My system is 252 SC non DR . My 250.2 is 12 years old and needs servicing soon.
I much prefer the darker weighter sound of the non DR 250. I have PMC fact 3s
Does the non DR 300 have the darker warmer sound which matches with my speakers well? Or does the DR 300 have more weight/ darkness v the 250DR
What will either 300 bring v the 250s?
The 300DR does more of what the 250DR does, it builds on it. So you ask more weight? Well yes, the 300DR will have better grip over speakers, a stronger/faster bass. A tighter sound. And as many threads cover, better detail at lower volumes.
Not sure weād describe 300DR as dark at all, in our system it is a very agile and transparent amplifier. A worthwhile upgrade over the 250DR we had before.
My experience of the 252 is that changing from non-DR to DR Supercap is a significant improvement, including (but not limited to) better defined bass. I really only started to love my 252 when I had the PS upgraded. Unfortunately Naim donāt offer that service now.
So my suggestion is to look for a DR Scap first instead of changing the power amp. The 250.2 will sound better after a service too, so it would be sensible to do that before trading up anyway.
Bruce
Amongst other advantages the 300DR is far better than the 250DR at lower volumes.
I went from a 250.2 to a 300DR and then to a 300. I prefer the darker meatier sound that the non-DR brings.
I guess this might be speaker dependent but I couldnāt live with the muddled bass on the 250.2 and of course we all hear things differently.
We all hear things differently, but I much prefer the open, less muddled sound of the DR versions of the amps and PSs Iāve had. And Fact 3s are not the obvious speakers for achieving a darker/weightier sound. When I had a pair, I did briefly audition them with 300DR (272/XPSDR front end) and thought the power amp a big upgrade on the 250DR I was using. But in the end active ATCs hit the sweet spot for me.
But with those Facts a non-DR 300 will probably fit the bill. Certainly worth a listen.
Roger
Roger Really agree. The DR is much more open and detailed but the non DR is better balanced with the PMCs and gives a nice bit of bass bloom
I only have a smallish lounge and play at low volumes- is there any need to worry with the 300 that it could be overbearing? I have seen other posts mentioning this which why I was mentioning the DR version- certainly the 250 DR is much tighter.
I moved from 200 to 300 in one of my past upgrades and never liked so much the 250. The upgrade was a very big step in my eyes. But as said before would also be great if you could get a DR version of the 252, will also be a big step.
Hi Bert, will you be at Vienna show?
I think itās pretty rare for power amps to be ātoo muchā for a room, at least assuming a quality preamp. My active ATCs have effectively about 250wpc and when I got them I was worried they might overwhelm my smallish lounge. In the event, not a bit of it. It simply meant that dynamic swings were accommodated with ease and no sense of strain. Solo piano, for example, even if not played loud just sounded more realistic. Iād be surprised if a 300 didnāt improve low level listening.
Roger
My reaction to going from 250DR to 300DR was one of open-mouthed astonishment, followed in seconds by a wide, wide grin.
I agree. There is no comparison. I also went from 250DR to 300DR. They are completely different animals. I have Dynaudio Confidence C2. I thought the 250DR was adequate for them but I was wrong. The 300DR showed me the way. It has far more weight, better control, better bass, better everything. It is the beast that delivers and lets the speakers do their thing. It was as if I did a major speaker upgrade.
When I first got the 300DR and hooked it up, my wife heard the first record I played ā from another roomā and noted how much better the bass is. When she came into the listening room she stopped being mad at me for spending the money upgrading to the 300DR, because of how much more musical and toe-tappingly delicious it is.
Still not 100% decided, but guess high chance yesā¦.
In my experience the non-DR 300 is definately closer to the presentation the 250.2 has, but it is not the sameā¦
I recently looked to upgrade my 2015 250.2 with a 300 as an early retirement present to myself! My dealer had a 300 non-DR and a 300DR available, both as nice used examples, and he allowed me to try both at home.
Despite both intially sounding great and clearly being more capable amplifiers with tighter, deeper bass, more detail etc. I just didnāt find the differences preferential to my 250.2 when I swapped it back in again. The 300 non-DR I thought was more natural and I came close to buying it, but I still prefered the slightly more forward presentation of the 250.2.
In the end, I settled my buyerās remorse (and my dealerās sanity!) by buying another a powerline, so I now have one on every Naim box, and the uplift is rather nice, tightening up the bass and creating more āairā without changing the overall presentation. I guess the 250.2 just works the best for me in my system.
The 300 is great, in either form, but it is different to a 250.2. Whether its presentation is for you, DR or otherwise, only you can answer. Good luck!
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