92%
Naim NSC 222
The NSC 222 is a versatile streaming preamplifier designed to elevate your listening experience. With its cutting-edge engineering and elegant British design from Naim, this product delivers impeccable sound quality. It allows you to stream music and radio seamlessly and supports vinyl and audio headphones. Plus, it functions as a high-performance analogue preamplifier. To create an exceptional setup, simply pair it with the NAP 250 power amplifier and your favourite loudspeakers. Enjoy unparalleled audio quality like never before.
Highly Versatile
Embark on a delightful musical journey with the versatile NSC 222 preamplifier. You can access a vast array of music streaming platforms like Spotify, TIDAL, Qobuz, and many online radio stations with ease. The NSC 222 preamplifier can handle bitrates up to 32bit/384kHz, ensuring that you experience the best sound quality. If you're a vinyl lover, you'll be pleased to know that the NSC 222 has a MM phono input. Additionally, the NSC 222 is equipped with the full Naim technology for headphone listening, derived from the award-winning Uniti Atom Headphone Edition amplifier-DAC, providing you with a world-class solo listening experience.
Focal & Naim App
The streaming platform on NSC 222 is state-of-the-art and has been created by our team of experts in Salisbury. It delivers unparalleled performance, functionality and ease of use, and provides a true Hi-Fi experience with the renowned Naim sound. The Focal & Naim App, which is compatible with both Apple and Android devices, simplifies the control of your NSC 222 and allows you to connect other music systems in your home, creating a stunning multi-room setup. With the App, you can easily access all your music, including your preferred radio stations, streaming services, and playlists, and explore artist discographies and biographies.
The story of Naim and Aluminium
Naim's products are designed to be modern, timeless, and performance-driven. The NSC 222 has a sleek and innovative design, crafted with high-quality materials to ensure a smooth and enjoyable user experience. Our founder, Julian Vereker, was ahead of his time in using aluminium to protect our electronic components from magnetic fields, temperature fluctuations, and unwanted vibrations. This switch from thin steel sheets to aluminium further demonstrates our commitment to quality and innovation.
Simple and enjoyable to use
The NSC 222 is designed to provide a seamless and pleasurable experience to its users. You can effortlessly manage it using the Focal & Naim app, which is available on both iOS and Android, or with the help of the Zigbee smart remote control that accompanies the device. The NSC 222 is equipped with a with a backlit volume control and a 5.5" colour screen that displays the currently playing tracks, enhancing your listening experience.
Our Technical Director guided Naim's engineers in developing simple yet elegant circuits, coupled with our DR technology, to ensure a stable and fluid power supply, resulting in exceptional performance. We use the highest quality components and conduct ultra-precise measurements to achieve an uncompromising outcome.
Upgrade your user experience
Discover the new interface available for the 200 & 300 Series to help with the set-up of your products. Find high-quality tutorials to optimise the sound settings, best practice advice and tips.
Sleek design meets audiophile quality
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
Professional Reviews 92/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
92/100
Build Quality
89/100
Features Connectivity
94/100
Value for Money
91/100
Combining muscular dynamics with refined detail, the Naim NSC 222 makes streamed music feel vivid and emotionally direct. Its accomplished preamp, DAC, phono stage and headphone circuit create a genuinely versatile control centre, while broad streaming support keeps systems elegantly simple. What Hi-Fi? praises its punch, composure and all-round ability; Audiophilia highlights lifelike timbre, air and commanding bass.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Punchy, composed and highly detailed presentation with convincing musical organisation.
Strong dynamics, deep bass authority and immersive air around complex recordings.
Exceptionally versatile: capable streaming, analogue and digital inputs, MM phono, and a serious headphone output.
&
Cons
Soundstage depth and layering trail the most spacious rivals.
No USB Type-B input for direct computer-audio connection.
The optional NPX 300 power supply costs as much as the main unit.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
Reviewers find the NSC 222 clean, detailed and unusually muscular, combining Naim's familiar drive with refined digital and analogue performance. It is especially strong at extracting instrumental detail, transient excitement and believable tone, though its presentation is not considered the most spacious or layered available.
Transparency Resolution
93/100
What Hi-Fi? says the NSC 222 digs up more detail and makes low-level instrumental strands easier to follow, while praising its clean, crisp and insightful presentation. Audiophilia similarly calls it refined and detailed, though it notes that the amplifier's honesty can make an already edgy vocal sound slightly etched.
Tonal Balance Musicality
91/100
The sound is described as rich, detailed and emotionally communicative, with convincing vocal body, natural instrumental timbre and a fulsome piano tone. What Hi-Fi? finds the tonal balance more even than a key rival, but also hears less overt character than older Naim designs, while Audiophilia's treble observation suggests the NSC 222 does not soften rough recordings.
Dynamics
94/100
Dynamic capability is a consistent highlight: What Hi-Fi? hears greater transient punch, powerful dynamic shifts and a bigger, more muscular presentation. Audiophilia describes the sound as dynamic and effortless, while Audiophilepure reports substantial energy on suitably capable loudspeakers.
Soundstage Imaging
88/100
Audiophilia praises precise placement of voices and instruments, lifelike orchestral images, and impressive air around complex electronic sounds. However, What Hi-Fi? explicitly says the NSC 222 is not among the most spacious or deeply layered performers, which tempers its otherwise immersive presentation.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
89/100
What Hi-Fi? was impressed by the internal construction and highlights the sophisticated resistor-switched volume-control design derived from Naim's Statement range. The same review is less convinced by the tactile feel of the volume dial, despite Audiophilia admiring the black-aluminium casework, display and overall presentation.
Features Connectivity
94/100
The NSC 222 is comprehensively equipped with network streaming, Roon Ready support, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Bluetooth, internet radio, optical and coaxial digital inputs, MM phono, balanced and RCA pre-outs, and a headphone output. Its capable onboard DAC and quiet phono stage add real system flexibility, although What Hi-Fi? considers the lack of a USB-B computer-audio input an omission.
Value for Money
91/100
At $8,999, the NSC 222 is a serious investment, and adding the optional NPX 300 power supply effectively doubles that outlay. Even so, What Hi-Fi? calls it a terrific performer for the money, while Audiophilia strongly recommends it to listeners seeking performance approaching a high-quality dedicated CD player.
Reviews
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
All Dealers
Zoom out the map to see more dealers
Authorized dealers for Naim NSC 222
- In Living Stereo — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
- 110Hz — online and in-store — Kielce, Województwo świętokrzyskie, Poland (website)
- Abt Electronics — online and in-store — Glenview, Illinois, United States (website)
- Accent On Music — in-store — Mount Kisco, New York, United States (website)
- Accessories 4 less — online and in-store — Apopka, Florida, United States (website)
- Acoustic Streams — in-store — Lower Drift, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Acoustica — online and in-store — Chester, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Adventures in HiFi — in-store — Chester, England, United Kingdom (website)
and 272 more verified dealers