At the mo it’s still the P3-24 to be replaced by a P8, fono mc, hana mc ( all with Mr postie) and the sqbox duet into an CA Azur dac. The dac is being replaced by a quetest, the sqbx will remain.
Ok - I would have bought the sources first…before upgrading the amp.
an amp upgrade just gives a bigger window on the same source - no new musical information.
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Well, whatever it is that’s allegedly there or not there I never noticed it.
Maybe but I suspect it was a run of the mill type like all the others.
As I explained - I did try them as full sets SN1/HC vs 202/200/HC/NAPSC and preferred the former to the latter. I only tried mix and match to try and pin down where the differences might be.
Yes - paying for all those unused power rails is a bit of a waste and I was sceptical that the SCDR would be that much better than just a HCDR powering the 282 - but it so is.
or drives the speakers better?
And allow the source to explain itself more…
I’ve had the good luck to listen extensively to some of the best sources around - Linn KDS CD555/ Chord Mscaler/Dave. (and own the Chord Dave)
There’s no doubt in my mind… I would buy a better source anytime over a better amplifier.
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Blasphemy!! There is no ‘run of the mill’ Naim
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well of course I much prefer the 282 over the 202, but still the 202/200 as an amplifier is really very good, it is the first Naim amplifier that I heard…
but of course nowadays the Nova or Star is a much more compelling option than a Supernait or a 202.200. The streamer, built in DAC, the 70/80 watts, as a package just seems to make more sense to me financially. and the performance is really very good.
My opinion only.
I’ll dress appropriately for the stoning.
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Yes, and I prefer the 282 over the 202 as well. I’m not saying that the 202/200 isn’t very good - because it is very good - I was very pleased with it over many years - just that I then experienced something that I much preferred and then I enjoyed that for many years too.
I think you might be right if you don’t intend to climb up the ladder…
Of course and a perfectly valid opinion it is too!
Source first is nearly always a solid approach… but not always.
For example:
About 18 years ago I was running a NAC42.5/HC/NAP140. The NAC42.5 had seen better days (crackly volume pot and an iffy switch) but I’d had the HC and 140 serviced by the factory so they were OK. Being mainly a vinyl man I just had a cheap Cambridge Audio CD player which was also a bit on the blink too as it had to be left on for at least an hour before it would work.
So, I trotted off to Grahams in North London to demo a NAC112 preamp and Naim CD5 CD player. In the demo we used the NAC112 with a HiCap and my NAP140. This fed B&W N805’s.
The CD5 sounded quite a bit better than the Cambridge but not startlingly so for the money. We then changed the CD5 for a CDX and sure enough it was a bit better again but only a bit and now out of my price range if I wanted to buy the pre-amp as well.
Sensing losing a sale, the salesman suggested reverting to the CD5 feeding a NAC102 (predecessor of the NAC202). Result: sensational! For kicks we then tried the CDX through the NAC102 and - as one would hope - it was better still.
So I walked off with a CD5 and later in the year (having saved up for a 102), Naim replaced the 102 with the 202 so I then got that, eventually trading the NAP140 for the NAP200. A CDX2 was added a couple of years later.
So, I suggest that one has to watch that - with the source first philosophy - one doesn’t end up with a ‘mega mullet’ i.e. having a top source throttled back by a bottleneck in the amplification or even perhaps speakers. It just results in spending more money to get an inferior performance compared to a more ‘balanced’ system.
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Thanks for sharing… yes it’s a interesting dilemma … source or preamp first
In my opinion they’re just different types of upgrades… I would still upgrade a source first but certainly would upgrade my preamp too after the source.
My opinion was shaped by my experiences with the chord Hugo which is still a superb source and was for me a real game changer
I’ve not heard the Chord Hugo but I do know it has many fans here.
I suppose what I’m saying is the source needs to be better than the amplification and the amplification better than the speakers but in each case not ridiculously better than the next item down the chain as the benefit will not be fully realised.
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Thanks everyone for the great replies and discussion. Love there is so much to think about and ways to go, in the end it’s all down to what the ears prefer - as called out by a few people a little trickier if you are going (non dealer) second hand approach 
As it stands though I intend on enjoying my system as it is right now for a good while before thinking about any potential upgrades - if ever! Sounds to me if I do I should be thinking about 282 or 252 directions, and what endgame system I might be working towards… tough!
I do, because I made the same comparison (SN1/HC vs 200/202/HC/NAPSC) and jumped the same way after an extended home audition. I seem to remember a long thread debating this issue on the old forum, which turned rather aggressive at times. It would appear some posters found it hard to accept that others heard things differently from them. I really hope this does not happen again.
Roger
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I think you might have meant 200 rather than 250(?)
While it is often the case that a more powerful power amp will increase bass boom, in my experience it is not always so. When auditioning ATC SCM 40s, I found that driven by a 250DR the bass was looser and sounded more “boomy” than the active version with three times the nominal power. Of course, the active crossover must have played a role, but the 250 has DR regulation of the power amp section whereas the DR module in the 200 is for powering a preamp. (Apologies if I’ve got that wrong.) So also somewhat different designs. Hence, why I suggested an audition, preferably at home, if such is possible in these strange times.
Roger
In practice though I’ve tried hard to find if the mega mullet holds back a chord Hugo level of Dac
I can hear for example in my car when I switch from audioquest source to a chord mojo
It’s quite audible on my yamaha HT amplifier although at that time it was a well reviewed amplifier
When a heard a chord Dave vs Hugo demo this was at a dealer with a 172/250.2
The Dave Sounded much better than the Hugo
But yes with that Hugo changing the preamp from a 202 to 282 is quite special too.
The amplifier would really have to exceptionally bad… to qualify as a mega mullet?
Back to the OP
How is the pi connected to the Dac v1 ?
Usb or coax
I would upgrade to a coax optical connection between the pi and the Dac v1 even if it means getting a new board. Not that expensive though …
I am not yet convinced that any usb implementation can beat an spdif one in terms of musical enjoyment
And see how that sounds before spending money anywhere else
Also take a look at how everything is plugged it… and keep the noisy power supply of the pi away from the main rig
Roger - no I did mean 250 but = see your point. Yes audition essential.
Regards,
Lindsay