It never ceases to surprise me how someone asks a question on here about their options re upgrading and within 30 posts and less than a day, responders are telling anyone reading how bad their Naim choices are.
There is nothing wrong with the NAC 202 or the NAP 200!
Of course they can be bettered and there are many rungs above them in the Naim product ladder, but these two products are very capable and many HiFi hobbyists would be quite happy to have achieved a Naim Pre/Power pairing at the entry level.
I know I was!
I am lucky enough to be in a position to consider moving higher in the range, but if I wasnāt I certainly wouldnāt be thinking, āI wish I had gone a different routeā!
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I donāt understand why itās problem whith suggestion of other routes than suggested by the dealers.
Some products are better than others,in my opinion.
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For my sins, Iāve owned all the various setups. As you say, the 82/250 is a lot better and a bit of a bargain, so long as youāre happy with 20+ year old amps, which some are not. The 202/200 is good too but itās not really significantly better than a Supernait 3 and comes with extra boxes, wires and racking requirements. They are all good options and itās down to personal choice as to which meets oneās needs the best.
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I think telling someone that the system they have is ānot a keeperā is not constructive.
Obviously that is not the opinion of some on here though so I will leave this thread to those of you who know best.
Good luck @jimafblack with your upgrade choices. I hope you can work out a way forward without getting too down about where some are trying to lead you.
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The OP does not have the system and ask for help then some do not recommend it and propose looking into alternatives that likely can perform better for roughly the same money. I would have loved getting such knowhow shared during my journey because naim products and combinations are literally a mess understanding if you are new to naim. I still donāt after many years understand how some things connect and work together and where there is more synergy and where there is less. Some here have owned tons of boxes and combinations. Itās a resource to listen to 
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I think the thing is here, I know how good an 82 HiCap 250 system is. Itās fantastic value for money. I would seriously recommend this set up.
Others who have gone down this route have not been disappointed.
For the money, I donāt think youāll get better value for your money.
What I am offering is good advice here. Anyone who has heard this set up will agree it is better than a 202 200 set up DR or not.
You pay your money, you take your choice.
The 202 200 combo DR has the classic black box and will not disappoint either.
I am putting forward an ingenious way of getting a top notch system at a bargain price.
You can choose to ignore this viewpoint or try for yourself. You will get the wow factor for sure!
Itās a taste thing as well. Some donāt want the older style Chrome Bumper and Olive boxes. But having had mine serviced they are fabulous. I have a mix of CB, Olive and Classic boxes and have upgraded amplification to 82 Supercap 2 and 2 x 135s.
Enjoy your choices!
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But the OP already has the 202 - a classic case of (well intentioned) forum mission creep from a relatively simple question.
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The 202 is the weak link when it comes to amplication in the system,thatĀ“s why itās better to change that instead of the power amp, in my own humble opinion.
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However the OP has already a 202. Why sell it, buy a 82 , send it for service and recap, and bother with all that just to have a minimal improvement and an old box ?
He just asked if the Nap 200 is a significant upgrade vs the 155x. The response is just yes.
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Itās the OPs choice. Just offering advice from experience.
I have made my point very clear. To you a minimal improvement. To others a leap forward.
Personal preferences of course, but for me 82 Hicap 250 represents a big improvement vs 202 200 for similar money. That was point made. That is the response! For me it is not ājust yesā.
I am not saying that others canāt have their opinions. You seem to be saying that the response can only be one thing 
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A 202/200/hicap is a nice system. I had it and enjoyed it. I had the 282/200 after and agree it was an improvement. But not sure the 82 is on the same level vs 282. Maybe yes, maybe not. Thereās no consensus on that and logically Naim improves his models.
However I think itās a lot of bothering , time, uncertainty, ā¦.to sell the 202 he already has, then search a good bargain 82, then send it to Naim for service and recap, for an improvement that is uncertain.
Add a 200 instead of 155 x is much easier and 202/200 work very well together. In the future the OP can buy a second hand 282 and enjoy another improvement.
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So actually you DO think upgrading the preamp is worth the ābotheringā ā¦ as long as itās done in the future ā¦ by which time his 202 will lose even more value.
What do you mean - ālose even more valueā? - the OP has only just bought it!
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Lose more value year on year, so if itās not the keeper ā¦ why wait.
But why advise the OP to sell something he has just bought? - itās not as if he is unhappy with it - he was asking about suitable power amps or other upgrades to the 202.
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The value of older Naim kit tends not to drop like a stone and may even climb a little. Admittedly the 202 may well not be in the climbing category.
I sold an Olive XPS for 300 quid more than I paid for it.
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Heās unhappy with the system sound ā¦ thatās why he posted ā¦ weāre merely advising where most gains could be achieved.
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He doesnāt say he is unhappy! He has bought the 202 at a reduced price and he thinks that an improved preamp deserves a better power amp or other upgrades.
And clearly you agree. Thatās fine.
But upgrading the Nac 202 will give more than to go from a Nap 155xs to a Nap 200 in my opinion, just trying to be helpful.
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