Naim Announce NAC-N 272 Streaming Pre Amplifier

NAIM ANNOUNCE NAC-N 272 STREAMING PRE AMPLIFIER

Naim Audio have announced the latest addition to their award-winning range of music streaming products. The high-performance Naim NAC-N 272 streaming pre amplifier combines the two worlds of digital and analogue audio engineering with extensive music streaming facilities and exceptional sound performance. It truly is a very versatile product.

The NAC-N 272 is set for its first demonstrations at the the Bristol Sound & Vision Show and will be priced at £3,300 (£3,595 with the optional DAB/FM module). A simple step into high performance music streaming, the NAC-N 272 offers an unparalleled balance of integration, versatility, and performance. Partnered with a Naim Audio power amplifier like the NAP 250 or NAP 300, the NAC-N 272 leads a two-box system capable of unleashing music from a wide range of digital and analogue sources. An upgrade path is also viable with the introduction of an XP5 XS, XPS or 555 PS power supply.

Featuring a traditional Naim pre amplifier section with high-quality hand-matched components, all of the components in the signal path are discrete analogue parts specified after thorough listening tests. To protect the signal path from sources of interference such as the power supply and streaming circuitry, great care has been taken by using optical isolation chips allowing the digital and analogue sections of the NAC-N 272 to communicate with each other.

The digital pedigree of the Naim NAC-N 272 is formidable. It shares the incredibly powerful DSP (Digital Signal Processor) used by the reference-level NDS Network Player and features Naim’s proprietary digital audio buffering and filtering techniques. This helps eliminate jitter and optimise the audio stream for the best musical performance from any digital source.

The volume control is derived from the flagship Statement’s design, offering smooth operation and perfect level matching while a Class-A singled-ended headphone amplifier allows the NAC-N 272 to make the most of high-performance headphones. As soon as headphones are plugged in, the output current drive is automatically turned up five times to give dynamic drive for all headphone impedances.

The NAC-N 272’s analogue input sockets are individually hand-wired to the main board to enhance mechanical decoupling of the sensitive circuits, while the board itself is mounted on shoulder bolts to help double it further. The sound critical resistors used arrive at Naim matched within 5% and is improved even further before assembly  by hand-matching to within 1%.

One of the main talking points of the Naim NAC-N 272 is that it is the first Naim product that is able to play DSD64 files. Adding to its already rich list of features, this means customers can explore even more music from different sources and in different formats. DSD files can be played back on the NAC-N 272 via the UPnP, S/PDIF or USB inputs and, to keep the DSD audio routing as pure as possible, the digital header information is stripped out by the DSP leaving only the audio. This is then optimised for the DAC by down-sampling the stream to 40bit/78kHz using Naim software to maintain the high sample rate and accuracy. This adapted DSD stream then enters the DAC, bypassing the DAC’s internal digital filter.

The Naim NAC-N 272 is available to pre-order through our online shop via this link, and you can find more images there too! Or you can give us a call for more information or to place your order. Contact us today! A full feature list and specifications can be found below.

Playback Features

• High-quality pre amplifier including improved version of Naim hybrid volume control
• UPnP-enabled to allow streaming of audio files at up to 24bit/192kHz resolution from Naim hard disk servers, network-attached storage (NAS) devices or any home computer
• Supports a broad range of music formats: WAV, FLAC, Apple Lossless, DSF64 or DFF64 DSD, AIFF, AAC, Windows Media-formatted files, Ogg Vorbis, MP3
• Spotify Connect built-in to stream millions of songs from the world’s most popular streaming service
• 6x 24bit/192kHz-capable digital inputs (S/PDIF) for sources such as CD players, TVs, laptops, and games consoles
• Bluetooth connectivity with high-quality aptX audio codec
• vTuner 5* full-service internet radio
• Optional DAB+/DAB/FM radio module
• Multiroom and Party Mode compatible
• iOS and Android Naim app for intuitive control

Performance & Engineering Features

• Unique Naim electronic design combining award-winning digital and analogue technology
• Powerful 40bit DSP (digital signal processor) with unique Naim software authored to achieve optimum sound quality and eliminate jitter
• Naim single-ended Class-A headphone amplifier
• Large toroidal power supply with separate windings for each section of product
• Performance-upgradeable with XP5 XS, XPS, and 555 PS power supplies
• Hand-matched, discrete analogue components selected through listening tests
• Inputs individually hand-wired and relay switched to decouple from interference
• Non-magnetic anodised aluminium casework to reduce resonance and create premium Naim finish
• Engineered and hand-built by Naim in Salisbury, England

Specification

Outputs

• Pre amplifier: (2 x DIN, 1 x RCA), Line (1 x RCA), Digital S/PDIF (1 x BNC), Headphones (1 x 6.3mm)
• Pre amp Output: 775mV
• Line output: 275mV
• Frequency response: 4Hz – 40kHz
• S/N Ratio: 87dB (measured at 2V in, 775mV out)

Inputs

• Analogue Inputs: 3 (1 x DIN, 2 x RCA)
• Analogue Input Sensitivity: 275mV (good for 2V sources)
• Analogue Input Overload:  34dB
• Digital Inputs: 6 (1 x BNC), 2 x RCA, 3 x TosLink)
• Digital Input Sample Rate: Coaxial – 192kHz, Optical – 96kHz
• Other Inputs: DAB/FM, USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, iRadio Service vTuner 5* full service

Audio Formats

• WAV and AIFF: up to 32bit/192kHz | FLAC: up to 24bit/192kHz | ALAC: up to 24bit/96kHz | WMA: up to 16bit/48kHz | Ogg Vorbis: up to 16bit/48kHz | MP3 | M4A | AIFF | WAV | FLAC | ALAC
• Internet Radio:  AAC, Windows Media formatted content, MP3 streams, MMS, Ogg Vorbis, Spotify Connect: Ogg Vorbis (up to 320kps), Bluetooth (NAC-N 272 only): SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX-LL

Other Specifications

• Upgrade Interface:  Mini USB
• Wi-Fi Compatibility: 802.11b and 802.11g
• Power Consumption Idle: 21W
• Mains Supply: 100V, 115V or 230V, 50/60Hz
• Power Supply Options: 555 PS, XPS, XP5 XS
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 87mm x 432mm x 314mm
• Weight: 12.5Kg
• Finish: Black anodised aluminium with brushed and black anodised fascia