Good to know – I was just wondering since you appear to find plenty of opportunity to promote Musical Fidelity and have, at the same time, a go at Naim amplification… That is at least my impression, which might of course be wrong.
I’d certainly recommend listening to the combinations without pre judging the outcome.
Having heard what the XPS and 555PS can add to source components I know what I would do but it’s your cash and your ears that matter. 
yes it sure does… I would take a 282/200 over a 202/250
@Svetty this is not a dig, just interested. Hi did you come to having an amazing setup but only using C10’s?
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I’ve heard both on an NDX2, the main consideration being a financial one, I’d add a 555PS if funds allowed and I’d think it worth waiting to do so rather than jumping on an XPS to get something sooner.
I need to hit the brakes on this system for the time being as I need a refresh on my 5.1 setup and have a desire to get a better turntable so it’s a balance across all those needs/wants!
Todays topics were mostly about reasoning what could be considered a “maxed out” setup based on what I have today which is a SN3 + NDX2. The path ahead in the next 2-3 years gives me multiple choices including a move to a 282/200 or 282/250.
It looks like a wonderfully well thought out setup to me, with the emphasis where it matters - the source. That sort of setup is so much more satisfying than the overspeakered options one sees all too often.
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The C10s are very revealing and have rewarded every upstream improvement we have made.
Yes they don’t do really deep bass but they do rather disappear in our lounge aesthetically and we have struggled to find better speakers that aren’t much more dominating visually.
One day they will be replaced but I’m thinking they will really sing with a 252/300DR
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Just asking as seeing over £20k worth of black boxes into £1500 speakers. How do they compare with the Super 10’s?
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The C10s with stands were around £3k in 2007…
I’ve never had S10s here and as you know it’s the speaker:room combination that is the thing.
I imagine they’d be better but probably not enough of an improvement to warrant the financial hit.
If the Titan 505s came in maple without the black front baffle (and stands) I’d likely fold and get them - but they dont 
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FWIW, I added a 200DR to a Superuniti a few years back, and it was a nice enough improvement, but no way did it justify the £2k asking price. I only did it as the first part of an upgrade process ending with NDX/282/200, but the big improvement didn’t come until the final addition of the 282. My point being that if it wasn’t a huge improvement on the power amp in a SU, I don’t think it will be a big jump up from the superior power amp in the Supernait. Maybe just go straight for a 250.
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C10’s do work very well on a 252/300 I know a forum member just round the corner from me who uses this combination. When I heard there was an NDX/555non DR with/without a Chord Qutest at the helm. I preferred the NDX, more musical but less detailed.
Having said that I would take my S20’s fronted with an NDS and 282/HicapDR/250DR over it. I suspect the source is the major factor.
It has already been mentioned. The pre-amp in the current device will proof to be the limiting factor. Adding a power amp is possible but will not give you the benefits you are looking for as they would only come with a better pre-amp. So my advise would be safe the money until you can and are prepared to go for a good separates connection. The 282 and the 250 might be a nice step up for you.
Which comes back to the original conclusion which is that you only add a NAP to a Supernait as a step towards replacing it with a NAC.
My current thinking is to prioritise the source optimisation then work from there.
I’m seeing more leaning towards a NAP 250, is there a set of justifications for avoiding the NAP 200 in this sort of NAIT to NAC/NAP migration scenario, assuming you end up with a 282 or possibly a 252?
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As you know, I’ve walked this path with the SN2 and NDX2, then upgraded with the HiCAP DR and XPS DR, then Superlumina I/C and speakers (in two steps) plus the general tidy up of power leads, ethernet switches and cables! All arriving at a very nice place.
Needs have adjusted with the lock down and a temporarily home-bound wife and daughter only part time at school. So, my listening is heavily towards headphones rather than speakers currently, so I’ve plunged into some headphone amps with dedicated power supples - all very lovely.
I have mulled over the 282/250 option and hesitated as the system sounds wonderful and I’m not getting a large amount of speaker time. Having explored it with my dealer, he is firmly of the - “add the 250, but only as a stepping stone to adding the 282” view.
The upgrade niggle is annoying, as I then think, well if I go separates, should it be the 252/300 - wait a few more years and do it all at once? But it is all very expensive and I have a fine system. Then I would need to reconfigure the set up and room etc and I just end up enjoying what I have because I can’t be bothered. I’m already past where I thought I would ever get to.
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I certainly value your inputs here greatly @Mike_S and we’ve had the opportunity to discuss related topics many times in the past.
The challenges you outline are entirely appropriate to my own situation, my listening time is short and fragmented quite often but in the coming years that should settle itself down.
I would say broadly on this specific topic that the concensus leans greatly towards this being a step you only take towards replacing a NAIT with a NAC rather than a refinement to a long term system setup based on the NAIT. The comments usually along the lines of, “it’s ok but the pre in the NAIT is the bottleneck, get a NAC” type comments, which I’d tend to agree with, but it’s really helpful to know if others have tried these things, what they liked/disliked and what ended up being their longer term system configuration.
It won’t be something I’d prioritise and I’d likely only do it if I had a NAC lined up to feed it.
PSU choices come first and I’m looking to focus on the NDX2 PSU first, I’m leaning towards the 555PS in the current thought process.
Although it seems normal for the forum to get used to promotional behaviors, as some promote even socks, it is not my case: with only a little observation anyone can realize that I am not looking for any opportunity to promote anything, I just comment on my experience and answer when asked, and just a little honesty is enough to recognize it.
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As @Mike_S stated, I added a 250DR to my SuperNait 2 (before adding a new HiCapDR), contrary to the usual path because I had the opportunity to buy a new one at a great price.
There were no negatives, everything is bigger, better and more real - an immediate improvement.
The amp in the SN2 is very good, but the 250DR improves on it by a good margin. In my view it’s worth exploring if your budget doesn’t necessarily need to go elsewhere first, and like me the 250DR is a long term keeper anyway.
When I eventually change the preamp, logic tells me that should add even more engagement and fun to the system.
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There are several reasons you might consider a 200 and not a 250.
- It’s considerably cheaper.
- It can power a 282, or a 202. The DR version does a decent job of this, and keeps the box count down, although a Hicap is better.
- Some people have said that they preferred the sound of a 200 over a 250. I am not one of them, but having run both with a 282, I can understand why some would feel this way. As always, personal preference and system synergy is everything, and you need to listen for yourself, regardless of what forum wisdom might decree.
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Thanks for insight @GeoffC, good to hear from someone who has actually done this, liked it enough to keep it and not felt a burning desire to add a NAC.
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