We can all speculate but the 272 replacement might be a combo of a 252 and 555 technology and require a PS 555DR and list at 30K plus power supply.
Lots to wait and see vs what someone has available to them today.
2 points:
- Need to know why the need to upgrade. New speakers may be the best answer, as it depends on what the reason is…
- can resolve to a large extent the financial worries by buying preowned. Then you’ll be able to move up the ladder, whichever route you try, and when selling on again (whether 1 year or 5 years or longer) will likely not lose overly much.
There’s more than one way to skin a cat…
That’s true and if the OP considers non Naim, there are many more options
Yeah, we could come up with all sorts of scenarios but history and cues from the manufacturer dictate a more tempered response. I’d love a 500 series streaming pre-amp but is that likely?
Given what seems to be on the horizon (272 successor), I’d wait and see how that plays out.
Possibly in the meantime, are the mains sorted? (spur, power cords etc.)
If I wanted to have the best sound with 3 only boxes, I would not go with Naim. More a DCS Bartok into active ATC or Linn KDSM.
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That’s cheating! You can reduce boxes on any system by getting active speakers, even an all Naim system.
On the other hand Naim systems use more boxes as you go up the ladder, which is partly why my system is now mostly Chord.
I think this is the dilemma. I faced it with my 3 box system which included a 272. I would say the 555 is a worthwhile upgrade but the XPS is a very good PS in itself, so imho it’s more a partial upgrade. I think to make a meaningful step up you need to go from three to five boxes. I went to 6; well it looks nice stacked in two columns of 3, that’s my excuse anyway!
I think the NDX2 + XPS DR and SN3 is the way to go here, with a proviso that the speakers need to be matched to the SN3 as it’s a drop from the 250.
A 272 if/when it arrives will not be as good source as the NDX2 and XPS DR option.
If you were thinking a 555 PS over the XPS DR, I’d suggest comparing the cost differential against adding the SL full loom. I had the SL full loom on a SN2/Hicap/NDX2/XPS DR set up and found that to be very worthwhile.
But, for a significant sound lift keeping the 250 and XPS DR and moving the 272 out and a NDX2 and 252/SC would be a top notch system.
Good luck.
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Thanks all for the interesting responses. A little like asking for directions in a remote location and most suggestions start with “Well, ideally, I wouldn’t start from here”
.
Most interesting is that no one appears to think the Super Lumina loom would add anything much if at all, though this is a path the dealer suggested to me to maintain my current investment???
And the comments above do make sense to me as I have always had a slight ‘King’s new clothes’ view of high priced interconnects. And a full SL loom certainly breaks the 10% rule suggested when I commenced this journey.
Perhaps the option of waiting for the 272’s replacement makes the most sense after all.
Many thanks to everyone for their views.
KR, J
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Hi HH,
Did you retain your PL/SL loom when you downsized?
KR, J
Good point well made. I am not struck on the new Uniti look at all, preferring the industrial design of the Classic, and indeed the old Uniti range - I started with a SuperUniti
That said, Naim will have done their marketing research and can’t be blamed for manufacturing what they believe customers, more importantly new customers, want to add to their homes.
Just my tanner’s worth.
KR, J
I sold it all as part of my ‘back to basics’ drive. I now use a Grahams hydra, which cost £170 rather than nearly £4,000 of Powerlines and MusicWorks. I have Tellurium Q Black II interconnects and speaker cables instead of the Super Lumina. It all works very nicely.
Hmmmmm………
Very interesting, many thanks. Even if they’re not the King’s new clothes, would one fit six pot Brembos to a Ford Anglia, possibly not.
KR, J
Did I not see you selling a TQ Black interconnect on that light red fishy website? If so may I ask what will that be replaced with, or was it surplus to requirements (replacing TQ I with TQ II for example)?
You did, and your example is correct.
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I wouldn’t advise the OP invest in a SL full loom at this stage, nor a 555PSDR (yet!).
I would sit tight, enjoy the music, and see if the 272 MkII arrives. The MkII, if it ever arrives, will likely form the basis of Naim’s best ever 3-box system. If the MkII can be powered by a 555PSDR, then it would make sense to pair the two, and then think about posh cables.
Keep the 250DR, it is a belter, and anything better will break the 3-box rule.
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And when the final whistle blew, after a home trial, and possibly against the mainstream flow of opinion, I elected to go for an SL interconnect and speaker cables.
Whatever the ultimate potential may be, adding these to my 272/XPS DR/NAP 250DR system delivered, to my ears, an immediate and obvious positive response, not similarly seen since I tried a Powerline on my original SU.
Maybe, well absolutely, not the cheapest upgrade to the above system but damned effective nonetheless. Now I just have to keep listening till the cables are run in.
Once again, thanks to all who contributed such well reasoned words of wisdom - even if I didn’t listen to them all .
KR, J
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We have same system and added SL full loom.
Interconnect is more bang for buck than speaker cable, but adding both is very worthwhile. Interconnect opened up the sound, speaker cable finessed it. Treble clarity/detail is simply stunning.
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