NAP 300DR

Posted by: Steve O on 26 February 2017

Has anyone regretted making the move to NAP 300DR from the standard NAP 300?

My 300 is due a service and I'm trying to decide between a straight service, a service plus DR upgrade or just swapping the unit out. Any experiences most welcome. Thanks in advance.

Steve O.

Posted on: 26 February 2017 by The Strat (Fender)

Steve,

i doubt it no but one or 2 have said that they prefer the non DR 250 but certainly not me.

The only way though is to ask your dealer to give you a demo.

Regards,

Lindsay

Posted on: 26 February 2017 by sheffieldgraham

Steve O posted:
Has anyone regretted making the move to NAP 300DR from the standard NAP 300?
My 300 is due a service and I'm trying to decide between a straight service, a service plus DR upgrade or just swapping the unit out. Any experiences most welcome. Thanks in advance.
Steve O.

Swapped out my relatively new 300 for a 300DR. Got a fair trade in rather than DR'ing my own. Can't say I regretted it. Thing is I bought the SL i.c. and SL speaker cables before it was fully run in. Wider , deeper soundstage. Greater clarity. Best to demo if possible though.

Consider the cost advantages of DR'ing the original vs. a new build, warranty etc.. I preferred a built from scratch new 300DR.

Posted on: 02 March 2017 by Cloth Ears

Hi Steve,

Unfortunately I don't know how to post a link to a previous thread but it may be worth you having a look through this thread. NAP 300DR Started by ACEONE on 29/10/16.

It starts with many of the familiar comments on how much better the DR version is but on 6/11/16 another forum member expresses his disappointment with the upgrade.

On 18/11/16 I express my opinion on the difference having had two lengthy home demos. I eventually decide not to go ahead with the upgrade.

After listening to my system for a further three weeks I started to really miss the parts the DR upgrade brings.

I decided to bite the bullet and go for it having my existing 300 converted to DR and ordering a new 300DR (I run an active system into S600's one amp on treble and one feeding both bass drivers via a Naim Y link.)

The new 300DR on treble has been running for around two and a half months with a dealer loan unit on bass. My own upgraded and serviced 300DR has been back in the system for just 2 weeks.

It's still too early to tell if I made the right move yet and I'm still waiting for the magic to return to my system. However, it's still improving and I was reassured to read an interview with Naim's Steve Sells who explained that the actual amplifier circuit is identical apart from minor component values to tune it to the new power supply and output transistors.

I Know the 300 and the 300DR have a different sound but am patiently waiting and hoping that at least some of the previous highly detailed musical voicing of the original 300 comes along soon to combine with the new control, sound stage, bass extension and clarity the 300DR has.

Please read through ACEONE's thread as there is quite a bit of detail in there.

Regards

Cloth Ears

Posted on: 02 March 2017 by Chag...

I happen to have recently reported some impressions of the 300 DR on another thread. While the DR version is certainly the way to go, one must be aware of that very light touch of brightness coming with it. This light touch of brightness of the DR version is only to be considered in comparison, or in contrast, with the original 300 that had, I believe, somewhat of a dark or matt sound presentation that is appreciated by the listener of classical music. The best way I found to describe the new 300 DR is that while it certainly does better each and every thing that the original 300 was doing so well, listening to it, the DR version, is like looking through a window after the rain has stopped. While the air is now cleaner, the streets are now also gleaming whereas the asphalt used to look matt before the rain. This light touch of brightness that Martin Colloms of HiFi Critic has reported as well in his review last year, may sometimes and on some recordings, mask a small part of the counterpoint or even the texture of the timbres even though the DR is capable or rendering noticeably more details to the presentation. On the other end this touch of brightness may also contribute to the rendition of more open and refined highs for greater transparency, airiness and layering.

Chag -

Posted on: 02 March 2017 by KRM

The DR upgrade is a massive improvement. I got the SL interconnect and speaker cable a couple of months before and the music has never sounded better. Absolutely no regrets here.

Keith

Posted on: 02 March 2017 by Chris Dolan

I got my 300 serviced and DR'd just over a month ago. It is breathtakingly better. It is like having a completely new and improved amp. I have not the slightest hesitation in recommending it unreservedly.

Posted on: 03 March 2017 by Sten

Hi not sure this is 100% on topic but....I currently have a 282 with HC and the 250DR and my dealer has offered me a trade in of the 250 for a 300DR. Question is is the 300 compatible with the 282 HC?

Not ready to upgrade the pre yet so wondering if the 300 will even connect to the HC as I have only seen it connecting to SC with 252 or higher.

Cheers

Posted on: 03 March 2017 by Ravenswood10

Likewise. I traded an 8 year old 300 for a new DR and have been delighted with it - even before I upgraded to SL cables. Other fringe benefits include less of a switch oin thump and faster warm-up - for those times when I do need to power down like holidays.

Posted on: 03 March 2017 by Marksnaim

Sten posted:
Hi not sure this is 100% on topic but....I currently have a 282 with HC and the 250DR and my dealer has offered me a trade in of the 250 for a 300DR. Question is is the 300 compatible with the 282 HC?
Not ready to upgrade the pre yet so wondering if the 300 will even connect to the HC as I have only seen it connecting to SC with 252 or higher.
Cheers

Absolutely compatible. It's my dealers favorite combination, although Supercap DR will improve things IMHO. The 282 will not be shown up by the 300DR.

Posted on: 03 March 2017 by james n

Sten posted:
so wondering if the 300 will even connect to the HC as I have only seen it connecting to SC with 252 or higher.

Yes - you just have one extra cable. Your 282 will be connected to socket 4 and the 250 to socket 3. When you replace the 250 with the 300 just connect the two DIN4 to XLR cables that come with the 300 to socket 3 and 2 on the Hi-Cap. Sorted

PS - the 282 really loves a Supercap...

Posted on: 03 March 2017 by Sten

Thanks Marksnaim and James

so I will have to get back to my dealer for a home demo...

I do have a SC but it's connected to the SuperLine at the minute - haven't tried the 282 with the SC and the SL with the HC yet......maybe I should

thanks again

Posted on: 03 March 2017 by Marksnaim

I'm making a point of not listening to the 300DR. I'd need 3 of them and that would definitely be a bridge too far for my wallet. eek

Good luck Sten.

Posted on: 03 March 2017 by Foot tapper

Mark,

the 300DR is sooo worth a listen; 3 times so in your case ��

Posted on: 03 March 2017 by Marksnaim

Fott Tapper, Not listening...not listening.....

Shopping list currently is Fraim (or alternative), 2x Supercap DR then Cable and Powerlead experiments before I even dare consider replacing power amps that are all less than 6 months old!

Posted on: 03 March 2017 by Paul Quigley ie

Chris Dolan posted:
I got my 300 serviced and DR'd just over a month ago. It is breathtakingly better. It is like having a completely new and improved amp. I have not the slightest hesitation in recommending it unreservedly.

It is a completely new and improved amp. Only the case and the old power supply is kept.

Why is it called a DR upgrade when the previous version had Discreat Regulation?

Posted on: 03 March 2017 by nicetone

I went from a 250.2 to 300DR. I only ever heard the 300 twice, both times briefly, at DR demos, the second occasion at Bristol S&V last year, after I’d already purchased the 300DR. Both occasions I easily preferred the 300 over the 250DR, and, found it a tough call over whether I also preferred the 300 over the 300DR.

Anyway, I went for the 300DR (from a 250.2), to pair with my NAC252DR, trusting in Naim’s DR technology as the way to go. It was also the best option financially, since I wanted a new unit. No looking back on that decision; I’m happy with it. The 300DR sounds good, was a step up over the 250.2, and I just got on with enjoying the music. However, I wonder, when reading threads like this one, what I would have done had I already owned a 300 (rather than 250.2). I might just have stayed with the sound I knew and liked. (Though had I been staying at 250 level, it would have been an easy decision to go to a 250DR.)

My (fleeting) impressions (dating back to the DR demos). The 300 was more deft, rhythmic, nimble, yet authoritative, compared to the 250.2 (still a great amp IMO) and, also, to my ears, compared to the 250DR. I thought the 300DR sounded similar in ‘character’ to the 250DR and had differences in character from the 300. I would perhaps describe the 300DR sound as more neutral* compared to the 300, with more resolution and air. (* I don’t regard myself as someone who can say with any authority what is and isn’t neutral – just trying to convey the difference that I believe I heard, and, it has to be said, heard over a year ago).