Naim NSC 222

Hi-fi is full of dogma. One of the prime examples of this is that great sound is only achieved by having a separate box for each step in the signal path.

• Streaming preamplifier
• £5700
• 5/5

The logic is understandable, in that a dedicated component has only one thing to do, and so should do that job better. Such an arrangement also means that there are fewer opportunities for unwanted interactions between the various sections of the system, so optimising performance.

Over the years, Naim Audio has been a master of such a purist approach at the premium end of the market, separating power supplies from the preamplifier and offering standalone phono stages, headphone amps and DACs, all in the name of performance. The results justify the strategy... or do they?

What if someone with a generous budget wants great sound but not a pile of boxes? If truth be told the pickings have been slim, but there is hope in Naim's new streaming preamplifier, the NSC 222. Just add a suitable power amplifier, speakers and cables, and you have a complete system. This still separates hi-fi in the sense that the high currents and other interferences associated with power amplification are kept away from the sensitive source and preamplification circuitry, but the box count is minimal for a set-up of this type.

Now, it isn't the first Naim product to tread this path - the previous-generation NAC-N272 reviewed back in 2016 was a real charmer - but being part of the company's new 200 series gives us hope of a significantly improved performance here.

FEATURE-PACKED