As soon as the FCCI certification PCB photos appeared online middle of last year it was clear the NSS333 would be using the same 800 streaming board as NDX2. The PCB is very helpfully labelled.
That’s what convinced us to buy an NDX2 (matching rest of kit) at discount and not hold out for 333. We only use it as a transport. And same streaming board should mean NDX2 can get any software improvements or new services.
The whole DAC and analogue implementation is irrelevant to us.
Npx 300 makes a big difference and i will guess together with nsc 222 it sounds a bit more fluid and better with layers than nss333 and nac 332 without Npx 300. Maybe still the 300 kombo without Npx 300 will be a little better on somethings, would guess dynamics, impact and scale. And the new duo costs allmost twice of a nsc 222 without Npx 300 so it should be better. But still, the Npx 300 makes magic, just saying. And of course the new 300 series complete with Npx 300 will be superior.
For me the nap250 did not impress. So i would rather go for nsc 222 with Npx 300 and 350 blocks.
I like the look of the new streamers but not sure which would be best as an upgrade to the Atom HE which is currently being used as a streamer / DAC into an Auris Nirvana tube headphone amp.
Would the 222 offer a significant upgrade to the HE or whether it would be better to go for the 333 and use the Nirvanas volume control. Not sure how much I’d gain from either. Probably needs a demo but it would be interesting to hear from anyone has tried the 222 as a pre-amp into a headphone amp, especially tubes.
The new 333 will probably sound better than the NDX2 in any case, otherwise Naim probably wouldn’t have released it…
I wonder how the 350 will compare with a non-DR 500… 
All quiet before I went out this morning, now i’m in my campervan to find an email telling me about the new models - and over 260 posts here to read through!!! What a difference a few hours makes…
The 350 is very interesting indeed. I’ve never heard a Naim amp, but based on their specs and reviews, vs what I know of my speakers’ performance with my existing amp, together with its specs and reviews, I felt the 300 might just be adequate, but more likely the 500 would be necessary to have a chance of doing better than my Bryston - its 500w peak capability is just adequate, but would be better with substantially more as it does clip on peaks when playing some rock music at realistic levels, and especially on the Telarc 24bit recording of 1812. However the 350, with its mammoth peak delivery capability, appears to offer all that may be needed. Where previously I had an academic interest in hearing a 300 or 500, I now have a much greater interest - though unless I have a lottery win I would not be tempted for quite a few years, when the secondhand market starts to make good offerings. If I were to have a significant lottery win, my comparison would be a pair of 350s against a pair of Bryston 7Bs, and maybe other amps including one of Chord’s Ultimas.
A really good advance IMHO and should address the many concerns vented on here around speaker powering, the answer being the more the better - noting Naim have moved away from active systems.
The teasing question for me is how the 300-series NAC/NAPs compare to a 552DR/500DR combo, as the price differential on the amps remains significant and we know a 500DR delivers more than 250wpc in to 4 ohms.
Aaah - my apologies Iain.
Or indeed, how much better does the NSS 333 (£7900) sound than the ND5 XS 2 (£2499)? They have a lot in common including the streaming board, DAC chip and Naim’s digital filtering. Of course, the the more expensive streamer has different casework and a display but when it comes to the sound if seems it down to the discrete output stages and potential external power supply to justify the £5400 premium.
It would be a bold strategic decision to release a newer and more expensive product that is worse than the previous cheaper alternative.
As we know from New Classic part 1 thread a lot comes down to personal taste.
Naim themselves clearly do not rely solely on scientific measurements when designing products, which for objectivists, makes the brand “a bit marmite” but underpins need to listen.
That said I see there is a digital out on NSS333 so you can stick an Ndac on it and it will be a world beater!
Now changing from NDX2 to 333 as a transport would certainly qualify as a vanity purchase 
I asked a fortune teller where we’d go with this thread. She said it’s a tale as long as time, but not as long as part one of the “The new Classic Range post”. The outcome was quite unclear with some people still stating the new 300 series sounds better than the old 500, some people loving the signature sound and some looking into the green mist of the past. She also said to truly live happily ever, after enjoy your kit, whatever level you’re at and can afford.
You don’t have to buy it. Have a listen and come to an informed conclusion.
Is it possible to record to a Tape deck via the Nac 332 ?
Sure does 
One of the very first things we’ll be doing is to really put NAP 350’s through their paces as part of an AV system. If the audio quality is good then first up will be the Concept Trailer 4K, Bond 26, Tom Hiddleston and yes, I think he’ll be a good 007. With peaks of +/-42 amps, 1.7kW power playback of the system will be near and at Reference level 
Multiple NAP 350’s as part a full blown AV system 
A sight for sore eyes
When are you expecting stock of the 300 series? All I have seen here is a reference to October but I think that was for the EU or the US. It seems that availability might be delayed compared with the 200 series, which was with retailers on announcement.
There’s a line level output on Input 8 (DIN5) that should allow you to record to a tape deck or digital recorder.
Things are certainly looking better today. Although I am not one for the looks of the new clasic series the NAC332 with NPX300 looks tempting to take my preamp journey to an end point if it performs better or equivalent to a NAC252. Combined with the new NP250 it could keep me happy for a while until the wife recovers from the outlay. Looking forward to listening to see what yhese offer. I think the NDX2 and XPSDR will be around for a long while though but that is a secodary source.
Mid September
I’d suggest a discounted 300 to go with your 252, otherwise your mixing designs. And it will be half or a third the cost.