Pairing for naim 202

LeonBrownx

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Hello to you all. I’m really new to audiophile type gear and my main focus has been studio gear and near field monitors, so please be kind. I’m looking to invest in a good hi fi system but find it quite overwhelming. A client of mine is into it and has a Naim 202 that he is willing to give me for next to nothing. At first glance they look pretty good so I’m going to snap his hand off. I’d like to know what you think would be a good speaker pairing? Budget is around £1000. I have a 4x5m room so stand mounts are the most fitting I feel. I listen to everything from electronic music such as aphex twin and boards of Canada, to soul and Jazz.
 
Hello to you all. I’m really new to audiophile type gear and my main focus has been studio gear and near field monitors, so please be kind. I’m looking to invest in a good hi fi system but find it quite overwhelming. A client of mine is into it and has a Naim 202 that he is willing to give me for next to nothing. At first glance they look pretty good so I’m going to snap his hand off. I’d like to know what you think would be a good speaker pairing? Budget is around £1000. I have a 4x5m room so stand mounts are the most fitting I feel. I listen to everything from electronic music such as aphex twin and boards of Canada, to soul and Jazz.
I think you have to be clearer on what sort of system you are trying to build. Can you expand on this?
What is your source and what sort of speakers do you imagine using.
The 202 is purely a preamplifier
 

LeonBrownx

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I think you have to be clearer on what sort of system you are trying to build. Can you expand on this?
What is your source and what sort of speakers do you imagine using.
The 202 is purely a preamplifier
Apologies. So it’s a naim 202 and Nap 200. I’ll be listening to vinyl mainly but would also like to get a streamer at some point. As I said before I don’t know a huge amount about speakers, but would like to make sure they’d be suitable before spending big on them . I have a DJ setup for vinyl and will be mixing records at times as well as listening sessions so something fairly neutral would be good. I’m a bit sensitive to higher frequencies so maybe something with warmth would also be of interest
 

LeonBrownx

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Quite so.
The 202 is simply preamp as I now realise.
It will need a power amplifier unless the OP intends to use active speakers.
perhaps he will come back and indicate whether this is his intention or not, by nearfield monitors does he mean the powered variety?
Hi thanks for your reply. Yes in a studio setup I have active monitors plugged into my mixing desk but I’d like something more HiFi for listening to vinyl and streaming . It’s the Naim 202 and NAP 200 that is being kindly offered to me so looking for good speakers to pair with it
 

skinnypuppy71

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That's a cracking bit of kit for nothing...neat, pmc match quite well with Naim kit.....I'd look at a pair of pmc db1i or twenty 21's on the used market....along with some good solid stands...and your going to need a phono stage for the turntable as the nac 202 doesn't have one onboard.
 
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LeonBrownx

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That's a cracking bit of kit for nothing...neat, pmc match quite well with Naim kit.....I'd look at a pair of pmc db1i or twenty 21's on the used market....along with some good solid stands...and your going to need a phono stage for the turntable as the nac 202 doesn't have one onboard.

awsome, I’ll have a look at these. Thanks
 

skinnypuppy71

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Another thing...check out the serial numbers on the back of both amps...then get on the Web and type Naim serial numbers...this will get you the years that both units were made....they will probably be due for a service from the guys at Salisbury. If they're around or above ten years old.
 
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LeonBrownx

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Another thing...check out the serial numbers on the back of both amps...then get on the Web and type Naim serial numbers...this will get you the years that both units were made....they will probably be due for a service from the guys at Salisbury. If they're around or above ten years old.
Great tip. I’ll do this
 

rainsoothe

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202 200 is a hell of a way to start a hi-fi journey (and can confortably be an endgame for a great number of music lovers). The Neat and PMC suggestions are great (PMC db1i is the same model as db1 Gold, they changed the naming at some point. Another great speaker to look into for a room that size is (again, on the SH market) B&W PM1 (but they must have their own stands, I tried them on third party ones and they didn't work that well). If small standmounts with surprisingly big sound are your thing, the PMC db1i and B&W PM1 would by my go-to.

Speaker cable is also important with Naim amps, so if they come with Naca5 you're set. If they don't, look into purchasing a pair of 3.5m lengths of Witchhat N2 (witchhat is a small company made of ex-naim employees who make Naim related upgrades - the N2 cable is very close to Naim's own Naca5, but you can actually bend it).

Another speaker to look into at your budget is Quad S2 which sounds absolutely great, but you have to give it some space from the back wall. If you can give them even more space and can accomodate their size, Wharfedale Linton are also well worth checking out.

Getting your source sorted is also the thing to do. For the money, you can't go wrong with a Bluesound Node 2 - it's got a decent sound and a great app. Cambridge Audio CXN v2 sounds better, imo, but the app is worse (although it's Roon ready or compatible). For a more appropriate source, maybe you can find a Leema Elements streamer on the sh market - it sounds very, very good and matches great with Naim.
 
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LeonBrownx

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202 200 is a hell of a way to start a hi-fi journey (and can confortably be an endgame for a great number of music lovers). The Neat and PMC suggestions are great (PMC db1i is the same model as db1 Gold, they changed the naming at some point. Another great speaker to look into for a room that size is (again, on the SH market) B&W PM1 (but they must have their own stands, I tried them on third party ones and they didn't work that well). If small standmounts with surprisingly big sound are your thing, the PMC db1i and B&W PM1 would by my go-to.

Speaker cable is also important with Naim amps, so if they come with Naca5 you're set. If they don't, look into purchasing a pair of 3.5m lengths of Witchhat N2 (witchhat is a small company made of ex-naim employees who make Naim related upgrades - the N2 cable is very close to Naim's own Naca5, but you can actually bend it).

Another speaker to look into at your budget is Quad S2 which sounds absolutely great, but you have to give it some space from the back wall. If you can give them even more space and can accomodate their size, Wharfedale Linton are also well worth checking out.

Getting your source sorted is also the thing to do. For the money, you can't go wrong with a Bluesound Node 2 - it's got a decent sound and a great app. Cambridge Audio CXN v2 sounds better, imo, but the app is worse (although it's Roon ready or compatible). For a more appropriate source, maybe you can find a Leema Elements streamer on the sh market - it sounds very, very good and matches great with Naim.
Yes, I couldn’t quite believe it when I found out what was actually being offered to me. We were chatting about how I’m in the market for some new speakers and how I only have an old AV amp currently, and he said he has his old amp sat in a cupboard not doing anything if I wanted it. Looking on google my jaw nearly hit the floor when I saw the price of it!!! What a wonderful man, god only knows what he’s got now to replace it with.

Thank you for all the tips, Very useful info.

I had been looking at the Linton’s actually but didn’t know if they’d be a bit boomy? These also seem to be the only ones so far that my wife likes the look of as well (The most difficult challenge in all of this) 😂
 
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Yes, I couldn’t quite believe it when I found out what was actually being offered to me. We were chatting about how I’m in the market for some new speakers and how I only have an old AV amp currently, and he said he has his old amp sat in a cupboard not doing anything if I wanted it. Looking on google my jaw nearly hit the floor when I saw the price of it!!! What a wonderful man, god only knows what he’s got now to replace it with.

Thank you for all the tips, Very useful info.

I had been looking at the Linton’s actually but didn’t know if they’d be a bit boomy? These also seem to be the only ones so far that my wife likes the look of as well (The most difficult challenge in all of this) 😂
you'd be surprised at how many people's hifi is wife or girlfriend influenced.... :cool:
 
Naim NAC 202 will be match with NAP 200+HiCap/DR+NAPSC I think
you are very getting better, this thread is only 8 months old.....
I think the OP might have decided what He is going to do by now, just saying...
Your comments are very valid of course, and valuable, but it is a good idea to check when the thread was started before commenting.
 
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