👉CLICK THANKS ☝to highlight your question or to show your support for the channel! ☝Looking for something? Click the 🛍on screen or open the description box below to see more! 🎯 NO Links, Self Promotion or Personal Info. Please be respectful & stay on topic.
I am STUNNED and APPRECIATIVE of your honesty!!! EverSolo and Emotiva bring a MASSIVE bang for buck that not many can rival as well as they do rivaling high end audio!! PERIOD!! Great job and review guys!! HOME-RUN!!
Thank you for thoughtful words and support, ABX! I agree, at least based on my experience, it would appear that they offer an exceptional value As for being stunned...what is surprising to you about our honesty?
@@andrewrobinsonreviews ah, yes, not your honesty personally, just that level of honesty in this industry and from reviewers in general!! Most reviewers will sugar coat the negatives and kind of glance the other way…. It’s just refreshing, and in some ways shocking when you actually see that level of honesty happen in real time. Well done as usual. 😉❤️
You are correct. I wanted something more approachable ($) that had largely that same advertised specs, minus music streaming, and the Eversolo fit the bill. I did not intend on reviewing it but as I've been enjoying it, I feel it deserves its own review.
Great to see you reviewing two channel Hi-Fi gear! That's my focus in the hobby, and although I have a mid-tier home theater set up as well, two channel music is my focus and passion. Thanks again Andrew and Kristi!
Don’t know how you do it…but this review was one of your best. Just real fun. Loved that you reviewed something this expensive. I’m not in the market for it. But there is value in benchmarking higher end offerings. Take care guys. Appreciate the channel.
Great review..its nice to hear some honest reviews. I use a Supernait 3 integrated with a Hicap DR PS and love the sound. The Hicap made a difference in the sound quality for the better. No doubt. Thanks!
Nice video and review. I own the previous generation of this system - NAC-N 272 + NAP 250, which I bought used for less than $3k. I think it would make an interesting video if you compared old with new, especially given the price difference.
I used to have a Naim NAC282 preamp. If the hiss bothers you then I’d recommend muting the output when not listening to music. This did the trick for me.
Hi Andrew & Kristi. I first heard Naim in 1981 and steadily built an active audiophile system that makes these look bargain basement. It's vinyl only for me. Like yours, I have no tone controls, no video..... So many people have been round over the years and loved the sound of the system, I don't disclose the price. It's a very specific sound and us fans call it PRAT. It's all about pace, rhythm and timing. It excels with rock, blues, jazz and most music. Do I think Naim is the best? Not really. It's just the best I've heard for me. Thanks for the review.
@@hastingspiper9266 I know, it's hilarious. Agree with you on the old Naim gear. I reached a certain point and decided that the return on $$ was becoming too small. That said, 30 years later the system works and sounds great.
As it happens I've taken advantage of the release of this and the 300 series to upgrade my naim system to the "0ld" classic 282/hcdr/250dr via ex demo stock. Since I can send it off for a service and/or repair when needed this is hopefully going to be my lifetime system. I can totally understand the American price for these making it almost impossible to recommend the new classic series, in the uk they are still out of the range of most people, but at £5700 a box much less insane. Just for your information the 300 series boxes in the uk will be £7900 each I shudder to think what people over your side will be charged. As to your question of the day if I won the lottery I'd theoretically want the 300 series pre amp as I like to keep streamer separate, and that isn't an option with the 200 series, to go with the new 250 power amp. Really enjoyed the review as usual, hope the comments aren't too mean.
Great review as always!! Naim has gotten a little full of themselves!! Yes, its an excellent product but, So many comparable or even better sounding products available at that price.
I home demo’d these with the my PMC twenty5 24i speakers a few months ago and I didn’t get the noise, also noticed a considerable improvement in sound stage and dynamics with the npx 300, I’ve compared this against a chord ultima pre and power also a bryston pre and power, for me the Naim won hands down
What source/DAC were you using? I’ve been using a TT2 and Mscaler with a McIntosh MA352 in my bedroom system, and had intended to get the new Chord Ultima Integrated, but sounds like you have some strong feelings the opposite direction.
@@trajan350 a Naim ND5 XS2 and a Rega P6, on the chord side it was the ultima pre 3 and power 5, my experience is in my room though, you could get different results and find the chord with your setup sounds better to your ear
The Naim’s integrated amps is where its at imo. This week I purchased the Nait-50. No DAC. No Streaming. No Room Correction. No Remote. And it doesn’t weigh 50lbs. My point? Buy what you like. This amp sounds great and the form factor/retro looks makes me happy. Great content on your channel. Cheers.
Andrew, Naim uses a cheap loud SMPS at idle so they can tout they low power consumption primarily for the EU market. I used an SN3 with my CW IVs and found it to be the most satisfying pairing of all I experimented with. I too was bothered by the noise at idle, at first, but then realized it switches to the LPS when under load and it had a super black background. I decided I cared more about how my Klipsch sounded when playing music than just sitting there. 😊
As someone already mentioned, Naim is a ‘religion’ for some people. And, Naim utilize their faith to the full extent. When looking at the components, I personally think the manufacturing cost of this $27,000 system is below $2,000. I could be wrong. Don’t quote me. The point is you pay your religious taxes Naim. And, it’s hefty. That being said, I still like Naim. I’m actually waiting for new Supernait 4. And, NO NO NO, you should NEVER separate the price from the product. It’s a business and it’s all about the money.
Great reviews Andrew , love what you have done with this new channel great Dude, you and Kerry were my "best PALS reviewers" when I was getting into hi end 12 or more years ago ! Loving your channel each time
Perfect review. I had the old classic series Naim for years and you touched on two key things that eventually scared me away from the brand. 1.) Naim want the product to be used how Naim want you to use it. Meaning silly connections and no features. 2.) Pricing got out of control. Great sounding stuff but for the money... Like many "high end" products the pricing is way too high and equal performance can be had at a fraction of the cost. So yeah your review equals my personal experience to a tee when it comes to Naim.
to be clear, sighted AB is still fairly meaningless. Really need blind ABX to gather reliable data points, especially for something like electronics...it's certainly easier to detect differences with speakers since, well, they actually sound different mostly
I find the Naim Muso wood edition one of the most gorgeous Hi-Fi devices ever made. I'd love to see them expand that to a sound bar with more channels and spatial surround effects.
The value in Naim has always been in their mid range products, the Super Nait integrated amps are really very, very good. I'm from the UK and I have lots of friends with Naim amps and the higher end pre/powers just don't offer a significant upgrade on their midrange products. The Uniti Atom is fabulous, I bought one for my daughter and she loves it. Sorry I can't get over the $27000 price tag, for that kind of money you could get, PS Audio BHK pre and mono blocks and probably have enough change for a decent streamer or Prima Luna top end pre/power, a great streamer and phono stage and have enough left over for a decent turntable, arm and cartridge.
Hi Andrew & Kristi - Thank you for this video and all of your other videos. They're very helpful. I'm sort of new to this hobby and I love it. I'm an engineer and an artist, and I guess that draws me to the tech and design side of this hobby. I'm working on training my ears to be able to tell the difference between different gears. Yesterday, I was at a dealer's store and listened to two different gears, both of which were actually fed by this very Naim preamp. The amps were Esoteric F-03A for class A and NAD M33 for class D. I wish I had watched this video before yesterday. I could've listened to recognize the noise that the preamp makes :) Cheers!
Awesome review as always, I was curious about the brand, they seem to have loyal fans. Aprecciate the usual honesty, hope people don’t freak out too much in the comments.
We appreciate you watching. Like with everything, there will always be brand loyalists just as there will be those who will never see beyond the price, whether it's high or low.
Geeeeeeezzzzzzuuuussss! I checked out the price before you dropped the 27k price point. I think McIntosh may be a budget alternative. The only emotion I’d be feeling when listening to this system are the tears coming down my face when I check my bank account. BTW, that was a LOT of info dropped in only the first 2 minutes. How many pages was the script for this one? - Note to self. Always comment at the very end of the video. Just got to the McIntosh comment!
The script for this review was (I think) 5 pages long --which is longer than most ---but we had a lot to cover. Yes, always watch to the end because you know Kristi's got your back!
I have just found your channel, and you guys are the best for subjective reviews! I own Naim equipment, and you are 100% correct regarding hdmi arc... whyyy. I have a system that Naim heads frown upon, but use a Uniti Nova passed through a NAP 250 DR. I 100% agree regarding the power supply as well, waste of money. I have tried the new 250 classic, and a/b tested with its predecessor. My advice to anyone, would be to grab a discounted NAP 250 DR. Unless you have money to burn, I would defy anyone to hear the difference in a blind test. I do love the Naim sound. If you like the Atom, you should review the Nova, it has improved sq for sure
@@andrewrobinsonreviews of course. Your channel has been a must watch for me in the last few months , when I found it. Including others channels my great interest in audio in particular has been rekindled. I thank you and Kristi.
Naim had a bit of a sale earlier this year and I seriously thought about the amp & preamp which would have come in at $14K on sale. I own a Uniti Atom and owned a Supernait 3 for about a year and really enjoy the Naim sound. Much like McIntosh and Linn, Naim has a dedicated hardcore following of users who will buy nothing else. I'm not so evangelical in my audio purchasing, so ended up getting the Technics SU R1000, which I really like. At this level it's more about personal preferences and less about the cost. If you love the Naim sound but can't swing these, they have some other great options, the Uniti line and Nait line that will get you close enough to these for most folks. If you can swing these and Naim is your thing, have fun.
Hi Andrew, I just had a demo yesterday and I disagree with you about the power supply. It is very clear that uou have a much larger soundstage with the power supply. Without it is much smaller. I agree with your qualification of smooth sound. I did not notice the noise but I was in a store
The current Naim pricing structure I suspect is due to them twice having been bought and sold to private equity firms who are not known for putting sound quality over profit! Your USA importer is also taking a cut as well of course! Naim and Linn are now both “reassuringly expensive” and their devotees will still happily pay the money. Naim will, of course relieve you of more money by offering additional power supplies😂. The speaker sockets are designed to be used with Naim’s own soldered plugs and their own l/s cable (really stiff) so I get why it’s 4mm only. As for the pre amp noise I suspect Naim will say that it’s a product of the preamp design and the improved sonic benefits outweighs the downside of audible hiss which when used with average efficiency speakers is not as much of an issue but that’s a decision ultimately the customer will make.
@@timharbert7145 Our uk inflation is causing a sharp reduction in consumer disposable income at the low to middle price ranges As a result more manufacturers distributor offers & new models at more affordable price points. For example new PMC transmission line speakers only in black using previously developed cones.-Over 40% cheaper yet still manufactured in UK. Hegal have rolled back the price of their Intergrated streaming (room ready) amplifiers to the original pre pandemic launch level. More offers across the board. Heard I leading one leading speaker distributor admitting the market was tough at the Bristol Hi Fi (largest in UK) show in February
Naim also makes EVERYTHING in the UK. From the metal forms they have cast at local foundries to local machine shops, to local FR8 board makers, to all local labor (build, assembly, testing, and QC), etc. Brexit got them hard, inflation is taking a huge toll, and there's certainly an element of exclusivity to their pricing. But, not being made in China (by slave labor) makes things VERY EXPENSIVE, even before importers and dealers get involved.
Not gonna harp over $27k...it's Naim, I get it. No HDMI though...come on. Naim is about the ecosystem/look...like McIntosh or Macintosh 😏😉. It's what I would expect from Naim (Dynaudio owners are loving this). Wonderful, honest video! 😊
@@KristiWright well, some of us are Losing our Religion...and reconstructing why we listen😊....kinda like your husband. The biggest audio truth..."no one has to like the sound of your system...but you"
If you like naim, buy a second hand old naim classic NAC202/NAP200 combo. Naim will service then back to new. All for a fraction of the cost of this new version.
agree, though the nap 200 is one level down, there is no source (streamer dac) included in your suggestion, and for the 27k there is an extra beefy secondary PSU included, which in all naim gear of the past turned out to be a real game changer.
I bought a new Naim Super Nait 3 integrated amp at an open box price of $ 3800. It too is a little noisy, a little hiss if I put my ears up to my 98 efficiency speakers. That is will be more audible with even more efficient speakers like Klipsch. If you have less efficient speakers that you won't probably hear it
Hi. I have been a Naim customer for years and I should say they are great sounding gear and very well built. The hiss sound is noticed with high sensitivity speakers. Focal Diablo 89 db was a beter match for the review.😄
I made note that this system is not recommended for high sensitivity speakers in this review. While I'm sure the Focals would be a great test for this stack, we used the KEFs which are 90dB efficient...so...
Thing of bluetooth or wifi not awailable is a plus. Because you need to disable those first to equipment sound good. At least I noticed that on some network streamer transport only units having wifi hdmi and bluetooth. And difference with those disabled is massive.
As a person who currently owns a 10-year old Naim UnitiLite, and have a pair of Wilson Audio Sabrina X speakers on order, I’ve been eyeing the The New Classic 200 preamp and amp to complete my end-game system. To show that all things are relative, I decided on this combo because it’s a “better deal” than the D’Agostino Progression integrated amp (with the optional streamer/DAC upgrade), which is hovering around 30k. Thanks, Andrew, for being open to covering gear at all price points.
@@starofcctv94 no, but I did try it with an Atom at the showroom and the midrange, which is Naim’s calling card, was a bit muddy; it had a hard time driving them as they are 4ohm speakers. I’ll give the Fosi amp a shot when they come in, though lol
You're not going to fix the noise issue with better power supplies, or anything else. The noise you are hearing is from too much gain. Your super efficient Klipsch speakers enhance the problem. You can fix it one of 2 ways. If you go through the owners manual for the preamp, look for any type of gain adjustments. Each channel may have its own gain setting, or possibly global. I'm not familiar with these new Naim components, but I think 90% chance that it allows for some type of gain adjustment. Lower the gain until the noise goes away. One thing I need to stress is you have to make sure you are adjusting gain, and not volume, A volume control can't alter a signal. Only gain can. This issue can't be fixed with a volume adjustment. Your other option is to get in line attenuators. Rothwell probably makes the best ones. They go on the end of your interconnects and they reduce gain the same way a less efficient speaker would. They don't alter sound quality. Even if they did, it wouldn't be enough to hear. There is one other thing, but I think its not likely. I'll mention it just in case. I know Naim gear is balanced. Depending on your equipment, and how its set up, you may have some type of balanced operation issue. There's no way I could go over all the details in a post like this, so I'll just tell you what you need to know. Simply put, balanced and single ended components are not compatible. In order to achieve balanced operation, both components need to be balanced, and you need a balanced cable to connect them. Without those 3 things in place, you have a single ended connection. You're just using 2 of the 3 conductors in the cable. Its electrically identical to using RCA cables. The reason I can't be too specific is because there is more than one way to balance audio components, and how they are wired can be different, as well. Connection issues will vary depending on how your equipment is designed. But like I said, the issue is most likely not balance related, its just something to keep in mind.
Hey there friends, I'm a little late today due to some morning cycling. I enjoyed the video despite the fact that I would probably never purchase this set. The industrial design looks fantastic. Loved the Bad Boys clip and poke at limited editions. 😂 Great comparisons throughout the video, especially the ones that Kristi added! As usual I enjoyed living vicariously through you two and it was very entertaining. QOTD: I like the design and trust your take on its sound. The screen integration looks understated, high-tech, and cohesive. I know Kristi mentioned a silver option but I personally feel black just works here (I'd still love to have my mind changed). I definitely appreciate the function drives form of the aluminum fins.
One of my favorite companies, with many products that are oozing cool by every metric. That said, way above my budget- like coronations and funerals expensive! I would love to support them.
Great video Andrew! Favorite part of this video is twofold...when the 27,000 dollar price tag of the NAIM system is mentioned and the number flashes on the screen, the anvil like sound effect that accompanied it 😆 Just want to say I appreciate those little touches, they add flair to your videos and I freaking love it. 👍 Also, to hear that the Ever Solo is probably going to get a full review, I'm so dang pumped, it may end up being the first audio product I buy in well over a year. The NAIM stuff looks great, just not in my price range, but I still enjoy seeing products not in my range. Thanks again for the video and looking forward to the next one!
Wait What???? How much??? I guess that is for some but not for all of us. Happy that you came up with more affordable options for us. I’m with putting more money in an IRA or other retirement plan. Naim probably matches this system with a Focal speaker to give a person a sonic treat. For those who can afford a Naim/Focal system…. No hate. Just not for me. Great review. just what I needed to really enjoy my modest system.
I don't understand why balance is included and tone controls are not. In fact, in 30+ years of listening to music on various systems, I can never think of one time when I wanted to to balance more input to one channel or the other. Can someone explain a use case for "Balance" controls to me? I've only ever used it to check if speakers are working.
Balance can come in handy if you have an irregular room or asymmetrical system layout. Using an SPL meter, it's not uncommon for speakers to not be outputting EXACTLY the same SPL. Balance can help "balance" that out for better center imaging etc.
Got the NAD C 3050 LE today (for super cheap), i upgraded to it from the Powernode. 3050 LE has HDMI eArc, DIRAC Live, 100w/pc @ 8ohms (135w instantaneous), very good sub integration (low AND high pass filtering), amazing vintage looks + VU-meters(!). At 2000eur. So, indeed, what is NAIM's excuse? I've critiqued NAIM in the past for going bananas with the pricing. Have NOT heard 'em so grains of salt, etc.. For what it's worth i think the NAIM products, especially these ones (when compared directly to the old look of NAIM's stuff), look really nice on video - so i'd think they look even better live.
Ive got a Uniti Atom which I got at 35% discount and then bought a S/H NAP100 - total cost £2200 and it sounds fantastic. I doubt this reviewed combo sounds £20K+ better. The Atom has a HDMI socket, but I use Toslink currently. Mine is dead silent cranked all the way to maximum volume, so not sure what is wrong with yours?. As for tone controls - in theory they are a great idea, but whenever I've had tone controls I've hardly ever used them tbh, as you start to obsess over trying to get each recording to sound perfect, rather than just relaxing and enjoying whatever the mastering engineers output (aka what the artist never intended). Great Review as always Andrew and Kirsti - totally love your honesty. Majority of reviewers are too bland and never say anything negative, but you guys are a breath of fresh air.
Thank you for this review. After watching this and your review on musical fidelity m8xi, im wondering about your opinion on moving from musical fidelity system that includes m8xi as the "heart" to naim classic 200.
I’ve got Atom HE which I use for pre-amp DAC and Streamer functions. My Speakers are 105db efficient it’s not recommended to use any amp more than 20watts. But running through Amp camp Amp monoblocks I get no hiss unless I’ve got my ears to the speaker cone. No need for HDMI as Samsung frame has optical output that works. Samsung frame is rubbish it frequently takes five minutes to get it all to boot up properly by plugging and unplugging the two plugs it has.
By investing a little more I’ll definitely go for Jeff Rowland Daemon Integrated amplifier. It’s a piece of audiophile art 🖼️. Just look at this beauty.
The best balance I think if you want to stay with Naim, would be the uniti nova with 80w per channel and is exactly like the atom but more power and I think is around 5 or 6k
You can get all three here in the UK for c. £17100, or approx $21,800. So that's about $5200 extra in the 'States. It's a similar picture in reverse for US audio sold over here, of course. I've heard Naim gear at shows, and it sounds pretty good, particularly in the holography department, but also IMHO a tad on the strident side. In my opinion, you're paying for the name (pun intended) and can get gear that competes at a much more affordable price, as you rightly pointed out. I wonder if they shun things like HDMI for some of their gear mostly out of a kind of aloofness, and also to enable "afficionados" to prize their hi-end kit, which wouldn't be the same if Naim pandered to the unwashed masses. To be fair, I've always had a bit of a downer on Naim -- might be because I've never been willing to spend that much just to claim bragging rights...
If you want a step up from an Atom just go to the Star (features) or the Nova (SQ) and just add speakers. Reasonable prices on 2nd hand market. I find the app pretty good compared to others and that’s important to me. Being able to turn the amp on and select music in the lounge when u are cooking in the kitchen is handy. And the general layout works for me. The app is much more stable now than it used to be. I’m waiting for a Chord streamer/pre-amp with good functionality/app, to come out. Minimum DAC spec at TT2 level. 🙏🙏🙏this would be my end game piece of gear. Thanks for doing the first “warts and all” 200 series by review👍👍Rich
Hey guys, great video… Love that you are reviewing things that are outside a lot of peoples comfort zone. Only wish you could do the same with Mola Mola components. Maybe take a look at the kula integrated with built in DAC & phono stage, not only would you love the way it looks, but I think you would be suitably impressed with the sound! Keep up the good work…
🙋♂️ ANDREW,… my question of the day… is what magazines and articles did you write and/or edit… my reason for asking because I came across a bunch of my old stereo magazines😁💚💚💚
I was a writer for Audio Video Revolution (RIP) going back to 2001. I also wrote for Modern Home Theater during this time. When AV Rev sold, I helped launch/create Home Theater Review in '04 (I think it was). While at HTR I was the Managing Editor until I resigned in 2012/2013 (can't remember the exact year). During my tenure at HTR I also oversaw Audiophile Review until Steven Stone was hired to act as the Managing Editor of that site. I returned as a writer in a non-editor role in 2017 until it sold in 2019. I wrote my LAST print article in 2019 and have been truly independent, creating exclusively for this channel ever since.
I always enjoy your reviews and watched them every time you uploaded them. Well done. This is the first time I made comment here so be gentle. I am a long time Naim owner and I was surprised that the new PSU did not improve the sound. I wonder if you did anything wrong? Were you supposed to switch off the internal PSU of the preamp when external PSU is connected? Can you please double check and reconfirm? I admit Naim pricing is going crazy in last 2 decades but I stuck to them still because they made it very difficult to mix and match with other brands due to their connection choice. And I have so many investments in their cables and PSUs so I pretty much had to start from scratch if changing brands. At least their New Classic has addressed that issue now. However, I am not sure if that is a smart move in terms of business for them. I found judging components on their value is very controversial. Maybe you should try review cars or bikes? How do you compare expensive cars with Toyota or even Hyundai? You can get sometimes more features and similar performance at much cheaper priced cars compared to Porsche for example. But people still pay more for cars like Lambo or Porsche because of their characters or engine noise etc. These things are so personal it is almost impossible to be objective in making purchasing decisions.
@@spotshooter1 that’s why I asked Andrew if he switched off the internal psu of the preamp after NPX300 was connected. But he did not reply me at all! I think Naim is at fault here because obviously they did not brief on reviewer of the Naim way regarding the 4th order harmony “hiss” being intentional. I felt Naim has been lost at sea in recent years. They changed our local distributor and the new distributor has not been educating my local dealers about all the different connections etc. I ended up teaching the new dealer on Naim cable connections to PSU!
Hmmm.... I'm a lifelong Naim user. You don't buy Naim gear for the features, you buy it for the sound. The Naim sound is more addictive than crack. Once you're attuned to it nothing else (at any kind of sane price level) will do. The features are, of course, welcome. Just not the prime motivation. The lack of HDMI is indeed surprising - but not a deal breaker. Every Naim amp that I have owned also exhibits a very low level of hiss. It must be something to do with their preferred circuitry. Either way you have to press your ear to the tweeter to hear it. It's not noticeable at the listening position and definitely not noticeable in use. Actually the clear dark background from which the music emerges is a feature of the Naim sound. I find that when analysing the sound in "hifi" terms Naim doesn't stack up to the very best. But for musical communication and enjoyment it is in a class of It's own.
Back in the 90's I owned a Roksan/Nakamichi/B&W setup powered by Naim 72/Hicap/250. Back then in UK, the Naim was roughly £3000. To see the cost of the new 200 Series, and to read about dissatisfaction among many old-school hi-fi dealers and lack of general customer support with Naim since the Vervent merger, I feel damaged the brand. Add to this the noise issue...Julian would be turning in his grave!
I received a Samsung TV as an anniversary gift from my employer. The TV has only two HDMI ports, one to connect a soundbar and the other for some sort of an input. True it's only based on one example but it seems as if manufacturers are going to streaming only (forget standalone sources) and consider HDMI unimportant, not the hip thing. Is there much of a market for DVD players anymore? If there's virtually no difference in audio, NAIM's alleged negligence in not offering HDMI doesn't seem severe.
I just gave another reviewer a piece of my mind. He has made a name for himself by ripping other audio reviewers calling them liars and other colorful things. Just because people are not approaching everything from a "scientific" point of view doesn't make them any less educated on a topic. I let him know how embarrassing it is for a grown man to spend so much time ripping other creators rather then using his knowledge to partner or help them. That man is to damn old for this lol.
@@gavriushka It's doing it to a lot of profiles. If I check my bell notifications, it shows your handle as Vadym in the side bar but here it is something else. Must be a YT glitch.
A few years ago, I went to a Naim dealer and listened to a bunch of their component's. To make a long story short, when I inserted some of those external power supplies into the system, they made a huge difference. The difference was so big, I literally though they did something to the components to make them sound bad in order to get people to buy the power supplies. I'm not saying that's what they actually did, it was just the impression I got. Just thought it was worth mentioning.
In all the years of owning and selling naim gear (when I did), never had one customer not hear a massive difference when adding a hi-cap/super-cap/Ps etc. I'm surprised at your findings but I'm also curious to hear this for myself.
While I could not conduct blind testing of the 222 with and without the separate power supply (I'm the only one here who knew how to hook them up and vice versa) I'm not confident any differences would statically stand up to blind testing.
Im sat in front of this kit as i type ..i picked up the new classic amp and pre combo for three day home demo from my local supplier this morning - this after being seriously impressed at 2 demo room sessions earlier in the year. The supplier said that unfortunately the power supply was out on loan and that i could take all 3 units on loan together in a few weeks time when the power is back in. ...this 2 box combo sounds like a totally different system to the ones i demoed earlier in the year ...nothing like as airy / minimal depth to the soundstage - both thingy that wowed me a few months back...im thinking it has to be the missing power supply...
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Hi Andrew/Christie; Personally I don't like blind A/B/X comparisons as I think ultimately it results in listening fatigue and a false pursuance of innocent or guilt. I far prefer to simply trust a listener (or myself) with our own experiences, as I don't think ears ever lie. I trust your opinion of the PS here as it's what you found your honesty--that you felt it made no difference--is appreciated. My only point is that in the 30 years that I've been playing around with naim gear, I've never had anyone NOT appreciate a massive jump in performance from any of their PS's. So I'm curious to go hear the combo for myself. One little question if you'll pardon the probe; do the PS's still "work" if the audio signal is NOT routed through the PS itself? It used to be that technically a Hi-Cap would work without routing the signal through, but the benefits would be (for whatever technical reason I cannot explain) not nearly as realized as opposed to when they were hooked up correctly. Just asking. Thanks.
@@Boomyaris01was the kit you borrowed run in? I demonstrated just the 222 which the shop had been using for 6 months. On the strength of the demo I bought one. Out of the box it also was not as good. It's had about 12 hours use now and is already loosening up.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews This is Ridiculous. I've heard the NPX300 power the 222 and it made a massive difference. I really question your "reviewer" skills if you cannot hear difference. I've been deep into Naim for 30 years. Power supplies ALWAYS make a significant difference. It's part of the Naim upgrade path.
I would like to try naim products but haven't simply because of their funny connections. It's like we're being different, then be different on your own naim. You won't see my hard earned, smartypants naim. Sorry guys getting carried away with myself, Good honest review. Regards Antony Warrington England.
I read many reviews of the 222 and you're review is the only one that had a noise issue. Spoken to a guy who bought the 222 and 250 amp.......isn't hearing what you are hearing. Has it occurred to you that it might be a faulty unit or....you guys have some AC power ripple/noise or EMF that the 222 didn't like?
@@andrewrobinsonreviews proof. not kidding where's the email? Also I think you should have done more to figure out why you are having these severe noise floor issues, do you really believe that a company like Naim who's obsessive about noise would put out a line of preamps (and streamers) with severe noise floor issues....I own an Atom HE.....it's quiet! you've heard of Naim's DR. designation...discrete regulation....why are you the only reviewer with these issues?
I had the noise issue also, including an extra unbalance in the left speaker. It turned out to be caused by this new "smart" 220Volts power meter in the power wiring in my house, a Landis+Gyr e360. An electrician who was authorised to test the power quality without this smart meter (so directly power from the street cable), suddenly became my best friend because all the noise and balance issues were gone. And than he had to reconnect the smart thing again..... Unfortunately the only powersupplier in my part of the Netherlands is a semi governmental organisation ("Stedin") who excels in monopolistic behavior and refused to help me out. I had to buy a power conditioner/filter (Audioquest Niagara 1200) and after another disruption in the whole city a DC Blocker. But now I'm over the top happy with the 222 and 250. Very big steps after 20 years the 202+200.
Great show guys, I just purchased the 222 & the amp + focal kanta 3 for £16000 just over 20000 dollars, I had the speakers for £8000, then £4000 (5089 dollars) each for the naim, at that price point Andrew would you say they were worth it compare to the competition? + they sound outstanding no noise either. Great show guys.
The 300, 500 and Statement series are even more expensive, but when you are used to Naim everything else sounds boring. The 222 is Roon ready and then you have a very good tone control.
Ok thanks. The only problem with 272 is it doesn't work with qobuz and not master for tidal. You just use it as a preamp? How do you connect it to an amp? It doesn't have XLR outputs
@@vvmaster2010 i use it with a Parasound amp connected via the single ended rca outs. You can stream qobuz thru a third party app like audirvana or mconnect. I did try both and I thought that audirvana (run on my MacBook) sounded better than mconnect. I use Tidal but I can’t stream anything higher than cd res (which still sounds really good) using the naim app. The dac in the 272 is quite good but, because the 272 is older tech, the streaming function is limited. I am about to buy a streamer either connected using digital input and the dac in the 272 or analog using the dac in the streamer (will try both) . The other thing i would recommend with the 272 is using an Ethernet connection rather than wifi. Despite its limitations the 272 is a v good preamp for the money you can get them for now .
I am a long time Linn electronics owner, all of which are wonderful vintage pieces that I enjoy every day. The vintage Naim stuff is also wonderful. The problem today is that both Linn and Naim have priced their classic offerings out of the reach of 95% of audiophiles / music lovers, as have some other manufacturers. The cult / religion of these two companies only goes so far. This new, $9,000, 100 wpc @ 8ohms Naim amp is a perfect example. Seriously? It’s insane to me. Sure, its sounds good but so does lots of other stuff sound good at prices 2/3rd or less. Sure, the price of audio gear has soared since the pandemic. However, these new Linn, Naim, D’Agostino, Wilson kit are out of control. I guess there’s something for everyone. But do these buyers enjoy their music any more than the rest of us with lower priced gear? I’d say categorically no IMO.
I watched this cause I have the NAC 202/NAP 200 but I got used. It really is amazing. I like not having tone controls 🤣🤣🤣. I can only dream about the new classic 200.
@@timothyfreeseha4056 would much rather have a couple of Topping LA90 running mono than the New Classic... Tested and reviewed with 0 noise and some of the world's best measured results in bench testing. I know measurement aren't everything, but idling noise? JESUS. No. That is NOT acceptable at that price point lmao, this unit is far from a $100 no name amplifier in cost... Their Uniti line looks amazing, would love to own it. But at the cost they want for the stack I expect lab grade performance and top notch audiophile sound.
You mean audioresearch and mcintosch that is overpriced!!!!!! And Wilson audio 27000€ Sabrina with papercone Units from 25€ I have Naim New classic and compare to my ar Galileo from 35000€ de Naim is a bargain and Sounds beter.American brands are overpriced and Nobody here in the Netherlands is more interresed in American product!!!!
Yeh, all cars from the Volkswagen group, with the exception of Porsche only comes with 4 wheels, body and windows. They make you pay for everything.... sorry i went off topic😅
This is some really good looking gear, I love audio as much as anyone but the law of diminishing returns is in full effect here. Super insane high end boutique audio for me falls under the same umbrella as thousand dollar cables.. The level of sound quality difference between this $27,000 setup and what you can put together for less than $7000 w/speakers is like 0.05%. Regardless still enjoyed the video like all of em its just not for me at that price point. BTW literally LOL'd when you said "Mines well be called Fossi Audio".
I’ve been a Naim user for years. I’ve a nap250-2 and atom HE. I have to agree that naim prices are going catastrophic. Though I think the prices here in the uk are slightly less, the new nap 250 is under £6000……still ouch. I’ve added psu’s in the past and always found an improvement in sound, bass sound stage detail etc so I’m surprised that you didn’t find a difference. All this aside I’ve found my new amp, Sugden 21SE (class a) which is now on order to go with my Proac DB1s. This is a £3000ish amp that sounds so much more. I think Naim have gone too much away from what they originally did…..to produce a live sound, dynamic and engaging at a cost many could aspire to…..with a bit of saving, and are a luxury brand now, you are right you can spend a lot less and get close or improve in some areas. Oh by the way many British amps don’t do tone or eq. You buy the sound you want, you’re not allowed to soil the designers vision😂
Thanks. Awesome review = honest. Agree that no HDMI at that price in 2023 is just ….. REALLY YOU MUST BE JOKING !!!!! Cambridge Audio Edge system ALL the way…and in my view better sound especially NO noise. (owner of Edge NQ and Naim Unity so just my 10 cents)
👉CLICK THANKS ☝to highlight your question or to show your support for the channel!
☝Looking for something? Click the 🛍on screen or open the description box below to see more!
🎯 NO Links, Self Promotion or Personal Info. Please be respectful & stay on topic.
I am STUNNED and APPRECIATIVE of your honesty!!! EverSolo and Emotiva bring a MASSIVE bang for buck that not many can rival as well as they do rivaling high end audio!! PERIOD!! Great job and review guys!! HOME-RUN!!
Thank you for thoughtful words and support, ABX! I agree, at least based on my experience, it would appear that they offer an exceptional value
As for being stunned...what is surprising to you about our honesty?
@@andrewrobinsonreviews ah, yes, not your honesty personally, just that level of honesty in this industry and from reviewers in general!! Most reviewers will sugar coat the negatives and kind of glance the other way…. It’s just refreshing, and in some ways shocking when you actually see that level of honesty happen in real time. Well done as usual. 😉❤️
Looking forward to the Eversolo review. Did I hear correctly that the unit was purchased for the specific purpose of this AB comparison?
You are correct. I wanted something more approachable ($) that had largely that same advertised specs, minus music streaming, and the Eversolo fit the bill. I did not intend on reviewing it but as I've been enjoying it, I feel it deserves its own review.
The 2 Naim new classic systems i have heard had a completely silent background. They sounded absolutely amazing!
Great to see you reviewing two channel Hi-Fi gear! That's my focus in the hobby, and although I have a mid-tier home theater set up as well, two channel music is my focus and passion. Thanks again Andrew and Kristi!
Appreciate you joining us today!
Don’t know how you do it…but this review was one of your best. Just real fun. Loved that you reviewed something this expensive. I’m not in the market for it. But there is value in benchmarking higher end offerings. Take care guys. Appreciate the channel.
Thanks so much. We do our best to bring you all a variety of components and topics --even ultra high-end ones like this.
Great review..its nice to hear some honest reviews. I use a Supernait 3 integrated with a Hicap DR PS and love the sound. The Hicap made a difference in the sound quality for the better. No doubt. Thanks!
D$MN I love your reviews 💯... you are straightforward and honest... Just like your reviews from way way back when you're reviews were in print😊
Thanks. I bought the NSC222 and NAP250. What do you recommend for connecting my TV and Apple TV
I would connect the Apple TV directly to the television using an HDMI cable and then go optical out of the TV into the Naim.
Nice video and review. I own the previous generation of this system - NAC-N 272 + NAP 250, which I bought used for less than $3k. I think it would make an interesting video if you compared old with new, especially given the price difference.
I used to have a Naim NAC282 preamp. If the hiss bothers you then I’d recommend muting the output when not listening to music. This did the trick for me.
Nice tip!
Hi Andrew & Kristi. I first heard Naim in 1981 and steadily built an active audiophile system that makes these look bargain basement. It's vinyl only for me. Like yours, I have no tone controls, no video..... So many people have been round over the years and loved the sound of the system, I don't disclose the price. It's a very specific sound and us fans call it PRAT. It's all about pace, rhythm and timing. It excels with rock, blues, jazz and most music. Do I think Naim is the best? Not really. It's just the best I've heard for me. Thanks for the review.
@@hastingspiper9266 I know, it's hilarious. Agree with you on the old Naim gear. I reached a certain point and decided that the return on $$ was becoming too small. That said, 30 years later the system works and sounds great.
As it happens I've taken advantage of the release of this and the 300 series to upgrade my naim system to the "0ld" classic 282/hcdr/250dr via ex demo stock. Since I can send it off for a service and/or repair when needed this is hopefully going to be my lifetime system.
I can totally understand the American price for these making it almost impossible to recommend the new classic series, in the uk they are still out of the range of most people, but at £5700 a box much less insane. Just for your information the 300 series boxes in the uk will be £7900 each I shudder to think what people over your side will be charged.
As to your question of the day if I won the lottery I'd theoretically want the 300 series pre amp as I like to keep streamer separate, and that isn't an option with the 200 series, to go with the new 250 power amp.
Really enjoyed the review as usual, hope the comments aren't too mean.
Great review as always!! Naim has gotten a little full of themselves!! Yes, its an excellent product but, So many comparable or even better sounding products available at that price.
I home demo’d these with the my PMC twenty5 24i speakers a few months ago and I didn’t get the noise, also noticed a considerable improvement in sound stage and dynamics with the npx 300, I’ve compared this against a chord ultima pre and power also a bryston pre and power, for me the Naim won hands down
What source/DAC were you using? I’ve been using a TT2 and Mscaler with a McIntosh MA352 in my bedroom system, and had intended to get the new Chord Ultima Integrated, but sounds like you have some strong feelings the opposite direction.
@@trajan350 a Naim ND5 XS2 and a Rega P6, on the chord side it was the ultima pre 3 and power 5, my experience is in my room though, you could get different results and find the chord with your setup sounds better to your ear
@@brettclarke6798 I meant on the Chord side - what was feeding the Pre3/Ultima 5?
Totally appreciate and agree on the room.
@@trajan350 ah so I home demo’d them so it was my ND5 XS2 and Rega P6
I appreciate your brutal honesty, especially with revered brands such as Naim and Schitt
The Naim’s integrated amps is where its at imo. This week I purchased the Nait-50. No DAC. No Streaming. No Room Correction. No Remote. And it doesn’t weigh 50lbs. My point? Buy what you like. This amp sounds great and the form factor/retro looks makes me happy. Great content on your channel. Cheers.
Andrew, Naim uses a cheap loud SMPS at idle so they can tout they low power consumption primarily for the EU market. I used an SN3 with my CW IVs and found it to be the most satisfying pairing of all I experimented with. I too was bothered by the noise at idle, at first, but then realized it switches to the LPS when under load and it had a super black background. I decided I cared more about how my Klipsch sounded when playing music than just sitting there. 😊
As someone already mentioned, Naim is a ‘religion’ for some people. And, Naim utilize their faith to the full extent. When looking at the components, I personally think the manufacturing cost of this $27,000 system is below $2,000. I could be wrong. Don’t quote me. The point is you pay your religious taxes Naim. And, it’s hefty. That being said, I still like Naim. I’m actually waiting for new Supernait 4. And, NO NO NO, you should NEVER separate the price from the product. It’s a business and it’s all about the money.
Great reviews Andrew , love what you have done with this new channel great Dude, you and Kerry were my "best PALS reviewers" when I was getting into hi end 12 or more years ago !
Loving your channel each time
McIntosh looking like a fairly good value for the money.....never thought I would think that. Good honest review.....thanks !
My pleasure!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews mcintosch is like Harley Davidson .
I have Heard- the anniversary tube mono amp and Theo Sounds Soo bad!
Perfect review. I had the old classic series Naim for years and you touched on two key things that eventually scared me away from the brand. 1.) Naim want the product to be used how Naim want you to use it. Meaning silly connections and no features. 2.) Pricing got out of control. Great sounding stuff but for the money... Like many "high end" products the pricing is way too high and equal performance can be had at a fraction of the cost.
So yeah your review equals my personal experience to a tee when it comes to Naim.
For the record my Supernait 3 + HCDR has no hiss through my Dynaudio Contour speakers, even with my ear next to the woofer/tweeter.
Love that you keep it real and honest man! Good that you also mentioned you did A-B testing, since I'm always sceptical with comparisons that aren't
to be clear, sighted AB is still fairly meaningless. Really need blind ABX to gather reliable data points, especially for something like electronics...it's certainly easier to detect differences with speakers since, well, they actually sound different mostly
I find the Naim Muso wood edition one of the most gorgeous Hi-Fi devices ever made. I'd love to see them expand that to a sound bar with more channels and spatial surround effects.
The value in Naim has always been in their mid range products, the Super Nait integrated amps are really very, very good. I'm from the UK and I have lots of friends with Naim amps and the higher end pre/powers just don't offer a significant upgrade on their midrange products. The Uniti Atom is fabulous, I bought one for my daughter and she loves it. Sorry I can't get over the $27000 price tag, for that kind of money you could get, PS Audio BHK pre and mono blocks and probably have enough change for a decent streamer or Prima Luna top end pre/power, a great streamer and phono stage and have enough left over for a decent turntable, arm and cartridge.
Hi Andrew & Kristi - Thank you for this video and all of your other videos. They're very helpful. I'm sort of new to this hobby and I love it. I'm an engineer and an artist, and I guess that draws me to the tech and design side of this hobby.
I'm working on training my ears to be able to tell the difference between different gears. Yesterday, I was at a dealer's store and listened to two different gears, both of which were actually fed by this very Naim preamp. The amps were Esoteric F-03A for class A and NAD M33 for class D. I wish I had watched this video before yesterday. I could've listened to recognize the noise that the preamp makes :) Cheers!
As someone who purchased the Atom in the past, lack of HDMI will continue to immediately remove an item from consideration
Awesome review as always, I was curious about the brand, they seem to have loyal fans. Aprecciate the usual honesty, hope people don’t freak out too much in the comments.
We appreciate you watching. Like with everything, there will always be brand loyalists just as there will be those who will never see beyond the price, whether it's high or low.
Geeeeeeezzzzzzuuuussss! I checked out the price before you dropped the 27k price point. I think McIntosh may be a budget alternative. The only emotion I’d be feeling when listening to this system are the tears coming down my face when I check my bank account. BTW, that was a LOT of info dropped in only the first 2 minutes. How many pages was the script for this one? - Note to self. Always comment at the very end of the video. Just got to the McIntosh comment!
The script for this review was (I think) 5 pages long --which is longer than most ---but we had a lot to cover. Yes, always watch to the end because you know Kristi's got your back!
I have just found your channel, and you guys are the best for subjective reviews! I own Naim equipment, and you are 100% correct regarding hdmi arc... whyyy. I have a system that Naim heads frown upon, but use a Uniti Nova passed through a NAP 250 DR. I 100% agree regarding the power supply as well, waste of money. I have tried the new 250 classic, and a/b tested with its predecessor. My advice to anyone, would be to grab a discounted NAP 250 DR. Unless you have money to burn, I would defy anyone to hear the difference in a blind test. I do love the Naim sound. If you like the Atom, you should review the Nova, it has improved sq for sure
I just bought the new classic 200 and I don’t ear the noise you’re talking ? I’m very satisfied with Naim product and sound fabulous with Kanta 2
Great review as always. Seems like real nice gear. To each their own. All the best.
Appreciate you tuning in! Thanks for stopping by!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews of course. Your channel has been a must watch for me in the last few months , when I found it. Including others channels my great interest in audio in particular has been rekindled. I thank you and Kristi.
Naim had a bit of a sale earlier this year and I seriously thought about the amp & preamp which would have come in at $14K on sale. I own a Uniti Atom and owned a Supernait 3 for about a year and really enjoy the Naim sound. Much like McIntosh and Linn, Naim has a dedicated hardcore following of users who will buy nothing else. I'm not so evangelical in my audio purchasing, so ended up getting the Technics SU R1000, which I really like. At this level it's more about personal preferences and less about the cost. If you love the Naim sound but can't swing these, they have some other great options, the Uniti line and Nait line that will get you close enough to these for most folks. If you can swing these and Naim is your thing, have fun.
Great perspective!
Hi Andrew, I just had a demo yesterday and I disagree with you about the power supply. It is very clear that uou have a much larger soundstage with the power supply. Without it is much smaller. I agree with your qualification of smooth sound. I did not notice the noise but I was in a store
The current Naim pricing structure I suspect is due to them twice having been bought and sold to private equity firms who are not known for putting sound quality over profit! Your USA importer is also taking a cut as well of course!
Naim and Linn are now both “reassuringly expensive” and their devotees will still happily pay the money. Naim will, of course relieve you of more money by offering additional power supplies😂.
The speaker sockets are designed to be used with Naim’s own soldered plugs and their own l/s cable (really stiff) so I get why it’s 4mm only.
As for the pre amp noise I suspect Naim will say that it’s a product of the preamp design and the improved sonic benefits outweighs the downside of audible hiss which when used with average efficiency speakers is not as much of an issue but that’s a decision ultimately the customer will make.
That and the UK running 9 percent inflation those private equity firms have got to be soiling their pants if they can't recoup their money.
Pretty much that, firms looking to recoup the investment. Shame when the streamer is such a good product at an acceptable price.
@@timharbert7145 Our uk inflation is causing a sharp reduction in consumer disposable income at the low to middle price ranges
As a result more manufacturers distributor offers & new models at more affordable price points.
For example new PMC transmission line speakers only in black using previously developed cones.-Over 40% cheaper yet still manufactured in UK.
Hegal have rolled back the price of their Intergrated streaming (room ready) amplifiers to the original pre pandemic launch level.
More offers across the board. Heard I leading one leading speaker distributor admitting the market was tough at the Bristol Hi Fi (largest in UK) show in February
Naim also makes EVERYTHING in the UK. From the metal forms they have cast at local foundries to local machine shops, to local FR8 board makers, to all local labor (build, assembly, testing, and QC), etc.
Brexit got them hard, inflation is taking a huge toll, and there's certainly an element of exclusivity to their pricing. But, not being made in China (by slave labor) makes things VERY EXPENSIVE, even before importers and dealers get involved.
Not gonna harp over $27k...it's Naim, I get it. No HDMI though...come on. Naim is about the ecosystem/look...like McIntosh or Macintosh 😏😉. It's what I would expect from Naim (Dynaudio owners are loving this). Wonderful, honest video! 😊
Thanks so much! Appreciate your comment!
Loved this review. It’s super helpful to get a feeling for what manufacturers do with their flagships.
Glad it was helpful!
I guess its not, if you believe the 200 classics series is their flagship.
Flagship......not even close.
That’s a nice looking system with those Kefs.
I happen to agree!
Naim isn't only a brand. For some people, it's like a religion.
Oh I bet. I love their products and sound, but they're quirky and do things their own way for sure!
Isn't that HiFi in general? ;-)
@@KristiWright well, some of us are Losing our Religion...and reconstructing why we listen😊....kinda like your husband. The biggest audio truth..."no one has to like the sound of your system...but you"
As is another long time UK (does Scotland still count?😂) firm - Linn - associated symbiotically for over a decade until the mid ‘80s.
I just found a vintage Linn system at the fathers house of a friend of mine. Still cool! Active cross over modules! 😂
If you like naim, buy a second hand old naim classic NAC202/NAP200 combo. Naim will service then back to new. All for a fraction of the cost of this new version.
agree, though the nap 200 is one level down, there is no source (streamer dac) included in your suggestion, and for the 27k there is an extra beefy secondary PSU included, which in all naim gear of the past turned out to be a real game changer.
I bought a new Naim Super Nait 3 integrated amp at an open box price of $ 3800. It too is a little noisy, a little hiss if I put my ears up to my 98 efficiency speakers. That is will be more audible with even more efficient speakers like Klipsch. If you have less efficient speakers that you won't probably hear it
Hi. I have been a Naim customer for years and I should say they are great sounding gear and very well built. The hiss sound is noticed with high sensitivity speakers. Focal Diablo 89 db was a beter match for the review.😄
I made note that this system is not recommended for high sensitivity speakers in this review. While I'm sure the Focals would be a great test for this stack, we used the KEFs which are 90dB efficient...so...
@@miltonballester1826 my speakers are 96 db acapella speakers
Dead quit no hiss at all
Thing of bluetooth or wifi not awailable is a plus. Because you need to disable those first to equipment sound good. At least I noticed that on some network streamer transport only units having wifi hdmi and bluetooth. And difference with those disabled is massive.
As a person who currently owns a 10-year old Naim UnitiLite, and have a pair of Wilson Audio Sabrina X speakers on order, I’ve been eyeing the The New Classic 200 preamp and amp to complete my end-game system.
To show that all things are relative, I decided on this combo because it’s a “better deal” than the D’Agostino Progression integrated amp (with the optional streamer/DAC upgrade), which is hovering around 30k.
Thanks, Andrew, for being open to covering gear at all price points.
Have you tried a bluesound powernode, would pair great with the Wilson.
@@starofcctv94 no, but I did try it with an Atom at the showroom and the midrange, which is Naim’s calling card, was a bit muddy; it had a hard time driving them as they are 4ohm speakers.
I’ll give the Fosi amp a shot when they come in, though lol
You're not going to fix the noise issue with better power supplies, or anything else. The noise you are hearing is from too much gain. Your super efficient Klipsch speakers enhance the problem. You can fix it one of 2 ways. If you go through the owners manual for the preamp, look for any type of gain adjustments. Each channel may have its own gain setting, or possibly global. I'm not familiar with these new Naim components, but I think 90% chance that it allows for some type of gain adjustment. Lower the gain until the noise goes away.
One thing I need to stress is you have to make sure you are adjusting gain, and not volume, A volume control can't alter a signal. Only gain can. This issue can't be fixed with a volume adjustment.
Your other option is to get in line attenuators. Rothwell probably makes the best ones. They go on the end of your interconnects and they reduce gain the same way a less efficient speaker would. They don't alter sound quality. Even if they did, it wouldn't be enough to hear.
There is one other thing, but I think its not likely. I'll mention it just in case. I know Naim gear is balanced. Depending on your equipment, and how its set up, you may have some type of balanced operation issue. There's no way I could go over all the details in a post like this, so I'll just tell you what you need to know. Simply put, balanced and single ended components are not compatible. In order to achieve balanced operation, both components need to be balanced, and you need a balanced cable to connect them. Without those 3 things in place, you have a single ended connection. You're just using 2 of the 3 conductors in the cable. Its electrically identical to using RCA cables. The reason I can't be too specific is because there is more than one way to balance audio components, and how they are wired can be different, as well. Connection issues will vary depending on how your equipment is designed. But like I said, the issue is most likely not balance related, its just something to keep in mind.
I was curious how long to you test a item? I found every new amplifier sounds. It's best after around 4 months.
We lived with this setup for (I think) about 8-9 weeks straight.
Hey there friends, I'm a little late today due to some morning cycling. I enjoyed the video despite the fact that I would probably never purchase this set. The industrial design looks fantastic. Loved the Bad Boys clip and poke at limited editions. 😂
Great comparisons throughout the video, especially the ones that Kristi added! As usual I enjoyed living vicariously through you two and it was very entertaining.
QOTD: I like the design and trust your take on its sound. The screen integration looks understated, high-tech, and cohesive. I know Kristi mentioned a silver option but I personally feel black just works here (I'd still love to have my mind changed). I definitely appreciate the function drives form of the aluminum fins.
One of my favorite companies, with many products that are oozing cool by every metric. That said, way above my budget- like coronations and funerals expensive! I would love to support them.
Great video Andrew! Favorite part of this video is twofold...when the 27,000 dollar price tag of the NAIM system is mentioned and the number flashes on the screen, the anvil like sound effect that accompanied it 😆 Just want to say I appreciate those little touches, they add flair to your videos and I freaking love it. 👍 Also, to hear that the Ever Solo is probably going to get a full review, I'm so dang pumped, it may end up being the first audio product I buy in well over a year. The NAIM stuff looks great, just not in my price range, but I still enjoy seeing products not in my range. Thanks again for the video and looking forward to the next one!
Wait What???? How much??? I guess that is for some but not for all of us. Happy that you came up with more affordable options for us. I’m with putting more money in an IRA or other retirement plan.
Naim probably matches this system with a Focal speaker to give a person a sonic treat. For those who can afford a Naim/Focal system…. No hate. Just not for me. Great review. just what I needed to really enjoy my modest system.
Appreciate you watching as always, Brian.
So, should I consider the amp as an upgrade over my existing 15 year old Naim Nait? Current DAC is a Loxjie so not a typical Naim owner.
My setup is ndx2/power supply xps/nac282/two hicap dr/nap 250dr amazing sound I don’t think to make upgrade thanks for your video
Eversolo has the DMP-A6 Streamer/DAC for $899 also, for an even less expensive option.
Danke!
Thank you so much for the support! We hope to see you on the next video!
@robinsonbrand You're welcome! I always try, as I enjoy your show quite a lot.
Great Review! Thanx for that honest opinions. Kristis' input is very valuable addition as a second pair of ears and cortex :)
So, I could get a MAC amp for a lot less??? No brainer to me. And that little Fosi comment was hilarious! Nice review.
I love that it doesn't have tone controls. My preamplifier has no tone controls as well. good review 😅
Well, according to Naim execs, you are exactly who this product is for.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews ha-ha-ha 😂
Is it $22,000 better than the 80 watt naim Unity Nova?
Not really
@@winstonwolff yes
Love the Fifth Element reference 😆
So funny!!
Thanks for noticing our little winks!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I mean...Gary Oldman is an icon.
I don't understand why balance is included and tone controls are not. In fact, in 30+ years of listening to music on various systems, I can never think of one time when I wanted to to balance more input to one channel or the other. Can someone explain a use case for "Balance" controls to me? I've only ever used it to check if speakers are working.
I can fully attest to exactly what you said but can't add any other credible usefulness.
Balance can be used if u use different speakers on L and R
But yeah providing balance over tone control is dumb af
Balance can come in handy if you have an irregular room or asymmetrical system layout. Using an SPL meter, it's not uncommon for speakers to not be outputting EXACTLY the same SPL. Balance can help "balance" that out for better center imaging etc.
Got the NAD C 3050 LE today (for super cheap), i upgraded to it from the Powernode. 3050 LE has HDMI eArc, DIRAC Live, 100w/pc @ 8ohms (135w instantaneous), very good sub integration (low AND high pass filtering), amazing vintage looks + VU-meters(!). At 2000eur. So, indeed, what is NAIM's excuse? I've critiqued NAIM in the past for going bananas with the pricing. Have NOT heard 'em so grains of salt, etc.. For what it's worth i think the NAIM products, especially these ones (when compared directly to the old look of NAIM's stuff), look really nice on video - so i'd think they look even better live.
Ive got a Uniti Atom which I got at 35% discount and then bought a S/H NAP100 - total cost £2200 and it sounds fantastic. I doubt this reviewed combo sounds £20K+ better. The Atom has a HDMI socket, but I use Toslink currently. Mine is dead silent cranked all the way to maximum volume, so not sure what is wrong with yours?. As for tone controls - in theory they are a great idea, but whenever I've had tone controls I've hardly ever used them tbh, as you start to obsess over trying to get each recording to sound perfect, rather than just relaxing and enjoying whatever the mastering engineers output (aka what the artist never intended). Great Review as always Andrew and Kirsti - totally love your honesty. Majority of reviewers are too bland and never say anything negative, but you guys are a breath of fresh air.
Appreciate you weighing in and thank you for your comment!
Thank you for the video🙂
You’re welcome 😊
Thank you for this review. After watching this and your review on musical fidelity m8xi, im wondering about your opinion on moving from musical fidelity system that includes m8xi as the "heart" to naim classic 200.
I used to own Naim classic series pre and power amps. Good sound, but to expensive for what you get. Now I have upgraded to Gryphon amplifier.
I’ve got Atom HE which I use for pre-amp DAC and Streamer functions. My Speakers are 105db efficient it’s not recommended to use any amp more than 20watts. But running through Amp camp Amp monoblocks I get no hiss unless I’ve got my ears to the speaker cone. No need for HDMI as Samsung frame has optical output that works. Samsung frame is rubbish it frequently takes five minutes to get it all to boot up properly by plugging and unplugging the two plugs it has.
By investing a little more I’ll definitely go for Jeff Rowland Daemon Integrated amplifier. It’s a piece of audiophile art 🖼️. Just look at this beauty.
The best balance I think if you want to stay with Naim, would be the uniti nova with 80w per channel and is exactly like the atom but more power and I think is around 5 or 6k
You can get all three here in the UK for c. £17100, or approx $21,800. So that's about $5200 extra in the 'States. It's a similar picture in reverse for US audio sold over here, of course. I've heard Naim gear at shows, and it sounds pretty good, particularly in the holography department, but also IMHO a tad on the strident side.
In my opinion, you're paying for the name (pun intended) and can get gear that competes at a much more affordable price, as you rightly pointed out. I wonder if they shun things like HDMI for some of their gear mostly out of a kind of aloofness, and also to enable "afficionados" to prize their hi-end kit, which wouldn't be the same if Naim pandered to the unwashed masses. To be fair, I've always had a bit of a downer on Naim -- might be because I've never been willing to spend that much just to claim bragging rights...
👍
If you want a step up from an Atom just go to the Star (features) or the Nova (SQ) and just add speakers. Reasonable prices on 2nd hand market. I find the app pretty good compared to others and that’s important to me. Being able to turn the amp on and select music in the lounge when u are cooking in the kitchen is handy. And the general layout works for me. The app is much more stable now than it used to be. I’m waiting for a Chord streamer/pre-amp with good functionality/app, to come out. Minimum DAC spec at TT2 level. 🙏🙏🙏this would be my end game piece of gear. Thanks for doing the first “warts and all” 200 series by review👍👍Rich
Another honest review and especially liked the comparisons.
Thanks!
If you haven’t tried a Lejonklou amplifier id suggest trying to get one for a review. The stereo power amp or the mono blocks.
Hey guys, great video… Love that you are reviewing things that are outside a lot of peoples comfort zone. Only wish you could do the same with Mola Mola components. Maybe take a look at the kula integrated with built in DAC & phono stage, not only would you love the way it looks, but I think you would be suitably impressed with the sound! Keep up the good work…
🙋♂️ ANDREW,… my question of the day… is what magazines and articles did you write and/or edit… my reason for asking because I came across a bunch of my old stereo magazines😁💚💚💚
I was a writer for Audio Video Revolution (RIP) going back to 2001. I also wrote for Modern Home Theater during this time. When AV Rev sold, I helped launch/create Home Theater Review in '04 (I think it was). While at HTR I was the Managing Editor until I resigned in 2012/2013 (can't remember the exact year). During my tenure at HTR I also oversaw Audiophile Review until Steven Stone was hired to act as the Managing Editor of that site. I returned as a writer in a non-editor role in 2017 until it sold in 2019. I wrote my LAST print article in 2019 and have been truly independent, creating exclusively for this channel ever since.
I always enjoy your reviews and watched them every time you uploaded them. Well done. This is the first time I made comment here so be gentle.
I am a long time Naim owner and I was surprised that the new PSU did not improve the sound. I wonder if you did anything wrong? Were you supposed to switch off the internal PSU of the preamp when external PSU is connected? Can you please double check and reconfirm?
I admit Naim pricing is going crazy in last 2 decades but I stuck to them still because they made it very difficult to mix and match with other brands due to their connection choice. And I have so many investments in their cables and PSUs so I pretty much had to start from scratch if changing brands. At least their New Classic has addressed that issue now. However, I am not sure if that is a smart move in terms of business for them.
I found judging components on their value is very controversial. Maybe you should try review cars or bikes? How do you compare expensive cars with Toyota or even Hyundai? You can get sometimes more features and similar performance at much cheaper priced cars compared to Porsche for example. But people still pay more for cars like Lambo or Porsche because of their characters or engine noise etc. These things are so personal it is almost impossible to be objective in making purchasing decisions.
Agreed. I've heard the NPX300 on the 222 and it made a significant difference.
@@spotshooter1 that’s why I asked Andrew if he switched off the internal psu of the preamp after NPX300 was connected. But he did not reply me at all! I think Naim is at fault here because obviously they did not brief on reviewer of the Naim way regarding the 4th order harmony “hiss” being intentional. I felt Naim has been lost at sea in recent years. They changed our local distributor and the new distributor has not been educating my local dealers about all the different connections etc. I ended up teaching the new dealer on Naim cable connections to PSU!
Hmmm.... I'm a lifelong Naim user. You don't buy Naim gear for the features, you buy it for the sound. The Naim sound is more addictive than crack. Once you're attuned to it nothing else (at any kind of sane price level) will do. The features are, of course, welcome. Just not the prime motivation. The lack of HDMI is indeed surprising - but not a deal breaker. Every Naim amp that I have owned also exhibits a very low level of hiss. It must be something to do with their preferred circuitry. Either way you have to press your ear to the tweeter to hear it. It's not noticeable at the listening position and definitely not noticeable in use. Actually the clear dark background from which the music emerges is a feature of the Naim sound. I find that when analysing the sound in "hifi" terms Naim doesn't stack up to the very best. But for musical communication and enjoyment it is in a class of It's own.
No hdmi....not surprising, it's a very poor connector for audio integrity, something as you know Naim has been obsessive about.
Back in the 90's I owned a Roksan/Nakamichi/B&W setup powered by Naim 72/Hicap/250. Back then in UK, the Naim was roughly £3000. To see the cost of the new 200 Series, and to read about dissatisfaction among many old-school hi-fi dealers and lack of general customer support with Naim since the Vervent merger, I feel damaged the brand. Add to this the noise issue...Julian would be turning in his grave!
I received a Samsung TV as an anniversary gift from my employer. The TV has only two HDMI ports, one to connect a soundbar and the other for some sort of an input. True it's only based on one example but it seems as if manufacturers are going to streaming only (forget standalone sources) and consider HDMI unimportant, not the hip thing. Is there much of a market for DVD players anymore?
If there's virtually no difference in audio, NAIM's alleged negligence in not offering HDMI doesn't seem severe.
I don’t know anyone that would use this with their TV, so the complaint of no HDMI seems ridiculous.
Good morning everybody. How's your week going so far?
I’m making lasagna from scratch today including pasta! It’s going great! How’s yours? Wishing everyone well!
@@gavriushka Vadym? Is that you? Did you change your user name?
Also pasta from scratch??? That's dedication.
We're good! Thank you for asking.
I just gave another reviewer a piece of my mind. He has made a name for himself by ripping other audio reviewers calling them liars and other colorful things. Just because people are not approaching everything from a "scientific" point of view doesn't make them any less educated on a topic. I let him know how embarrassing it is for a grown man to spend so much time ripping other creators rather then using his knowledge to partner or help them. That man is to damn old for this lol.
@@KristiWright I’m honestly not entirely sure why it changed. I never did it myself, but it is me :)
@@gavriushka It's doing it to a lot of profiles. If I check my bell notifications, it shows your handle as Vadym in the side bar but here it is something else. Must be a YT glitch.
A few years ago, I went to a Naim dealer and listened to a bunch of their component's. To make a long story short, when I inserted some of those external power supplies into the system, they made a huge difference. The difference was so big, I literally though they did something to the components to make them sound bad in order to get people to buy the power supplies. I'm not saying that's what they actually did, it was just the impression I got. Just thought it was worth mentioning.
In all the years of owning and selling naim gear (when I did), never had one customer not hear a massive difference when adding a hi-cap/super-cap/Ps etc. I'm surprised at your findings but I'm also curious to hear this for myself.
While I could not conduct blind testing of the 222 with and without the separate power supply (I'm the only one here who knew how to hook them up and vice versa) I'm not confident any differences would statically stand up to blind testing.
Im sat in front of this kit as i type ..i picked up the new classic amp and pre combo for three day home demo from my local supplier this morning - this after being seriously impressed at 2 demo room sessions earlier in the year.
The supplier said that unfortunately the power supply was out on loan and that i could take all 3 units on loan together in a few weeks time when the power is back in.
...this 2 box combo sounds like a totally different system to the ones i demoed earlier in the year ...nothing like as airy / minimal depth to the soundstage - both thingy that wowed me a few months back...im thinking it has to be the missing power supply...
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Hi Andrew/Christie; Personally I don't like blind A/B/X comparisons as I think ultimately it results in listening fatigue and a false pursuance of innocent or guilt. I far prefer to simply trust a listener (or myself) with our own experiences, as I don't think ears ever lie. I trust your opinion of the PS here as it's what you found your honesty--that you felt it made no difference--is appreciated. My only point is that in the 30 years that I've been playing around with naim gear, I've never had anyone NOT appreciate a massive jump in performance from any of their PS's. So I'm curious to go hear the combo for myself. One little question if you'll pardon the probe; do the PS's still "work" if the audio signal is NOT routed through the PS itself? It used to be that technically a Hi-Cap would work without routing the signal through, but the benefits would be (for whatever technical reason I cannot explain) not nearly as realized as opposed to when they were hooked up correctly. Just asking. Thanks.
@@Boomyaris01was the kit you borrowed run in?
I demonstrated just the 222 which the shop had been using for 6 months. On the strength of the demo I bought one. Out of the box it also was not as good. It's had about 12 hours use now and is already loosening up.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews This is Ridiculous. I've heard the NPX300 power the 222 and it made a massive difference. I really question your "reviewer" skills if you cannot hear difference. I've been deep into Naim for 30 years. Power supplies ALWAYS make a significant difference. It's part of the Naim upgrade path.
I would like to try naim products but haven't simply because of their funny connections. It's like we're being different, then be different on your own naim.
You won't see my hard earned, smartypants naim.
Sorry guys getting carried away with myself,
Good honest review.
Regards Antony Warrington England.
I read many reviews of the 222 and you're review is the only one that had a noise issue.
Spoken to a guy who bought the 222 and 250 amp.......isn't hearing what you are hearing.
Has it occurred to you that it might be a faulty unit or....you guys have some AC power ripple/noise or EMF that the 222 didn't like?
NAIM themselves acknowledged the noise. Not sure what more you want from me.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews proof. not kidding where's the email? Also I think you should have done more to figure out why you are having these severe noise floor issues, do you really believe that a company like Naim who's obsessive about noise would put out a line of preamps (and streamers) with severe noise floor issues....I own an Atom HE.....it's quiet! you've heard of Naim's DR. designation...discrete regulation....why are you the only reviewer with these issues?
On very high efficiency set of speakers you will hear hiss from some Naim products, fact, Naim owner.
who are you demanding 'proof'@@luckycharm4623tool
I had the noise issue also, including an extra unbalance in the left speaker. It turned out to be caused by this new "smart" 220Volts power meter in the power wiring in my house, a Landis+Gyr e360. An electrician who was authorised to test the power quality without this smart meter (so directly power from the street cable), suddenly became my best friend because all the noise and balance issues were gone. And than he had to reconnect the smart thing again.....
Unfortunately the only powersupplier in my part of the Netherlands is a semi governmental organisation ("Stedin") who excels in monopolistic behavior and refused to help me out. I had to buy a power conditioner/filter (Audioquest Niagara 1200) and after another disruption in the whole city a DC Blocker. But now I'm over the top happy with the 222 and 250. Very big steps after 20 years the 202+200.
Great show guys, I just purchased the 222 & the amp + focal kanta 3 for £16000 just over 20000 dollars, I had the speakers for £8000, then £4000 (5089 dollars) each for the naim, at that price point Andrew would you say they were worth it compare to the competition? + they sound outstanding no noise either. Great show guys.
Naim is fantastisch and reproduce music like no other
Finally, the answer to the question"What's in a Naim?"
The 300, 500 and Statement series are even more expensive, but when you are used to Naim everything else sounds boring. The 222 is Roon ready and then you have a very good tone control.
Honest review, thanks. Does Naim nac 272 have the same noise problem and other limitations?
I have a naim 272 and there is no noise, completely silent
Ok thanks. The only problem with 272 is it doesn't work with qobuz and not master for tidal. You just use it as a preamp? How do you connect it to an amp? It doesn't have XLR outputs
@@vvmaster2010
i use it with a Parasound amp connected via the single ended rca outs. You can stream qobuz thru a third party app like audirvana or mconnect. I did try both and I thought that audirvana (run on my MacBook) sounded better than mconnect. I use Tidal but I can’t stream anything higher than cd res (which still sounds really good) using the naim app. The dac in the 272 is quite good but, because the 272 is older tech, the streaming function is limited. I am about to buy a streamer either connected using digital input and the dac in the 272 or analog using the dac in the streamer (will try both) . The other thing i would recommend with the 272 is using an Ethernet connection rather than wifi. Despite its limitations the 272 is a v good preamp for the money you can get them for now .
I am a long time Linn electronics owner, all of which are wonderful vintage pieces that I enjoy every day. The vintage Naim stuff is also wonderful.
The problem today is that both Linn and Naim have priced their classic offerings out of the reach of 95% of audiophiles / music lovers, as have some other manufacturers. The cult / religion of these two companies only goes so far.
This new, $9,000, 100 wpc @ 8ohms Naim amp is a perfect example. Seriously? It’s insane to me. Sure, its sounds good but so does lots of other stuff sound good at prices 2/3rd or less.
Sure, the price of audio gear has soared since the pandemic. However, these new Linn, Naim, D’Agostino, Wilson kit are out of control. I guess there’s something for everyone. But do these buyers enjoy their music any more than the rest of us with lower priced gear? I’d say categorically no IMO.
I watched this cause I have the NAC 202/NAP 200 but I got used. It really is amazing. I like not having tone controls 🤣🤣🤣.
I can only dream about the new classic 200.
I'm really surprised at the noise on a $27,000 product... That is embarrassing.
And quite a privilege at that price.
@@timothyfreeseha4056 would much rather have a couple of Topping LA90 running mono than the New Classic... Tested and reviewed with 0 noise and some of the world's best measured results in bench testing. I know measurement aren't everything, but idling noise? JESUS. No. That is NOT acceptable at that price point lmao, this unit is far from a $100 no name amplifier in cost...
Their Uniti line looks amazing, would love to own it. But at the cost they want for the stack I expect lab grade performance and top notch audiophile sound.
You mean audioresearch and mcintosch that is overpriced!!!!!!
And Wilson audio 27000€ Sabrina with papercone Units from 25€
I have Naim New classic and compare to my ar Galileo from 35000€ de Naim is a bargain and Sounds beter.American brands are overpriced and Nobody here in the Netherlands is more interresed in American product!!!!
@@erikkettenes7173 exactly
I still don't quite understand why people spend this much money on hifi equipment just to listen to mediocre quality Spotify streams.
You really think someone dropping 27k on front end alone will listen to Sporify stream? Come on now...
Yea - I could have Elvis come to my house for $27K
Yeh, all cars from the Volkswagen group, with the exception of Porsche only comes with 4 wheels, body and windows. They make you pay for everything.... sorry i went off topic😅
Preamps with streaming, HDMI and phono stage are hard to find. Would have loved the design of the Naim, but no HDMI is a dealbreaker for me.
Hey, thanks a lot very helpful
Hmmm. Don't think you really can talk about the merits of the product while ignoring the price. Is it really that good?
This is some really good looking gear, I love audio as much as anyone but the law of diminishing returns is in full effect here.
Super insane high end boutique audio for me falls under the same umbrella as thousand dollar cables.. The level of sound quality
difference between this $27,000 setup and what you can put together for less than $7000 w/speakers is like 0.05%. Regardless still enjoyed the
video like all of em its just not for me at that price point. BTW literally LOL'd when you said "Mines well be called Fossi Audio".
Absolutely insane price, that's all i have to say. Have a great day !
Appreciate you dropping by!
Beautiful products. Hilarious pricing.
I’ve been a Naim user for years. I’ve a nap250-2 and atom HE. I have to agree that naim prices are going catastrophic. Though I think the prices here in the uk are slightly less, the new nap 250 is under £6000……still ouch. I’ve added psu’s in the past and always found an improvement in sound, bass sound stage detail etc so I’m surprised that you didn’t find a difference. All this aside I’ve found my new amp, Sugden 21SE (class a) which is now on order to go with my Proac DB1s. This is a £3000ish amp that sounds so much more. I think Naim have gone too much away from what they originally did…..to produce a live sound, dynamic and engaging at a cost many could aspire to…..with a bit of saving, and are a luxury brand now, you are right you can spend a lot less and get close or improve in some areas. Oh by the way many British amps don’t do tone or eq. You buy the sound you want, you’re not allowed to soil the designers vision😂
Brexit has not done them any favors....
Thanks. Awesome review = honest. Agree that no HDMI at that price in 2023 is just ….. REALLY YOU MUST BE JOKING !!!!!
Cambridge Audio Edge system ALL the way…and in my view better sound especially NO noise. (owner of Edge NQ and Naim Unity so just my 10 cents)