Hi all,
I had read multiples thread on 250dr vs 300dr. Im also thinking about an upgrade from my 250dr to 300dr.
My current system is 252/supercap dr/nDAC/555psdr/core/250dr/focal Sopra 2
When i first added 555psdr, couldnt hear the much difference as others had experienced. A jump came only after i upgrade my 282 to a 252.
Hence wonder if anyone experience a 300dr driving a Sopra 2 vs a 250dr?
Late last year I upgraded 282/SCDR to 252. Then I upgraded 250DR to 300DR. The amp upgrade was no less significant than the preamp, and may well have provided the more substantial improvement. I think it did. The 300DR is a real beast and more than twice what the 250DR is. I felt like I got a speaker upgrade out if it. I just didn’t feel like the 252 upgrade – as good as it is – was equal to what the 300DR brought to the table after that. I’m glad I did both. I’m not looking back.
I would consider a used NDS first to replace the ndac as that would give you a v. good bang for buck. If you can find one at a dealer that can support you all the better.
I have a 300 dr driving Kanta’s and it works very well but having never owned 250.2 I can’t give you a view but from reading other comments it’s a nice uplift but generally source first is the way to go.
Gary
But nds and nDAC using same chips and it might be a waste as i do not stream music. So not fully utilising the nds or even the nd555.
Do you already have a good stand and dedicated mains? If not, do that first. If you do, then the 300 should be a good improvement.
If you don’t stream then fair enough, a streamer may not suit. But please don’t assume that because two objects have the same dac chip, they will sound the same. I’ve had nDac, added a 555ps, which I thought was better, put NDX ahead of it as a transport, which improved things again… but the real magic happened when the NDS took over. The NDS needs the later software to shine in my opinion and it benefits greatly from a decent server such as a Melco, but IMHO it was considerably ahead of the nDAC with a 555ps.
It seems there’s much more going on to create the overall result than just the dac chip 
As @Jason stated the nDAC and ND555 are two different beasts. I had nDAC+PS555DR and now the ND555. The difference in terms of performance is simply obvious.
There is much more going on in a DAC then simply the DAC chip doing its D to A conversion
I’m using Sopra 2 and have moved about 6 weeks ago from a 250DR to a 300DR (though I added as well a 555DR PS at the same time over my 272 which had an XPS2 before) and it was a a big improvement. Speakers now feel taller and the sound is projected further in front of the speakers with more punch, and bass is tighter. The music has received a boost in energy and there is even a 3D like feel whereby the sound has somehow gained some substance, like if it’s now in front of you and you could touch it. A no regrets move, big difference.
As a 250DR user let’s be clear the 300DR is a very considerable step-up from the 250. It’s a step I’m going to skip as I’m going straight to 552/500 
Haha! Thats too much money involved!
Understand its more than just the chips. But with such big price diff btw nDAC and ND555, and i dont stream, i just cant justify the purchase.
Another vote for a NDS, especially as you already have a 555ps
Less than £2k upgrade once you take the ndac into it and a great bang for the buck.
Plus you might just find streaming something you might start using and well worth giving tidal a free demo.
That is what i would do and then 300 later
That’s very much understandable.
The nDAC than could be an option.
And, of course, there are other brands around producing fairly good stand alone DACs.
It’s the Naim way. Ask a legit question and then get badgered with recommendations to buy something you already said you don’t want. 
Don’t worry. It’s happened to me too. 
Hi I had 250dr very good amp, 300dr is much better especially on low… end and my 300dr is driving sopra 2 and was not disappointed but I did home demo it first and I bought new next day.
Why not look out for a 500. Even without DR it can be had for the price of a new 300DR and does a much better job of driving Sopra 2s. Well that was my experience. Everything else sounds better with552/500.
Phil
The price difference between selling the 250 dr and buying a secondhand 300dr, is probably going to be more than selling the ndac and getting a NDS.
Plus a bigger difference in quality
Just trying to help, I had exactly the same experience as Jason ndac/555 added NDX then sold NDX and Ndac and went with NDS - this was a very worthwhile upgrade and given cost of NDS on the used market and the fact he already has a core it seemed like a sensible suggestion.
No need to take my council just sharing my experience.
Given the spend prob the best advice is be patient and talk to a dealer post lock down. Pretty sure they could easily show you the difference between 250 and 300 but would recommend them demoing Ndac / 555 v NDS / 555 as I think that will be a bigger bang for buck
Regards
Gary
When someone says they don’t stream and several people go on about how they should get a NDS and maybe they’ll like streaming after all, etc., I personally think that’s unhelpful. I love this forum but it is the one fairly typical annoying thing about it.
For example, I once asked about using a SuperLine with a 252 and everyone droned on about how I must get a SuperCap DR for it, after I said very explicitly that wasn’t my plan. I can easily conclude – based on that discussion – that a bare SuperLine is utter rubbish, and I don’t know that it isn’t. I’ve moved on anyway looking for something else, because an audition of one isn’t possible.
Its a forum, you ask a question, you get answers hopefully.
More answers, more options to go try, whats wrong with that.
As for the streamer you keep going on about, you dont have to use it if you dont want too, but its also nice to have if you ever fancy trying it.
But as others have said the NDS could be the best way to go and cheap option.
But as always the only real answer is go try, but atleast he has a few different ideas to go with, and whats wrong with that.