I think he likes it… 
Welcome to the NAP250 Owners Club…!!
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I do indeed! The NAP250 makes it clear my room could have done with a bit more controlled bass on that end. Loving the presentation it gives. I’m sure with a better front end (say a 252/SC and a better CDT and maybe a 555PS on the nDAC) it’ll shine even brighter!
The NAP250 has had high praise ever since it’s inception in the Chrome Bumper line as far as I know, and it’s well deserved!
The system so far is coming together. In a bit, I’ll check out some different transports. The main thing for me now is seeing what doing a bit of a rebuild around the house will cost (that was already in the planning before the CDX2 read it’s last bits). Then I’ll see what we can stretch to if I wanted!
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The NAP250 first appeared as a BD (Bolt Down) version, pre CB, in 1975.
It became CB in 1980. Mine is a CB build (1985), but re-cased as Olive, by Naim.
The Olive 250 is from 1989.
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And went through a couple of changes during the 90s, amo change of H&F transformer.
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Holden & Fisher - up to end 92.
Nuvotem - 93 onwards.
Do remember, though, that a 1970s 250 is not the same beast as a 2020s 250, as the real-terms price rises will show you:
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Also don’t forget that at the start you have development costs, after that it’s just producion costs
True, but as the overall design is very similar (bar the change to DR and the move to a larger transformer), then the total parts count will be similar.
I’d say a CB and Olive 250 sound very equal.
Google inside picture, looks identically - only manufacture methods were changed (automatic machinery)
Nap 250.2 looks (inside) and sound very different, not my cup.
250DR was one of my wow moments - great amp.
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There was a change of transformer size, during the CB era. The 250 switched to using the larger 135 size transformer, I think around 1984…? (I know my 1985 version has the larger transformer)
There is a further (bigger) change in the transformer size with the 250.2, carried over to the 250DR.
All 250’s are Great, but some are Greater than Others.
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Just sold my olive serviced 250 from 1995 yesterday. went in no time - to a nice guy and naim fan since the beginning.
Not sure I could ever part with my 1985 one… 
It was hard for me as well - looks like new and serviced in 2018.
But…
Qute2 in use, nait50 in use, 500dr in use, 135 (2001, service 2019) stored together with 52.
Don’t want to be a museum 
Thinking about cdx as well (also stored) - but I want to own a cd player.
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Looks like I unintentionally unleashed a NAP250 debate 
Challenge with Naim is always the upgrade bug. If it has bitten, it’s particularly difficult to treat! In all fairness, if my CDX2 would have been OK, I probably would have been happy with the combination I had for time to come! Now, listening to old music anew, it’s challenging to resist to urge to think what the better stuff could do!
Currently enjoying some Peter Gabriel and it grooves like mad!
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I had a weird issue yesterday and today where a CD I was playing lost synchronization with the DAC. Very annoying. It happened later during the albums playback, so might be related to speed of the disc. Will test with some other albums too, this was the same one on both occasions. Would be a bit miffed if either of the devices was faulty, but also if the CD will be an issue, as it’s a very good album!
Played a couple more albums, including the same one, that worked just fine. I think it might be volume that is the issue. It started doing weird things when it was louder. Currently still awaiting the Fraim shelf, but I’m skeptical that would solve the issue. Will report back with any findings. Any tips are of course also welcome 
Otherwise, sounding great!
Finally had a bit more time on my hands and, lo and behold, the issue cropped up again in a very low volume section of a completely different album and not in the same location of the physical CD (one was roughly 50 minutes in, this was 27 minutes in). After skipping backwards and forwards, it seemed to be a specific spot where it gets stuck and sometimes (not always) desynchronizes with the nDAC (the light goes out briefly). When I removed the disc the was a bit of a smudge in terms of a fingerprint, but it wasn’t in thr location where the CD started skipping time-wise. After re-loading, it worked normally, even on that time-stamp.
I’m starting to believe the unit I have is faulty. Again, will give it some more time, but so far, I’m not really amused by th Audiolabs unit specifically, especially since I’ve heard people speak so highly of it’s read-ahead buffer and ability to read even heavily damaged discs. Hopefully it won’t happen again, but I highly doubt it 
Just checking, did you allow for the fact that the CD player reads from the inside to the outside of the disc - the opposite direction of an LP?
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Indeed I did, but I appreciate the check :). Also double checked the other CD that was behaving oddly, that didn’t have a smudge, so that should not be the issue. It’s puzzling why and when it does skip, so far.
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Minor update:
Played the album that skipped before, no skips this time. I DID change the cable, as it was a cheap TOSLINK first, now it’s a cheap coaxial cable. Also a different input channel on the nDAC, due to it having 2 BNC and 2 coaxials where the transport was already on the BNC to make the swap a bit more logical. Still waiting on my Coax to BNC, together with the Fraim shelf.
Still, could be the cable? Input? Feels odd though, neither should matter enough for the transport to skip, I feel. Then again, I’m not versed in these things at all, so what do I know 