adding a amp

Can we ask why?

Is it to try to improve the sound...drive bigger speakers..or what 

hi 

i was wanting to just make the sound a bit more punchey 

i have a pair of russel k 150 red speakers thats great with the nova but just now i have dipped my toe into the world of naim i just wanted to see if i go with bumping up the nova with a amp or go down the route of separates ? 

the reason i went for the nova is minamumalislic so would rather not go separates if i can ? 

thanks 

The answer is yes....a nap 300 is probably the next step up from a nova's internal.

The 250 is pretty much what the nova has inside...(pretty much)

There are a couple of people on here using the Nova with an additional power amp. The chap who bought my 250DR added it to his Nova, and thought it a worthwhile though probably not huge upgrade. Someone else uses a 300, which will obviously make more of a difference. 

The Nova is an excellent all in one, and adding a power amp is probably more logical as part of a planned upgrade to the Classic series. A dealer told me that the 272/250 is much better than the Nova/250, but of course the 272 does not have some of the functionality that the Nova possesses. Hopefully there will be a new platform streaming preamp in a year or two, which you could swap to should you go the Nova/power amp route at this stage. 

As ever, you need to listen before committing. The Nova has a powerful amplifier and you may well find that adding a power amp makes little difference. The perceived lack of punch may simply be part of the character of the Russell Ks. 

Tastiehastie77 posted:

The answer is yes....a nap 300 is probably the next step up from a nova's internal.

The 250 is pretty much what the nova has inside...(pretty much)

The Nova does not have a 250 power amp inside it.  The 250 is a fully regulated amplifier which is a completely different beast.

The Nova amplifier is based on the Nait which is significantly different to a 250.

trickydickie posted:

Tastiehastie77 posted:

The answer is yes....a nap 300 is probably the next step up from a nova's internal.

The 250 is pretty much what the nova has inside...(pretty much)

The Nova does not have a 250 power amp inside it.  The 250 is a fully regulated amplifier which is a completely different beast.

The Nova amplifier is based on the Nait which is significantly different to a 250.

Yeah but, pretty much the same....and the answers is still yes

No, the amp in the Nova is a LOT closer to a SN2 or NAP200 than it is to a NAP250DR.

Huge posted:

No, the amp in the Nova is a LOT closer to a SN2 or NAP200 than it is to a NAP250DR.

But the answer to the question is still yes.

And the logical progression is either a 250 or 300.....but getting the 250 wouldn't add much more clout than he has available, so actually if he was to upgrade the answer is a 300 (possibly a 250...but probably little point)

So my answer is still valid...?

Tastiehastie77 posted:

Huge posted:

No, the amp in the Nova is a LOT closer to a SN2 or NAP200 than it is to a NAP250DR.

But the answer to the question is still yes.

And the logical progression is either a 250 or 300.....but getting the 250 wouldn't add much more clout than he has available, so actually if he was to upgrade the answer is a 300 (possibly a 250...but probably little point)

So my answer is still valid...?

Only if you assume that a 250DR is just a minor upgrade on a SN2 is your full answer truly valid.
If, with any given set of speakers, you think that the 250DR is a significant upgrade to the SN2, then you'll probably find that the same applies to the Nova.

In terms of sound quality the degree to which the improvement is heard will be heavily dependant on the speakers, the 250DR will cope better with speakers that are a much harder load than would the Nova.

daz posted:

 

the nova is minamumalislic

This is wonderful )

I auditioned some power hungry speakers using a Nova and it sounded ok, but adding a 250dr   Made a worth while addition to my ears. It sounded altogether more composed, better bass control and more engaging. Give it a try if you can.

In the old days the reply to  this type of question would be the somewhat counterintuitive upgrade the preamp.

Nowadays with Naim and their streaming all in one life style thingies - only God knows the correct answer.

thebigfredc posted:

In the old days the reply to  this type of question would be the somewhat counterintuitive upgrade the preamp.

Nowadays with Naim and their streaming all in one life style thingies - only God knows the correct answer.

I am certainly not God, but my answer would be that if you want to upgrade, buy separates. I don't think the importance of the preamp in a Naim system has diminished, but unfortunately, if you want to make incremental upgrades to any Uniti, the preamp has to be the last step.

Maybe we do exist in a Godless Universe because  if there was a divine super being surely they would correct the abomination in the title.

God save me from OCD grammar perverts. 

I don’t think God is a member of the spelling police!

Sorry Bob

 But its not like I am complaining about an errant 'c' in necessary or a small mistake in discombobulate, and i normally hold fire on such errors anyway, but FFS in this instance the over literation combined with the breaking of a grammar rule I learned when I was aged five....come on.

Ray

thebigfredc posted:

Sorry Bob

 But its not like I am complaining about an errant 'c' in necessary or a small mistake in discombobulate, and i normally hold fire on such errors anyway, but FFS in this instance the over literation combined with the breaking of a grammar rule I learned when I was aged five....come on.

Ray

It is customary when correcting someone's grammer to make deliberate mistakes, but the above is just to silly.

Two suggestions

Perhaps get some easier speakers to run the Nova, to me it seem a bit crazy another poweramp is needed, making the all-in-one box concept a bit pointless.

Change to separates

I quite agree, you either buy into the one-box solution or not.

Add an amp or pre to better an integrated? Now you're back peddling. 

You should have just gone the separates route up-front which allows more flexibility.

I have heard a pair of the Russell K Red 150 on the end of a 272/XPSDR/250DR and thought that the system sounded brilliant.  Not bass heavy, but brilliantly, naturally musical.  The Red 150 is not an especially hard speaker to drive either, so a Nova should drive them very well.

So, if you want to get the best out of your speakers, a new NAP250 should be perfect.  More (e.g. NAP300) is possible but not necessary. 

Before deciding that a regulated power amp is the answer, have you tried re-positioning your speakers a little closer to the wall behind them?  It may well add more warmth and bass punch to the sound but go too close and the sound may become a bit boomy, with overblown woolly bass.

If, however, your dealer has carefully positioned your speakers where they are in order to optimise the sound, then best leave them where they are.

Hope this helps, FT

As with any upgrade, audition, and audition again, it's your and your partners ears that matter. Consider others opinions but don't take them as gospel. So to my opinion; The Nova was on my shortlist, I really wanted to like it, but to my and my wife's ears it was some what musically deficient. And not a significant upgrade on my existing Naim entry level separate system, OK it had a bit more 'omph'. My existing system with a Flatcap power supply equalled, if not surpassing the Nova! I think the 250DR is several notches above the power amp of the Nova, certainly a 272 N + 250DR blows the Nova into the also ran position. Don't listen to me though, you need to listen for yourself! My idea of what sounds correct is probably not yours. Rich 

Bob the Builder posted:

God save me from OCD grammar perverts. 

Spelling =/= grammar. And I don't have anything against it, my english isn't perfect either, and as far as I'm concerned, it can be the autocorrect. I just said the word in my head and thought it was funny as hell