The Naim New Classic range - Part 1

Hi-Fi Corner
2271

Only taken we just short of a week to wade through the posts and really appreciate the amount of support Steve @110dB has provided to a voracious audience clamouring for ever more titbits of info on the release.

Well we certainly hollered loudly for the 372 and when it arrived it was a 222. On the fascia of it though, it is definitely taking us where we seemed to ask Naim to take us at least in broad brush terms, which is a lot better than no progression at all which frankly did seem to be the conclusion of many on those threads.

Right now, I love my 272/XPSDR/250DR driving Russell K Red 120s so whether the itch needs to be scratched is moot, but hey - knowing I can replace those 3 boxes with 3 new boxes that may add so much to the listening experience has to be good. A trip to Chester will be made in due course and then we will see how much it itches. But if it doesnā€™t then no need to scratch. Just move back to the wine thread and open something new there!

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2272

I was at the same demo as @Gazza today, and here are some of my thoughts.

Letā€™s get the visuals out of the way first. Some photo angles of the 222 I have seen before today make it look a little awkward IMV. I am pleased to say that in the flesh it looks great, as do the 300 power supply and the new 250.

It has to be said that the big room at Signals is not ideal for a system of this ā€˜statureā€™, but I was impressed by the way the system ā€˜droveā€™ this large space, mostly attributable to the new 250 I guess.

Without the 300 power supply the sound was rather impactful, considering the large space, but the bass was a little soft in places. Adding the 300 power supply was rather transformational, opening up the soundstage, with vocals more impactful and more control of the bass which now sounded full bodied but more focussed. There was a rather natural feel to the music which I found to be a subtle departure from the Naim signature I have become accustomed to.

I didnā€™t find the ideal listening position in that large space, not even sure there was one. The system was struggling to create a realistic soundstage in such a large space, but that was more a fault of the room rather than the system.

However moving to the smaller listening room with the same 3-box system, but Russell K Red 150 speakers, showed how capable this new 200 series is at creating a lovely soundstage and that lovely natural vibe I have referred to. This room is much more representative of our listening spaces at home and the system was starting to really sing. Alastair reminded me that the system in this room had only been running for a few hours, so it clearly had more to offer.

It was rather difficult to get a real handle on the abilities of the new 3-boxer due to the less than perfect listening conditions and music I am unfamiliar with. Once the iPad was handed over to the masses and chit chat ensued, all hope was lost of a proper evaluation. But this is to be expected at an informal group demo, but I heard enough to know this new Naim range is a bit of a game-changer, with a rather lovely shift in sound signature.

As usual a demo on your own with music you know well is essential. A home demo would of course show off the new 3-boxer at its very best.

All that is left is for me to do is to thank Alastair and Andy for a great day and laying on such a lovely, informal demo. Thanks also to Darren of Naim who I was able to ā€˜interrogateā€™ before the demo.

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2273

Large ones at that.

image

2274

Read through your threadā€¦
Very interesting. Thoughtful too
Thanks

KR
R

2275

On that topic Iā€™ve got a demo lined up this coming Friday that combines mine and my friends interests.

NSC 222 + ATC Active (SCM 40A focus)

Uniti Nova + NAP 250 (New Classic)
Combine those with passive SCM 40ā€™s for a logical comparison

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2276

Wonder how long it will be before a protective drop on cover such as those for phones or pads is produced by some enterprising dealer? Seems a possible resolution to the shiny plastic issueā€¦ā€¦

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2277

I suggest revisit the topic in 12 months time with the early adopters providing ownership feedback. Thereā€™s a risk of making an issue where one doesnā€™t exist here!
One would hope that Naim would have given this some thought and prototyped numerous material samples from qualified suppliers.

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2278

Not sure if already mentioned but what about combining units of the new classic and previous generations considering the departure from the long standing core Naim design philosophy to have the signal pass through the PSU to ensure a single central point of ground? I wonder what the implications e.g. if the classic and new classic are mixed in the same system? Or an advantage in not doing so?

2279

I posted a legacy cable doc (from Naim, via UK dealer Signals website) that gives some insight into the anticipated mixed generation connectivity requirements.
Pretty sure @110dB commented on earthing arrangements further up this thread, so probably worth a search, filtering by user and limiting to this thread.

2280

Doesnā€™t half look a mess, though!

Roger

2281

Sounds interesting, please do report back. The SCMs are on my demo list too.

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2282

Also present at the Signals Demo today for a listen to the new Classic units and see a few people.

I was impressed by the 222 capabilities in terms of clarity and clean low-bass, which was a surprise.

The 300 PS made a significant lift as others have said and well worth its addition.

This 250 version is the most capable one Iā€™ve yet heard - clean and very ā€˜togetherā€™ in that nothing dynamically breathed with music content and it presented through the speakers a stable sound-stage.

A very capable little system - comparing it to my own system I do pick-out some ā€˜Statement-likeā€™ sonic signature elements - perhaps the Volume Control has done a lot to reduce coloration and provide that insightful clarity Iā€™ve got to know written larger by the more expensive Statement but to hear that signature in the 222 was interesting.

I think people are going to be wanting that particular update to the other Naim Preamps in the hierarchy given what ā€˜somethingā€™, possible in part the new Volume Control that has done for the 222.

A nice session and chance to hear this system - my thanks to the Signals and Naim crew! :bear:

DB.

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2283

Thank you, Iā€™m enjoying these write-ups. Nicely sustaining those of us in the US who are waiting with baited breath.

2284

Yeah Tidal wasnā€™t so great for me. Qobuz lossless runs without a hitch with bubble soft on the NAS and Kazoo. Having put the effort in for the workarounds to get the better formats makes me less influenced by the 222 esp if thereā€™s a 300 series streamer pre on the horizon. Though you could always use the 222 as a stepping stone. Remember youā€™re not getting full use of the 555 so the new PS is likely delivering more. Lots of options.

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2285

No entries for 5 hours. Looks like there will be a transition now from speculation to listening for ourselves and then the holy reviews from Everard et al will appear to put it all in perspective.

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2286

Makes me wonder what this means for the ND555 (i.e. will the 555PS be made until the ND555 evolves or is replaced) ?

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2287

It was mentioned elsewhere in the thread that legacy PSUs would still be made to order but this isnā€™t going to go on indefinitely.

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2288

That was exactly my take during the all too brief time I had listening to the new set at the factory back in September. There was a definite ā€˜Statementā€™ flavour to elements of the sound.

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2289

Just out of curiosity, is the signature Naim hiss still there?

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2290

I didnā€™t notice. However, earlier in the thread @110dB explained that the very high gain of old in the pre-amp has been loweredā€¦

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