Unless I’ve missed something, I suspect it’s likely that the NPX 300 will also power any new pre-amp or streamer. So buying one (ignoring the cost) will always have a use.
Until they announce the extra super duper special preamp only dedicated New Classic power supply. They you’ll feel silly.
Joking aside, this is my worry (and frustration that they are not announcing some sort of road map) I could buy a 300PS now and stick it on my Solstice knowing that I can switch it to the pre when it is anounced but cannot be sure that would work. After all the current range uses dedicated power supplies for the pre amps.
Have you checked with your dealer as to whether they know – even reading between the lines on some dealers websites, I think the roadmap is more or less known, just not public.
.sjb
Who doesn’t want to feel silly
Well precisely, I’m all for spending other peoples money regardless!
Who’s Sally…
Oh sorry, let me get my glasses!
This is the issue though isn’t it, it’s like going on a treasure hunt with a faded map working some of this stuff out, and that’s for folks like us that have been on this crazy ride for decades, pity the poor sod walking in to his local Hi-Fi retailer looking for a nice little system.
It’s not like they’ve invented something radically ground breaking that has to be kept ultra secret, Naim could just announce the range will be expanded and that any future products will align in a pre determined way.
Hence my comment to just sit on your hands and do nothing unless you’re desperate to get rid of large piles of cash for something new and shiny.
I think what’s more interesting here is the migration path you may take between systems. I was at my dealer the other day (at his home actually picking up kit as he’s local) and he was basically saying, just get rid of everything and start again, in his words, “it’s that good” well sure, good for him and the margin he gets on selling 2 or 3 boxes just shy of £6K each , not to mention he’ll be sitting on a glut of 272’s, NAP 250’s and Nova’s for months and offering modest trade in prices.
I think that’s a dangerous message to be propagating – I know it’s always said that your system will sound as good as it always did - Even if there are newer upgrades or products available, but in our psyche I feel, at least for some of us, FOMO becomes a part of our listening experience.
If I got into my head that I needed to sell up and restart again, I doubt very much whether I would end up with a Naim system – in fact, I’m pretty sure I probably wouldn’t, but then that’s without listening to alternatives, but there is a huge attraction to me for all in one speakers like Dutch 8c and Kii 3. The only thing stopping me at least trialling these is the absence of dealers for either on the island of Ireland.
.sjb
I think the fact that the NPX 300 comes in a nice box that says 300 series on it tells you all you need to know. It’s going to be the power supply for the 300 streamer (probably )
Everyone’s waiting for the 400 Series dedicated sources surely?
I had a similar thought process last year, ATC Active with something simple fronting it, a high spec streaming preamp essentially (this is well before the NSC 222 appeared)
I ended up visting multiple retailers within a 50 mile or so radius of home in Berkshire.
I had a wide range of experiences, some very positive, others indifferent, one that just could hardly be bothered to look up from his desk let alone eye contact.
They all had a degree of bias towards things they could supply and things they themselves clearly liked or possibly had installed at their homes.
I did find it hard to keep any of them “on topic” constantly fidding with things to somehow make what I was experiencing “better”, Shunyata and Melco featuring frequently in these upselling merry go round steps.
Ultimately I felt a bit overwhelmed and at times bamboozled by margin hungry salespeople clearly in many cases dealing with money no object clients.
It’s why I found it almost predictable that a chap I’ve been buying Hi-Fi stuff from for 15 years + would pull the “it’s that good” card so early in the (potential) upgrade process.
I have heard the new boxes and it is enjoyable but folks making claims as they are so soon after their launch is misleading at best.
Also to my mind the only valid demo is one in your own home.
This was the question to ask before you bought a 222. If you want to go separates why bother with a streaming preamp? I’d go with the 300 to power the 222 since you’ve already committed to that route. You don’t know what or when the 300 series components are coming out so you could be waiting for a while.
I took them 5 years to get this far, just saying!
Yes, I am thoroughly enjoying my new classics. Contrary to what some might think, I am not in any rush to trade in my new gear, but thought it could be fun to engage in a bit of A vs B speculation that seems to be common on this forum. Also because I’m new to the brand and wanted to understand the rationale behind some of the upgrade paths that Naim offers.
I did not get a chance to demo the NPX 300 (or the NSC 222 for that matter ). I ordered the new classic sight unseen in December because I absolutely love my Nova and had demoed separates from other brands but never thought anything was worth the upgrade. Plus, my dealer has a generous trade in program where he gives me full value for what I paid.
Andrewngu,
You have sunk cost on 222.
With NPX300 being available you can demo that now on 222 to help you understand if it’s worth it to you.
If it is even if you decide to go 300 separates route I don’t know but would expect that you could use the NPX 300 on either 300 series pre amp or streamer given Naim’s objective of simplification of PSUs.
Best.
This makes sense to me. Would you expect the 300 series separates to ship without a power supply included?
My guess, and it is a guess is the streamer will have a ps built in but the pre will not
All the “Old Classic” preamps ship/shipped without a power supply but would be specified with specific ones and if bought new bundled together as required.
It’s reasonable to assume they will release replacements to the current NAC 282 and NAC 252, leaving the 500 Series mostly untouched for the time being at least.
The NAC 202 and NAP 200 were both discontinued by Naim and the NAC 155 XS is also long gone.
So arguably they need some sort of entry level preamp and possibly a new NAP 200 (with a power out to power a preamp, like the NAP 200 can) to fill the entry level pre/power tier likely labelled as the 200 Series NAC/NAP.
The 300 Series being a consolidation of the 282 and 252 and the 200 Series fitting in somewhere at the level of a NAC 202 but with all the new refinements under the hood.
It would make sense, certainly in part confirmed by Naim staff on this forum, that the New Classic NPX 300 will be able to support a range of products, both sources and preamps, and possibly even higher spec power amps ( 300 Series NAP with external PSU, like the current NAP 300 has).
Naim also intend to rebadge the NPX TT from the Solstice turntable which has a Type 1 + Type 2 connector on it, logically becoming the NPX 200 (200 Series PSU). How that relates to the NPX 300 in terms of connectivity and upgrade path is something of an unknown quantity, it makes sense they have a 200, 300 and 500 series PSU, with the 555PS being the last to have a refresh.
Thank you for the explainer. It seems perfectly reasonable for Naim to release a 200 series PSU. To an inexperienced “casual” like myself, a power supply that costs as much as the unit itself (NPX 300 to NSC 222) seems a bit much. I suppose the timing of its release with the 200 series is to entice those who want the latest and greatest by any means.