Should I ditch my 282 for a passive preamp?

I have had good results with passive pre amps driving other amps.....but have never tried naim .... various reviewers such Andrew Everard and Martin Colloms claim success .... give it a punt and see what you think. I suspect the Naim preamp does greatly influence the sound .... giving a better sense of drive.

Chris - do remember that it’s largerly the pre-amp that ‘creates’ the sound....

Adam Zielinski posted:

Chris - do remember that it’s largerly the pre-amp that ‘creates’ the sound....

That’s an interesting perspective, coming from a guitarist:-)

ChrisSU posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

Chris - do remember that it’s largerly the pre-amp that ‘creates’ the sound....

That’s an interesting perspective, coming from a guitarist:-)

Of course my bass guitar (source) is critical. But... a pre-amp defines and shapes how my instrument sounds. In my case I only use MesaBoogie amps and pre-amps. Power-amp is actually less important. A lot of the gigs now are just pre-amps amplified for front-of-house andin-ear monitoring on-stage.

So back to Naim. Source is critical, but a pre-amp is vital

I could imagine a passive pre should work with the 200. Just guessing but, if I understand the NDX manual correctly, the NDX as a source has a limited bandwidth from 10Hz to 20kHz, so where should frequencies above or below come from? Even if the NDX should emit higher frequencies, they probably shouldn't be arbitrarily high, because everything has to be generated by some kind of clock. Perhaps it's more of a problem with purely analogue sources.

Another option could be to switch to a streamer/pre like the 272. This would a. save a box, b. look more consistent and c. could be more convenient (remote control).

I've been using Naim amps with non-Naim pre amps for 5 years now, and have never had any problems.

jfritzen posted:

I could imagine a passive pre should work with the 200. Just guessing but, if I understand the NDX manual correctly, the NDX as a source has a limited bandwidth from 10Hz to 20kHz, so where should frequencies above or below come from? Even if the NDX should emit higher frequencies, they probably shouldn't be arbitrarily high, because everything has to be generated by some kind of clock. Perhaps it's more of a problem with purely analogue sources.

Another option could be to switch to a streamer/pre like the 272. This would a. save a box, b. look more consistent and c. could be more convenient (remote control).

I've been using Naim amps with non-Naim pre amps for 5 years now, and have never had any problems.

I was under the impression that Naim preamps restricted the frequencies to a narrower band than that, but I haven’t found any figures. I guess there’s only one way to find out, but if it pushes the power amp to instability.....?

Tried a 272, but to my ears, even with an XPS it was no match for NDX/282. 

It's something that would certainly be worth trying Chris - you certainly won't damage the 200. Most Naim owners enjoy the character the pre-amp imposes on the sound, so with this removed ? 

I'll be interested in your findings

James

ChrisSU posted:

jfritzen posted:

I could imagine a passive pre should work with the 200. Just guessing but, if I understand the NDX manual correctly, the NDX as a source has a limited bandwidth from 10Hz to 20kHz, so where should frequencies above or below come from? Even if the NDX should emit higher frequencies, they probably shouldn't be arbitrarily high, because everything has to be generated by some kind of clock. Perhaps it's more of a problem with purely analogue sources.

Another option could be to switch to a streamer/pre like the 272. This would a. save a box, b. look more consistent and c. could be more convenient (remote control).

I've been using Naim amps with non-Naim pre amps for 5 years now, and have never had any problems.

I was under the impression that Naim preamps restricted the frequencies to a narrower band than that, but I haven’t found any figures. I guess there’s only one way to find out, but if it pushes the power amp to instability.....?

Tried a 272, but to my ears, even with an XPS it was no match for NDX/282. 

I think I've read something like 40 or 50kHz as upper limit on this forum.

The frequency responses specified in the manuals for the individual power amps range from 100kHz (500) down to 50kHz (155xs). So I would assume it's safe to operate within these limits. I can't find numbers for the preamps in the manual though.

I am sure it will work ........ the actual perceived sound could vary tonally  - when  the volume control is turned the resistance changes - effecting the impeadence of what the amp sees.....potentially effecting frequency response....whereas the preamp will give an ideal constant and the desired frequency response -   you may also loose some drive or 'kick', however... you will probably gain more micro detail..... try it. The trouble is you will inevitably start straying from the naim din connector philosophy - etc, the whole point behind the naim approach is a systemised modular amplifier system with consistent earthing/grounding to give repeatedly good sound. Don't get me wrong - I think a passive has allot of merits ..... if I remember rightly one of the naits uses very effectively a pot as a pre amp.

Thanks for the comments, I'll probably see if I can get hold of any demo units some time soon and see what happens. I don't imagine Naim would be too keen to comment, given the use of non-Naim kit - just like the speaker cable question! As long as it doesn't damage the power amp, there's nothing to lose by trying.