I do Bloodstock every year. Leaving my camp chair to venture down the front is a savage reminder I am not as young as I was. What was fun 30 years ago just hurts now.
I think you are missing the point. If like me you have no Naim boxes in your system, it is very difficult to buy a component to fit into your existing system without buying special cables that you will find it hard to sell on. Having XLR cables means that I could still use my passive XLR only pre-amp (with a 250) or my XLR cables with my power amp with a Naim front end without having to ditch my whole system.
Pleased to say normal service has resumed. Red wine and new classics going down rather well …
New Classics not fully run in maybe?
I hope you’re not eating them!
Perhaps……but a bit of an ask to put everything in one box and match or exceed a NDX2/XPSDR/252/Supercap……more run in might have helped. The new kit is bloody good, but it has its limitations, at this price point. As mentioned before it has a different sound, a clarity……reminiscent of Statement amps…….takes a few listens i guess.
I wouldn’t expect that for obvious reasons of preserving heirarchy, it’s just that usually it’s the opening up of the soundstage that is a later addition to the run-in process. Will be interesting to see where we are six months down the line.
It’s probably easier to sell 10x20K Kits rather than 1x200K. It’s only right for Naim to have considered this and finally put a tiny bit of Statement quality in their mid range kit. Why not?
Not to get too far off track but some info I though was interesting at the time. I’m located in Ontario Canada, years back some time not too long after Statement was released the CDN distributor brought the Statement to our local audio show. I was talking with one of the reps about how they were selling, now this wasn’t too long after the release, maybe a year or something (& I’m not sure if they sold into all the US/a portion of the US), but at that time he said they had sold somewhere in the mid 30’s range of individual pieces, was a bit of an eye opener. He also mentioned he had one client that had a Focal Utopia (believe all Grande)/Naim Statement multi channel setup, can’t recall now if it was 5 or 7 channels!
There’s plenty of Statement systems living in the far east as well, particularly China. I seem to recall a conversation with someone at Naim some years back mentioning that most full Statement systems including the bonkers active ones lived in China, also a decent footprint in Malaysia and Thailand.
Probably not the sort of private jet owning CEO types you get hanging about on forums chatting about upgrades anyway
Looks good though
Impressive indeed, let’s leave this with Naim sales and marketing staff.
Seriously, really hope the new kit has some of the Statement DNA inside. A proper anniversary would be.
Mr M. Was the ATC demo yesterday or next week?
Can I clarify what has been said about 300 series and timeline. Back of 222 says 200 series streaming amplifier so one would assume a 300 series will be released and also a nap 300 therefore would be nice to compare them all. Can’t remember what had been said by Naim
Also, what does nxp, nsc etc. Stand for?
Definitions in this thread already
It would be logic Naim release 300 range analog preamp and streamer.
Not sure a 333 streamer/preamp is in the cards.
We already have the 200/300 PSU out.
I guess next 300 poweramp is two new classic 250 in mono mode.
@Gazza @NigelB and guys who heard the stuff this week. Is the 222 more 252 or 282 i.e sophisticated or visceral?
I bought a NAC52 with 52PS power supply from a well known auction site for £2,800 last year in uk. It originally belonged to his Grandfather who used to work at Naim and had been serviced in last few years. What a loverly sounding unit. Paired with a NAP200 then upgraded to 250DR. I suggest you put a. Message alert should one come up for sale. It may take several months to find the right one but all this talk of classic upgraditus should liberate some Olive series items onto the secondhand market.
Next week, 20/01
Its not really like them at all……i think @Darkebear hit the nail on the head…….it has many elements of the Statement sound, but much less detail and sophistication than a 252. Not surprising really as Steve Sells designed Statement and the old pre/power are a legacy of JV and Roy George. A fresh piece of paper and Steve and the team are using Statement carry over.
That being said i did listen to a NDX2/xpsdr/252/supercap with the old 250 and old 300 vs the 222/new psu and new 250……i much preferred the old system……more warmth, detail and natural decay of notes………but it is a £30 k system……even more with a nap300dr…….which seemed to make the 252 really sing.
In summary the new kit takes the Naim sound forward with a sharper clarity and when better products are introduced i am sure the 282 and 252 will be bettered. Easy to forget the 222 is doing a lot more than just a preamp.
Back of the NPX 300 says 300 series. I posted a photo way back in this thread, but you can also see it on Naim’s website.
Also Steve Sells said there are more New Classic releases this year which are embargoed at present.