Sounds like the 282 is the audio equivalent of MSG 
My MSG box is sounding fantastic right now. I think it knows Iāve got a 252 arriving tomorrow and is trying itās best to impress. Iām making no pre-judgements and both boxes will get a fair crack of the whip. Iāll give it some time, best box stands.
If you can, try to keep the 252 in your system for several days before reverting to the 282. I found it easier to appreciate the 252 that way. Once you are used to the sound of the 252, you should be better able to detect the differences with the 282 once you put the 282 back in.
I wonder, though, if trying a 250DR with the 282 might be worth considering as an alternative.
Itās a pre-loved 252 that Iāve got on the way but despite that Iāll still be leaving it in for a couple of weeks before swapping the 282 back-in. Slowly but surely, no need to rush these things
250DR one day, possibly, as a trial. The 200DR has crept up on me over the last few months of ownership. Itās massively under-rated round here I feel. My Kudos Cardea speakers are easy to drive and the system is in a small to medium room. I appreciate itās not all about the additional power a 250DR offers, but the 200DR is nimble, fleet of foot, and articulate (much more than I expected). It doesnāt draw attention to itself the way Iāve learnt from previous experience that a larger amp can when pushing into a smaller room.
Its good that the 252 is already run in. Nevertheless the key, I feel, is just to live with it for a good period of time before reverting to the 282.
Good luck with the demo.
What am I missing here? Having to listen to a 252 for a number of weeks in order to appreciate the improvements over a 282. Or something like that? For the difference in money between the two would you not expect to hear the changes ( for the better even?) a lot quicker than that?
Any subtlies between the two could be down to a load of other factors beyond the 2 amps. Not least your mood, emotional state, etcā¦
Not saying one is better than the other but for the extra in Ā£ youād want to be able to hear your monies worth a bit quicker.
I guess system etcā¦ but to me the difference between 282 and 252 was like dawn and mid dayā¦ very very apparent.
I would suggest if the 252 is not almost immediately apparent in what it brings and provides, itās not for youā¦ or possibly in need of attention.
If true, this sounds a bit like Brussels sprouts, which might take a child a while to appreciateā¦ At least that was the case with our son ā at first not keen on these, but eventually the sprouts had grown on himā¦
I just think the 252 doesnāt need to shout to make itās pointā¦so seems for some, a little bland or laid back.
Itās neither IMHO.
If the 252 is like Brussel sprouts, Iāll definitely give it a missā¦
I went from a SN1 (which I didnāt like from the get go) to SN1/200 then added SC2 then added 252. I didnāt like the 252/200 either, then went to 252/250.2 and it got a lot better. But I did notice some recordings didnāt sound as good as they did previously while others sounded much better. It was a weird time.
My 252 was used (by a forum member) and replaced a 282 that had been recently serviced. Like Simon, I found the improvement to be immediate and significant. It just lets so much more music through.
Keith
This forum, first and foremost, is about sharing opinions and experiences, so I hope you will forgive me for having shared mine.
The assertion that the difference should be obvious, given the price differential, is, indeed, an ideal. But Iām not convinced that its always the case.
The 252 seems to divide opinion on this forum. Some love it from the start. Others donāt. Some have purchased only to find, after some period of time, they couldnt live with it - and moved it on.
In my case, my initial experience was to have my dealers 252 at home for a couple of hours, at the end of which It was clear it sounded different. But not clear (to me) that it was preferable over the 282 (for many of the reasons that have been discussed at length on this forum).
I didnt make a decision on that first occasion. Instead, a couple of months later, I arranged with my dealer to have the 252 on loan for a longer period of time, in order to get used to it and have the opportunity to listen to a much wider range of music. This co-incided with the post xmas lockdown so, fortuitously, I was able to have my dealers 252 for an extended period.
In the end, when I did put my 282 back in, the benefits of the 252 were very apparent.
So this was my experience and perspective - which may, or may not, be wrong. It depends on the individual.
But I stand by my view that if you have the luxury of time, when demoāing a 252, its worth taking advantage of it in order to avoid what may prove to be a rash decision either way.
Hah! Well, there does seem to be an occasional waff of poor air when the 282/252 is discussed 
If the benefits of the 252 are blindingly obvious to me in a very short timescale then the 282 might never get reconnected. But if itās not so clear cut, and more about personal preference, then Iām quite happy to give the 252 a couple of weeks for its charms to emerge ā¦ or not.
Itād just odd that some can hear the difference almost immediately, others take a lot longer. I have assumed that one 252 is the same as the next 252, but perhaps not?
The difference between a 72 and 282 was immediate for me. The tonal change , and the change in bass was obvious from the first day. Adding a second HCDR brought a similar change in separation of channels. So money well spent. And yes, I have tried one HC and gone back to the 72 to check. I love my 72, but the 282 is better. When my 282 went back to Salisbury I could not wait for its return.
And no, Iām not trying a 252 or 552. Not least as I have to stop for now.
It not just limited to the 252 really. Some like a Supercap with a 282. Some dont. Some thought they did and then decided they didnt.
Things are not always as cut and dried as we would like.
In my case I heard a difference. I just needed a little more time to decide if it was a preference. The 282 is a great pre-amp. I think the 252 is better, but that doesnt mean everyone will. In other cases, someone who initially isnt impressed may ultimately find they are if they give it time.
Ha-ha, that didnāt take anything like as long as I thought it would.
Putting a Supercap on the 282 was all about control and refinement. Going all the way and replacing the 282 with the 252 is that again (probably more so) plus the musical communication is just so easy and effortless. For context, I would say in the gap that exists between 282/HC and 252/SC, swapping the Hicap for a Supercap on the 282 gets you about a third of the way to the full 252/Supercap.
I had the 252 powered by a non DR supercap. Upgrading to a DR supercap made an enormous difference. Thought that doing the same to my SNAXO would be a similar step change, but nothing like as much of a lift. Maybe my original 252 supercap was off, but Iād highly recommend trialling a DR supercap on a 252 for those using a non DR version.
Iād give a quite a contrary view ā¦ the 282 and 252 are very different pathsā¦ a SuperCap DR on the 282 to me overegged the 282 exaggerating detail (perhaps what some call a āHi-Fi soundā) , and effectively took it even further away from the 252. The HiCapDR on the 282 seemed to slightly subdue the exhuberence yet still opening up the sound. With non DR powersupplies I did prefer the old SuperCap on the 282, but on the 252, it absolutely benefited from the newer SuperCapDR technology.
When I had my 282 I bought a SuperCapDR blind (without demo). I ended up keeping it in storage until I got my 252ā¦ as I couldnāt live with it on my 282ā¦
Clearly others will have different viewsā¦ but I think perhaps most agree a SuperCapDR on the 282 doesnāt get the 282 closer to a 252ā¦
Chalk and cheese.
Edit regarding Burndy leadsā¦ absolutely when I ran Naim amps, I used to flex them every 12 monthsā¦ I really appeared to benefit on the 252 and 552 and NAC /555PS.
Mrs AC might worry if I started massaging my SNAIC. 