In light of the recent announcement from Naim that the NAC-N was to be discontinued, I, like others I suspect, was seized by the urge to consider upgrading to its heir apparent, the NDX2 paired with a SuperNait 3.
Whilst it may be debated whether the above is better than my current NAC-N/NAP 250DR pairing as a two box solution, it is undoubtedly newer with additional new features, making it a ‘no brainier’…perhaps?
However, after a long weekend’s serious listening followed by a lie down in a darkened room, I concluded that if I was happy with what I was hearing, such an ‘upgrade’ would serve no purpose other than being ‘new/different’ rather than ‘better’. In addition I do not see me needing/wanting any of the new streaming stuff for the foreseeable future. Also, and a real NDX2 niggle for me, one cannot drive UPNP from the remote, only the app.
Naim will continue to be able to service my system for years to come and my listening pleasure will only diminish with my hearing should it eventually start to fail.
What do others think, though note I am not seeking approval for this course of action
As a power amp the 250 is better than a Supernait so swapping from 272/250 to NDX2/SN3 will always be a case of swings and roundabouts. I’d be looking at a 555PS. You’d be amazed how much more a 272 has to give.
Are you aware that the CEO of Naim dropped a pretty strong hint on this forum that they are working on an upgraded streaming preamp to replace the 272 in some form.
Hi @anon6764246
Having already investigated this particular route, I’d concur with HH that this is very much swings and roundabouts comparison. The loss of drive that came with the downgrade of power amp side wasn’t really fully compensated until an ND555 was stuck at the front end. Then everything went to another level and the 272 sounded rather dull. The 555PS is a big deal, and could be the best route for you, it will Certainly add a lot to the 272. For me, the NDX2/SN3 wasn’t enough to tempt me to change my 272/XPS/250.
" […] we’re listening, and we’re busy, perhaps more so than ever before. I’ve been asked for example about the 272 on many occasions, and while not confirming anything, at times like these I always remember the phrase ‘the best things in life take time, but are always worth the wait"
