I have gone from xpsdr/ndx2/hcdr/sn3 to xpsdr/ndx2/hcdr/sn3/250dr to xpsdr/ndx2/hcdr/282/250dr in a week.
I found good deal on a relatively new 250dr, and went for it, felt substantial uplift, and actively looked for 282, got one installed today, only a few days after adding 250dr.
There was no wow moment at first. But as always with Naim boxes it is starting to shine after kept playing for few hours. Now it feels like it has bedded in. I feel the separation snd definition of sound never heard before in my system.
It is much enjoyable to listen to in low to normal volume. However, when playing loud, I definitely feel the uplift, but itâs kind of exhausting to listen to. Too much information is pouring out. Is this normal? Would this go away when 282 is bedded into my system completely? Am I just not used to this much information? Would I get used to it?
Had relatively similar upgrade path, SN2 to 82/HC/250, but instead of adding 250 first to the SN2, I added the 82, no Hicap, SN2 was powering the 82 in the beginning. Later on I added the PSU and the 250, all olive. Each of these steps were an obvious and very worthwhile upgrade and the final system is now sounding sublime, no fatigue at all.
I would say give it a couple of days, let your brain adjust and let the components bed in. You will then clearly tell the difference between the integrated amp and the separate components, itâs a pretty big one. Then itâs no turning back
Thatâs good, did you pick up the 282 as posted on your âsn3 as preampâ thread?
Now you need to pay attention to rack positioning and cable dressing of the snaics, power cables, to eek out the last few % of performance.
Iâm pretty sure that there is no way I am going back. I already enjoy so many aspects of what this 282/250 brings to my system. Itâs probably my brain that doesnât keep up with massive uplift in such a short time.
Yes, I did. And I have ordered a used napsc from a UK dealer. Regarding cable dressing, I tried my best cables donât touch each other, and succeeded, but that made black boxes to be sitting in awkward order. 250dr under ndx2, xps dr under 282, and hcdr in the middle of the top shelf.
WOW, that looks like an extremely reflective room, donât think Iâve seen one with tiles on the walls as well. It must indeed be exhausting to listen to. Are there any other (not seen) room preparations, acting as absorbents and/or diffusers? Otherwise, that should definitely be on your list to make the most out of your system. The room should indeed be seen as any other part of the system, also from investments point of view.
You may find you get what you want by exploring room treatments, but the first thing to try might well be a rug (not too small or too thin and hard) between you and the speakers.
Try putting the 282 on the top of the rack on the left, and moving the XPS to where the 282 currently is. That should make it easier to have the Burndy hanging free.
Do you find all those extra feet help the sound? You may find they are adding to the edginess. The feet on the boxes are part of the design and work well without additions, as well as looking much better too. You can put the Napsc on the floor round the back out of the way.
Thanks for the advice. I wish I could but I have sensitive skin reacts to most rugs. My rugs are paper yarn. These are the only ones I found to be okay to my skin. How sad.
If nylon, polypropylene and wool are all out, then I see the problem! Perhaps a bigger coffee table with things on it will break up the reflections a bit and so take out that edgy feel to the treble?
On putting feet under boxes, as raised by HH, my experience is that it is worth retrying these things when you change boxes. We found a modest benefit to putting HRS Nimbus feet under most of my olive boxes, despite what theory might suggest.
With 552, CDS2 and Superline, we reckoned they were no better or a bit worse - probably because they have their own suspension that is tuned to work with standard feet.
When we swapped 300DR for my old 250, we found little or no benefit from the HRS feet, but there definitely was with the olive 250.
Spending an hour or so checking that the feet you have are still audibly better than the standard feet costs nothing and may be a good use of time.
I didnât want to place larger boxes on the top shelf because it will be too close to the tv screen. But yes, I will try that if fatigue doesnât go away by tomorrow. These feet are iso acoustics oreas and Iâm pretty sure they help in positive way. They are award winning products and highly regarded. I tried without them, sounded dark and dull. Thatâs probably because the shelf is not made for hi-fi though.
Could be. I tried them under my then Nova and they wrecked the sound. Bloody awful things, and no amount of awards can change that.
If you donât want the 282 on the very top, put it where the NDX2 is, move the NDX2 down one, and put the XPS on the right. You want to get the transformers away from the head units.
When I first placed the feet, My system was ndx2/hcdr/sn3. But I have a different system now and I think itâs worth trying without them. Will report what the outcome is. I wanted to place 282 on the left side and 250dr on the right, but since mains outlet back of the shelf is on the left side, I prioritized plugging in the power amp into the first socket. But I think itâs worth trying what you suggest. Thank you for the advice!
I found the 282 to have a very forward presentation that could border on shouty at higher volumes.
This translates to fatigue, in my experience.
After the recent streamer update forcing a new sound style which is also a bit on the forward side, I ended up giving up on the 282/Supercap/250 combo and put a 252 in, instead.
I suspect you might find a 252 trial to be beneficial.
In my opinion, it will give a much more layed back, open and airy presentation, which your room might benefit from greatly.
I realise this is advice to simply âupgradeâ but it is for a specific reason.
It seems, also, that you are not too averse to trying new boxes anyway!
Iâve heard the same from my dealer. I would love to try 252/supercap combo when a good deal comes up. It was so expensive a few years back that I wouldnât even have a listening session at dealers, but nacs became so affordable after new models came up in my market.
82 is very like 282, and 52 is very like 252 - there are SQ differences between them all, but the big difference is between 82/282 and 52/252 - the latter is a big step in SQ but also different.
You donât get more boogie (probably just as well). In every other way, the 52/252 wins, with stereo separation and subtlety and extra detail and air and control of high treble probably the most mentioned improvements. No-one that I can ever recall thought the 52/252 were âshoutyâ (even at vigorous volume), but most of us would say that about 82/282.
I am not sure an expensive preamp change is the most immediate thing to try here as a specific cure. However, I suspect that sooner or later youâll probably do it, and it will be well worth it - 52 and 250 work brilliantly together. In that context, the eBay prices for a good 52 on particular may be worth looking at one day.
Before looking that far forward, letâs get the 282 that you have just got working as well you can - even if not perfect, it should be a lot more involving than the SN and may be all you ever need of working (with the room) at its best.
Thank you so much for your sincere advice.
I hope this issue is sorted out after trying few things members here advised. I have heard from few others too that 282 is little bit on the aggressive side. I could probably home demo a 252 when a used unit comes up at one of my dealers. I wouldnât think about a 52 since servicing is really an issue here in South Korea. I would even consider a 252 only if one is relatively new. The fact that it is impossible to get boxes officially serviced here is the reason used naim boxes are so cheap here. I could probably get a 5 year old 252/scdr combo for about 5000-5500 usd here if one shows up.
I fiddled around with feet under boxes and cables today. Didnât have energy to move boxes yet though. Removing feet didnât do anything positive but only negative. Sound felt congested without them. Probably because my boxes arenât sitting on hifi rack. Switching mains outlet between napsc and xps dr didnât do much. But while fiddling with mains cables, I found out what was making sound fatiguing to listen to. It was the Isotek Iso Plug that was plugged into the power strip. I first plugged this in when adding a 250dr to the existing system few days ago, worrying that one of the naim device needed to be plugged into the power strip together with roon nuc and switching hub. I donât understand why it was okay before replacing sn3 as pre to 282. After I plugged it out of the power strip, it is so much easier to listen to. Edginess is gone and PRaT is back!
