Best way - lots of this sounds better than that reviews and forum posts, but I firmly believe only by giving it a go at home can you decide if it works and sounds right for you.
The problem I see with the NDX2/272/250 3 box setup is the the potential of two power supply upgrades one for the NDX2 the other 272, how far do you go before you give up the 272 and opt for a 282 or higher.
Graeme am I right in thinking that you previously owned a 282?
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Yes - for better SQ so that I can hear music reproduced well.
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Yes with NDX 250.2. I’m really not that keen on having more than 3 boxes but obviously keen on maximising replay - preferably in an all naim set-up. I know what the 555PSDR brings to the 272 so have arranged a loaner NDX2 and will report back a comparison in due course.
G
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I have the three box system NAC N272/XPS DR/NAP 250 DR and it is every bit as good, if not better, than my NDX/NAC 202/Napsc/FlatCap 2/ NAP200. Of course the NAP250DR might have a lot to do with this.
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GraemeH
I tried a Chord Dave when I had my 272/XPSDR/250 DR. So the Source was Naim Core/Dave into the above using DC1 cable. I found it to be a significant step up over the Core directly to the 272, but could not afford the Dave at that time. I was not sure where to go at that point, with no opportunity to demo a 555 DR to see if that was a better sounding option, for similar cost. I take it you have moved on from the Hugo 2 as a Preamp direct to the 250 DR? On a sort of related question, I still own a Superlumina Din to XLR cable cable that I used with the 272/250. Can this cable be used with any other configuration than this? Like everyone else, I was hoping an updated 272 would come soon, or another way to use it, but it seems really limited in use. I now use Core/NDS/XPSDR into Chord TT2 direct driving my Dyn excite 12’s. I am also considering the SN3 fed from my four box source as a possibility, but waiting for more feedback here on the SN3.
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SL Din-XLR only useable as you describe I think. Was it not overkill a bit on 272/250DR? It’s awfully expensive.
G
Not on mine.
Like SS said, not overkill to me used with my Superlumina speaker cables, it was a nice uplift over stock cables. The SL Din to XLR and speaker cables cost less than half the price of a 555 DR, so affordable to me at that time. I did plan on getting a 555DR eventually, but that would take some time to finance. In the meantime, they release the new streamers, and I did not want to be faced with a redundant all in one 272, so took the opportunity to trade the 272/250 on a 2016 NDS.
I can still use the SL speaker cables, but the Din to XLR is not currently in use.
The NDX2 should be a better source than a naked 272 because it’s a much more expensive source. But it leads either to more total boxes or to an integrated pre-power amp, which shifts the sonic compromise one box down the chain.
If the 2 systems cost about the same (i.e. 272/555DR/250DR to NDX2/XPSDR/SN3/HiCap?) the former has a better PSU on all of its parts, better voume control and a better power amp; the latter has more modern streaming functionality.
But does the streamer/DAC of the 272/555DR give the same SQ as an NDX2/XPSDR or better or worse?
Another advantage of the 272/555DR/250DR is that you have no temptation to upgrade your PSUs, whereas with NDX2/XPSDR/SN3/HiCap you will be tempted to upgrade both of them.
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If your SL Din to XLR cable is gathering dust, I have a high security free cable storage enclave and would be happy to store it for free ad infinitum!
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Ha! I have active speakers so can offer that for two such cables 
must be twice as attractive an offer 
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I’ll fight you both for it. With one hand behind my back.
G
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The problem with 272 is that a lot of parts is going to be redundant when you move pass it…
A Hugo 1 into can sound better than a 272 alone, so does a Naim nDac…
That depends how you ‘move past it’.
If you trade it for a 372, nothing is redundant (as long as the 372 will work with your PSU and power amp).
If you trade it for separates, ditto.
Hmmm, maybe we should start a Naim forum members only swap,demo,try and buy club?
Careful we’ll be reprimanded!
G
Yes, it’s easy to see why Naim cannot allow the Forum to become home to such a system.
But Forum members can swop email addresses for non-commercial purposes if they wish to.
And in some cases (e.g. my own) Forum members have the same name on other hifi forums, and so could be contacted in that way if anyone wished to do so.
Likewise. It shows potential purchasers that you have a degree of credibility as a known ‘face’ ‘round these parts.
G
Yes. But I think one of the reasons this Forum has such a positive and collegiate atmosphere is that it’s just a place to swop ideas and feelings and facts about hifi without having to worry about how that effects anyone’s credibility as a seller or buyer.