Any new reviews of the Nap 300?

FWIW, I understand that the next issue of HiFi News is doing a review of the 252/300. It should be out in a few weeks time.
As I`ve said before, increasing age has taught me that the only way to assess kit is to live with it for a good while. Others` reviews can give a starting point though.

regards

laurie S

You won't need to leave with the 300 for long to hear it's superiority over 135's. 10 seconds are enough.
Go for a demo and do your own review.

Emmanuel

All opinions are my own, and reflect those of the organisation i work for, even if not stipulated.

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You won't need to leave with the 300 for long to hear it's superiority over 135's. 10 seconds are enough.

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Listen to one that isn't run-in and quite the opposite is true.

Andy.

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You won't need to leave with the 300 for long to hear it's superiority over 135's. 10 seconds are enough. Go for a demo and do your own review.

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Indeed, comparison of run-in 135s vs new 300 convinced me of the superiority of the 135s. Hopefully a run-in 300 is a different matter, but I haven't heard that yet.

David

Yes, a well run-in 140 with NACA5 on a dedicated spur sounds better than a cold new 300 on scrap mains and non Naim speaker cables.

Emmanuel

All opinions are my own, and reflect those of the organisation i work for, even if not stipulated.

I've compared a three day old warmed up 300 with my 135s in my system and the 300 was a very impressive step forward, a bit like a mini-500. It took a couple of days to come together though.

I wonder if the Nap 300 sounds better with the new Nac 252. There may be some synergy with the new equipment that is not heard when we mix the styles. Has anyone heard the 252/300 combination?

A tad worrying - first I read the HiFi+ review stating there is a problem with the 500's bass, then reliable Forum members state the same with the 300, then I read the 552 was developed mostly with the 250. Then JV's original assertion that a separate PS was not the way to go for power amps - now could lack of bass be caused by a faulty burndy etc etc. Am I reading too much into this?

Jeremy,

time for a little history...

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Date: 19-Nov-99 03:43
Author: Andrew Boshoff (andrewboshoff@hotmail.com)
Subject: interview quote


But some things have changed since the interview:

JV: "...I can't think of any audiophile or high-end companies that manufacture a power amplifier which comes in two separate boxes, one the power supply and one the amplifier. It's just not a sensible way of doing it, of putting that sort of uncertainty of a separate cable in between the power supply and amplifier part of it"

And now we have the NAP500 with its separate power supply.

Andrew

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Date: 19-Nov-99 11:38
Author: julian vereker
Subject: Yes & no



Andrew,

Actually nothing has changed (much). What we have done in the 500PS is to take the AC mains and turn it into several raw DC supplies which are then taken to the 500 itself using new connectors of a type and rating which only became available a few of months ago.

All the power supply regulation is in the 500 and is in fact even closer coupled to the power amps than in the 250.

Just a subtle change of the rules.

julian

PS I've been wondering how long it would be before someone would draw my attention to that part of that interview - I think it deserves a free (Naim) CD - please email me at Naim with an address and a choice (if you wish).

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E-mail:- MartinPayne at Dial.Pipex.com

I have just seen Hi Fi + magazine.....Paul Messenger, Chris Binns and Roy Gregory review the new Nap 300 and Nap 250

Laurie S

Stuart...if you like I can scan the reviews and e-mail them to you. Is your e-mail address on your profile? If not (mine is) e-mail me & I will send them.

Laurie S

Laurie,

any chance I could have a copy, too?

cheers, Martin

E-mail:- MartinPayne at Dial.Pipex.com

Nap 3oo/Nap250 Hi-Fi Plus reviews

Hi folks...I have recieved a lot of requests to e-mail these reviews.
I am working my way through them....so no new requests for a few days please!

Laurie S

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Originally posted by Laurie Saunders:
Hi folks...I have recieved a lot of requests to e-mail these reviews.
I am working my way through them....so no new requests for a few days please!

Laurie S

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Laurie,

have you considered putting all the e-mail addresses into the BCC field, and just sending out one copy of the e-mail to loads of people?

Should take just a few minutes. (This is how the spammers send to thousands of people, BTW, and why spam is rarely addressed directly to you).

cheers, Martin

E-mail:- MartinPayne at Dial.Pipex.com

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Originally posted by JeremyT:
Buy the magazine - they need the support.

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Jeremy,

I have no objection to buying the magazine, but WHSmiths don't carry it.

They have only ever carried one issue - the 552 one - and I did buy that.

cheers, Martin

E-mail:- MartinPayne at Dial.Pipex.com

From one poor but honest Jeremy to another...

I am a subscriber to Hi-Fi plus (and also bought a 2 year subscription as a present for a freind) but we're 2-4 months behind over here...in general I agree with you though. And the quality of Hi-Fi+ paper and the photos are so good. The record reviews are brilliant as well.

Martyn...I have. I suspect that one of the recipients e-mail accounts needs emtying....the email was "terminated " by BTopenworld I also reduced the resolution....each page at full resolution was nearly 2 meg...and there are 7 pages! (must get broadband)

I will try again later this evening

PS I`m informed that the mag is unavailable in some parts of the USA.....so I don`t feel too guilty that I am undermining sales

Laurie S

Bought a copy of Hi Fi + from W H Smiths in Epsom - they had at least 10 copies on the racks.

Must say this is the best rag I've read since the days of Paul Benson and HiFi Answers. Seriously thinking of taking out a subscription.

I picked up a copy yesterday (Tuesday) in WHSmith in East Kilbride. seems there's no problem in Scotland. If you can't get it in your area ask a local newsagent to order a copy for you every two months.

Yours in Music

Syd

Had my subscription copy in the mail today, in Germany!

I second the notion that Hifi+ is recommendable.

Markus

I've subscribed from Issue 1, good, well written reviews from a range of reviewers.

Always interesting to read of alternative means to the same end....... that why so many attend shows.

Well worth the subscription....oh and a very good restaurant was found as a result....

Malcolm

Yes they actually recommended Rules which is my all time favourite restaurant.

The beef and oyster pie is something to die for.

Regards

Mick

I read the review of the new 300 in this months HI-fi + and am now very confussed! On the one hand the review came across that the 300 was lacklustre yet in another paragraph it vies with the 250 as best value. I found both reviews contradicted themselves on many occasions and am left wondering whether this amp is as good as some people say?

Regards

NB

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Originally posted by slim:
nb, take no notice, I cannot believe how much credence we give to these mags, we slag off dealers but these guys are just the pits, they have even less experience than dealers and write some much shite, I say burn 'em.

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I think all magazine reviews and reviewers should be taken with a pinch of salt. There job is to sell magazines and attract advertising revenue. This is always uppermost in their minds. If they constantly recommend a range of cables at upwards of £100 a metre they will get the advertising revenue. Only recommend 1 make at £7 a metre and they others will go elswhere. Look at any current magazine and notice how much advertising there is for peripherals, cables,stands,isolaters,mains conditioners etc and realise that if they told the truth that most of these products are barely adequate and in some cases dont work at all the magazine would fold. A case in point was Popular HIFI from twenty years ago. Edited by Chris Frankland(a died in the wool flat earther) it continuosly recommended Naim,Linn,Rega and a few other flat earth products, slagged off mega bucks cables, cartridges etc and although the readership was growing advertisers complained to Heymarket Publishing that they weren't getting the right press. Heymarket fired Chris, ceased publishing Popular HIFI and brought out a new Magazine NEW HIFI SOUND to replace it. The editors and reviewers started praising all sorts of Japanese, European and American equipment some of it good, but lots of it poor but guaranteed to bring in Advertising Revenue. At the same time reviwers in other magazines got rid of their Linn and Naim equipment, claimed they had been misleading us all along anf didn't really enjoy listening to it at all and went out and bought Mega Bucks American Tube and Solid state powerhouses. The same thing applies today. Advertising revenue is what keeps the magazines going, not us buying them. Roy Gregory could'nt admit to liking NACA5 as he has publicly stated that megabucks Nordost is the best he has heard in his system and that's it.

That's one of the reasons I like this forum. We know what we like and any advice you get is usually from people who use the equipment we do, and know from experience what will work and what won't.

Sorry about the Rant but I'm afraid too many people take what reviwers say as gospel and it's wrong. If it sounds right to you then it is right.

Yours in Music

Syd

I've been slowly reading through my copy of HIFI+ (I still think it's the best read of a poor bunch irrespective of my previous rant) and I was struck by the Audio Smorgasbord review of the mains conditioners/cables etc. Roy Gregorys conclusion may just outline some of the failings off the mag. The cheapest kit, RA Kimber High Current Power cords,Purifier block and Super Purifier " the Russ Andrews system can certainly lay claim to being the first, and in terms of rhythmic and musical communication is still the best" but he positively creamed his jeans over the most expensive Shunyata Hydra with ultra expensive Python cables. To me the main thing a system has to get right is " rhythmic and musical communication" . Thats why I have a classic Linn/Naim/Linn system (well it will be when I get my Klyde retipped or buy a new Linn cartridge) All the timbral and tonal nuances of the others, soundstaging, solidity etc are nothing if the PRaT isn't up to par. To me he fudged the issue and tried to be all things to all advertisers. To me its a return to sonics ie. Up and over garage doors on a HI FI news test record. When the first issue came out and in subsequent issues Roy stated that the magazine would put musicality first but over the years this seems to have diminished. I find it all a bit sad that for a magazine to survive you can't be true to your convictions.

Other magazines of course are much worse and I find that if the words like musicality, timing etc. are missing then the item being reviewed probably doesn't have it.

Anyway enough of this second rant, I'm off for a kip.

Yours in Music

Syd