Disagree, Chord cables work actually quite well with Naim.
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I certainly haven’t found the 282 /250DR combination fatiguing and that is with an ND5 XS2 as a source. First off, suggest you give it some time to become used to the system. You may simply need to settle down, even with pre-loved kit.
After a couple of months, if you still feel the same, the cheapest option is to try some other speaker cable although I appreciate your existing cable is hidden away. I was surprised how much difference this made. FWIW, I settled on Tellerium Q Black following a few auditions. You would really need to try options with your speakers as others have said.
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Many Cardas speaker cables are decidedly not suitable for Naim amps, being of litz type
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I have a 282, 250 and a hi cap with a nd5xs2. It sounds wonderful with no listening fatigue and I’m allergic to that due to my past as a professional musician. So no problem here. Have Naca5. 2 x 5 m and Naim interconnects.
I’m also having a cutest and I must admit I like the sound from the Naim streamer more. More open and dynamic in my ears. Lovely streamer.
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I think great advice from @By-Tor if you don’t mind just living with it for a while. this will not cost you any money, only time.
Not sure if this has been mentioned already but can you leave the system (Nd5 XS2) running 24/7 (even low volume)? Just let it bed in and hopefully things get better.
Wish you the best of luck.
Cardas speaker cable is ok but their power cable is very nice. If people have enough budget, then can go to Transparent or Kharma speaker which will never regret. But for my taste I just don’t like A5 speaker cable at all. Maybe it was just because I only had a pair of 2.5m rather than longer, for me A5 is just too sharp. Lumina is a huge step forward but a longer version like a pair of 5m is better than shorter version like a pair of 3m. At this price range, there are too many choices.
This may all well be, but the electrical properties of most (all?) Cardas speaker cables are the opposite of what Naim amps were designed for
They have different offerings and I suspect some would be closer than others.
Appreciate your comments on the Quest which is often touted as a cure-all. Your description of a similar setup makes me note we haven’t talked much about loudspeakers or room effects, but obviously both play a significant role.
You mean for which part? Specifications or sound characteristics?
The electrical properties (inductance, capacitance). Though if these are far out, an oscillating amp will not sound great, either.
Maybe they can be used successfully if considering the electrical specs and choosing the right length, but it is definitely not a case of “just use Cardas”
I had a qutest with my nd5xs2. Ended up selling both and going with a ndx2/xpsdr. Way much better, and so it should be at the extra cost.
I use a 282 with 2 HCDRs, and a non naim power amp. Never ever fatiguing. And I don’t use naca5. But then again my power amp is none naim. ( Chord Epic X BTW).
Lots describe the 282 as forward, not sure that it is. But I like mine.
As others have already said, source first. Always.
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I agree with the responses about NACA5, better source, and adding hicap. I’d be looking at getting these three things, listed by importance, addressed.
Since the problem now is that the sound is just fatigue and cacophonous so my experience is Cardas power cable may help in this case. “Just use Cardas” means only for power cable rather than speaker cables. I don’t think the electrical properties of Cardas power cable have anything against Naim’s design. What’s more, the new black box series has a wider range of usable speaker cables comparing to former ones.
Oh OK, I see now that you mentioned “PL”. I had missed this in the general “change your cables”. What I wrote only applies to speaker cables, as I always mentioned. Sorry for confusion
Why don’t you go back to the SN 2 which you obviously enjoyed much more and leave all this headache behind?
Years ago I tried a set of 202/200 for a week but clearly preferred my own integrated amp (for the same reasons) so I did not make any changes.
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It was those very thoughts that prompted this thread. That said, I swapped the SN2 back in last night, and of course now I’m missing the very detail that I am worrying about. 
Such is the way with Hi-Fi. But since I still have it, I may try the old combination of SN2/250DR which definitely sounds better than the SN2 on its own w/my Shahinians. It is a less environmentally conscious choice w/the SN2 amp section powered up but unused though. Need some daytime hours to evaluate… this setup would also solve my system automation problem since the SN2 works well in that regard.
Despite the how above reads, I haven’t given up on the 282 yet.
I would be surprised if you don’t be put the 282 back in after the experiment.
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…when I added a NAC 282 to my SN 2 I loved the detail and could have lived with that combination for quite a while. Good luck with finding the combination that works best for you in your environment, your ears, your room, your system…
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Interesting thread and experiences. Two weeks ago I left my SN2 and Bluesound Node 2i behind and installed 282 + HiCap DR and 250 DR, with a NDX2 as a new source. I have NACA5 cables to the ATC SCM40 speakers.
In the shop I demoed both the ND5XS2 and NDX2 with the 282/250 combo and ATC SCM40. There was a difference, but nothing I would call risk of fatigue with the ND5XS2, compared to the NDX2. I also tried the streamers with a SN3 and ATC SCM40, which most resembled my home system.
This change to 282/250 is quite a shift to the sound in many ways, and I recognize some of your ambivalence. The 282/250 with the ATC SCM40 is a bit of a mixed blessing right now. Everything is fantastic in so many ways, but also a bit overwhelming at times. Sure, the 282/250 and NDX2 are still settling in, as they are new, but I think some of this will still be there with the speaker combination and in my room.
I speculate a bit but, I feel that I’m not used to all this new information in the music, and there is much to take in on most well known songs. Some music I like is not well recorded, rather the opposite, but most of it doesn’t sound bad, more like I never heard it like that before, which is interesting. New things emerge in the soundscape all the time. I have to remind myself to take some breaks from listening. I’m sure there is a burn in of the human part of the system as well, with some risk of burn out. I now start to understand a bit more of stories on the forum that describe that the process with a new or upgraded system as something like a roller coaster.
Is it too bright, harsh and forward? No, I would describe it more like the sound now is much more tight, clear, deep, vivid and voices are very present and the whole thing has some new bite to it. So for now I try to relax and let some weeks go by and see how things evolve. I think that is good advice from others here as well. But of course thinking of that XPS DR did start… but it’s probably very easy to continue the roller coaster with even more upgrades and changes too soon.
It will be interesting to read how you find going back to the SN2 + 250 combo.
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