252 Sound Signature

this is my preffered order - by having the 252 at the top of the Fraim - the leads hang nicely in pear shape with out touching the floor
LP12
252
NDX
300 AMP
300 PSU
SC

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Mike my stack is as follows and what my dealer believes is correct. Donā€™t ask me why as I have no idea, although he was keen to make sure the 250 was on the bottom.

252
NDX2
Super Cap DR
XPS DR
250 DR

Hope this helps as opposed to adding more confusion. :grin:

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Excellent. The exact combination to ensure every box is in a different position than it is now :roll_eyes:

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I used to have the 250 on the bottom but now
252
NDX2
250
SCap
XPS
works for me
All DR on Fraim

Easy enough to try it and other variations yourself.

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FWIWā€¦ I would go with.

NDX2
252
250DR
555PS
SC

Good luck with the re-build!

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Harry was quite adamant that the 250 should be on the bottom

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Iā€™d agree as the transformer is larger in the 250 vs XPS.

A majority also say the pre-amp is best at the top. I followed this advice when I had a change round but frankly couldnā€™t tell the difference!

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Tbh I struggle to hear the difference in a lot of these tweaks. :grin:

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Yes, this is what I thought, though I now have a 555PS.

No cigar for you then. Have you tried exotic cablesā€¦

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I better hear a difference with the dedicated mains otherwise Mrs Mike will be saying WTF and Iā€™ll be bluffing.

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Regardless of the outcome youā€™re going to have to say you do.

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I raised a similar question 3 years ago and had some useful replies, including one from a highly respected dealer. The thread is here https://community.naimaudio.com/t/the-first-stacking-question-of-the-new-forum/102

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I have the same order as you except preamp on top, NDX2 underneath. I tried both and preferred the preamp on top. I also have the SC on the bottom, again after trying various combos. One point of reference was a thread on the old forum suggesting to try SC at bottom as it is signal-carrying, hence an attempt to minimise interference. I experimented and preferred it in my case.

Iā€™m sure with five boxes youā€™ll probably get 5! opinions on what order is ā€œbestā€. If you have the time and patience Iā€™d recommend trying a couple of options to see if you find any difference and, if so, what you prefer.

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Hi Mike,
I would suggest the following on the basis of an equivalent conversation I had with a certain Leicester based Naim & Linn dealer a few years ago.

The 250 and 555PS have the largest transformers, the SC the smallest. The 250ā€™s transformer is working hardest.
252 needs to be on top.

so, I suggest:
252
NDX2
Supercap
555PS
250

When I re-arranged our system, the end result was a reduction in background noise, so music just sounded a little calmer / easier to enjoy / less relentless - whichever description resonates best with you.

Hope this helps, BF

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Thanks, the same as @Pete_the_painter as well.

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In Harry I trust. :+1:

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Anyway weā€™re upside down so you canā€™t really rely on anyone from the northern hemisphere. :grin:

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@Mike_S

My stack is
252
Superline - Violectric v200
Cd5X* or CD2
NAP300
Supercap DR
300DR PS

*HICAP DR on a floor level stand next to Fraim.

Iā€™ve never tried another arrangement, tbh.

Okay folks. Iā€™ve gone from this:

To the @Pete_the_painter / Harry set-up:

Pretty happy with the result, more open and cohesive presentation and the cable dressing is easier with Burndyā€™s clear of the floor and other cables. So, thanks to everyone for the good advice and free improvement in sound quality - all to rare in this game.

Also, as the dedicated mains didnā€™t happen Iā€™m trying another approach with the triple piggy back plug arrangement (250/SC/555) - a Kiwi special. This is an alternative to having the SC and 555 on the Isotek Sirrius power board / filter. Itā€™s a different presentation and the first time Iā€™ve bypassed the Sirius since getting the 252 and 250. More slam for sure and more gritty (PRAT) - will need to experiment a bit. In my investigations Iā€™ve established that the room is on a separate spur, so Iā€™m now wondering whether I can use filters on the computer and modem to separate any noise into the other plug (on the same spur) that the Naim stuff is plugged into?

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:+1:

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