I made the move from 82/Hi-Cap to 252/SC in 2020 having auditioned the 282/SC combo. Even in the demo room the differences were pretty big, clarity, pace, detail and so on, all the normal superlatives. The 252/DR has more of everything over the 282/SC. That is not to say the 282/SC was bad, actually it was as good as most other pre-amps I have ever heard but I would make two observations.
The first is the old story; the difference in source quality shines brighter on the 252/SC and investment in a better source brings bigger benefits throughout the system which the 252/SC brings to the fore. The second is that the 252/SC reveals weaknesses downstream, in my case my much loved active SL2’s (Snaxo 2/4+HC/ 2x250DRs) are running out of runway.
Through a bit of good fortune (I sold my company) I have on order a 552/552PS and a ND555 with 2x555PS’s. As a consequence I am selling my young and now run in 252/SC and NDX2/XPS DR which have got better and better over time (Is Hi-shark the best place?) Lucky me.
I now have a dilemma though. Do I stay active with my 250DR’s or go the whole way and order a 500, and then which speakers? The really difficult thing is to find a dealer that can demo or lend me this level of kit and allow me to judge if it is vanity driving my upgrade path or real sonic improvements!
My advice is play the new set up as much as you can (run it when you are out or away) Naim amps are like fine wine they age very well! In a year or so tell us about what you have learned.
I have the SupercapDR. My expectations from what I read on here was that while better, the 252 has a much different sonic presentation than the 282. Some people even mentioned you need to “ween” yourself of the 282 before you can appreciate the nuances of the better 252.
So far it, it doesn’t seem that way at all. It’s more refined but not relaxed or laid back at all. In fact it’s a much more exciting and engaging listen than the 282.
This is a very interesting thread in the realm of 252 v. 282. Having lived with them both (with a 250-DR), switching them out and listening, I can relate to nearly everything people are saying. I truly enjoyed the 282 when it was in my possession—first with a HiCap-DR, then a SuperCap-DR; it felt very nuanced in comparison to the SuperNait 2/HiCap-DR, as separates and ancillary upgraded PSU likely should. That’s not what I was most impressed with. In many ways it felt ‘supercharged’. I never felt it was bright, but there was something about having to listen at a slightly lower volume on the dial than I was used to. This was very obvious, but nothing that bothered me in the least. It was just a very ‘fun’ preamp that did many things well…exceptional, actually.
When I listened to the 252 with the SuperCap-DR, it took me some time to appreciate what it was bringing over the 282. At first I thought everyone here was mad, and that there must be some justifying the price going on here that there was such a consensus of the one over the other. Now I believe ‘refinement’ is probably the most accurate description it owns over the 282. I marvel at the musical portrayal; the layering of instruments; the bass control and ‘accuracy’ of its sound (whether kick drum, electric or upright). Cymbals are just so real in their strike and decay. I’ve never heard anything like it in my system. The 282 did these things justice, but not like the 252, I’m afraid.
I parted with the 282 with some misgiving because it really is a special preamp; it is a ‘sweet spot’ pre, but the 252 is a game-changer and endgame preamp in the Naim hierarchy for me. I just love everything about it.
Hello, @Mike_S !
Yes, I am. Insofar as Naim separates go, I cannot see myself on the merry-go-round anymore within this ecosystem. I am quite confident that I am through with the upgrade itch. Lots will say, ‘yeah, sure…the 300/500 is so much better’, and it probably is, but I’ve said before I would likely try another brand altogether at that level for that kind of scratch. I am quite satisfied with this combination. I truly am.
My 252-DR/250-DR/SuperCap-DR/XPS-DR/NDX2/nDAC/Spendor D7s (with Ultra-Isolation and Balanced transformers in the mix, plus a bass management unit) is all I could ever need…or afford.
Funny – I have the opposite reaction! I am so relaxed listening to my 252/SCDR that I routinely fall asleep before finishing one side of an LP or a few songs on a CD. Then I’m pissed that I fell asleep.
I really am, @marcusman . It has me just listening to music and never at all wondering what I might be missing if I listened to component X or Y. It is a really good feeling. I hope everyone on this forum can get to this point; and I’m sure many have. Likely they’ll know what I’m talking about.
I used to read this forum and others when they talked about the 252/250 combination and I’d think, ‘someday’, not terribly convinced I’d see that day anytime soon at the time. I went through many iterations within Naim and enjoyed them all along the way. Now I am where I need to be. The 252 was instrumental in that shift and destination. It is a truly world class preamplifier.
That’s the spirit chaps. I never thought I’d get to a 252/250 level, so I’m delighted with the set up. Off course, with everything, there is always more. But there is more joy in finding your sweet spot and just enjoying.
I recently acquired a 2-year old 252/SC for a very good price and I must say it is a considerable upgrade on the outgoing 272 which I loved for its jack-of-all trades abilities. Notwithstanding the fact that I can only offer it an oldish pair of Epos M12s, or a new pair of KEF LS50 Metas, the change is absolutely transformational. Who knows what will happen next year when I tie down the longer-term speaker solution; whatever that may be. What really grabs me is when a piece of music I like comes along in a playlist or whatever and I turn the volume knob up a couple of degrees - even a modest increase in volumes just delivers in a way that never really happened with the 272.
Nice! I understand the 7.2s to be quite outstanding. I love mine to death. It is quite a speaker. Once it had some playing time it became an all-time favorite with me. I own four turntables: an LP12, Clearaudio Concept, Well-Tempered Amadeus GTA and Technics SL-1500C. The LP12 is stored away, as is the Concept at this point (which I will either sell or give to my son). Great minds think alike, eh?
The 7.2’s are great. They do take a very long time to break-in and settle though. I was worried a few weeks after I bought them thinking I’d made a huge mistake since they weren’t anything like the ones I demoed. Finally, after 4 months they really blossomed.
I think I read every online and forum review from those who owned them and they sounded like exactly what I was after in a transducer. I knew they would take some hours before settling in, so I took the plunge and am so glad I did. They are a match made in Heaven with the Naim gear, especially now (I had the SN2 and HiCap back then).
I wouldn’t worry about the speakers. If you’re happy with the sound they are producing, stick with them. If I’m being brutally honest - I have found that Naim amps are so good they really do bring out the best in any speaker. If I were you, I wouldn’t waste time or money trying to find out which ONE speaker will do a better job than the one you already have…. Unless of course you’re not completely satisfied with the sound.
It took me about 4 months of driving all over the country and going through many purchases and returns to land a pair of speakers that I am happy with. in hindsight I would have just invested all that money and effort into the best Naim amplification I could afford.
I can’t fault your logic. Speakers take far too much effort in a hobby where many of us claim to follow the ‘source first’ orthodoxy. My 2 pairs are 20ish years apart; one pair is made from wood veneer with very basic crossovers and nice, if dated, separate woofers and tweeters. The others are beautifully engineered from moulded plastic with a single hybrid speaker backed up by the might of KEF’s R&D etc. And yet, they sound remarkably similar to my ears. Now the KEFs have run in they are as sweet as the EPOS - I am not sure I could tell them apart in a blind test! The constant of course is the 252/250 combo…
