim to fully restore it. Total cost Ā£1,800 for a pre-amp that (if I remember correctly) cost over Ā£5k new in the early '90ās. Iām not familiar with the current range of pre-amps so I donāt know what the nearest comparable amp would cost new now.
That would be the NAC252 - currently listed at Ā£6,999.
I was choosing a 102/180 new in 1999 and told the dealer I would do without the napsc. He said nothing but we compared some tracks with and without and I immediately said I would have it. āThe best value for money of any Naim upgradeā is what most people who have made the comparison say
When I got my 102, I had the NAPSC at the same time. It was a strong recommendation from my then Naim dealerā¦
I also added a NAPSC to my 102/180 system which was my first Naim gear. The NAPSC is not very expensive but changes the sound quite significantly for the better.
The combo was bought second hand. I didnāt loose much money and could move on being sure I liked Naim sound.
Iāve found the NAPSC to be something of an enigma (and Iāve got four of them, 2 x āoliveā & 2 x āblackā - cases that is)
With my 82 itās mandatory, so nothing to say.
With my 102, when I added it I thought it made buqqer all difference; when I borrowed it, some months later (for my Headline 1) my immediate thought that the System SQ lost āsomethingā but couldnāt put my finger on it.
When I put the NAPSC back, my immediate thought was ābuqqer all differenceā. So i didnāt notice its presence, but I did notice its absence - go figure that one!
Iāv been running my Headline, and latterly, Headline 2 from an "olive " Hicap. Recently I replaced the Hicap with one of my NAPSC2, and was somewhat surprised that the change had a minimal (if any) impact on the SQ of my Headline2.
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However, to get back on topic, ALL of my Naim active SBL system is second hand, apart from the Headline 2 which is ex-demo.
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