………I had an old work colleague over who’s contemplating a new system, possibly a 222/250 and speakers to match. Before lunch we caught up with Radio 3 as back ground but Andy said the best he’d ever heard on radio.
After lunch we played a selection of vinyl and CD for best part 3 hours. At the end he asked how much was the CDS3/555, I said impossible at todays prices perhaps £15k, and how much the vinyl, again I said well built over time but I would suggest about the same. Without prompting he said the CD isn’t anywhere near the vinyl as a listening experience, not in the same league.
He’s thinking again, and borrowed my record cleaner to rejuvenate his vinyl!
I’m just waiting for lump sum and will then book an audition at Billy Vee. It’s not a done deal yet. The Nova and PMC’s are such a brilliant combo that for £12k+ the 222/250 are going to have to really impress
They WILL impress, however, only you will be able to decide if the undoubted step up is going to be worth the extra wonga .
When I moved on from my 272/XPS DR/250 DR to the NC world, I auditioned the Nova into my 505’s first and was mightily impressed. Only after subsequently auditioning the 222/250 and then adding the NPX 300 was I finally convinced.
There is, especially when you think that the 222/250/300 retails at £18,600 and the Nova is ‘only’ £4,300. Then there’s the stands, the wires, the sockets.
I think Nova PE rival such statement with its double pricing of Nova.
As far as I read, rather many have gone for NC boxes, not that I disagree in your opinion.
Thanks for that. The other option is turn the PMC 25.21s active with the new upgrade PMC have developed (£1700 for the kit). I could then add a 222 and still have a single box option. Works out at £8k in total so potentially it could be a winner
@HungryHalibut@crispyduck well I first heard the 505s with a Linn one box and was very impressed, then both 505 and 606 with a Nova and it was even more so, this at around the same time as it had everybody reporting so positively at Bristol. Then I home demo’d the 505s with my then 282/SC/250DR and they were such an obvious step up on the S20s that I had no hesitation, but I did start to wonder how close a Nova would be at least with digital. When the NC components arrived and there were deals to be had with the OC stuff I initially went 252/300 and then circumstances unforeseen resulted in a 552, and obviously the performance and insight to the music is now on an altogether higher level. Now I haven’t heard any NC stuff nor the Nova P but as Nigel points out the price differential does pose questions.
That Nova/505 demo clearly impressed you, and does rather turn the standard system balance on its head. I guess that’s what Naim are pursuing with the PE/big Focals match.
I’ve considered swapping my Nova for an Atom HE and the active boards for my PMCs, but the need for more mains cables, and getting them to the dedicated mains, has rather put me off, and anyway I’m perfectly happy as things are, so why rock the boat? But in Chris’s case, I think getting a 222 and activating the speakers might be a winner. The 222 is, I believe, considerably better than the HE, or certainly should be at nearly three times the price.
It will be interesting what your friend Andy decides to do. It’s terribly easy to get in a loop of spending more and more, when something much cheaper and simpler may be all you need. Certainly I enjoy my Nova/PMCs far more than the NDX2/XPSDR/SN3/Proacs that preceded them, despite the latter being considerably more expensive and on paper the better system. The matching of electronics, speakers and room are so important.
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