Nap 200 the sound change after 2/3 hours ......

At that age, the 200 is quite young to need a recap, but maybe worth having it checked over just in case. 

Once you have finished your cable testing, maybe you can leave it on for about a week, and see if it stabilises. 

you need a napsc!!!

changes the sound for the better.

check e-bay for second hand ones

Phabh posted:

you need a napsc!!!

changes the sound for the better.

check e-bay for second hand ones

He's not using a 202 so a NAPSC isn't going to help here. 

ok........thanks

I bought an ex demo 250-2 a few years back. It was turned off in the shop, boxed and bungied on the back of my MotoGuzzi, maybe 20 minutes to get home, say an hour by the time I’d got it installed and powered up again. Sounded fine on power up and the rest of the evening. The next day it sounded slow thick and turgid, if it hadn’t been a Sunday i’d have taken it back but by Monday it had mostly recovered and just improved over the next two weeks of never being turned off. I’ve no explaination, just observation.

It's not quite a consistent experience in my case but I noticed the same. It's not only with the NAP 200 but the 250DR as well. When powered up from cold, there is an immediacy to the sound, a forward and punchy quality. The next 2 to 3 hours it goes a bit downhill, sounding warm, shut-in and a little diffused and it will stay that way for several hours. The system will sound optimal after 1 day (24 hours), 2 days would be best as the amp would have reached stability and there wouldn't be any more changes to the sound. If there are further changes after 2 days, it would more toward the listener's mood swings or blocked ears etc.

It doesn't happen every time though but that's my observation as I turn off the system once in a week these days as I don't listen to the system too often due to work.

Once a week is a little too often ryder.

switching the amps on and off stresses the capacitors, not a good idea.

analogmusic posted:

Once a week is a little too often ryder.

switching the amps on and off stresses the capacitors, not a good idea.

AM,

No doubt surges stress capacitors, but to varying degrees depending on the capacitor type. You say "once a week is a little too often". What's your recommendation for a minimum "safe" on/off cycle period based on the capacitor types used in the NAP 200, and what is your projected longevity?

Hey, I didn't design the Naim amplifiers.

But since it takes almost a week for the amp to reach optimal sound quality, I think switch off every week isn't ideal, and also - it does stress the capacitors.

I only switch mine off

- If I am going on holiday

- if there is risk of lightening.

Looks to me it's better to power off all Naim gear once every 3 weeks or so to get rid of all static build up etc. 

analogmusic posted:

 Hey, I didn't design the Naim amplifiers.

I'd guess no one here ever doubted that disclosure.

analogmusic posted:

 it takes almost a week for the amp to reach optimal sound quality, 

Based on what objective evidence? 

Asking again, any knowledge of the capacitor types used in the NAP 200 and their effective longevity, as your prior response seemed to suggest? Or just more backpedaling?

I have had many disagreements with my better half over turning my system off and when I try to explain to her she looks at me with a slight pity as if to say this stupid  hobby of your's has finally driven you a bit silly.

 I have never done any serious testing but if my amps have ever been switched off when switched back on they sound fine my understanding was that the powering on and off argument was about longevity of electrical components more than SQ.  My own amps and pretty much all the Naim amps I've owned have had fluctuations in SQ but I put this down to other factors increased or decreased RF interference for instance but 99% it sounds as it should so I don't worry.

joerand posted:

analogmusic posted:

 Hey, I didn't design the Naim amplifiers.

I'd guess no one here ever doubted that disclosure.

analogmusic posted:

 it takes almost a week for the amp to reach optimal sound quality, 

Based on what objective evidence? 

Asking again, any knowledge of the capacitor types used in the NAP 200 and their effective longevity, as your prior response seemed to suggest? Or just more backpedaling?

Joe rand I'm not sure why this is of any interest at all to you. 

You sold your Naim amplifiers after all?

Are you not enjoying your  Plinius amplifier anymore, thinking of coming back to Naim? 

Anyway for ryder this is from the what hi-fi review of NAC 202, available on google search

"Once fully warmed up – which can take at least a week – this preamp combines with one of Naim's power amps to give a sound that's refined at the top-end and lacks any form of hardness. Detail resolution is right up to class standards and the presentation cohesive yet it's easy to follow individual instruments, even when the mix gets complex."

It's more about the preamp warming up rather than the power amp.

Bob, my experience with Naim systems is that the more boxes the greater the influence of on/off cycles. More tendency for the system to go "off" with more boxes. In that case, when I had two FCXSs powering  a Nait XS, Stageline, CD5X, and Headline, an occasional power re-start could get the system sounding "right" from otherwise "flat". OTOH, my bare SN2 system sounded "on" most of the time, regardless of on/off cycles. Based on that experience, I'd say there is some merit to be found repowering a more complex system at times. As to why I consistently heard this phenomenon between the two systems, I have no idea, but it's one factor that has lead me to conclude the simpler the system the better. IME, I've yet to find any contradictory evidence.

in the Naim world, Joe Rand asking for objective data to support sound quality assertions is quite disingenuous.

It's all about the listening, Naim never really publishes much data anyway other than saying it take a month to run in their products.

"The simpler the system the better", doesn't make any sense Joerand but then you do add you have "no idea".

All the best systems I heard were complex systems like 552, 300 and 500 Chord Dave, or CD555/PS555 on Fraim. 

Multiple boxes, complex power supplies with Burndy... 

analogmusic posted:

Are you not enjoying that awful and ugly  Plinius amplifier anymore, thinking of coming back to Naim? 

AM,

Are you capable of supplying any substantive, objective input to the topic at hand? More so, with any direct, relevant experience that does not relegate your responses to petty non-Naim name-calling as above? You come off to me as awash in the larger world of hi-fi, can't corroborate your prior responses when questioned, and always rebound to a Naim-first theology for your safety base. Credibility zero as I read it.

JoeRand, you asked questions which have no relevance to you, in the apparent effort to try and catch me out. "when questioned" but excuse me, I am not answerable to you - especially since you do not seek answers, and are just trying to pick a fight and that too, just before Christmas.

I have owned many Naim amplifiers Nait XS, 202/200 and 282/250 DR, and this is my experience, which apparently you are trying to challenge just to try and undermine my experience of almost a decade with Naim products.

 As for credibility, well for me anyone like you who sold their Naim amplifiers is in no position to come here and question those who are fully committed to their Naim ownership.

You come off to me and others here as someone who is not very helpful and not very knowledgable either and tries to pick a fight because I said something the other day on the Importing Naim directly to USA thread, which you couldn't understand nor digest.

Please take the liberty of no further questions on my posts, I want no further interaction with someone deliberately trying to pick a fight and make things personal. I have now placed you on my ignore/block list so don't expect any further responses from me on your irrelevant questions.

as for Naim first, well this is a forum for Naim products, hosted by Naim and paid for by Naim.

Then for the Nap.......should  I obtain the "right"  sound after (min )  a week ?

A naim preamp takes longer than a day. I tend to think my preamps need a full week to reach optimal performance 

Nap 200 should be within a day in My experience. 

It really should be left on....

Ive trieds loads of cables. Best is Naca 5.... in my experience 

only beaten by superlumina in my opinion 

My own system benefits a "reboot" every couple of weeks. That's turn everything off, in the correct sequence of course, and after a few seconds turn it all on again. Immediately it sounds better and improves over about 15-20 minutes. In my system, with my ears once a week would be unnecessarily frequent. I've read on here others reporting similar experiences.

Recently bought a second hand 250 (serviced in 2016). From the off it sounded good but was a bit up and down over the next few days. I had put it down to me suffering from whatever virus is currently doing the rounds, but then again who knows. I suppose I could swap back to one of my other 250s  which would by now be stone cold and see if the same effect was present, but to be honest I can't be arsed. 

Willy.

Erm.... not disagreeing with your experience, but one should let the Naim amplifiers and power supply off for a full minute before switching back on

it's in the manual.

analogmusic posted:

A naim preamp takes longer than a day. I tend to think my preamps need a full week to reach optimal performance 

Nap 200 should be within a day in My experience. 

It really should be left on....

Ive trieds loads of cables. Best is Naca 5.... in my experience 

only beaten by superlumina in my opinion 

I'm testing a pair of Tellurium qblack , but something doesn't figure out........the qed silver xt  are better 

Naca are reject ( wife factor )

analogmusic posted:

Erm.... not disagreeing with your experience, but one should let the Naim amplifiers and power supply off for a full minute before switching back on

it's in the manual.

 

Will take that on board. 

Willy.