If no, thanks for the guidance.
If yes, anyone tried it?
The thought being as an interim, a 52 is far cheaper than a 252…
Poor synergy?
If it helps, I’m powering my 82 with a HiCap DR
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Yes you can. If I had a 52 I’d want an olive Supercap. If I had a 252 I’d want a Supercap DR.
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Ok great thanks for responding. Yes, so there’s a synergy issue then. I did wonder about that.
Then problem with the older stuff is it is difficult to hear it first. I have heard a 52 in the late 90s and do own a 72. Maybe I should wait and bite the bullet on a 252. Thought the 52 might buy me some of the 72s charm I so love. With more clarity/everything.
Breaking a long forum break to chip in on this one 
Yes! It works very well indeed, 52 latest POTs and just serviced and ScapDR here into Snaxo 242 Scap-DR , 250.2 DR X 2 and SL2. Am in no rush to ever get rid of the 52. I might be lucky and have an exceptional one eh. Fozzy previously Fozz.
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I went 282 -> 72 -> 52. Here I stopped. No interest in further changes to my amplification.
If you buy a good one, it’s so easy to move it onwards if you later regret it (though you probably won’t).
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When I changed my olive xps to xpsdr, my cds2 improved significantly
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I have 82 with Supercap 2 and 2 CB 135s. Previously had 2 olive hicaps. The Suoercap 2 sounded better than the 2 x olive hicaps. Then I have CDS3 with XPS2 and NDS with 555PS.
In my view there are no synergy issues with a Supercap DR which will work very well.
Maybe the issue for some is different colour boxes. Some may say you shouldn’t mix Olive with DR.
Have they actually tried these combinations though? I am happy to live with and enjoy the mix of boxes and the synergy they provide.
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Hi fozzybear
I too am in no rush to get rid of my 52. It too has the latests POTs and was recently serviced. The idea of upgrading to a ScapDR is quite attractive - I didn’t know it was possible. I have a 300DR. Do you mind if I ask a couple of questions? Did your 52 have the original 52PS or an early olive Supercap? Also, what Burndy do you use - the one that came with the 52 or something else? What were the nature of the improvements that you heard?
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Thanks so much for your insights @fozzybear and for returning to make them. This and the subsequent members comments have given me a lot to consider. The key question should probably have been the aural differences between the 52 and the 252. As heard through others ears obvs. That’s a hard demo to make happen. I’ve heard both but 20 years apart! I also enjoy mixing Olive with DR. I have a 250DR (though likely to upgrade to 300dr) currently with an Olive 72/HC tweaked by Witch Hat.
Following HH’s comment and twisting it slightly, if I had a 252, I’d want a 52. I’m not convinced the 252 is better than the 52. Maybe I just had a really good 52, but I wouldn’t have changed it for a 252. Regarding the PS, I’d stay all olive if I were in your position.
The 52 should be fine with a NAP300 too. After all, the NAP500 was developed and originally demonstrated with the NAC52.
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I’d say stay with the olive supercap too, especially if you like the sound with it, if you add a DR version you’ll get a little more detail but lose a little of the joy of the all olive combination, the very thing the 52 excels at, those were my observations within my system when I had the Focal Utopias and to me it was an easy decision to make but those were my own personal tastes and as it happened thankfully my wife’s too
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I had quite a late NAC52 and found the move to a NAC252 not seismic but still worthwhile (a little less mechanical, more fluid and tonally a little more expressive and colourful), and not before I learned a bit about getting the Burndy cable just right - the NAC252 I had seemed more sensitive to this than the NAC52. If I had done it again, I would probably have just skipped the NAC252 and gone straight to the NAC552.
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That’s just what I did. The 52 is one of Naim’s jewels IMO.
We have a factory serviced, POTS8 NAC52 with olive supercap. We tried a Supercap DR when considering a Superline phono stage a couple of years ago.
Powering the 52 with the SCDR made for better hifi. The SCDR lowered background noise, making voices & string instruments clearer, better resolved and sweeter. Imaging was clearer and more stable too. However, music became less emotionally engaging, having lost some of its groove.
Ultimately, we kept the olive supercap, preferring the slightly more fuzzy yet engaging and fun presentation.
As for the 52 vs. 252 debate, so much has been written in so many threads. Ultimately, it’s a personal choice and we decided on the 52.
As ever, your preferences may differ.
Best regards, BF
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Thanks Richard. Great to get some observations on the differences. That’s also an interesting alternative on the upgrade path, on the assumption I can pick up a 52 for significantly less than A month 252,over time it may make the cost jump to a 552 less daunting. I do appreciate the enabling and supportive quality of this community and its members.
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Hi Chris, it originally had olive supercap that I sold on. I have gradually come to realise I am a standard Naim interconnect (as in lavenders) person now where possible although I have not tried the silly money end of things. DR improvements over my power amps, crossover PSU and pre have broadly been quite similar. A substantial increase in dynamics and realism. Quieter backgrounds. More detail and texture to instruments. brass sounding much more like brass, decays more realistic on cymbals etc. Not really any negatives at all as far as I am concerned.
Hi Marc, I have never compared 252 to 52 but have compared 552 to 52. I do need perhaps to revisit that comparison now as my front end, racking and kit positioning have substantially changed but in all honesty I am in a great place with the 52. I love the look of the old kit atop a stack of new and the volume knob to might right hand in the listening sofa is much nicer IMHO lol a good reason to stay eh. Anyway staying with the original question, the mix of old and new works very well indeed.
Very helpful insights.
Thank you fozzybear: that’s very useful. Having gone from 300 non-Dr to 300DR, I suspect the addition of a SCapDR to the 52 would be something I would like. Unfortunately, even in more normal times, impossible to demo or home-trial in this part of the world!
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