Upgrade 200 to DR?

Posted by: Calum F on 23 November 2015

I have not been on here for ages as not in the market but can 200's be sent for DR treatment? as HC's could be?
Posted on: 23 November 2015 by ChrisSU

I think I'm right in saying that only the 250 and above are upgradable, in which case you'd need to sell your 200 and buy a new DR one. Also, remember that the 'DR' power in the 200 only applies to it's preamp power supply. If you already have a Hicap, you don't benefit from it. 

Posted on: 23 November 2015 by nickpeacock
From the Naim website announcing the new classics:

"Upgrades will be available for existing owners of the NAP 250, NAP 300 and NAP 500 power amplifiers from late 2015, early 2016. Only new style product with 'tryptych' casework will be upgradeable; older 'Olive Series' style amplifiers will not be compatible. More information regarding the servicing process will be made available in due course."

So, sadly, it seems not...
Posted on: 23 November 2015 by Calum F
OK thanks, could have been an upgrade without stepping up a level and/or adding boxes, I have HC DR
Posted on: 23 November 2015 by The Strat (Fender)
Calum - the DR upgrades to the 250 and 300 are very significant.   Unless you use the 200 to power your 282 or 202 as I understand it you'll only get a marginal improvement.
Posted on: 23 November 2015 by Andrew Everard
Originally Posted by Calum F:
OK thanks, could have been an upgrade without stepping up a level and/or adding boxes, I have HC DR

As it was explained to me down in Salisbury the other week, to upgrade the 200 to DR spec would be a fairly major job, as the whole main board of the amp would have to be replaced.

 

Why? Because the DR module in the 200DR fits into a cutout to one side of the main board (which cutout isn't there on the 'old' 200, so the whole board would need to be jettisoned and replaced with a new one of a different shape.

Posted on: 23 November 2015 by ChrisSU

The 200DR is kind of like a 200 with a HicapDR in it to power the preamp. So if you wanted to lose a box without loss of sound quality, you could sell your 200 and Hicap, and get a 200DR instead. OK, it may not be quite as simple as that, but possibly worth an audition to see how they compare?

Posted on: 24 November 2015 by Scooot
I would of thought,
202/200/hicap dr would be way better than 202/200 dr.
After all the hicap dr is a dedicated psu and not contained in the power amp.

Scott
Posted on: 24 November 2015 by catalinmetal

it's all wrong... the 200DR does not sound like the old 200, as power amplifier itself!

there are quite a few areas where the 200DR sounds easily better then the older model.

 

some here will say that if internal PSU for pre-amp is not used, there woun't be consistent differences.

this is diffeent than my own opinion, i think the upgrade from 200 to 200DR is a significant one! in fact on Naim's homepage, it clearly states that some layout and components imporvements were implemented in the new 200DR, along with DR update for pre-amp PSU.

 

BTW, recently i have used the 200DR with some HUGE Piega classic 80.2 speakers, way-way above the price tag of the 200DR. and it drove them quite beautifully. i recall the older model not being so relaxed with high priced speakers...

 

i consider that if someone sells it's 200 at a good price then the price difference to get the 200DR (maybe a demo unit with reduced price) will be quite a bargain, considering that the 200DR is a tremendous upgrade for ANY Naim integrated ever made, including the Supernait 2.