Take that as a no then 
Enjoy your new gear 
One of the biggest questions for me after 3K+ posts in this thread is how much the Naim signature sound has changed with the new kit compared to the Naim sound of the past 5 decades, is it an entirely new direction? Has it entirely changed or it is not that big the diversion. Entirely is probably a strong word. Generally speaking prior to NC the change in signature was almost non existent (?) with new product iterations (at least from Olive to OC, if we speak from experience). How big is the difference now, can it be measured or described objectively? Or what exactly has changed?
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Does it matter at all? Surely everyone is capable of listening to the NC and making their own minds up as to if they like it or not. The decision to change would then be based on the engagement they get (or not) with their speakers, room etc.
Why does it matter if the sound signature is different? More importantly, what does it matter about anyone elseās opinion on where the NC sits compared to OC?
It must be apparent that after 3342 posts, there are wildly different opinions - no worthwhile conclusions will ever be gained.
I personally love the sound of my 5 box 300 series and have no interest in what the OC or 500 series sounds like. I happen to have an all Naim system but feel no obligation to dive deep into their eco system. The 500 series or higher will never be a viable proposition for me due to finances and the shear dread of having to molly coddle equipment, cables and racks.
There seems to be a lot of defensive comments regarding peopleās own systems or Naim eco system hierarchy - surely it is better to accept that we are all right? I know that many people will not regard my system as the best and indeed I myself am confident that it is not the best. However, for me, it allows me to get great satisfaction from listening to a wide variety of music. I certainly hope that everyone also has the same enjoyment from their systems be it expensive or cheap, high or low in the Naim eco system.
Right, I am now heading over to my favourite thread āwhat are you listening toā¦.ā To get ideas for even more music to listen to!
Good luck to everyone and remember we are all united in our love of music!
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Out of pure curiosity, I am not able to audition and this forum is the place I keep myself informed, whether I will purchase new series or not thatās a different story, but thatās not stopping me from being curious. Great answer btw! Appreciate your comments!
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I have the same - now ripped onto my NAS drive.
Same effect when I started playing it through the Mk2 amp I designed.
Listening for the harpsichord continuo in the Entry of the Queen of Sheeba is a good test for resolution and timbrel discrimination in a system.
Not to my mind and I think if any, itās actually the OC that has changed direction most as a sound signature during the several iterations over these 50 years - but it has been around for a significant time, and it sounds very good. Yet many have stayed with or kept their CB or Olive kit and preferred it (so not for budget considerations) and I for one could never quite fill the gap before the NC came around. Initially, I also thought the Nait 50 was more of an anniversary thing and a souvenir toy and finally decided to try it (late in the day when I guess last few of them are still available) but it turned out to be a very special amp true to Naim original values and equally a core part of the NC concept.
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I come to this as an outsider, I have only had Naim equipment in my house once, for two weeks when a mate went on holiday and was having building work done. I liked what the system did in his house and being only a couple of hundred yards away is on the same mains substation and the room essentially the same. It just did not gel, the music was not engaging, I could not relax, I felt the need to do something to make it work. Having joined the forum, I know there are things with supports, cabling that were not done. Thinking back, I realise that I only ever heard his system at evenings or weekends when local industry was not running.
Following threads here I was curious to know a bit more, so took my wife to a demo where Jason did his stuff. We came away sure of one thing, not until the monoblocks were used was there anything that would convince me to spend money. Equally, we had misgivings about the room, the speakers and possibly the volume.
Only one of the tracks used was amongst those I have at home. So after the event I bought the CDs and have listened to the tracks in the the order of the demo, at low, medium and moderately high volumes.
I know that time may be against me, but I did make notes during the demo.
There were things outside the control of the store and Naim team, the shape of the room, the buzzing whooshing aircon, a buzz from the false ceiling. Then to accommodate my wifeās mobility we sat at the end of a row so were directly in front of the left speaker.
The greatest anomaly that we both heard was the Mercedes Sosa track Kyrie. There is a bass drum that for some reason appeared to be in front of the choir. At home, my daughterās with a small Denon system, my brotherās with Marantz, Nytech, Kef, the drum is behind the choir.
The point of this ramble, we all hear differently, rooms are different so the essential is to try at home. No-one is right, or wrong.
I moved from a 282/HCDR to a bare 332. When comparing them in my system I preferred the 332. I wanted to add a 252 into the comparison mix, but didnāt find one available and in the end the XLR connections on the 332 were nice to have since Iām running ATC Actives. At some point Iāll bite the bullet and have a listen with the NPX, but I just need to be prepared to buy it given what Iāve read here. And then maybe a 333 vs nDAC shootoutā¦
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Gee after reading this thread I think Iāll trade my stuff in and just get a radio (or wireless for us old blokes). And the way prices of the OC have crashed so much here itāll be a cheap one.
Possibly the most confusing thread Iāve read so far.
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Yeah, thereās some pretty nice retro gear around second hand that are real bargins now.
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Yep. My āoldā 282 for one. Damn this hobby.
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Yeah, itās like asking āwhatās your favorite ______ā (ice cream, bourbon, band, crisp/chipā¦). Theyāre all good (except marmite, I mean cāmon people).
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Iāve sold my NDX2, had to go as low as I was prepared to go, with the second hand market now the way that it is 
. I almost keep it, in which case I would have sold the Star and grabbed a used SN2 (I sold one of those earlier too ). They would have gone to the low-use games room, as the girls want the Nova to stay in the lounge. Not sure the NAIT50 has found itās way to New Zealand eitherā¦
HNY. Wet here, so Pizza and beer inside.
Iām thinking the Nait 50 might well drive Peteās Neat Orkestras as they are pretty efficient speakers from memory
He can sell everything else 
Down in Southern Highlands 100 km south of Sydney mist has set in probably NZ drizzle ( I remember it well ) on its way 
Off to classy Thai Restaurant ( one hat Michelin ) for dinner and then maybe go to the pub for a couple
Cheers
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Interested to hear your thoughts on this move - considering myself, as much for rack space as potential sound quality upliftā¦
This is according to Jason Kennedy on hi-fi + about NC 200
āI would go so far as to say that Naim has gone back to its roots and found the essence of what it was all about in the glory days.ā
You can find his complete review in issue 218.
BTW I cannot comment on this,as Iāve never owned a Naim equipment of the glory days.
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I would agree with Jason Kennedy, to my ear the NC range somehow merges the good bits of the later ranges with the original voicing of the early CB range and adds a bit more to the mix.
In the dim distant past, I first listened to a Linn Naim system and thought, I have to have one and soon entered the Linn Naim universe and have happily lived there ever since albeit with the later addition of ATC and Rega speakers into the mix. My system now sounds fabulous and I donāt think it could be beaten at the price point. The addition of the NVC TT reminded me of how the SQ and voicing of my first Linn Naim system sounded right to me. Over 40 years on, I feel the same now, only more so. Is the NC range better than the Classic range is the wrong question I think, the question should be which range gives you the most listening pleasure. For me, my NC system is replicating the increase in listening pleasure that my original LP12/42/110/Kan system did. Is it better or worse than your system whatever it may be, I donāt know or care, to be honest, because I am happily and enjoyably listening to music on my system which is surely what it is all about. I hope your system, whatever it may be, is giving you the same.
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The glory days are now. They always have been.
We buy the sound we like and fortunately Naim have been able to keep their former products in fine fettle. We now have an additional choice with the nc. I am looking forward to comparing my 300dr with the 500dr and the 350 monoblocs.
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