Sometimes I think I’ve been had with what i bought in 2004… . Given that our systems are not just plonk and play, it is a real ear opener when a properly balanced system is correctly installed in a decent listening room with an excellent supply. On the other hand maybe i have not been had because if a small system (Auralic Altair G1, NAC42, NAP110 and Wharfedale diamond 220s) sounds this good, then i look forward to hearing the main system when we finally move to France in a few years. Even so i still get pleasure from the main system, but i think it should work even better in France.
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4 weeks in. I was expecting more smoothness and detail. Was not expecting this much more speed, dynamics and drive than the 282. Dare I say it makes the 282 sound boring?
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Reading positive comments like this is doing nothing to dampen our heightening sense of anticipation for our soon to arrive 252!
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That’s the system i’m aspiring to. Are you also running a XPS DR with your NDX 2?
Edit: i have read further up that you are. Nice.
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I had a comparison of a 282 HCDR vs 552 DR into NAP500 DR
The 552 walked all over the 282 which sounded boring in comparison
I can imagine 252 sounds quite a bit more dynamic than a 282
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As long as it doesn’t make it sound broken which is a silly phrase often used. At some stage it will also become boring as well. The good news though is after a time it will still surprise and at least from my perspective provide no urge to go any higher (500 series) in the chain than this. So on that note enjoy what your 252 is capable of
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Would never describe the sound of the 282 as broken. It’s a great preamp. I’m just surprised how much better the 252 is.
This is where I will be staying unless I win the lottery. So I will cover my eyes when there’s talk of 300’s and 552’s….
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The NDX2 and Burndy are 6 weeks old. The XPSDR was pre-loved
Hopefully it is still breaking in as it still doesn’t even come close to the LP12
The 300DR though…my goodness, talk about icing on the 252 cake 
What icing! Hooeeee.
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But i did hear a 552 with 300 fronted with CDS3 and some rather nice (goddess 
) sonus faber amatis (i think) which of course was quite a bit better, by some margin.
In fact it was very enjoyable, especially the Mahler 2 symphony with Klemperer. A great recordings of the century CD. The same disc on my system sounds pretty good to me though.
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The opposite the 282 has the dynamics, the 252 the refinement and resolution, the 552 both and more.
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My 252 has plenty of dynamics - as well as refinement. Waaaay better than my 282 which I still have…
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Yep, I got the refinement, ‘maturity’ and detail I’d read about in relation to the 252, but have never (especially when paired with the 300DR) thought it bland or lacking the life & dynamics much belovèd here of the 282… what the 252 has in spades over the 282 (to my ears, speakers etc -the all-important clause) is that the dynamics don’t get tiring…my ears & brain used to get…um… a bit ‘exhausted’ after just a few sides with the 282.
252 just…doesn’t.
Curses, the bloody thing will mean quicker wearing out of my stylus!
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The 252 is the best preamp in the world
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You have too many twos and not enough fives in that statement. 
Lol…haven’t heard em all, and doubtful I ever will hear as many as members here…but, with 252 my itch is pretty much scratched. Relief.
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Not my experience at all with my system. In fact it’s pretty much the opposite. The 252 is much faster and more dynamic than the 282 ever was. Just goes to show everything is system dependent and what I hear can be totally different than what someone else does…
This is exactly what I have found and is the main reason I switched everything over to Naim. I have had many excellent amplifiers over the years; Adcom, Bryston, Conrad Johnson, Ayre, but Naim seemed to simplify everything. Naim kit made any speaker sound great and even speaker placement was much less of an issue.
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I think this is very true and probably why more than a few have sought alternatives but gone back to Salisbury.
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But some did switch over to the new chord electronics amplifiers and did not come back … but maybe they will ?