With all the discussions about if and when a successor for the NAC-N 272 will be available … it seems that the NAC-N 272 can be found relatively cheap via the various channels.
Thinking about the idea of upgrading from Uniti Atom to NAC-N 272 combined with NAP 200.
Any thoughts would be highly appreciated!
Many regards,
Michel
272 / 250 combination gets great feedback. Another option is ND5 XS 2 with SN 2.
It’s as good as it ever was, which is very good! The normally recommended power amp for a 272 is the 250, but if you are looking for a 200 then remember there is no point in paying extra for a 200DR because the DR on the 200 only works with the power supply for the preamp (eg 202) and you won’t be using that with the 272 which has its own power supply or an XPS/555PS external power supply.
Best
David
The 272 is just brilliant. I got mine four years ago, along with a 250DR, then added an XPS DR shortly afterwards. Then, to years later, I swapped the XPS for a PS555 DR and the 250 for a 300 DR. The 272 is quite at home in this illustrious company, which says a lot for it.
The 272 is actually far too good for the price, in comparison with other products in the range, and ate into other sales. Whether this influences the likelihood of a replacement I don’t know.
Thanks for the swift replies! Just another question that pops up: my kids use to listen to Spotify connect via the Atom, is this also possible with the 272?
Yes, it has native support for Spotify Connect. (Not via AirPlay or Chromecast which the new streamers also have, but you don’t need that.)
For what it’s worth, my experience of the 272 is that it’s a great box, but I don’t hear it punching above it’s weight in the way that others describe. I find that Naim seem to be quite good at pricing their products very carefully in such a way that cost it an accurate reflection of relative sound quality across the range. Still, it’s a good performer, and especially as prices drop, it could be a great option to consider. You could also say the same about NDX/Supernait, which would be my preference, again with prices dropping now that they are both discontinued.
One thing to be aware of is that if you are used to the improved functionality of the new streamers, you may find the old models lacking in some key areas. For example, their WiFi modules are inferior, and the small buffers can cause problems for web streaming, especially with Tidal, although it’s hard to predict how this will affect you until you have tried it.
I’m quite interested in the 272, or at least I was until I found it it doesn’t have the ability to power my Stageline, which is a bit unfortunate really.
Thanks again, I’ll have a wired connection for the 272 and I don’t play any vinyl, so I’m still interested 
My two-penneth…
I have a 272 powered by a 555DR - yes it’s worthwhile powering it with such an expensive PSU (I’ll get on to the reason for this later)
Used on it’s own without an external PSU, it sits at the right place in the Naim hierarchy.
The streamer is better than an ND5 but not as good as an NDX
The Preamp is better than a 202 or SN2, but not as good as a 282
Taken together it’s better (and a bit cheaper) than a ND5 / 202 combo but not as good (or as expensive) as a NDX / 282 combo.
However, its performance is surprisingly upgradable - this is because the external PSUs power (and improve) both the streamer and the preamp sections. Used with a 555DR it will definitely justify the use of a 300DR poweramp, even though with that PSU it’s still not in the same class as a 252.
The preamp section of the 272 is it’s strongest point in my experience. The preamp is much closer to the 282 than the streamer is to the NDX. I recently acquired one and am using it with an LP12/Rega Aria. While the streamer is great improvement over the 172 I had previously, I’m gobsmacked at how much better the LP12/Aria combo is now.
I think so, I have owned the 272 for a couple of years and love the musical replay this provides within my setup.
Other items 555DR and 250DR
The 272 is a keeper until Naim bring out the replacement but if they dont I ain’t bothered it’s that good.
Yes, to reiterate what Xanthe and others have said, the 272 is superb with a 555PSDR power supply attached.
As a SU owner I’m considering the 272 as well. I don’t want to go over 3 boxes and not sure if should step up to the new platform via Nova or go to the 272 via 250DR or some other path.
I went from a Unitilite to a 272 with a NAP200 non DR. I thought that would be the end of it.
I then developed the dreaded symptoms of upgraditis and in order to cure this purchased a pre-owned 555DR PS.
It’s good, very good.
If in the future funds allow, I will probably jump straight to a NAP300DR.
ATB
I’m with HH in that I believe the 272 punches above its weight, sitting between the NDX/272 and the ND5XS/202 and costing less than the latter. If you’re after a one-box pre/streamer, an increasingly popular and room-friendly piece of kit these days, it’s by no means clear that Naim will produce a successor at a similar price point or, possibly, at all. I found I needed to go outside Naim to beat it in a single box (to use with active speakers). The 200 should do a great job of driving your Neats and IMHO a well-priced pre-loved 272/200 set is something of a Naim bargain. I’d be surprised if it didn’t give you many hours of musical pleasure.
Roger
I had a SU, and spent quite a bit of time at my dealers listening to various upgrade options. The 272 was fairly new at the time, and it was at the top of my list. I really wanted to like it, and it was a nice step up from the SU, so if you can get one for a good price, go for it. But for me, NDX/Supernait 2 was a better sounding 2 box system than 272/250DR, and NDX/282/200DR was a better sounding 3 box system than 272/XPSDR/250DR.
I wanted to like the 272 because it’s a slightly neater system with simpler cabling etc. but for me it didn’t quite cut it on sound quality compared to the alternatives for the same money.
A 272/XPS2 replaced my 282/HC2 a couple of years ago.
A few reasons, convenience, box count and a better digital solution than I had at the time. Without the XPS2 and with a vinyl source it’s a bit behind the 282/HC2 (IMV) as I think most would expect. That was a trade-off I was willing to make at the time.
I think I’ve recall you echoing these sentiments in the past. The other complication is upgrade path and buying one box at a time. The 250DR is an easy choice for the SU I think. Otherwise I’d be going SN2 with SU as a source until I got a NDX. I had a 250 olive and 250.2 at various times in my systems and every time it was a big game changer. The brief time I had a 200 was not pleasant for me. I just didn’t like that amp. Upgrade paths sure aren’t what they used to be.
I can’t argue with your preference for the 250 over the 200, although I was happy with the 200 when I had it. Adding a 200 to a SU wasn’t a big upgrade for me, and I only did it because it was the first step in a full system upgrade.
If you add a SN2 to a SU I suspect it, too, would be a limited upgrade, as the SU only has a pre out (post volume control) so you would only use the SN2 power amp with the SU preamp. Still, it would work as a stepping stone.
Thanks, I’ve seen comments about the pre out but wasn’t sure the context. The SN2 probably doesn’t make sense now. If the 250 sounds okay with the SU I’ll likely sit there for a bit and see how things shake out. I’m wanting to get on the new platform too so maybe I’ll jump over to a Nova. It’d be nice to have more native integration. I don’t like switching b/w Apps for different formats but I also don’t want to lose the sonics of the SU. So I could be in a holding pattern there.