Yes I too thought they looked great in the flesh - modern and more likely to appeal to younger people. And yet Naim have made them backwards compatible with the new cables so as not to disenfranchise their traditional customers. Circle squared.
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You had a long thread about your 500 Dr.
As I understood now you also sold your whole 500 set.
I hope it is not impolite to ask «why»? Was there an own thread about?
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It was 500DR. It was my 552 that was non-DR.
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I have moved to a smaller house with a smaller living room so I had to downsize. I now only have room for one stack of Fraim, not the two I had with the 500 system.
I went to a Nova as a temporary move but have just acquired a NC 222/300/250 system.
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Here’s a bit more meat on the bone of my ‘flat and uninspiring’ comment. While I had initially concentrated on just playing albums, I have now done a structured test, playing the same album (Hunky Dory) through four different formats.
- Hi-Res streaming from Qobuz is actually pretty good
- CD connected digitally to the NSS333 is close behind it (as are high definition internet radio stations)
- normal streaming from Qobuz is quite naff in comparison
- streaming from my local NAS (flac files) is more naff
My CD player is an old entry level Linn machine so I was surprised that its performance is closer to Hi-Res streaming than to CD-quality streaming. Does this tie in to more experienced people’s expectations?
Resolution and processing with the 333/332/300 is undoubtedly a step above the 222 where I couldn’t hear any difference between NAS playback and normal Qobuz streaming.
So, it seems the 250NC isn’t so bad after all 
! Still, there is going to be a big step forward when the 350 arrives.
I think there may be some crossed wires or a slight misunderstanding here. According to Jas, the Dynaudios were used at the preference of the dealer for that particular dem, but certainly not because Jas felt the NC NAP250 would struggle with the Kudos 808s. Indeed, Jas has confirmed to me that he feels the NC NAP250 is well up to driving the 808s, just in case anybody gets the wrong end of the stick. Of course, the NAP350s are even better here (as they should be) - the words Jas used to describe how good it was are probably not repeatable on a public forum!
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I find that there are so many more variables than just bit-rate that it makes answering this impossible.
If streaming a cd quality file from your local nas sounds noticeably worse than streaming cd quality from Qobuz (same exact version mind you), my reaction is that “there is something wrong with your home streaming setup.”
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Fair point. If there is something wrong, it’s not been an issue until now. One of the hidden dangers of doing a big upgrade.
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Kevin Fulcher from Signals has done a nice write up of the event over at their website which goes into a lot of detail, including the rationale behind their decision to switch from 707s to the big Dyns, and covers the two days/four sessions. I think he has well captured the progression in sound as we ascended the Naim hierarchy - my only objection is that his camera must be faulty as I appear to be six months pregnant/resemble a fusion of my mother and Mussolini.
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Ahhh 
Thank you for clearyfing.
Somehow in the same situation and interesting to hear how you move on with the new set. Congrats!
Hopefully it will give you many hours of joy! Going new ways is always exciting and good Naim voiced the new series in a different way, so maybe you will not miss the old set.
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I wondered who it was😂
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Interesting…I bet when the new 500 comes out…it will be almost in the position of challenging the Statement…exciting. If I had the cash and space I would love to go for a second 500dr…and run one for each speaker…
@nicnaim As a current 252/SCDR owner, I read your comments re: 332/300 with interest. Are you able to describe the uplift qualities for you, relative to your experiences with the 252? (Apologies if you’ve done before - could not find across threads.)
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Interesting write up. So they added the NPX300 to the streamer first and then another one to the preamp with less of an impact. Perhaps that could have also tried PSU to NAC332 first and then another to the 333 and compared. Perhaps the 2nd PSU is just not needed?
I have just listened to all of these tracks on Qobuz - nice tracks that I have never heard before so well worth a listen - I enjoyed them. However, not really demanding as test tracks IMO. All very good recordings. I personally aim for some tracks that have a few more challenges such as a busy mix or slightly harsh vocals.
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Or maybe the closer to the source, the greater the impact? That’s been my experience, albeit with different components (XPS on CDX vs Supercap on NAC 102).
Very interesting. Other commenters on here have preferred the 332/300 combination. Like you, I would imagine getting as clean a signal as possible into the amp would make more sense than a very clean amp making the most of whatever is fed into it. I haven’t heard them yet so just surmising.
Consider this as a review in progress since it’s only 7 days old.
Change wise, the sound has really fleshed out and filled in.
There were moments in the first few days were it was a bit thin and “spacey”
Right now Keb Mo’s “Come in to my Kitchen” Is just hitting so hard. The harmonica just comes in screaming hot and there is so much bite on the guitar. The drums tight and hit heavy and the organ is just hanging around in the background.
In a nutshell, it is quieter, faster with more PRaT, dynamics with better depth, space and tighter placement It’s just digs several layers deeper.
And it’s a damn fun to listen to which is the most important thing.
This is with the NC250 so not sure how it would match with the 250.2
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what is the fial opinion about the biggest change between swapping the 250 with the 350 and adding the 300 to the 332 or swapping the 222 with the 332?
Yes, I intend to do my own demo with my own music (I will take my Zenith along) - it has to play Unknown Pleasures without mullering Disorder and She’s Lost Control.
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The 300 series units have been in the wild for some three weeks, and by all accounts they are still running in so it may be premature to give a final opinion. I did my comparative listening when the units were about a week old.
What struck me most with the change from 250 to 350 was a better soundstage and extra detail revealed by the 350. Putting a 300 onto the 332 increased the musicality. It really pulled me in to the music.
If you swap a 332 for a 222 you get a better pre-amp but you lose the DAC and the streamer. If you want the DAC and streamer too this is an additional box, the 333. The improvement (with the two boxes) was better all round, as we should expect. There was more detail, better dynamics and control. The sound signature also changed - deeper and a bit mellower.
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