The Naim New Classic Range - Part 2

Thanks, Richard is correct. As a sanity check I measured the Bundy’s that come with the NPX300 and they are indeed 1.25m. I’ll edit my original post with the correct length.

1 Like

Although I am falling into Paul’s concern about hearing the exact combination of the NC 250 and the SCM50s I have heard the passive SCM40s with both the NC 250 and a pair of NC 350s. The NC 250 was perfectly adequate to drive the SCM40s at quite loud levels in my smallish 210 sq ft room with 8ft ceilngs and quite a lot of absorption. The 350s give you a little more volume but are generally better sounding overall at all volume levels.

Many people say that the SCM40s require more power and this is true given the relatively low efficiency of the speakers. Some people also say that the ATCs sound better when they are loud. I find this to be true also but, in my opinion, that is due to the low levels of distortion which is a particular characteristic of ATCs consistent with their studio monitor heritage. The low distortion encourages listening at levels higher than usual; in other words the ability to play music at higher levels is more of a feature than a “flaw” but this doesn’t mean that they don’t sound good at lower volumes.

8 Likes

Thanks for taking the time to do that :+1: cheers

1 Like

Completely concur here - my room is slightly larger with a 10’ apex ceiling. The NC250 sounds completely unfazed at high volume and can deliver thunderous dynamics when paired with SCM 40s (actually quite shocking at times when not expecting it).

1 Like

I also agree, in my slightly over 23m2 room which I believe is about 250 sq ft. I can easily play music louder than I would want and it remains distortion-free with my 40s.

As an aside. Has anyone played the NC250 loud enough for long enough to get the fan to kick in?

1 Like

No but got it quite warm once or twice last year with high ambient room temps though. Seems to have physically ‘cooled off’ since being run in bizarrely.

1 Like

What I mean is that I know that theoretically it has to work perfectly but I need feedback from a real listening session on how controlled are the bass. I think that speed and controlled deep bass are the naim signature and being a nailer for more than 20 years I became convinced that naim sound is coming from pre+amp combo. The 250 with his regulated design is the pinnacle and the testament of the naim philosophy and I really appreciated that with the new series they maintained his name. Thanks @110dB and all naim staff. Years ago when naim announced 180 a lot of naimers were tempted to downgrade because of the initial higher level of engagement due to the less controlled bass, of course long term running convinced them on the fact that it was a downgrade.

Movies can be a sterner test than music. At sustained and at the most arduous of listening levels the fan might have kicked in however I’ve yet to a hear a whisper.

Following my dealer demo of 222/300/250 compared to 333/332/250 it was clear the latter was a good step up in many ways. Just more realistic really. Each musical strand was better presented and more distinct. However, the former still sounded very good, and given my present limited budget I’ve opted for the 222/250 as an upgrade from my ND5 XS and XS2.

Given the impending price rises I’m likely to settle for an NPX 300 at some point rather than move to a 333/332, but first will be a speaker upgrade, possibly mid-year.

12 Likes

Had a couple of demos this week, thinking about whether to keep my NAP300DR with my 222/300 or go three box with NC 250 or add the 350s. Both options sounded superb, although to my ears, I felt the 222/300 didn’t get the best out of the 350s ( I tried a dCS Rossini direct to 350s and they sang). Considering the trade in on the 300DR it would be close to 9K to upgrade and I didn’t feel the jump from my current amp was sufficient. I could happily add in the NC 250 for three box simplicity, but, you know, I think I’m just going to leave things be - the 300DR is a great amp.

17 Likes

Very interesting Marq. I have the same set up (although with a 555PS rather than 300PS) and was wondering whether I should go down that route. The 300DR is indeed a superb amp though.

Yes, it was curious, just not a big enough jump with the 222 as the source and this was through 30k PMC speakers. My theory is the strength of the 222 is on the pre-amp side, a good turntable through the 222 may have been a different story - just conjecture though.

333 on home demo for a week … will be interesting comparing with the nDAC source I’m currently using. Expecting it to be different of course, but how much? …

17 Likes

Question on automation cable setup with the 333, I had assumed there’d be an optical cable included with the 333 that would go from the remote out to the remote in on the 332, but it looks like neither come with those cables, they’re only included with the 350s? So I have four boxes with two automation cables?! Cheers

Edit … feeling a bit stupid :crazy_face:

Hi @Sinewave. Your original thread is closed but I wondered if you got your auto standby working on your NC 250 in the end ?

@james_n - Hi mate - it had to go back to Salisbury for a fix. Rapid turnaround - couple of weeks I think?

1 Like

wonder if anyone has tried x2 555pd on the new pre? when i did this to my nds the difference is astonishing

Never mind, I was being stupid … cable not needed :roll_eyes:

Cheers :+1:

You don’t need cables to connect the 333 to the 332. Those 2 cables are used to connect te 332 to the power amps. To connect streamer and preamp first setup the streamer. Then launch to focal/naim app. Go to system automation and follow the instructions.