nac 202 with nap 300dr

Ouch, that may not be the best combination...

Generally speaking, climbing the preamp ladder yields biggest dividends...you are doing things a bit backwards imho. Funds better invested in the preamp section.

ATB,

mark

If you have already bought this combination, then I wish you every enjoyment with it.

If you haven't, then you might like to try a 282/SC/250DR, 272/XPS/250DR or even a 272/XPS/300DR in case you prefer any of all of them.  A 202 with a 300DR is not an obviously successful pairing, even with a Supercap powering the 202.

Good luck, FT

Hi ft yes I have this combination ive gone down this route because a 300dr came up at a really good price at my dealers its second hand and I got a good deal on my old 250,2 .

Have no experience of the 300 but I find the 202 (with only a Hicap) perfectly capable of feeding my 250DR.

Don't worry about posters talking about "matching" - that only applies when you are starting a system on a specific budget ... I think in this forum most of us get where we are by a mixture of logic and serendipity and gut feeling. Is the 202/300 sounding better than your old 202/250 ... that is all that you have to worry about at present.

... the only caveat to that is where a specific component has some weird interaction with another component that just doesn't sound right but I can't see that applying in this case, as above, is your new system sounding better than your old one?

Let the future take care of upgraditis ...

Enjoy,

Allan

Allan Milne posted:

 

Have no experience of the 300 but I find the 202 (with only a Hicap) perfectly capable of feeding my 250DR.

 

Don't worry about posters talking about "matching" - that only applies when you are starting a system on a specific budget ... I think in this forum most of us get where we are by a mixture of logic and serendipity and gut feeling. Is the 202/300 sounding better than your old 202/250 ... that is all that you have to worry about at present.

 

... the only caveat to that is where a specific component has some weird interaction with another component that just doesn't sound right but I can't see that applying in this case, as above, is your new system sounding better than your old one?

 

Let the future take care of upgraditis ...

 

Enjoy,

Allan

+1 ......I think Allan has got it spot on

Aceone posted:

Hi ft yes I have this combination ive gone down this route because a 300dr came up at a really good price at my dealers its second hand and I got a good deal on my old 250,2 .

As you already have this combination, what do you hope to gain by asking people what they think of it? Surely the time to ask for advice has passed?

Enjoy your new 300DR with the 202. You've got an excellent 'back end' with the 300 and SC2 when you do upgrade the Pre.

Don't forget source though -  otherwise you may be heading into true Mullet territory 

Thanks for your answers how long does the 300dr take to settle down it is second hand .

Source first is nonsense just the same as back loading with expensive speakers and budget source/amp.  202/SC with a NAP 300 is fine but a 282 will be a game changer.

Regards,

Lindsay

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Source first is nonsense just the same as back loading with expensive speakers and budget source/amp.  202/SC with a NAP 300 is fine but a 282 will be a game changer.

Regards,

Lindsay

Heresy of the highest order Lindsay!

Aceone posted:

Hi ft yes I have this combination ive gone down this route because a 300dr came up at a really good price at my dealers its second hand and I got a good deal on my old 250,2 .

So you have had it for a bit, what do you think? I am not a big believer that you have to move up some hierarchy in order. I would think you would have a pretty impressive sounding system with the 300DR/202.. Certainly improving the preamp would help long term, but I would never buy another analog only preamp. Enjoy what you have and consider a 172 or 272 down the road. 

Aceone posted:

Thanks for your answers how long does the 300dr take to settle down it is second hand .

It's 2nd hand, so it's already "run in". it should sound fantastic! as far as "settling down", i'm not sure what that might mean

Aceone,

In my experience (albeit not with a 300) you may hear refinement in the sound for a week or more of settling in.  Do report back on your experiences.

There is likely a concencus here that a 202/300 system is not the best allocation of funds, and that the same money spent on a more balanced system would be better.  But, you took an opportunity to buy the 300, and it hopefully is an improvement in sound.  You presumably will enjoy this system for a while, then will move to a 282 or 252 (or soething new?) when the opportunity presents and funds allow.  

Enjoy the music, and share your experiences on this forum.

Charliw

Jump direct to a Nac 72 no more worries

Its definitely  different to a nap 250,2  ,the nap 300dr can sound abit lighter on the bass than the 250,2  but the top end is excellent you can hear more detail in the music to .

I also bought a second hand 300DR recently and have it now with NAC282. I still have also my previous NAP200 in house.

This week I started to think how 300DR would sound with 202 since I did like 202/200 combination a lot with NAPSC and HicapDR. 200 and 300DR has some similarities.

Any experience on this 202/300DR combination would be interesting for me.

Please, note that it is nice to try also so called crazy combinations and hear other people's experiences on those.

Hi tuomo it sounds great ,I do think the nac 202 is a great preamp but for some reason is not highly rated I do power mine with a supercap2 .

The 202 is a great pre-amp in its own right.  However,  one thing is pretty well universally agreed and that is that the 282 is a quantum leap and so it should be at £s 2X.  

I definitely Will be changing my preamp as soon as possible I think it will be 282 I would like the 252 but you are starting to spend silly money .

Yes the 300Dr is a bit of leap in the Naim hierarchy with respect to the 202. This upgrade business is bit of a leapfrogging exercise. Considering you got the 300DR at a good price I can't fault you. Also considering you have a SuperCap, a 282 is the next logical step if a 252 is a step too far. I had a 282 powered by a SuperCap and was well pleased. It's more a case of presentation rather than "better hi-fi" at this level. I would advocate auditioning both before any further upgrades.

Thanks for your answer sheffieldgraham  is the 252 a big leap over the 282 in your opinion .

Hi - if you are asking for comment - I found the 252 DR a very worthwhile enhancement over the 282 HiCapDR - the 252 helps on emotion and detail and allows you to listen further into the music. The 282 focuses on fun and the groove - and it does it well - but try and listen in to music to the same degrees and it will feel clouded and obfuscated   ... clearly the rest of system needs to support, not least resolving speakers. 

Some on this forum prefer the fun of the 282 - it really depends what you enjoy from your music... so an audition is always important. I personally also think the 252DR rocks - and is great with electronica and trip hop .. because it plays it in a more neutral way - as opposed to the slight over exuberance of the 282 which to my ears can lead to a slightly tiring performance from the 282 on some music.

Simon

@SiS, couldn't have put it better myself and I have owned both the 282 and 252.

If the OP has a good deal on the 300DR, then go for it with a 200 as long as the plan is to move to 282 or 252 soonish. Already having a Supercap makes this a rather sensible plan in my view. Upgrading order is often about when a component reveals itself at the right price vs logic. But as others have said, demo both the 282 AND 252 as it is not a forgone conclusion which you will prefer as they go about their business in rather different ways, perfectly described by Simon. The 300 will be a great partner for either.

Good luck.

Correction, 1st line should of course refer to 202 and not '200'.

D'oh!

Aceone posted:

Thanks for your answer sheffieldgraham  is the 252 a big leap over the 282 in your opinion .

Unfortunately can't help you there. I went from 282 (my first Naim pre-amp) to 552. I was fortunate enough to afford one.

I wanted a significant step change from the 282. I never tried the 252, but felt it may have been a little "laid back"for me given comments on the forum; much as I found the CDS3 vis the CDX2 (I tried both with XPS2 and 555ps). I did audition the 552 before buying one by the way.

It's all a question of taste, which is why you need to audition all options if possible.