NAP250

I am sure it make nice music from start up and get even better once it's 'warms up' over a few days...  save up next to swap out the xp5xs for a xps for the next step up in SQ... the upgrade from xp5xs to xps made a big difference in my setup...

Enjoy.  

although I got the 250 DR, I'm still very curious about the legendary CB250 !

It's the one Richard Dane uses  with the HF transformer.

Congratulations.

Cheers guys.

it will be interesting to see how the 250 delivers power to my easy to drive Proacs compared to the 100, I guess I will find out tomorrow.

Enjoy, keep us updated 

What an interesting history your 250 has and to be slotted into a great set up. Please come back here and tell us how it sounds. 

Sounds like a nice system & wishing you many more years of enjoyment along with your 'new' 250

analogmusic posted:

although I got the 250 DR, I'm still very curious about the legendary CB250 !

It's the one Richard Dane uses  with the HF transformer.

Congratulations.

1985 vintage.  

I've also got a NAP250DR...

Richard Dane posted:

analogmusic posted:

although I got the 250 DR, I'm still very curious about the legendary CB250 !

It's the one Richard Dane uses  with the HF transformer.

Congratulations.

1985 vintage.  

I've also got a NAP250DR...

Nice one Richard, how does the 32 year old compare to the DR

The anticipation is surely building up nicely. I do hope the Tablette 10s will open up even more with the NAP 250. I suspect the difference would be quite significant if the current amp is NAP 100 driving the speakers in a medium-sized room.

Hifiman, it's hard to say because my NAP250 went off for a service at the factory and the NAP250DR arrived in the interim. I thought I would let the new amp run in a bit and then compare but of course realised that the newly serviced CB 250 would also need time to run in again. So... I'm afraid the serviced 250 is still boxed up and I'm still running in the 250DR - which sounds really good.  What I can say is that the new amp appears to have a wider bandwidth and is perhaps a little more fluid. 

the 100 is a great little amp if easy speakers in smaller room guess its quite different to  old 250 but not neccesarily worse even it lacks Oommph, not a fan of the later 250 im afraid. even more thick

well the CB250 and 250 DR are very different machines, they do have both a regulated power supply. but completely different components.

The transformer is different, the transistors are very different, the PSU regulation is different, to be honest they only share the same 250 designation, but that's about it.

I've been pleased with addition of a recently serviced CB250 to my SN2 - improvement in sound to my ears. However when I tried the pre-out from SN2 to CB Hicap/250 there was a deterioration in sound which points to the quality of the SN2 pre 

..or that the CB Hicap is perhaps in need of attention or a service.  An unserviced Hicap can really drag down overall performance.

An olive 250 was my first Naim amp - paired with a 72 and a HC. Excellent setup...one could argue the 250 is Naim's most iconic product offering, and it all started back in the CB era.

analogmusic posted:

well the CB250 and 250 DR are very different machines, they do have both a regulated power supply. but completely different components.

The transformer is different, the transistors are very different, the PSU regulation is different, to be honest they only share the same 250 designation, but that's about it.

A bit like triggers broom on Only Fools and Horses

DrMark posted:

An olive 250 was my first Naim amp - paired with a 72 and a HC. Excellent setup...one could argue the 250 is Naim's most iconic product offering, and it all started back in the CB era.

I agree history all the way back to 1975

Richard Dane posted:

Hifiman, it's hard to say because my NAP250 went off for a service at the factory and the NAP250DR arrived in the interim. I thought I would let the new amp run in a bit and then compare but of course realised that the newly serviced CB 250 would also need time to run in again. So... I'm afraid the serviced 250 is still boxed up and I'm still running in the 250DR - which sounds really good.  

{What I can say is that the new amp appears to have a wider bandwidth and is perhaps a little more fluid.}

Nothing like improving, on a good thing!

After all:

""We should examine the work of a bunch of pioneering guys – Peter Walker, Ivor Tiefenbrun,

{Julian Vereker}

, Bob Stuart, Mark Levinson, Dan D’Agostino, Ed Meitner, Dave Wilson, Alon Wolf and Yoav Geva. Who are these guys? What did they do to awaken the interest of Joe Reynolds (Nordost), George Cardas (Cardas Audio), Dr. Ray Kimber (Kimber Kable) and Edwin van der Kley (Siltech), leading lights in the cable industry?

""amps of yesterday, and the best tube amps of today set even higher standards for many listeners. Who do we have to thank for the high achievements of today’s reference level silicon amps?

I would mention Julian Vereker of Naim Audio, for his pioneering work on power supplies, and Dan D’Agostino for his groundbreaking Krell Class A amps and the latest remarkable efforts under his own name.""

The Evolving Naim Sound:

AMPS ~ Naim's Bread & Butter!

CB>Olive>Black Box>DR

1973 - 2015 Wow!

Linn/Naim - Focal/Naim

Funny How Time Flies!

Janet Jackson.

Enjoy Your Music!

Allante93!

[@mention:8184226735374105] - I also own a 1985 vintage NAP250 - originally CB (so H&F transformer) , converted by Naim to the Olive 'look' in 2003.

It has been in use since 1985, in all of my systems - and still is.  £822 well spent....?

It's arrived and warming up, service receipt 27/717  so needs running in.

but

OMG............

Richard Dane posted:

..or that the CB Hicap is perhaps in need of attention or a service.  An unserviced Hicap can really drag down overall performance.

Hi Richard

ON reading my post again I got it wrong - what I meant to say was that the SN2/CBHicap/250 sounds better to me than the 62/CBHicap/250 and that the SN2/CB250 also sounds better to my ears than the 62/CBHicap/250 which is why I was praising the SN2 pre.

HiFiman posted:

It's arrived and warming up, service receipt 27/717  so needs running in.

but

OMG............

Not sure about running in but the differences would be apparent even when it's powered up from cold, based on my experience comparing the 200 and 250DR on many occasions.

Enjoy~

Ryder, it's a keeper

The 250 sounds amazing and has added an additional layer of detail and works well with the Proacs. First thing is bass lines just sound realistic (yes, bass from Tab10s), separation and placement of instruments is more apparent, overall draws you into the tune.

Hifiman, that sounds great. Your description about the additional layering with the 250 mirrors my experience as well though in my case it's between the 250 DR and 200. The 250 has a lot more texture in the bass and midrange with added refinement from top to bottom. The 250 is a really a gem. Once you hear it the lesser amps will become inadequate. I am glad the 250 has worked out well with your Tablette 10.

I actually have plans for a Proac to match with the 202/200 sometime next year. The Proac SM100, D20R and Tablette 10 are high on the list. Will see how things will pan out.