The 300 Series - Just Listening Experiences

Test tracks - the Audio lounge playlist (on quobuz and I believe tidal) has some great sounding tracks but don’t forget to listen to some below par recordings too as that is the reality!

Gary

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So much for being fed up and wanting to reduce the box count

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You failed again should be a simple task. The problem is not what you are doing but that you are not alone!
Claus

People frequently state the 300DR is better at low volume than 250DR, so I’d think it reasonable to assume the same would be true of the new 300 amps.

For my part I don’t have room for an extra box and my Fraim stack is already full height. I’m tempted to replace my 250DR with an NC250 (whilst keeping my 252/SCDR).

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Ok if this is a bass fest…here is the ultimate I have found…Tyga - Rack City this has the ability to destroy subs…20hz and less… actually its a pretty good track. The other good one is the La Bamba CD … OZone Percussion Group - Track Jazz Varients… play it loud…your neighbours will love you…once they have swept up their broken crockery…

Any more updates on people’s 300 Series listening experiences. No offence to anyone intended but I was hoping to read about peoples opinions of how the kit sounds before listening for myself.

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There are a lot of off-topic posts here….

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I’m working on my review at this very point in time…

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Looking forward to reading it!

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In the meantime can someone explain the difference between an NDX2 and NC333, is it just an updated product or a parallel product?

.sjb

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I don’t mean to be rude but I opened this particular NC300 thread to focus on actual listening experiences of this kit. I realise there are slim pickings on this topic at the moment due to the newness of the 300 series. It however would be nice to avoid random diversions like in other 300 threads which have descended into mush.

There are two other NC300 threads running to post other topics relating to this kit.

Many thanks.

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I’m feeling a bit like a journalist on a deadline during a busy day here, trying to meet a deadline and still get some useful information for readers! Bear with me! :slightly_smiling_face:

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Knew that would happen David

Pity really

With you Nigel

Be rude - they can’t help themselves

Take your time Geoff.

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Hurry up Geoff, what’s taking you so long? :rofl:

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Sorry @bruss I have just noticed I have not responded to you.

Like you, I like to hear air around individual instruments and vocals, complete with inner detail, but not at the expense of cohesion and musicality.

I my view the 300 series gets this balance right which allows emotions to be conveyed convincingly - a very tricky quality and one that is important to me.

In the 300 demonstration I remember thinking the whole presentation sounded very natural, more so than with much of the black box classics. Natural does not mean boring, far from it. The 300 kit doesn’t add unnecessary colour and presents instruments and vocals as how they should sound IMV, but with oodles of dynamism and PRaT.

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I hope this is useful to those looking to make a complete system change or like me, introduce one or more New Classics to their current system.

First some context.

Some time before my last Salisbury factory visit in March 2020, I had planned to replace my SuperNait2 with a dedicated preamplifier. Having successfully used it on its own, I then added a 250DR power amplifier, followed by a XPSDR for my CDX2.2 and a HiCapDR - with each of these bringing a step up in sound quality improvement and musical enjoyment.

Thinking there would be new versions of the Classic NAC282 and NAC252, I waited… and then the New Classic 200 Series appeared but with no individual preamplifier in the set! However, a bit of knowledge came my way to inform me that a preamplifier (which has a built in power supply) was going to be part of the the New Classic 300 Series and an official announcement confirmed this, so happy days!

Registered my interest with Audio T / Bristol and with demo 300 units scheduled to appear in late September, I was surprised to see that some dealers had received theirs last week, therefore made a call. After a conversation between us to find a time I could get to the shop, James offered the loan of the NAC 332 from after 4pm on Saturday until they reopened on Tuesday morning. Obviously this was more preferable than the store demo and I jumped at the opportunity.

Removing the SN2 and HiCapDR from the system, I opened the very well packaged 332 and placed it carefully in position, dressing the cables accordingly. The legacy cable for connection of the preamp to my 250DR came in a separate box and fitted very snuggly at both ends - sorry, in my keenness to get things up and running, I didn’t take a picture of it!

Started listening around 5pm (Saturday) with the immediate impression of very familiar material sounding different to what / how I have heard them before, almost like the mix was slightly changed but in a good way.

The SN2 / HiCapDR / 250DR delivers an upfront sound here, with a fast lively performance and I know my recordings well, but after a short listening time I was thinking… hang on, where did that synth detail / percussion / guitar dynamic etc come from and was it there before?

It wasn’t a just a question of better bass / mid / treble, more that a particular instrument sounded better than I had heard it before, or the emotion of a vocal came across more clearly.

My existing system has a good soundstage - with the NAC332 in place the depth between the speakers stepped further back, and placement became more pinpoint. Musical performances became more cohesive than before, each tune or song giving extras back from the recording studio or live venue.

As the system warmed up (obviously the preamp is still running in) things further improved on Sunday and Monday, and I began to forget how things previously sounded and just enjoy what I was hearing now as I played as many different tracks as possible before returning it to the dealers at 10.30am.

Like Nigel, it is clear to me that the NAC332 has a lot more to give, certainly as more hours of use are added as this was still very much a fresh out of the box experience.

I didn’t want it to go back… but a preorder is in place. :sunglasses:

Hopefully, in the not to distant future when funds become available, my dealer has offered to let me try the NPX 300 power supply and the new NAP 250 at home, which is an exciting prospect indeed - the NAC 332 will be here waiting.

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IME with Naim kit, from cold things like detailing take a step forward as the bass is always the last aspect of the soundscape to come on song. It’ll be very interesting to learn what the warm-up period of the new gear is, especially now the PS’s are ‘in the case’.

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Thank you for the very interesting and insightful review. The 300 (particularly with the 252) has always been, for want of a better description, smooth and unforced while still delivering timing, detail and impact. It’s good to know that Naim have moved it on while still retaining this user friendless. I hope they do something for the 500 level soon.

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