I have a nac 282 and 250DR with two hicaps. I play the through neat ultimatum xli’s. Anyone have any views on an upgrade path
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So many and so different….only you can choose:
Neat
BW 804
Kudos 505 and 606
Sonus Faber Olympica 2
Dynaudio
Focal Sopra 2
ATC 40
Wilson Benesh
Apertura Edena
……
Hi and welcome,
What source component do you have? What do you think could be improved? You have superb speakers ideally matched to your amps. An obvious change would be to replace the HCs with a Supercap.
Regards,
Lindsay
Given that excellent combo, what ever you like the sound of I would have thought.
I have lost count of the speakers that I demoed with a NAP 250DR, probably the most memorable being Tannoy Ardens’, they were however ‘a tad large’ for my lounge!
If it helps I run Kudos 606 with my NAC 282 / NAP 250. They are a great match but so will others. Worth auditioning but plenty of choices.
I’d echo what @LindsayM wrote above. The XLi is a fine speaker and would match very well with something like a 252 and 300. A very good source is also needed to give a nice balanced setup.
It would be good if you could put full system details in your profile rather than simply ‘Naim’. This allows others to give relevant responses.
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Depends on what you feel is lacking with your current system. I read that the Neat Ultimatums like plenty of space around them to sound their best, but I assume you have ticked this box. You have a reasonable nicely balanced system, although the Ultimatums do like a bit of power up ‘em.
So I wouldn’t necessarily bank on a change of speaker to get you where you want to be, wherever that might be. Lindsay mentions swapping the twin HiCaps for a SuperCapDR. I indeed went from one HiCap to a SuperCapDR with my 282 and the uplift was significant, although the verdict on this is by no means unanimous. The addition of a SuperCapDR also paves the way for a 252, and I have always experienced an uplift when upgrading my pre amp. I have already mentioned the Ultimatums like power, so a look at a 300DR might be worth considering. You also do not mention your source so I can’t comment on that.
Maybe a trip to your local Naim dealer to chat about some option might be worthwhile.
hi i play vinyl on an origin live resolution t/table, illustrious tonearm, Ortofon Winfield TI, and van den hul grail phono stage. I would like to have a more rounded full sound. I am not sure about upgrade to the speakers or amps. Is a supercap the same as two high caps? I am not unhappy with the set up but I guess I am on a journey !
Depending on which direction you want to go you can possibly upgrade Pre and Power amps to perform at a level your happy with if the the 282/250DR combo is not working for you. The other direction may be to ask what other owners are using with their 282/250DR.
I run a pair of ProAc D30RS speakers and I am quite please with the system. I recently had to move to a smaller room in the house on a temporary basis and bought a used pair of ATC SCM7 speakers which quite well. I also only have a single HiCap DR with my 282.
A lot of variable and directions you can go. Good advice above about working with a dealer for possible solutions. You may get the results you want with a different set of speakers and save money. Or head for the SuperCap, NAC 252, NAP 300 DR direction.
Good luck with your design and have some fun along the say…
You may consider Isoacoustics Gaia for your Neats before changing something in your system.
Hi again,
No a SC is an improvement over 2 HCs fuller sound and better resolution. I use a 282/sc/250 with Kudos 505s and I think it’s a rich full sound. In many ways the 505s and XLis are similar but the Kudos are easier to integrate, less fussy about placement.
I think your only way out of this is to try various options. Given how good your speakers are I’d still start with the amps. Have you a dealer who could lend you a SC or a 252/300 for home trial? If you opt to change the speakers there are just so many you might try!
Final point, rack and wiring can really affect the sound. What rack do you have? A dedicated radial spur is a real upgrade as well.
Best regards,
Lindsay
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Of course the OP’s source remains a mystery. Any advice is academic until we know that.
No he’s got a top turntable.
I have 282 and 250DR with single HiCap
When auditioning speakers, I had a loan of neat ultimatum speakers and could not get on with them at all
Really disliked the sound
I now have Audiovector speakers which I consider MUCH better for about the same price (at the time of purchase)
I had a CDX2 at the time but now NDX2 with XPS2
[quote=“Nichols.paul2, post:8, topic:19177, full:true”]strong text
hi i play vinyl on an origin live resolution t/table, illustrious tonearm, Ortofon Winfield TI, and van den hul grail phono stage. I would like to have a more rounded full sound. I am not sure about upgrade to the speakers or amps. Is a supercap the same as two high caps? I am not unhappy with the set up but I guess I am on a journey !
[/quote]
Mystery resolved 
Ah, missed that.
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I tried PMC. Twenty5 26. Great detailed sound. Good base limited soundstage; but not as musical as my neat xli’s. Perhaps i will buy a supercap and save for a 252DR. That would prepare fo a nap300. I know it’s hard to know how much better that would be than my nac282 nap250. The cost is a lot. Is it worth it?
Hi thanks, i might do that. Tell me what’s your experience with them thanks
If you’re in the US or Canada, I’d go with Totem Forests or Totem forest signatures.
I’m running NDX2/282/250 with totem signature ones and a sub.
In summary, changes of Gaias (in my system);
- Overall slightly more relaxed sound with better flow but keeping the dynamics intact
- Reduced hardness, harshness and smearing, resulting in a cleaner sound from top to bottom
- Tighter and more defined bass. As the bass sounds cleaner, there may be an impression of a slightly reduced bass. The previous (increased) bass response may be just bass resonance.
- Slightly improved macrodynamics
- Improved tone in the treble and percussion instrument
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