Naim nac122x + nap200 or nac202 + nap150x?

[iceman16]

Hi everyone, Im looking forward to upgrade my naim(nac122x-nap150x)pre-power. Which do you think is the better option..naim 122x + nap200 or nac202 + nap150x?I want to upgrade both the 122x and 150x to nac202-nap200 but finances don't agree at the moment.I do appreciate any advice from you guys and thanks very much in advance.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Which speakers are you using? Do you feel that your system is lacking in any areas at the moment?

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Hi everyone, Im looking forward to upgrade my naim(nac122x-nap150x)pre-power. Which do you think is the better option..naim 122x + nap200 or nac202 + nap150x?I want to upgrade both the 122x and 150x to nac202-nap200 but finances don't agree at the moment.I do appreciate any advice from you guys and thanks very much in advance.

Hi iceman16

In the first i would highly recommend that you subsitute the NAP150x for the excellent NAP200. The NAP200 will do a far better job then the already impresive NAP 150x in gripping the resistive load of your 703 speakers. You'll hear a much more tighter, faster, dynamic, coherent and natural presentation with the NAP 200 in place regardless of what you listen to. Once the 703's are kept in better check then look at upgrading the NAC122x to the superb NAC 202 and the power supply options.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[iceman16]

Im currently using b&w 703 and arcam cd192 cdp and I can feel that the speakers sounds lean and tinny at times with some recordings.

 

[iceman16]

 

[Frank Harvey]

Firstly, recordings do vary - some will be quite full sounding, some quite punchy, some smooth and laid back, some bright and harsh etc. Do make sure what you're experiencing isn't just differing sounding recordings. If you have some recordings that sound great, then there isn't an issue.

If it's not down to the above, we can look at the system. While changing the pre will improve your system quality, and changing the power amp will improve grip and headroom, I'm not totally convinced that either of these changes will solve your issue. The NAP200 is a great power amplifier, and it will be a punchier sounding than a 150 in any guise, but is likely to sound leaner in some ways as it's more controlled and neutral. I'm guessing this can only add to what you're experiencing, even if quality is improved.

Naim tends to be a slightly leaner sound than many other manufacturers, so don't expect the big meaty bottom end that some amps have - this is where they get their speed from.