Sounds like you have a wonderful relationship and things work well between you both. It sounds like a very supportive relationship and helpful with the hifi set up looking right in the apartment with artwork.
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42 years together. I even took Michael back to Scotland, during our years. I did my PhD at Edinburgh and started the first program in Scotland and maybe the UK, for Teenage alcohol abuse treatment. I was glad I was able to give something back to the country I wish I had discovered Naim when I lived in Edinburgh Better late than never
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@JohnnyReggie Good evening!
Okay I know the philosophy for many here is front end but it begs a question are you intending to stay with the Nait 50 longer term because both the ND555 and 333 warrant better amplification downstream and this would inform which way you might go! If you were intending to migrate to NC amplification then I’d be tempted by the 333 but if I was possibly looking at bringing into play the SN3 possibly with a SC(DR) - I’ll come onto this in a minute! - a ND555 or NDX2 with 555PSU would be my choice, either would sit very comfortably with a 282/250(DR) upwards. Now I haven’t heard any NC stuff but a dealer I have a very high regard for said with slightly different presentations he thought NDX2/555(DR) and 333/300 were broadly at the same level and the ND555 very considerably ahead.
I mention the SN3 only because I note that you have Kudos S10s and a while back I was talking to Derek at Kudos, and he said to me that the SN3 with a SC(DR) partnered really well all the Kudos speakers up to Titan 606s and I just think that a NDX2/555/SN3/SC partnership would give real synergy and would very well balanced. Of course you’d be looking for some components 2nd hand but that’s where the value is.
Apologies if I’ve diverted the thread and your thinking but just some options!
PS: Noting you have a HC so all could be good with the SN3!
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Wow! That’s wonderful. You are a lucky man to have such stability with your partner. I take my strength from my 4 children but haven’t been so lucky in finding a long term partner. Was with my ex wife for 19 years. 5 relationships since over the last 10 years, and a wonderful 5 year old son. He is my world!
I am single and with dealing with cancer it’s been the best thing for me. It’s made me stronger than granite.
Look, I have been to hell and back and sometimes I am still in hell. But I take salvation from my system, my children, my work and the support around me.
I love this forum! We rock! Lol 
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It was interesting that you were a builder. We survived home renovation. That is what got me into Naim. The renovation trashed our Rega system. Amazingly only our P9 survived without any damage.
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I am a builder and I am doing a massive renovation right now. I take care of my customers possessions and effects. I have spent two hours today cleaning plumbers and plasterers mess up as part of the overall build.
I like to take care of everything and leave things clean and tidy.
I am sorry your previous system got trashed.
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It was old and needed replacement anyway
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And look what you have now! An incredible system!
You could say the same thing in the opposite direction about the NC250. It’s capable of WAY more than a 222 provides. Put a 332/300 in front of it and it sounds like a totally different amplifier. Personally, I’d lean source first if downsizing or limiting box count.
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You raise a fair point but that ship has sailed for me. I have both SN3/HCDR and N50 my preference is the N50 (it wasn’t a hard decision for me). I will sell the SN3 when I get to it and I now have a second N50 to build around.
I will keep it as simple as I can (no piles of black boxes) with quality components either end. I like my Kudos S10a and I like the titans so interesting that you mention them. For what it’s worth the N50 has a much better grip on my speakers than the SN3 had.
It’s a journey and as far as I’m concerned all bets are on for now. No shortage of ideas and views here which is a big help.
Reggie
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I think few commenting actually have heard what a Nait50 NSS333 with PS can deliver and just think about where in the portfolio the products should be. There is a reason for the Nait 50 thread being + 7000 post and both 333 and Nait 50 come from the same generation of Naim R&D - good synergy 
I’m also confused about some saying 333 has more separation and clarity than ND555 and some the other way around. Maybe the ND554 firmware play a big part here. Or we all hear different and have so different systems that it’s tough making a firm statement on how things sound and perform.
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Ok, could have written « was better « or « should sound better if it returns to 3.8 spirit ».
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333 was brilliant….
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That sounds familiar! I know there are far better sounding options available and at about half the price too. But like you, I am caught in the 500 series / Fraim trap - it’s much easier to stay with what I have than to make a full change. But life is short…
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You make a fair point about the NC250 being capable of more than the 222 can deliver, and I am indeed in the process of replacing my 222 with a 333/332 set.
I am also of the opinion the 222 needs the NPX300 powering it to optimise its performance.
I have always been a ‘source first’ advocate but it is possibly a little less critical with modern digital streaming sources. Is NSS333/PS555DR/N50 taking the source first mantra a bit too far? I honestly don’t know, I have never heard the N50. I once ran a ND555/PS555DR/NAC552/NAP250DR, so a bit like the pot (me) calling the kettle black.
@Blackbird stumbled across NSS333/PS555DR/N50 as a stop-gap system, but likes it so much he is sticking with it! With all the love shown on here for the N50, this system may be the best SQ VFM out there!
What do I know?!?!
Monkfish of the world unite!
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What do we all know… except perhaps to trust our ears.
I honestly don’t think it’s too much for the little N50. I said this on another thread but there was a stream of commentary from Steve Sells on the design decisions and insight into the engineering early in the N50 thread. When you read this you start to understand why the N50 is such a special amp.
Nevertheless when you wash it all up, it all has to hang together and in this respect price/product hierarchy is but an indicator. That’s why I re-opened a relatively old thread; I felt the need to gather a few more viewpoints.
If I could go back to when I started out with Naim I would tell myself “spend everything on source first” no matter the amp. If Nait 50 would be a limitation for NSS 333 I would surely not hear the big uplift adding a 555PSDR to it. It’s so reactive! I guess what is challenging is spending so much more money on source when Nait 50 right now is so cheap. But it’s a similar threshold to why one should add say 555PSDR to 272 which cost 2-3 times more. It was the biggest uplift in SQ I made at that time.
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There’s no much to think here. No doubt the Nait 50 is very musical and conveys the spirit of music and Naim.
But if your room can accommodate floorstanders, if you want big scale, bombastic impact of drums, real weight in the sound and full textured bass you can feel , something like 332/250 or gryphon 333 or 552/500 will do it much muck more than a Nait 50.
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There are different theories on how to produce best sound. Some like millions of watts. And some don’t. To my ears that is what Naim got right with Nait 50.
First watt amps
*
The “first watt” theory, championed by designer*
Nelson Pass, posits that**the initial watt of power an amplifier produces is the most critical for sound quality, as most listening occurs at low volumes where detail and resolution are crucial**. Therefore, amplifier design should prioritize achieving the “first watt” right, focusing on low-distortion, high-fidelity performance at low power levels rather than just high power output. This approach emphasizes clean, transparent, and detailed sound reproduction in the critical first watt, making it the foundation for all subsequent power levels.
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Sure. My plan is to get the most from the N50 and see where that takes me. It’s a beautiful thing and I say that without any nostalgic attachment to the early Naits.
Who knows maybe Naim will have a SN50 by then… doesn’t seem like too much a leap in engineering. Floorstanders can wait for me (my wife has kindly helped me with this decision 
), but I have thought about it and I plan to stick with stand mounts for now. Maybe I’ll have a change in view next year when I’ve got the listening room kitted out.