Naim 282 hicap Vs Hegel p30

DutchNaim posted:

Hello, i am a Naim fan. Driving the system with a NAC 272 with 555 ps with 2 Jeff Rowland model 6 vintage mono amps. Wired it all with Chord super array. I tried a Hegel p30 from a friend and it wins out the preamp of the NAC272. I reed people saying that the preamp performance of the NAC272 hangs between the NAC282 - 252.  I want too upgrade to a NDS with the 555dr  so need a good preamp. The sound of the Hegel p30 impressed me very much. Very tubelike natural sound and with good dynamics en bass. It has the musicality like Naim gear. They are also a lot cheaper than the Naim combo’s. Does somebody have experience to help me compare? Because i do not have a friend where i can borrow a Naim preamp to try it at home and do a long period of listening. 

Br,

i read also that the 272 is a little bit under the 282.....The other problem is that you use jeff rowland mono amps with the 272. Perhaps the synergy is better with the hegel?  maybe.

I don’t know if , for example, the 282/supercap will be a good synergy with the jeff rowland....

A good preamp is not enough, the synergy is very important too.

The 282/supercap / 250dr/ nds-555dr would be a more logical combo.    Or a jeff rowland pre, jeff rowland monos and nds...

Hi DUTCHNAIM,

Firstly the Hegel p30 at rrp. £5,000 should beat the Nac 272 easily and second the 272 doesn't hang between a Nac 282 and Nac 252 even with a 555ps it is debateable that it is close to a SuperCapped 282 or 252. I have not heard the Hegel p30 pre but did hear a very powerful Hegel integrated against my own 282/300 and although it had more power over my speakers it lacked that Naim sound that we like.

Of course without hearing all of these combo's with your speakers and in your room it is impossible to say which would be better but if you are set on going with an NDS/555PS then I would go with 282/SC but what about Hegel P30/H30 this would sound really great?

At NDS level as a source are looking at 252 + SuperCap. Of course NDS will sound well with any pre-amp. It’s an excellent source.

as to N272 positioning within a ‘hierarchy’ - by Naim’s own admission apparently the pre-amp section is somewhere between 202 and 282. 

Hi Thanks for the reply. Before the Jeff rowlands i had a nap 250 olive and after that a nap250dr for 2 months. The Jeff rowlands are my favorite very good synergy with Naim preamps. They are more fluid and spacy sounded amplifiers. The mix with Naim is wonderful. I have them also serviced. They are like new.

So 282/supercap or 252 is the way to go, with nds , discontinued now, or ndx2 this summer.

I truly believe the Nds is a good source. But i am afraid of the firmware 4.6 upgrade. The 272 has the statement technology. The other streamers don’t have it. They are replaced by nd555 ndx2 nd5. The 272 stayed and sounds very good after the update.

Afraid? Why? Nothing wrong with NDS and 4.6 - don’t believe everything you read. Also the bits about ‘statement’ technology...

Well..i have a 172 xs in my other system and after the update the sound changed to a more analityc karakter. The bass has bin tighten up and to my opinion the sound become thinner and less punchy. So i think Naim  went in another direction. But with the p30 it became back to life. 

DutchNaim posted:

I truly believe the Nds is a good source. But i am afraid of the firmware 4.6 upgrade. The 272 has the statement technology. The other streamers don’t have it. They are replaced by nd555 ndx2 nd5. The 272 stayed and sounds very good after the update.

very happy too with 4.6 update and nds.  the 272 streaming section is the nd5xs, so well under nds sound....

DutchNaim posted:

Well..i have a 172 xs in my other system and after the update the sound changed to a more analityc karakter. The bass has bin tighten up and to my opinion the sound become thinner and less punchy. So i think Naim  went in another direction. But with the p30 it became back to life. 

the p30 is around 5k preamp, the 172 is more 2k preamp inside, so not big surprise.

That’s right.  But is it always the price to compare? I think a 202 hicap is Also better as the 272. because it is a stand alone preamp?

DutchNaim posted:

That’s right.  But is it always the price to compare? I think a 202 hicap is Also better as the 272. because it is a stand alone preamp?

no, you are right, the price is not all. But generally speaking, a 5k pre will generally sound better than a 2k pre.....but there are exceptions and synergy is important too.  

Synergy is an important thing i believe that thruly. Naim doesn’t match with everything. But the Jeff rowland amps do a good job. Very musical en rythym but also a deep wide soundstage with lots of fluid airyness and a deep natural bass. The hegel p30 has the volume direct on the amplifier and gives with no color what it gets from the source. So Naim sound comes thrue. That’s what i am hearing. Technically the Naim is much better build. But the Hegel p30 is special piece of equipment. Made by a guru who is inspired by Naim gear. I think a lot of Naim lovers wil be impressed. It also has the remote connect system like Naim preamp. So you can control it with the Naim app. Second hand market they sell for about £2.5k. Not bad to try it. ???? and i am sorry for not mentioning yet. But my speakers are Verity audio Parsifal anniversery. Also beautifull

i once heard jeff rowland integrated and was very positively surprised: fast and immediate sound like naim.  I love the look too.    Why not try a jeff rowland pre?

Because i love the Naim preamps it’s in a class of it’s own.. the Jeff rowland Corus is very nice but also very expensive. My source will be Naim streaming. I like the remote connect system and my wife too

DutchNaim posted:

Because i love the Naim preamps it’s in a class of it’s own.. the Jeff rowland Corus is very nice but also very expensive. My source will be Naim streaming. I like the remote connect system and my wife too

so i don’t understand, because you said you prefer the hegel.  Not sure the 272 will be better than hegel....272/555ps, yes, but it is around 12k pre with streamer....   perhaps 272/xps...

Just go for: 272 + 555PS + NAP300DR and be content you have one of the best streaming / streamlined systems.

DutchNaim posted:

Because i love the Naim preamps it’s in a class of it’s own.. the Jeff rowland Corus is very nice but also very expensive. My source will be Naim streaming. I like the remote connect system and my wife too

why not jeff rowland capri s2 with ndx2 and your jeff rowland monos.  The 272 is the 202 pre, a little better, and the streamer inside is nd5xs entry level from naim.  I am quite sure than capri s2/ ndx2 combo will be better than 272/555ps, and the synergy will be better with your monos.  Just my feeling....

Adam Zielinski posted:

Just go for: 272 + 555PS + NAP300DR and be content you have one of the best streaming / streamlined systems.

Hi Adam, i have already the 272 with 555dr and had the nap250dr. The 250dr was nice. But for me lacked in airyness and open soundstage. It is a powerfull fast direct amplifier. But comparing the Jeff rowland has much more for my taste. I am not trying to insult Naim. But in my opinion Naim is a king in making preamps. Not the very best in poweramplifiers. I know some people agree with me in this. I am a bit of a explorer. Mixing gear is what i like to do. With a Naim hart i am also a type giving every change i make a long period of respectfull listening. Everything needs burn in time to settel. In the digital section i tried a lot of stuff. From bluesound/ aurender/ linn/ chord hugo USB mini mac etc. But Naim is the most musical allround player. It is a keeper. Stuck by one brand always floats A question in my head “what If?” Maybe it’s the audiophile sickness? I don’t know...

French Rooster posted:

DutchNaim posted:

Because i love the Naim preamps it’s in a class of it’s own.. the Jeff rowland Corus is very nice but also very expensive. My source will be Naim streaming. I like the remote connect system and my wife too

why not jeff rowland capri s2 with ndx2 and your jeff rowland monos.  The 272 is the 202 pre, a little better, and the streamer inside is nd5xs entry level from naim.  I am quite sure than capri s2/ ndx2 combo will be better than 272/555ps, and the synergy will be better with your monos.  Just my feeling....

The capri s1 sounds better. But not the musicality of Naim. The older Jeff rowland synergy’s are very Nice and the new Corus(they went oldscool again). They don’t have the remote system. So it won’t fit. And Naim is better for my taste. It handles all kinds of music better. Americans are better building poweramps. ))

you will hardly find someone you have compared the hegel p30 with naim nac 282/hicap. You will have to borrow the 282/ hicap or buy it blindly.   Good luck.

French Rooster posted:

you will hardly find someone you have compared the hegel p30 with naim nac 282/hicap. You will have to borrow the 282/ hicap or buy it blindly.   Good luck.

Yes i think so also. Maybe somebody after reading this topic becomes curious to find out the difference between the two preamps. But most people have DIN cables. Naim makes it possible to use RCA cable also.. 

The 272 is a preamp @ 202 - 282 level, and a streamer&dac @ ND5XS - NDX level. Upgrading it with a power supply will lift its pre performance above 282 and its stream/dac section @ NDX level.

Any suggestions/corrections are welcomed.

Dan.S posted:

The 272 is a preamp @ 202 - 282 level, and a streamer&dac @ ND5XS - NDX level. Upgrading it with a power supply will lift its pre performance above 282 and its stream/dac section @ NDX level.

Any suggestions/corrections are welcomed.

I set out thinking I'd go for 272/XPS, but after listening, thought NDX/282 (powered by 200DR) sounded better, so I guess my view is not quite in line with yours.

Dan.S posted:

The 272 is a preamp @ 202 - 282 level, and a streamer&dac @ ND5XS - NDX level. Upgrading it with a power supply will lift its pre performance above 282 and its stream/dac section @ NDX level.

Any suggestions/corrections are welcomed.

Yes it uses the technology of the seperates but all in a smaller format. And just one powersupply. I also think that the 555dr is to much for the 272 ( same thought about NAC202+ supercap). Can’t  use a burndy so i think that it don’t uses the maximum of the 555. As i mention it in the beginning of the topic. I have the NAC272 with 555dr and the hegel p30 wins the preamp section of the NAC272. Seperates are @ the end the better way i think..