I wanted to follow-up on a prior thread since after a week’s demo the 282/HiCap is out and I am presently using a Lejonklou Superkikkin into an NC250.
I was pretty happy with the 282 but it was never serviced and took up a lot of room and the thought of simplifying things as I entered retirement was appealing.
When comparing, I found the Naim to sound ‘exciting’- it’s as if lead instruments jump out of the mix, and they were brighter-sounding.
The Lejonkou sounds a bit more realistic to me: voices and instruments are more fleshed-out and natural-sounding. There’s a more relaxed quality to listening, plenty of air, and it’s easier on my tinnitus when it decides to present itself.
It would be interesting to compare this with a 332 but I don’t expect that to be happening any time soon.
I realize that the warnings about using non-Naim pre-amps with Naim amps might be based on multiple potential mismatches, but one that I’m aware of concerned bandwidth: my understanding is that Naim used to be rather narrow in bandwidth but the new NC line is now broad, as is the Lejonklou. If I’m correct in thinking that the older 282 is narrow, then the Lejonklou might actually be a better match with my NC 250 than the 282, at least in this regard.
Anyway, I thought I’d share my findings, I feel as if my system has come together nicely and I’m enjoying what I hear.