Naim pre-amp (NAC 282) with non naim power amp?

Remember you will need a Naim power supply for either pre-amp if you use the Moon power amp. Personally, i'd stick to Naim preamps with Naim power amps.

You don't mention what the rest of your system is ?

James

I also have a flatcap xs. The speakers I use at the moment ar Linn Kan mk1. I intend to get the ProAc Tablette 10 when funds permit ????

It's not possible to predict how good the acoustic match will be with any certainty.

However form a technical perspective there shouldn't be too much of a problem: the input load of the Moon is fine (47k5 compared to Naim power amps @~18-22k), the gain is a little higher (31dB vs 29dB) which will be undesirable for use with high sensitivity speakers (as the rotation on the volume control will be very limited), but this won't make it unusable.

Don't forget that Naim pre-amps aren't designed to drive long cables (I would recommend no more than 2.5m total length of low capacitance cable, including the SNAIC going from the PSU to the preamp).

The 282 is the better pre-amp by quite a big margin, but how well it will match the Moon from the perspective of acoustic balance, is anyone's guess!
Whilst a HiCap is definitely needed to show the 282 at it's best, with the flatcap it'll still be fine and will still easily outperform the 152, whether the Moon will show this advantage or whether the 282 combination will be less well balanced than the 152 combination is another matter.

I’m sure there’s no problem using a non-Naim power amp with a Naim pre, although in your position, I’d find it hard to resist looking out for a nice used 250.

A 282 should be a nice step up, but I don’t know how well it would perform with a Flatcap. A Hicap is what it would really like. The fun never stops! 

I don't really get the mixy-matchy thing.

I imagine a 282/ HC/ 250 into Mk1 Kans could be super. Likewise, your Moon power with a Moon pre into latest Tablettes.

Just an opinion. Hope it turns out whatever you do.

Christopher_M posted:

I don't really get the mixy-matchy thing.

I imagine a 282/ HC/ 250 into Mk1 Kans could be super. Likewise, your Moon power with a Moon pre into latest Tablettes.

Just an opinion. Hope it turns out whatever you do.

Surely, if you don't really get the mixy-matchy thing...

The Kans should be used with an LP12 and Linn amplifiers

The 282/ HC/ 250 should be used with a Naim CD player (or an LP12 with an Aro at a push) driving n-Sats.

And the Simaudio power-amp should be used with a Simaudio streamer / DAC and a Simaudio pre, with the Simaudio power-amp driving...  nothing?  

Thanks for the input!

I tend to agree with Chris on this.  Mixing pre and power amp may work fine - if you're lucky - but with Naim it's generally always best to stick with a Naim pre-amp for a Naim power amp.  And I'd add that for a Naim power amp a Naim pre-amp is pretty much mandatory.

Kans will work just fine and dandy on the end of a Naim amplifier. Just remember the pre/power heirarchy, for best performance the pre-amp always takes precedence.  What's your source?

I don't know the Sim Moon amp.  I assume you heard it and liked it.  What did you pair it with for the demo?

Thanks! I have just listened to the Moon Ace and compared to one of the Naim new unity products and I slightly preferred the Moon although it was cheaper. My naim dealer also strongly seems to prefer Moon over Naim which made me curious to try moon. I got a very good deal on the Moon 330A which is why I wanted to try it out, however I have not listened to it yet. I want to stick with Naim preamps though since I prefer the looks and I also have an N-sub which I don't want to get rid of and is practical that I can also use the naim remote for both the n-sub and pre-amp :-)

Buying an expensive power amp that you have not heard, especially when its matching with a Naim preamp is unknown, seems completely daft to me. A ‘good deal’ does not make it any more sensible. The excellent nSub has a Naim amplifier inside, so you will have a Naim preamp, a Naim powered subwoofer, and a Moon dropped in with no idea if it will work well. Who cares about the dealer’s preference? It’s no substitute for good system matching and common sense. Why is he offering a good deal? Very likely because he wants to get shot of it. I’d cancel the order and get a 250DR. 

Yes maybe that was daft of me. I guess I will have to experiment and try it out and meanwhile have a look out for a nap 250 :-)

The main reason that I went for the moon amp is that it was less than a used nap 200 which I have also been looking for. Knowing that Linn Kans are power hungry the 135 watts from the moon amp seemed tempting. Used naim power amps seem much more difficult to find at that big of a price drop which is of course good if you own one yourself :-) 

That Moon costs £3,700 new, so if it’s less than a used 200 it must be under £1,000. For that money you could get a serviced olive 250, which is perfect for the Kans. With an 82 and an olive Hicap you’d have a fantastic system for a lot less than you are thinking of spending. Just a thought. 

Its the older 330A which was discontinued at 2013 which I paid under £900. Thanks for the tip on the olives. Will look into that!

Right now I use a serviced nap 100 which I think sounds a bit thin with my cans

hifinerdwannabe posted:

Right now I use a serviced nap 100 which I think sounds a bit thin with my cans

Are you sure it is a nap 100? These are pretty young and service should not be necessary.

Ardbeg10y posted:

hifinerdwannabe posted:

Right now I use a serviced nap 100 which I think sounds a bit thin with my cans

Are you sure it is a nap 100? These are pretty young and service should not be necessary.

No sorry, I mean a nap 110

My first Naim amp was a 42/snaps/110, with Mk1 Kans, back in 1983. I later swapped the 110 for a 250, which is the amp they need to really come alive. For your £900 you can get a serviced olive 250, which would be perfect and would, of course, match a Naim preamp. This assumes that your source is good, as a 250 and Kans are ruthlessly revealing. 

Sounds like a good idea! How does the sound of an olive 250 differ from the new 250? If I have understood it correctly the newer amps are slightly more "relaxed" and more forgiving maybe?

I can't find a mention of source.

Richard Dane posted:

I tend to agree with Chris on this.

Which one? 

Actually, maybe don't answer that!

hifinerdwannabe posted:

Sounds like a good idea! How does the sound of an olive 250 differ from the new 250? If I have understood it correctly the newer amps are slightly more "relaxed" and more forgiving maybe?

I really like the olive 250 and the current 250 DR, but am much less keen on the 250.2, which to me seems a bit fat and bloated sounding. But others love it. A lot of your choice will be down to budget. 

Ardbeg10y posted:

I can't find a mention of source.

Meridian MS600