No, but it went down the usual rabbit holes of well yes but…, and sometimes as in this case the binary choice offered isn’t necessarily the best solution. In this case the 555PS makes most sense to me.
I’m not so interested in what the weak link is really. There will always be one and I climb upwards month by month, year by year. I’m interested in if an NDX2 or 555PSDR provide the most sonic uplift to a 272 into a 300DR 
End game? Not sure what that means. I know myself good enough knowing I will never reach it. To curious and sounds boring… What should I do then?! 
Most of the users in here has added the 555PSDR and that say it bring great improvements to the 272. That’s totally clear and not questioned. However, a Naim dealer of mine told me a NDX2 would add more sonic benefits to the 272 so I wanted to see if others than them have evaluated such combination. And since there are more or less zero used 555PSDR on the market here but occasionally pops up used NDX2 I thought it could be a great alternative since they cost roughly the same used.
Quite, and that brings us back to my first post here where I couldn’t offer a view on adding an NDX2, but could on adding an ND555 which should have led to a decent jump in quality, but didn’t. It sounded as if it was held back, throttled, call it what you will. Swapping 272 for 252 brought it all to life. It’s not unreasonable to assume a similar but lesser disappointment with an NDX2. That’s all I was trying to point out. Apologies if it wasn’t clear.
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Why not sell 272 and buy Ndx2/ second hand XPS dr/ second hand 282/ hicap into 300 or 250? A possibility too.
By end game I mean do you want a 272 type system with a few boxes, or do you want to keep adding (and spending) until you have a full separates system with racks of equipment.
This is such a common question (how to move on from a 272), so it’s really surprising that Naim haven’t addressed it yet.
Good luck!
@charlie.henderson @Naim.Marketing Charlie/Clare. PLEASE put everyone out of their agony on this 272.2/372/572/872/972/Statement NAC-N 1 (I exaggerate) issue as soon as possible. Don’t you realise how this is ruining Xmas for so many 
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Strange, not doubting your experience, but my CDS3/XPS2 is certainly not throttled going through my 272/250DR, and i used the same player into a 282/252/552 when i owned them. Quite the contrary actually, the 272/250DR is wonderful with the CDS3.
I dont think it would be easy to up the SQ of the Nova with anything in the same dimensioned box. Clearly separation is a defining factor which is why separates are still valid (example 250 vs 300). What you could maybe do is develop a shorter in height Statement style 272 replacement that could sit in the fraim using the longer height legs. By maybe being able to better distance the electronics from power supply/transformers, etc. in the same box one could up the SQ still within the bounds of the laws of physics with a nice piece of backlit perspex separating the two parts…
Well that’s selling 1800 EUR and purchasing 11-12 000 EUR 
I’m looking into a 4000 EUR spending to provide a next sonic uplift.
I haven’t calculated. Of course, if 4k, not a good idea from me 
So step by step, I would go for bare Ndx2. Then sell 272 and get 282/ hicap second hand: 2d step. And 3rd step: xps dr.
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You didn’t say if streaming was your only music source (I don’t think you did). If you are also listening to other sources through the 272 then a 555 would benefit that too.
4 boxes or less is what I prefer and have room for.
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Save and get a DCS Bartok, to go into 300 dr directly: = 3 boxes.
Streaming is like 80%, vinyl 15 and CD 5. I sometimes have thoughts on ending the vinyl and CD journey but everytime I look into selling my collection I end up telling myself “well, not today”.
But streaming is where I’ll put my money onwards. But there are so many alternative ways climbing upwards…
as the finest PSU in the NAIM range a 555 would add to both the 272 or NDX2
so adding a 555 now would benfit the 272 and then wait for the end of the rainbow when or if the replacement is announced at some time in the future, I am sure it will use the 555 as PSU as the ND 555 does now
as streaming is your main source that for me is the debate going forward would NDX2 with 555 be a better source than current 272 with 555, then think about adding in at least 282 with HCDR or SCDR
you are the sole judge in the end, we all follow a journey plan, but not all in the same way - all we want is the best music
enjoy the journey
Why not just ask the dealer to prove it to you with a demonstration? Have they actually heard the two options? If not, it’s simply guesswork.
There was a long thread in the old forum. Pedro (?) wasn’t keen on an expensive volume knob (a.k.a. Naim preamp). So he did run his NDX2 straight into a 300DR. It didn’t take long to realise something was missing. In the end, he got himself a “glowing” pre-amp (a.k.a. tube pre-amp). Not quite Prodigal Son, but almost… 
Probably because a dealer would doubt the soundness of one’s faculty… 
Hej @Blackbird I have never heard the NDX2 so I have nothing to share regarding that. I, however had an NDX into 202, napsc, Hicap DR, 200DR and now have NDS, 555PSDR, 282, napsc, Hicap DR, 250DR.
So, if the 272 is about equal to 202/NDX then there has to be some kind of miracle going om inside the 272 pre if it would equal a 282 given the miniscual difference noted by our forum friend that added a ND555 to the 272 and barely noticed a difference.
The difference between my former system and this new one is rather big. I’d actually go ahead and use the old ”night and day”
To me this means NDS is much better than NDX and 282 is much better than 202 and possibly/maybe 250 is much better than 200.
Conclusion would be ad 555PS to 272 for wisest use of limited funds.
Did something wrong and answered to @Naim_The_Dragon. Didn’t mean to.
Only way to find out is to try it. I would not listen to anyone’s ramblings. Had i have done i’d not have bought the 272. After actually listening to one at home i knew how it compared to other pre amps, and no matter anyone elses experience, my own is worth far more.
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