New Naim streamer preamp
- Thread starter PerF
- Start date
Allan Probin
pfm Member
I might have missed it but what’s the speculation regarding what the 300 series will consist of?
My guess is the 333 will be a higher end streamer pre-amp, no built in power supply, so two boxes, I.e. the 333 head unit plus NPX300 power supply. This will replace the NDX2, 282 and 252, leaving just the 555 and 552 as the only separated streaming source and pre-amp in the New Classic range.
New NAP300? Probably same configuration as now but incorporating the NAP250 improvements in the amplifier box and a new NAP300 power supply which is also capable of powering the 222 or 333 to get you going.
My guess is the 333 will be a higher end streamer pre-amp, no built in power supply, so two boxes, I.e. the 333 head unit plus NPX300 power supply. This will replace the NDX2, 282 and 252, leaving just the 555 and 552 as the only separated streaming source and pre-amp in the New Classic range.
New NAP300? Probably same configuration as now but incorporating the NAP250 improvements in the amplifier box and a new NAP300 power supply which is also capable of powering the 222 or 333 to get you going.
Hungry Halibut
pfm Member
If you look at the Bluetooth approvals, there are two new boxes; the NSC222 and the NSS333. Given that C stands for control, ie preamp, it’s logical that the NSS333 will be a pure network player, to be accompanied by a new dedicated 300 series preamp and a NAP300 replacement. The preamp and network player would both be powered by the 300 power supply already released. So it would be a two box source, two box preamp, plus whatever the new power amp consists of.
Clive ES335
Active Member
Box count reduction Naim style.
Allan Probin
pfm Member
I see, thanks. I wondered if Naim might have looked at the success of Linn’s DSM units and planned to extend the concept of a streaming pre-amp higher up the range but looks like that might not be the case. I must admit, the thought of a high(er)-end streaming pre-amp does have it’s attractions. For me it would replace my streamer (+power supply), Innuos reclocker, Chord Mscaler (+power supply) and TT2 (+power supply). One box (or one box+one power supply at most), one mains connection, plug Ethernet cable in at one end, balanced outputs to power amp (or active speakers) at the other end.
Hungry Halibut
pfm Member
I don’t disagree. The idea of a top level streaming preamp and a power amp seems hugely attractive. However, it looks like Naim won’t be going there. But who knows?
The new power supply has an USB socket on the rear labelled "update", so I guess you can upgrade your system via the internet: maybe only 2 of the 8 DRs are working when you buy it, and if you later decide to unlock the rest of them you can pay the firmware upgrade. Other than that (and maybe the brightness of the logo LEDs) I don't know what can be upgraded via USB in a power supply. Wait, maybe it's for registration: you can only power up your device when it's logged in to the Focal security server....?
Joking aside, I just dislike the trend that all and everything needs to get connected to somewhere in order to become usable...
That is a cable option listed as option 7 in the Naim info published on the Signals (U.K. dealer) site - 2 cables from hi cap to new NAP 250 with prices at £259 per cable - so it is possible.
Maybe they'd buy it after hearing it and liking it enough to spend their money on it and fair play to them if that's the case as it's their money and who are we to criticise. You, on the other hand, have made your mind up already despite never having heard it... hmmm!
P.S. There's a term for people who feel so important they need to answer their own posts
Well yes, folks can spend their money as they like. Some will be satisfied with a reduced feature set. That doesn’t change the fact that this has a lower spec DAC chip and fewer inputs/outputs than its NAC272 predecessor.
No, given the reasons in posts #383 and #503 i don’t need to listen to this to know that it will not meet the minimum requirements to make it to my shortlist.
Folks, important or not, who answer their own questions could be described as eager, impatient, and so on, no?
Well yes, folks can spend their money as they like. Some will be satisfied with a reduced feature set. That doesn’t change the fact that this has a lower spec DAC chip and fewer inputs/outputs than its NAC272 predecessor.
No, given the reasons in posts #383 and #503 i don’t need to listen to this to know that it will not meet the minimum requirements to make it to my shortlist.
Folks, important or not, who answer their own questions could be described as eager, impatient, and so on, no?
So you won't listen to it as you already just 'know' it won't sound good enough... righty ho then
I'd send your details to Naim if I were you as you could save them a fortune in product R&D.It's like the Solstice thread all over again... everybody piling in despite no one having actually listened to it. If this didn't have a Naim badge on it this thread would be two pages long at best.
paulbysea
pfm Member
Well yes, folks can spend their money as they like. Some will be satisfied with a reduced feature set. That doesn’t change the fact that this has a lower spec DAC chip and fewer inputs/outputs than its NAC272 predecessor.
No, given the reasons in posts #383 and #503 i don’t need to listen to this to know that it will not meet the minimum requirements to make it to my shortlist.
Folks, important or not, who answer their own questions could be described as eager, impatient, and so on, no?
Steve from Naim in the thread on Naim's forum,explained the reason for the choice of DAC, mentioning that they only use part of it. How this could work is beyond me, but I trust the technical ability and ears of the R&D team to get it right. As for the number of inputs, how many people use all of them? For my needs, there are enough, though I would have liked an HDMI input instead of two optical, this is not a deal breaker for me.
I'd hazard a guess that the NSS333 is self-powered and can be optionally be upgraded by NPX-300, in a similar fashion to NDX(2).
The NAC332 (that's the name and it shouldn't be far off https://www.naimaudio.com/product/nac-332) should definitely be powered by NPX-300 in typical Naim fashion.
Now an interesting question would be whether a single NPX is in a position to power both a NSS (via Type 4 digital) AND a NAC (via Type 3 analog), or if two separate power supplies would be needed. Probably the latter at a 300-level, but hopefully future products at 100- or 200- level can allow for some intergration of that kind, similar to how the NPX-TT powers both the NVC-TT and NVS-TT.
Hopefully the 300-level rollout won't be that far away; maybe end of January in the ISE 2023 event?
Nero
Re: Tired
All this talk of 'levels' makes me wonder what would happen if they developed something halfway down the range as part of the R&D effort, and found it blew everything else out of the water. Would they simply rename it and increase the price? What would you do? Is it possible to design something to a 'level'?
Certainly
I suspect during development of NDS2, they renamed it ND555 and adjusted price accordingly.
The various Naits also designed to a certain market price range.
They gonna sell sheetloads of these cables now.
Smart move.
Guess WH, CHC, Chord Co. and other cable suppliers are busy providing alternatives right now.