Back on the bandwagon-- 200/202

Posted by: onlythat on 14 August 2003

After a long and winding road leading away from Salisbury and into other pastures... (Meridian, Dynavector etc.)

I am back with the boys in green and black.

Just received my nearly new 200/202/NAPSC which I have connected to my nearly new CDX2 (Correctly-- this time- I think Smile).

I want to say Naim is a wonderful thing. Right from switch on (it was somewhat broken in) I said to myself-- Now this is my kind of stuff-- beautiful with strings-- just hypnotic.

Yet fast and tight and all those things. Just all around great and synergistic gear.

And what's this???? A remote!!! A remote!! A friggin' remote! They CAN make those in Britain after all! I knew it all along.

I haven't even thought about upgrading and its been like 2 almost FULL days now. FULL days.

Bottom line-- anyone considering the 202/200 should not hesitate. Spend and Spend immediately. It is wonderful stuff.

Not too round and not too flat-- just right. I'll be here on this hill if you need me.

David

PS-- Incidentally, I will entertain questions at this time, Mr. Speaker, about life in other audio pastures as regards the equipment to be found there and such-- so ask away if you like.
Posted on: 14 August 2003 by joe90
Yes Brother it is the good stuff...

So how boring was the Meridian and Dynavector?

Joe90
Posted on: 14 August 2003 by onlythat
Well-- I'll tell you Joe,

(more later, as it is late)

the Meridian was quite, umm, pleasant. That's the word. It was very... nice. It was not Conrad Johnson boring or anything-- just nice.

It really didnt thrill me or seem to have too terribly much presence. It just played music well and evenly without too much bass punch.

I kept thinking "I could probably get some 300 dollar Rega or Arcam or something to do this and save the cash."

I never thought that listening to my CDX2. Those boys wont do what it does.


Now the DV stuff-- I still have it in house on dem-- is quite good really. It is just about as fast as Naim with great musicality and superb bass.

However-- it doesnt seem to me to have the DENSITY of sound the Naim has. The Naim stuff sounds solid-- present. The DV is a bit less "rooted in the earth" if you will.

It has great dynamics, bass and pace-- but it seems at this stage (not totally broken in yet) to lack that last bit of solidity and image density that makes Naim sound so solid and there.

Also, the newer Naim gear is smoother than the old, and the DV stuff seems more analytical and not quite as warm to me as the 202/200. In fact, it seems closer in some ways to the olive Naim than the new Naim. You may love that. Again-- this could be a break-in factor as the DV stuff is nearly new.

But all in all the DV stuff is truly one of the only viable Naim alternatives-- definitely superbly built and musically beautiful and right on. Highly recommended.

I just seem to be favoring the Naim kit now due to its above mentioned solidity and sonic 'weightiness.'

Definitely way more recommended than the Meridian CDP, which I sold 2 days after buying it!


David
Posted on: 14 August 2003 by jimlevitt
David:

Which Dynavector equipment do you have on hand? I wasn't aware that it was readily available in the US yet. How does it compare to the Naim equipment price-wise, so we have some sense of what you're comparing?

thanks for the reports
Posted on: 16 August 2003 by onlythat
It's not yet available in the states-- I have it on extended demo though from a potential importer.

The L200 pre will be about 2000.00
The HX75 power amp will be about the same from what I understand.

They are good looking and great sounding items. Extremely well built, to boot.

Definitely worth investigating. I am running everything with Neat Mystiques and I just bought a pair of ATC SCM 7's as well to try.

David
Posted on: 17 August 2003 by jimlevitt
David: check your private topics.