No shame in that either of course.
On new prices, my speakers are now 14% of total replacement cost. Have I also got a monkfish yet?
Previous speakers were one seventh the price…
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It’s a difficult balance to strike now that there is a big hole in Naim’s range left by them discontinuing all their separates amps below 282/250 level. Personally I would say that NDX2/Supernait is a great balance, and that adding an XPS will push things out of balance, especially when you have speakers that only cost a grand or two.
There’s a big difference though. Sinking disproportionately huge sums of cash into a source will always make the system sound better. It’s just that a lot of that expensive improvement will be lost by lesser amps and speakers.
Spending much more on power amp and speakers can easily make a system sound worse because they are more revealing, and will expose the limitations of a relatively lowly source.
Somewhere between these two extremes there is a balance. That generally makes for a more cost effective use of funds if you get it right. Anyone who says that ND5XS2/282/250 lies within this area is frankly kidding themselves 
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I agree. There is a happy medium and I found it some time ago. 
Blah blah, in your opinion, have you ever heard such a configuration?
Quite a few years ago at the Signals East Show I heard a Rega 3 with a £1k Transfiguration cartridge, £2k Audio Analogue integrated, and £5k Magneplanner speakers and it sounded wonderful, people kept going back for a 2nd listen.
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How about an Nds/555 dr ( 18 k few years ago) into full Statements ( > 200 k) ?
A mullet?
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Yes Naim now demonstrate the Solstice (16k) with Statement and Focal Diablos.
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@NickofWimbledon I had the SN3 and considered it to sound vastly inferior to the SN2 (my room, my speakers, etc…) and I won’t do that again. I’m banking on the expectation that the 282+250 will “turbocharge” the amplification and I’ll sort out the source later. I still think the ND5XS2 is not embarrassing by a long shot. Thanks.
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I wouldn’t make these assertions if I hadn’t listened to the systems we’re talking about. Frankly I’m at a loss to understand why it has suddenly become fashionable to talk about system building as if the balance didn’t matter any more.
Naim make it pretty clear how their system hierarchy works and following their basic guidelines is a pretty safe bet.
It was the best source they had available at the time. What else could they have used, a Rossini? 
Nobody has said it doesn’t matter. The OP’s system may not be optimised throughout the chain just his configuration will make great music. As I’ve pointed out in another thread I could incorporate my speakers in a system costing £15k or £75k+ it would all be good.
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Vivaldi more, but for the most time it was Nds/555 dr .
I think you will have a great time with the new set up. I went from SN2 + HiCapDR to a new 282 + 250DR + NDX2 in one go, but I almost had the Nd5xs2 after the demo.
Do be ready for things to have time to settle in, if new boxes. Or if you haven’t heard the new amplification for an extended time. I had a bit of the infamous roller coster ride at first. But now all is fine and I enjoy my music every day!
Regards
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Doesn’t that make an ND555 into a Statement system a mullet? £25k source into a £140k amp?
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There has been some speculation as to whether Naim would ever make a Statement level streamer, but for the time being there is ‘only’ a 500 series one. Before that there was only an S level streamer in the NDS, so Naim used that to demo Statement because they didn’t have anything better.
Besides, XS level to mid-Classic level is arguably a bigger jump than 500 to Statement.
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For what it’s worth, mine sounds great. No doubt an NDX2 will sound better, but doesn’t mean your system will sound rubbish. Enjoy it and you can always upgrade later if you feel the need.
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Have to agree, pretty gobsmacked on the uplift from Nait XS to SN3. My wallet doesn’t want to hear any further up the chain
Oh, yeah. I’m definitely planning on months and months of going through various stages of grief and bereavement but I’ve been there before…Hopefully it will all come on song by Xmas.
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