Preamp first and you won’t go wrong. When I had a 102/180 I changed to an 82 and it was like getting a free power amp upgrade. Then, when I finally got the 250, it had a solid foundation on which to work.
I’ve got a 300DR and it’s a brilliant amplifier. I use it with a 272/555PSDR and it’s a great combination. If you are thinking of the streaming option with the HDX, a 272 might be worth a look. With a decent phono stage for the Xerxes it could resolve your dilemma. But, and there is always a but, it’s a lot more expensive than an 82/250. That’s why you need to balance your aspirations and your budget.
I’ve looked at the 272, but am more drawn to the HDX because of the CD ripping capability. Where does the 272 sit quality wise with the 282 and 252? Curbing box proliferation is also a factor here!
Serious vinylistas tend to go for separate preamps, I have noticed. Something about the through hole construction. Someone here, or your Naim dealer, should be able to throw light on it for you.
Re phono stage, I have whatever MC stage was supplied with the 102 and would prefer to stay with an internal (see curbing box proliferation above). That raises the question, can I transfer the phono stage from the 102 to another pre-amp if necessary?
You can move the internal phono cards from the NAC102 to use in another pre-amp such as the NAC82 or NAC52. However, the current generation pre-amps don’t take internal cards. For these, if you wanted to keep the box count down then you would need to consider a phono stage like the Prefix (available secondhand), which fits within or under the turntable plinth and plugs into the bottom of a suitable tonearm. It can be powered from the AUX2 socket of a suitable Naim pre-amp, which also takes in the signal - a very neat solution where space is at a premium.
A vote for the Prefix definitely, I’m still using one with an Olive Hicap, they can be picked up used for a song and get Darran at Class A to service/update it. Also get him to convert it to either a K or S type depending on cartridge.
Gravitating towards a 52 now, which would afford the path of least resistance option of using the phono stage from the 102. I’m assuming that an HDX would be able to feed directly into one of the line inputs on the pre-amp, is that correct?
Yes, I used my HDX directly into my 82 with no issues. It’s just another line input. Enjoy the 52 when you get it, mine was a very big step up from my 82:which had given me much pleasure for 25 years.
Well, there must be something I’m missing as I can’t see how the card from the 102 is compatible with the fitting on the 52. I removed the card marked NA532/1 and tried to fit it to the slot where there’s what I presume to be a pass through card marked 526/1, and also the empty slot next to it - no dice. Do I need a different card? I understood them to be interchangeable. The 52 was originally a K if that makes a difference and both amps are 1999 models.
NA523/1s should fit just fine in a NAC52. However, be sure you are looking at the correct card slots as the NAC52, depending on age, has more than one set for different inputs. You should be fitting the cards to the slots at the far corner that correspond with the connections to the BNC input.
Hopefully Kuma won’t mind if I link to her excellent pictures of the inside of a NAC52:
Hopefully you can see that the NAC52 is effectively made up of two main boards sandwiched together, essentially one per channel, hence the phono daughter boards fit one on the top board, the other on the board underneath. To remove a daughter board, you need to pinch the white retainer to release each board then gently pull the board off the contact pins. I would advise that you take ESD precautions first (an ESD strap at the very least) as there are chipsets on board that could otherwise be damaged over time by static charge.
The top picture shows NA526 link boards in the phono position. The bottom picture shows NA522 MM boards in position.
Many thanks Richard. I was trying to fit one card into the slot occupied by the 526 link board in the top picture, I guess that this card fits the bottom slot. Presumably then, both boards have to be removed from the chassis to allow access to the bottom board?
No, there’s a hole in the chassis to allow easy removal or fitment of the bottom daughter board. If looking at the top picture as an example, you would first remove the NA526 board that’s there right now (and also do the one you can’t see that’s fitted underneath as well). Then fit the NA523 boards in their place.
Thanks, all done. Easy when you know how! Can’t test it until my turntable returns from servicing, unfortunately.
The 52 is proving quite a big step up from the 102, much more so than the 250 from the 180. Now, if only I can do something about the noisy hum from the Supercap, 250 and HDX. The 180 was a bit noisy but the 250 is worse.
I came across this video recently of a Naim demo day which goes through some of the Naim Hierarchy and power supply options and the results you may expect to hear.
Has the 52, Supercap and 250 been serviced? This should cure the hum. I’ve had my 82 and 135s serviced and there is no hum at all. The Supercap 2 is 2012 so doesn’t need a service. Servicing makes a huge difference. Sounds to me like you’ve made brilliant choices with your kit. Hope you’re enjoying your amazing system!
Supercap serciced in 2017, 52 in 2014. The 250 is a 2003 model and not serviced, though I suspect it is light use. But as I understand it’s the transformers that hum and they aren’t touched by a service. Plus which, the 180 hummed from new, just not as badly as the 250.
