So the 332 by itself is not close to the 252/SCDR ?
You mention the 282/SCDR
Thanks
Naimās new advertising line is going to be āwe screwed your over with a poor classic line for 20 years, but you can trust us now, even if we didnāt know what we were doing beforeā 
Gosh, where are you seeing that pricing? Thatās half the cost they are here in New Zealand.
Youāre a stirrer you are Mr Mike from NZ 
2 Likes
I wish I had a dealer like MC. My local Naim dealer couldnāt answer basic questions about Naim products and tried to sell me Linn. Heās no longer a Naim dealer now so he can focus on selling Linn. And Iāve never had a Naim dealer push older/discontinued equipment over the current line.
Not in my set up. Granted it was for a short period.
I have the NC 250 since 2 weeks, it replaced the 250 dr. Yes, itās better, but not on another league, I think thereās a lot of hyperbole and exaggerations towards the new line.
The NC 250 has a bit more authority, but less still vs the 300 dr that I had too before. It has a bit more clarity vs both, and gives an impression of more speed. The details come with a sharper relief and the bass is a bit better defined. So globally better on these ares, but certainly not night and day vs the 250 dr.
However the 250 dr and the 300 dr even more, are fuller and warmer. The NC 250 is more neutral and can sound brighter on some recordings.
The full 300 series, with the two ps, have a different sound signature vs the OC, but are not better to my ears, vs an Nds/555 dr/ 252/ 300 dr. Just different. More detailed, a bit sharper, more transparent, but definitely leaner and less textured, less visceral and organic. So a matter of tastes.
All these hyperboles are a bit tiring I have to confess.
24 Likes
Spot on for me. I have heard the NC 200 and 300 series several times now and even though they sounded very good to my ears, I kept feeling something is missing: a bit of warmth. It is very much a matter of taste in the end.
4 Likes
I havenāt commented on or criticised the NC equipment as I simply havenāt heard it. Those Iāve spoken to who have and whose opinion I value donāt give the same level of hyperbole you and a handful of others on here do (repeatedly, ad nauseum). Dont get me wrong, theyāve all said itās good just not light years ahead of the OC equivalents at the same price point.
Iām also starting to see that view point trickle through on here more often.
3 Likes
Fuller, warmer more organic yes no maybe this is very much in fluffy territory here, and probably system dependant. The idea that some say the new series is a giant leap forward is probably just the thread being so long as it is. I still find my 332 better than my 252, but of course if I needed warm organic sound I would maybe not agree here. So I seem not to need these characteristics of my system.
So you are saying that the addition of an NPX 300 elevates a bare NAC 332 from close to a NAC 282 / Supercap DR to better than a NAC 252 / Supercap DR (implied) and close to a NAC 552? That seems like a very large improvement.
Have you replaced your NAP 252 / Supercap DR with a bare NAC 332 then? I must have missed that.
All whatās needed for organic sound with a bit warmth is a Nait 5. They go for 300 (fill in your currency symbol here).
Yes - both ways
btw I am not sure how the NC pairs with Focal but would imagine further apart than with OC??
Indeed ā¦ especially when the 500 series is brought into it
1 Like
Yes a few months back. I have also written about it somewhere in this thread scroll down 300 only listeningā¦
good review FR, and sort of concurs with my brief experience with 222/250, like you I prefer a more natural and organic sound signature but appreciate itās a matter of preference. I grew up from the age of 3 to about 25 listening to my Dads ESL57ās and Quad 11ās so that sound became ingrained in my head as a reference to this day. It really is down to preference, there are those who prefer a leaner more visceral sound and those who prefer a warmer more āorganicā as you say, presentation, neither are wrong so relentlessly banging on about either is a bit boring after a while! Iām happy with my SN3/NDX2, for me itās a great 2 box system and has perfect synergy with my classic spendors, I found the 222/250 cut through the natural timbres of the thin wall spendors and sort of neutered the sound signature so definitely not a great synergy there. Anyway, thereās great choices out there now for everyone so nothing to complain about. If youāre going down the NC route a home demo is a must imo.
7 Likes
Thanks. I have a look for it.