My thinking is to go with NDX2 first. I went from 122/150/FC2 to Supernait 2 and I was never sure of the improvement. As a side note I found my lavender cable to be better on the SN2 than the Hiline.
My reasoning is that the NDX2 will be more likely a permanent feature than the SN3 depending on your will power. You already have a Hicap ask yourself the question will you be tempted by separate pre/power amp route as time goes by.
Yes i am swaying towards the source first principle. I can’t help thinking that a SN2 won’t be what i’m really looking for from an XS 2? Maybe a SN3 or a pre-power will give a whole lot more? But definitely a NDX 2 first or even a N-DAC.
In the second-hand market, you can easily get a 282, 250DR and Naim Dac for the new price of the NDX2. And selling the XS2, nearly compensates for trading in the ND5XS2 (in the NDX2 scenario). Admittedly, the cheaper 282 are fairly old – but after a service from Class A it doesn’t really matter, as long as the black box is in good condition. Personally I struggle to see a strong case for the NDX2 unless one has little budget constraint…
I would allocate as much fund as possible on a good DAC, amplification comes later.
Isn’t this primarily a budget consideration?
I doubt anyone would argue a NAC/NAP 282/200 or above is going to be a more capable system than one based around a NAIT, whatever flavour, even a Supernait 3.
I’m sure we’d all just buy brand new Statement based systems if space and budget weren’t an issue however that’s clearly not where most of us sit.
Any of the choices up for debate will be an improvement on your current system even a move to a Supernait 2 and/or NDX2 will give you more listening pleasure, I know, I’ve done exactly those things in multiple increments.
The only things constraining your aspirations here are time and money.
Unless you settle on a 282/200 or 282/250 where you can reuse your current HiCap DR, you’d need new power supplies as well for the amplification going beyond that and ideally at least an XPS DR for an NDX2.
All of this is easily achievable and can be found new or used immediately, it just comes down to available fund how far you can/want to take your system evolution.
I’ve never been sold on the logic of running a NAIT with a NAP, it can be done but it’s just a stop gap not an end game. It’s a means to an end to a NAC/NAP system so why not just go there from the off if that’s the goal?
I’ll give a view on where I think would be a good place to evolve to - 282/250 + HiCap (just the one will do) + NDX2 + XPS.
Did we mention speakers yet? 
PS: Please, no SNAXO’s…
Ok thank you guys. Plenty of food for thought here. My budget is around £5,000 plus a trade in of both my ND5 XS 2 & NAIT XS 2. My recently purchased HiCap DR is going nowhere. I love it, even in my current system, it’s amazing. I just need to choose a direction to fully utilise it. I can’t wait for the lockdown to lift as i don’t quite fancy buying blind. To be honest i don’t really want to go down the separates route either as tempting as that maybe…
As for speakers i’m hoping to pounce on a mint pair of Allaes.
I would not mind taking it 
The HICAP DR is exactly what I am shopping at the moment for my Stageline K.
PS: Sorry, I take it back because I guess that is in violation of the forum rule?
No worries, it’s staying here! 
After some initial thought at work laying bricks and reading through many of the posts on here as well as (from my pre-lockdown memory), after hearing a ND5 XS 2 with a SUPERNAIT 3 at my dealer a few times, i now have my hand firmly on the trigger. What do you reckon? in a bang for buck, bored and really need cheering up sort of situation. .?
You won’t go wrong.
You should be enjoying the purchase…not sure, pulling the trigger on memories is a good idea. I rang my dealer with my expectations after lockdown. Give your dealer a call, he might be open in July.
And we still do not know what Naim will launch in 2020, keep your powder dry?
Thank you Gazza that is handy to know. I really miss my dealer. I hope they can get back to business very soon!
I just called mine today for chat after i saw Matalan were opening stores. Interesting chat, not as easy as you might think…deep cleaning demo rooms between customers… not sure all dealers would be bothered?
If its woth anything. I had a Nait5 i-2 for some weeks and tried it connected to NDX2 and into Sopra 2, for fun of course. Fun it was, what a cracking combo and its sound signature was very much in family with 282/ 250, fast, snappy and very articulate. Very enjoyable and made me think of the source first thing again 
Hard decisions to make. Do you need a SN3 when not playing vinyl?
S
I don’t play vinyl anymore and the SUPERNAIT 3 is cheaper than a NDX 2. I also have a new HiCap DR to help things along too…even with with my NAIT XS 2 it’s wonderful. I just want that little bit more… do you think a ND5 XS 2 will be up to it? I come from a long time slimline active olive era user, so expectations are high! 
Damn. I have a feeling you’re right.
Very much so. I’m running the ND5 XS2 on the Supernait 2 + HiCap DR and it sounds fantastic… can’t imagine it would sound worse on a SN3.
It will be a while before I consider upgrading the ND5 XS2 but when I do, I’ll be demoing the Chord Hugo TT2 alongside the NDX2 and using the ND5 XS2 as transport only.
Also the Allaes. Now this will really get things cooking. 
Now this is what I’ll be waiting for you to post about. :-). I’m curious to do the same albeit with a Hugo or Qutest
Haha… not for a while yet! I may demo one at a dealer once they reopen… don’t fancy going blind into that one 