Already got the 250.2 last night at a price I could not resist to.
Now thinking to skip 282/252 and go straight to a used 552/552 PS…
Endgame = 552/250.2, no interest in 300DR/CD555/NDS
I can understand. You have already two wonderful sources.
Hmm… I need to give an alternate view.
The 202 to 282 is a significant jump in performance, and is similar to the jump in performance between the 200 to 250. I was genuinely surprised at the huge difference between my 200 and 250 in terms of resolution, feel and dynamics.
But I agree the 202 is not a great match for the 250, although it does improve somewhat when you power the 202 with a HiCapDR… I found this does narrow to a slight extent the difference between 202 and 282.
" I think there was a guy on here a little while ago that ended up with 202/SC/250 and reported very highly of it. And of course many Superline users employ a SC."
Can someone please share the link to this post ?
If I may share our journey over the past 15 years or so…each incremental (power supply addition) then the “final” jump made just last year:
First purchase - new CDX2, 202 (inc NAPSC), 200.
First Addition - second hand XPS
Then - new HICAP DR
Now - new 282 (NAPSC + HICAP DR), 250 DR, and our XPS2 serviced to DR.
Speakers went from B&W N805S’s to 804D3 during last years “final” jump to 282/250.
As frenchrooster already stated you have wonderful sources.
I would not discount the addition of a power supply to your 202 - adding the HICAP DR lowered noise floor, opened things up more and for the cost / gains musically I thought it was a bargain!
But, having said that - moving to 282/250 last year was expensive! but also an entry into another level that blew me away - we home demo’d for weeks, where I got to play about with different combinations of pre/power set ups, in the end taking the plunge as my ears and heart won over my mind and am more than happy, albeit all “expendable” cash is now gone…
For the equipment you have, some would say they deserve a 282 to get the best out of them, compared to 202. If you want to do it in stages add the HICAP which the 282 will need.
If it were my money and I had to choose between SC and 282 it would be 282 as it will bring a new level of musicality to both your sources! (although to be fair without hearing a SC on my system that may be an unfair comment).
If your end game is 552/250.2 then you have hard decisions ahead of you - most cost effective way to get there etc - but if you can home demo a 282 and power supply (HICAP or SC) you may find that urge to go “higher” up the Naim ladder is quashed for some time…mine certainly is.
Enjoy your journey.
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Given, perhaps like many here, I have trodden the long path of Naim upgrades, I would say good though the 282 is… when matching the rest of your system with the 282 it does tend to take you into a kind of dead end… that should you wish to go beyond the 282 you may need to recover from.
The 282 is a rather forward and energetic NAC. This gives its character and can make it sound impressive. However you end up matching sources and speakers to compensate, or occasionally puts you off listening to poor recordings as they get exaggerated with the 282. I found this prompted a love hate relationship with my 282.
The next rung up the ladder, albeit by a huge margin is the 252… BUT, if you have matched the system to suit the 282, the 252 may well sound underwhelming, and you then need to open up the system again to really value and appreciate the beautiful musicality the 252 adds.
The 552 is a little more forward than the 252, so in some ways migrating from the 282 to 552 is easier from a system synergy perspective.
Just a snippet from my experiences from over the last 20 years or so with Naim.
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Very true indeed. Speaker matching is key to the success of the 282 in the system. Match the 282 with the wrong speakers the sound will become too forward and bright apart from having a slight glare in the treble. Refinement also goes down a level. Get the matching right it’s heaven.
not sure I can relate to the 282 having a character… I know this for sure as I had the luck to compare a 282 and 552 side by side.
The 552 got the resolution that a 282 simply can’t touch, and more bandwidth. and why not at the increased price that 552 is over a 282
As for sounding bright and aggressive, well could (for me) depend on the electrical environment at home. I have had to examine everything plugged into my home and eliminate/switch off any mains extension/devices with neon light in them when it’s time to enjoy music with my systems.
last but not least, the stock cable that comes with the 250/300/500 … in my experience this is a weak link… and for me I hear clearly the benefits of the cable upgrade, some like Chord Sarum DIN/XLR and some like Superlumina DIN/XLR.
Huge thanks to everyone’s input. In terms of speakers, I am looking to buy 1 of the 2 followings:
- Wilson Tunetot
or - Neat Ultimatum XLS
Would this change your recommendation from a potential 282/252/552 perspective ?
Anyone tried these two speakers with your Naim setup ?
Thanks in advance.
Yes I’ve tried both the the Neat XLS and XL6 on the back of my 282/250. I’ve always loved the sound of Neat speakers but simply we couldn’t manage the bass in my (limited) listening area with either speaker. But with a bit more room behind I think they’d be superb.
Regards,
Lindsay
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