The Naim New Classic Range - Part 2

The “why” is even more interesting, sorry I didn’t pick up on that part! I was mostly wondering about the “how”

No, Naim had the NAPV145, which was essentially a single channel version of the NAP250.2.

In the past some in the US had reported good results running just a single channel of the NAP500. Tests at the factory when running a pair of 500PS units were more equivocal; There were some seemingly apparent gains, but some important losses too.

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As I remember, Richard, the NAPV145 was intended for use in an audio visual/ home movie set up, was it not?

It was intended for multi-channel AV system use, specifically centre channel amplification. Of course that didn’t stop a few people using them in pairs for stereo use, although really you’d be better off with a NAP300 for similar money. I remember doing the listening test at the factory. A pair of NAPV145s was a little bit ahead of a NAP250.2 but not by enough to close the gap between that amp and the NAP300.

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Thanks, Richard.

This is at least the second time Richard has called out the V145 as a forgotten instance of a particular type of Naim amp. The other time was in a listing of regulated amps

Poor old V145!! Can we all be a bit more respectful of its place in Naim amplifier lore please? :slight_smile:

edit: with apologies, it was not Richard, here’s the actual post! Regulated / Unregulated Amps - #4 by anon4489532

Ah that’s HH in an earlier guise I think…

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Some manufacturers explicitly play up their “warm” sound in product marketing material so I expect it’s totally intentional for some. For others they aim for neutral but when no one was in the recording studio, knowing whst neutral is is quite hard. A test tone generator isn’t complex overlayed music. So they give their version of neutral. When users declare something is neutral, they often mean (though they don’t realise it), “this matches my imagined version of neutral, which I agree with.”

Speakers are another matter entirely. Some major brands freely discuss their colouration rationale. It’s often based around compensating for an average room of their largest demographic. A lot of guesswork and when they guess wrong it fails in your room. They don’t know for sure what your room will be but they do know it won’t be a perfectly treated recording studio with a flat response.

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they do this already, its called 500 series

I’m in Wellington and the Linn Selekt as a streaming preamp is excellent with the 250Dr. Both in Katalyst,and even more stunning with the Organik DACs. Plus you get RM backup.

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I suppose that’s true, but I was thinking of all (or most) of the other kits, including the NC series.
And, of course, the 500 series cannot be bought with built-in power supplies.

So, you have gone with the Linn with your 250 DR in the end?

There is also the NAP S1.

If you don’t mind me asking IDAK , the approx price of the Linn Selekt in NZ ?

Thanks

It unsolicitedly makes me think of Audiovector…:sunglasses::rofl:

Hey there - great to hear! Very interested myself…there might be a couple of 555DR’s for sale in Weller’s soon??

Nope, will leave till mid next year when I’m 65, unless there is a naim distributor miracle. Kiwisaver is locked up till then!

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Between NZ$15 and $30 K for the two streaming preamps I tired. The much more expensive one has a machined metal chassis and their very expensive Organik DAC. The latter is utterly world class.

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@IDAK

Just looking at UK price list for the new classic NSS 333 streamer and NAC 332 preamp, and doing a quick conversion ( and based on 200 series prices), I’m thinking the retail price for those two components will be in the region of $18k-$19k Aus

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Quite the premium, a straight price conversion based on UK retail (£7900) brings you to just over $15k AUD per product. That’s an additional £1500-2000 per product roughly over what I’d be paying here in the UK based on your estimations, so buying both leaves you potentially £4k more out of pocket than I would be, doesn’t seem fair!