I originally bought the XPS to use with an nDAC and already had it when I got the 272, so used the two together from the off. When I was changing systems a few years ago I did, briefly, use the 272 bare, when I felt it lost something in terms of presence and realism. However, as the 272 was on the way out of my system, I did not make a serious comparison with and without PS, so please don’t read too much into my observations.
Roger
Thanks again JohnathonG, I did not know ATC were fitted in the Sydney Opera House. Learning lots on this very helpful forum. U guys are tremendously humble. Fancy going through the Naim and ATC factory and meeting with design engineers. What an awesome job you have I’m so jealous. Keep up the great work.
Cheers
Gavin
Thanks very much Roger,makes sence.
Cheers
Gavin
Thanks Bluesfan,
Unfortunately I’m unable to Audition work constraints and my local dealer is over 2000Km away. You English are so lucky Hi-Fi shops are in every corner over there,but thanks for your assistance, much appreciated
Cheers
Gavin
Australia
Thank you Nickof Wimbledon I was told of similar upgrade paths that my Dealer spoke about however Linn at the moment has a great sale on there entry Lp12 I might give my old 73-78 a retirement as the Linn deal with significant upgrades might be my ticket to Hi Fi Nivarna as my father whom has thousands of vinyl to hand down.
Cheers
Gavin
At times like this, I wish Vervent owned ATC instead of Focal. Imagine active ATCs with Naim amplification inside. Or, given that it’s Naim amplification we’re talking about here, Naim amplification inside with a PSU outside 
Paul, you make an interesting point 
In fact I always adored the Naim DBL loudspeaker whenever I heard it which of course used an ATC driver for the woofer. I can’t recall who made the tweeter (Scanspeak?) and midrange but they were simply stunning to experience. They were certainly one of the very best rock loudspeakers I have ever heard with almost stadium PA-like scale!
Gavin - the writing is a labour of love really and funds my audio passion and vinyl habit but the day job pays the mortgage! It’s a very enjoyable and interesting sideline though and hugely satisfying to hear people enjoy reading my scratchings!
I’m trying to hit two targets really: Firstly to be incredibly thorough and to accurately assess equipment and to make people feel like they have experienced it while sitting beside me by describing what it really sounds like on music. Secondly to (hopefully) be witty, entertaining and engaging. Music and by extension hi-fi should be fun and I want people to feel excited, enthralled and emotional about it because it matters, it really does. Great sound enhances your life so much as everybody here knows…
Back in the 1970’s hi-fi was so important to people that consumer surveys indicated that people aspired to a house, a car and then a hi-fi in that order. Imagine that! Hi-fi was the third most important material posession people wanted. In an era where people pump MP3 sound from spotify into bluetooth speakers that cost £100 that’s hard to imagine now. We on the Naim forum (and other similar forums) are a weird minority who are prepared to spend a high proportion of our annual income on this stuff because music and its reproduction is so important to us.
So do people in 2023 love music any less than people did in 1973? I don’t think so, certainly not judging by the difficulty of obtaining tickets for concerts even at the incredible prices charged nowadays. Gigs are packed out many times over and people are laying down significant sums for concerts so why aren’t the majority of them running a quality audio system? I have come to realise that it’s a question of education and experience. People just don’t believe that they would hear a difference for some reason - and maybe some of the blame for that lies with the magazines and the manufacturers for not getting their message across to the masses.
Maybe companies that had huge brand recognition like Bang and Olufsen, Acoustic Research, Technics and Bose corporation were more important than we thought too. They were aspirational brands stocked in every department store in the land but crucially back then they all made ‘proper’ hi-fi. People could walk into the audio department of Debenhams or John Lewis while their missus was trying on dresses and hear for themselves how great B&O or Technics sounded compared to their old radiogram at home. After that they’d buy a hi-fi magazine on the way home and suddenly a whole world of audio would open up!
I think all of us who have great audio systems have a role to play here as ambassadors of quality audio. A few months back my daughter had her boyfriend and some friends around and I ended up pouring them a beer and playing some music at them. It’s no exaggeration to say they were absolutely shocked that such clarity and volume and impact was even possible in the home. Hopefully they will remember that and start to assemble their own systems in the coming years. At least I showed them what was possible, so they now know that a boombox isn’t even close to real hi-fi.
It’s all about sharing the joy of music and quality music reproduction and that’s why I love writing about it!
JonathanG
Mate, save your money and get the actives. Before going the ATC route though, try listening to Focal Shape 65. They will blow your mind, driven by the 272.
There, saved you $20k, buy me a Furphy when you’re down south. 
I must book a visit: they are just up the road and one of the guys drinks in my local, The Woolpack. The pub is worth a visit if you are that way inclined.
Yebbut they don’t look that great.
Johnathon,
I can’t match your enthusiasm of Hi-Fi but you sure are a treat and a credit to this wonderful Hobby of the music spectrum in general.
I would of love to seen the kids mouth drop once that first note was played.
The new generation will never get it. We were brought up in an era of quality Hi-Fi. Now they are bombarded with Sonos that is Lo Fi.
Kids want new cars and IPhones the music they listen too is absolute garbage,compared to what we were brought up listening too. And I feel sorry for them. For the fact they don’t even know who the Yarbirds or Led Zeppelin are.
Poor kids of today 
Cheers
Gavin
Camphuw - thanks for the Woolpack recommendation and in fact ATC took me to dinner there last night - fantastic pub and brilliant food and beer!!
Gavmic, you’re so very kind with your comments. You’re right it was fantastic to see those teens faces!!! What I didn’t say was at the time I had at my disposal SME Model 60, NAC252/Supercap/NAP300/300DR into ATC SCM50’s - an absolutely incredible combination so it really was a case of ‘shock and awe’ when I played Frankie Goes To Hollywood “Two Tribes Total Annihilation Mix on 12” vinyl at club levels… Lets just say the NAP300 was ‘cookin’!
We certainly enjoyed some great music in the old days but there’s some fantastic stuff being made today too - I’m thinking of artists like Jack White, Sam Fender, Holly Hunberstone, The Chainsmokers, The 1975, Birdy, Larkin Poe, James Fox, Michael Kiwanuka etc. I’m pleased to say that my daughter and her best friend (maybe because they both write songs, study music technology, play guitar and keyboards) both adore classic rock and the Beatles and all the greats like Blondie and Zeppelin. Mind you she’s been hearing them thanks to us for 18 years now!!!
I must be doing something right, she sometimes comes down from her bedroom to complain I’m playing my music too loud
JonathanG
Obviously your daughter doesn’t understand the ye old Cliche, if it’s too loud your Too Old.
Going to give some of your musical recommendations a crack, got to love Spotify,I know it’s not Hi-Fi but it’s a great application.
Ain’t you so lucky to have the SME 60 that would what dreams are made of, I’d need to win the Lotto to be able for a purchases like that.
Your Naim system would be very aspirational also.
Going to pull the pin on 300Dr, ATC actives are out of my reach unfortunately. Got my eyes on a set of ATC 40’s Passive on the second hand market here.
Then when I rob a bank will endeavour to add the NSC Pre Streamer and run in Legacy mode.
Cheers
Gav
Gavmic,
Haha re the complaining teen! Sadly the SME wasn’t mine but just here on review - I’m nowhere near being able to purchase such a deck! Great fun to experience it though and to hear something that really is state of the art in vinyl.
The 300DR is a fantastic amp and 40 passives offer huge bang for the buck! You will have a formidable system with that pairing!
Enjoy the music!
JonathanG
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