This is a legendary power amplifier that has been gaining recognition and prestige throughout the years, not to mention, has been upgraded a few times as well. With the latest iteration, the Naim NAP 250 DR, we can only expect beautiful sound quality from this magnificent power amplifier and it truly deserves to be matched with a preamp of equal standing.
To find such a matching preamp, we must first learn more about the Naim NAP 250 DR sound characteristics, its strengths, and sonic prowess. When we have the right data, we can then work out a list of the best preamps which you can go for and pair with the Naim NAP 250 DR power amplifier. This information can be used by you to look for preamplifiers on your own in the near future.
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Sound Characteristics and Strengths of Naim NAP 250 DR
One of the most minimalistic designed power amplifiers, the Naim NAP 250 DR looks absolutely stylish and sleek. The Naim Audio logo stands out with its greenish glow at the center of the chassis shows that the makers are proud of their masterpiece. With so many decades of history and success, we will also be proud of this 2 channel power amplifier and gladly display the NAP 250 DR prominently in our listening room. Other than the modern look, the Naim NAP 250 DR has new technologies been implemented into them too. These new technologies help to improve the sonic performance of the power amp.
The Naim NAP 250 DR now inherits the NA009 transistors which were first introduced in Naim Audio’s Statement. The other new technology will be the Discrete Regulator (DR) and is also found in the Statement, enabling smooth power supply and giving us a stable performance. The power output of the Naim NAP 250 DR is at 80 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms. Its frequency response is at 3Hz to 50kHz and is great. NAP 250 DR output power does allow the amplifier to power loudspeakers that are not difficult to drive but mainly bookshelf speakers though.
When the music starts to play, we never once found the Naim NAP 250 DR struggling to deliver. The 80 Watts output power is a bit more powerful than expected and it’s sure making our money worth. The music presentations sounded clean and effortless, with plenty of details to boot. Musical instruments sounded realistic and has the right amount of decay which makes it sound intimate. This includes vocal reproductions where the tiny breaths of the vocalists can be heard clearly. Male and female voices sounded distinct and natural, there is no veil covering them or warmth which smudges the tonality and timbre.
This also shows the neutrality of the Naim NAP 250 DR power amplifier, and also its accuracy. There is a sense of realism and it always engages your senses. The engaging musical performance is also partly due to the NAP 250 DR impeccable music timing. The scale of the soundstage is impressive as well, it is wide and has depth. Along with its amazing and precise stereo imaging, we’ve got highly defined musicians accurately located on a spacious soundstage. The bass control is taut and is impactful when the music calls for it. More importantly, the agile bass performance doesn’t overshadow the upper registers. Subsonic bass reproduction is tight and powerful too.
It has incredible transparency and yet doesn’t sound over-analytical. We hardly detect any colorations and the Naim NAP 250 DR doesn’t so harsh when pushed. It is even easier now to understand why the NAP 250s have such a long and successful legacy. This power amplifier has the innate ability to deliver an entertaining and faithful music presentation of our favorite tunes. With this data gathered, we can now start listing out the best preamps which you can choose to go for and match with this high-end stereo power amplifier, the Naim NAP 250 DR.
Naim NAP 250 DR Specifications
- Power Output: 80 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms
- Frequency Response: 3Hz-50kHz (-3dB)
- Transient: 400VA
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 87mm x 432mm x 314mm | 3.4″ x 17″ x 12.4″
- Weight: 15.8kg (34.8lbs)
Best Preamps to match with Naim NAP 250 DR
Naim NAC 252 is an exceptional high-end preamp to match your Naim NAP 250 DR power amplifier. The NAC 252 is already a very capable preamp that could deliver high sonic performance and since it is made by the same company which has designed NAP 250 DR, we can expect a seamless partnership between the two. The Naim NAC 252 preamp has an astonishing level of clarity and further helps the power amp to dig out even more music details and subtle nuances. Furthermore, the music handling and pacing are superb, giving us engaging and high-resolution music presentations without sounding congested.
The McIntosh C2700 is an excellent choice for your Naim NAP 250 DR especially if you are a turntable user. This is a high-end 2 channel vacuum tube preamplifier and comes with a DA2 Digital Audio Module. The C2700 also comes with a high-quality moving magnet and moving coil phono stage, and it gave us an ultra-low noise background. The polished background along with the encompassing beautiful musical presence just simply pulled us into the music. McIntosh C2700 has that musicality and pleasing sound quality which is easy on our ears.
Musical Fidelity M8SPRE is an outstanding stereo preamp and will match really well with the Naim NAP 250 DR power amp. They have similar sonic characteristics where the M8SPRE has a neutral sonic character and you can hardly detect any colorations. This allows your sound system to deliver a clean and faithful music presentation, close to what the artists have intended for us to hear. The neutrality and near-colorless sonic character of the Musical Fidelity M8SPRE also enables the sonic quality of the Naim NAP 250 DR to shine through into the overall sound reproduction.
For listeners who want a high-quality phono preamp and don’t want to invest too much in one, you might want to take a look at the Rega Aria MK3. This is an award-winning phono stage that supports both MM and MC cartridges and will be an ideal choice for the Naim NAP 250 DR power amplifier. It is an amazing phono preamp with sweet sound quality and impeccable music timing, giving us an enjoyable music delivery no matter what records we feed them. There is energy in its music delivery and the transparency of the Naim NAP 250 DR can help with the details retrieval.
If you are looking for an exceptional preamplifier with a network player, the Cambridge Audio Edge NQ will be the one for the job and is an excellent partner for your Naim NAP 250 DR. The Edge NQ has a plethora of features such as StreamMagic, built-in DAC, Bluetooth aptX HD and more. The overall sound reproduction of the Cambridge Audio Edge NQ is clean and clear which will match well with the Naim NAP 250 DR power amp. It also has a well-textured and full-bodied music delivery with impeccable timing. This is an enthusiastic preamp with a wide dynamic range and is entertaining to listen to.
Naim NAC-N 272 is another preamplifier that is designed and made by the same company as the NAP 250 DR. Both of them play well together and is capable of delivering a seamless overall sound reproduction with very similar sonic signatures. It also comes with music streaming capabilities and supports up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution. The NAC-N 272 is a preamp with insights, along with the Naim NAP 250 DR transparent and detailed performance, we have ourselves a highly accurate stereo system that delivers a rich and informative music presentation. The Naim NAC-N 272 has great control over the music as well and will be fine with almost all music genres.
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To Sum It Up
You should shortlist one or more preamps from this list either based on your budget or your requirements. From there, the shortlisted preamplifiers should be auditioned together with your Naim NAP 250 DR and it will be better to hold the audition in your own listening room where all your HiFi gears are. This will allow a more accurate test result and enables you to make a more sound decision on which preamp to get.
