Experience, advice and shameless speculation, if you would...
I have accidently found a Naim Nap 250 DR in my system. Short story as to how that came about in my 'hello' in the Welcome forum if you're interested.
The question is, do I match it with a Naim pre-amp? Or do I mix brands to get a pairing that sounds beautiful and prevents me being dizzied by the Naim upgrade spiral?
Whatever I eventually settle on, the amps will drive a pair of Neat Motive SX1s. They're possibly just a tiny bit big for the room, which is relatively shallow, but has 14 foot ceilings, so there's air to shift. Keen to keep a tight hold on the bottom end but not to remove it completely, of course.
If I go the Naim route, my reading around suggests a Nac 72 or 82 might do a decent job. I don't have the funds for a new (or even second hand) 282, nor a particular desire to get into Hi-Cap, Supercap, Teddycap obsession. The issue being that auditioning older Naim pre-amps can't be done at a local dealer, so it's a case of buying blind and deciding whether to stick or twist, I suppose.
I've found it hard to find much info about mixing a non-Naim pre-amp with a Naim power amp. Is that because it's a silly thing to do? Or because those who allow Naim into their lives tend to commit fully? I will ask questions of local dealers about mixing, but the two nearest hi-fi shops are both Naim suppliers and I wonder if they'll just feed me that way. Are there other options I might suggest to them for auditioning? And if I were to look second-hand are there brands or pre-amps that are known to pair well with Naim power amps? Anyone got any experience or advice?
Current sources are a Planar 3 - which will be upgraded to something like an Planar 8, or a used Xerxes 20 or similar; a 25 year-old Pioneer stable platter CD player which, again, will probably be upgraded with thoughts of auditioning Caspian 2, Saturn-r, Evolution CD 100.
Listening is varied. Plenty of folky acoustic and Americana, but also synth pop, old-fashioned 60s soul and British indie rock/pop. Classical at lower volumes, usually to work by.
Anyone who bleeds green who can help suggest how I hear the older Naim Nacs, or what I should be considering there?
Anyone lapsed Naimiacs who have racks with different badges but remnants of Naim?
Anyone who just fancies chiming in and speculating about what my next steps should be?
Pile in.