Hi All,
First post. Have had the Nova around a year now and am interested in your thoughts regarding logical upgrade path. My initial thoughts are Nap 300 dr followed by ndx 2. Love the nova sound but just want more of it (Cyrus convert). Love my speakers but think they need stretching out of their comfort zone. Other sources are Rega p8 and core.
Thanks in advance for reading this.
2 Likes
It wud be hard to beat Nova in that price range. So adding Nap 300 is good choice. Or any other power amp per say.
I use 9.2s with 252/300DR and NDX2/PPSDR and everything sits together very well. I changed a NDS for the NDX2 and the 9.2s for Focal Sopra 2s. Strange but true but I love what what I have and my wife loves the look of the 9.2s especially as the were made in the same town she taught in in!
You have something of a dilemma here, largely from building a system backwards. The 300 is a superb power amp and would be great with your speakers. When you move the Nova on you’ll find that you need both the NDX2 and a preamp. The NDX2 has a digital volume control but it’s not recommended if you want best sound quality. A 300 cannot power a preamp, so you’ll need a power supply too. The very minimum preamp would be a 282/Hicap DR. You’ll then find that the bare NDX2 is the weak link, so you’ll really want a power supply for that as well, probably an XPSDR but ideally a PS555DR. That little lot, with the 300, will set you back around £20,000 to £23,000, depending on which PS you choose for the NDX2.
If that’s too big a pill to swallow, you may be better adding a 250DR to the Nova, then getting an NDX2, 282 and Hicap DR. The next logical step is a PS for the NDX2, and only then considering a 300.
5 Likes
Thanks everyone for your time and thoughts. I have some time to ponder and the some auditions are called for.
B
Soundz like really good advice especially the designing backwards comment. The Nova + 250DR appeals to me a lot, cost admittedly but also the much lower box count.
Does anyone here actually use or even recommend Nova + 250DR as a great enhancement ?
I have a Quad 606 (which is a Olive-era 140 watt Quad power amp that is excellent and, incidentally cheap to buy now) between my Nova and my SL2s and it’s a massive improvement on the Nova alone.
Best
David
Thanks for that report and glad to hear this worked well for you. Not sure if I know how your choice would compare with 250DR , assuming watt output is not the main measure of success when it comes to SQ.
Most here I think believe in Naim monoculture and the rewards it brings. Within the naim range there seems to be no generally agreed Nova upgrade path, suggesting Nova should probably remain the high quality all in one and standalone it was designed to be.
I quite like it so will not be in rush to replace it with 6 other boxes.
The ebay cost of your amp is admittedly tempting.
You wouldn’t lose much buying it, trying it and selling it on.
I have a NAP 250DR, that I bought new, driving a 272, in another system and it replaced a Quad 909, which is basically the same as the 606 but in a newer design of casing. To be honest I’m not sure that I could honestly say the 250DR was better than the Quad amplifier it replaced.
Best
David
“You wouldn’t lose much buying it, trying it and selling it on”
Impulsive as I am I did just that , with a 250DR from a good home !
I will let you know how this goes and keep your suggestion as plan B.
Will be a little while to get the shipment and hope will not be as underwhelmed as you were.
Thanks again for sharing your experience.
Well done!
But I didn’t mean that I was underwhelmed by the 250DR. You could say that I was surprised how well the Quad amplifiers stood up to the much more expensive Naim competition.
Best
David
How much were the quads new ?
Perhaps the best guide is that the current version of that amplifier is the Quad Artera Stereo and the retail price is £1495. When I bought my Quad 909 new about ten years ago, it was about £750.
I am certainly not underwhemed by the Naim 250DR either, quite beautiful really.
Slightly disappointed that the SCM40 tweeters still don’t match my Linn Kheilids. The bass of course is convincing, although still neutral enough without dominating.
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