Hey all! Would like to borrow your brains a bit;
Have NDX2/XPSdr/282/non -Naim PSU/250dr/Elac507vxjet
Have budget of 20k euros. What you say?
—> ?
Appreciate eeevery input
Best/ Jon
Source first
Good luck
R
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Source first and eventually speakers
Nd555/555ps preloved plus atc, kudos or other usual suspects.
282 and 250dr are a fine combination
Edit: underestimated your elac speakers - maybe only source first
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555psu for the ndx2 and some proper naim psus for the 282.
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Find a way to have a listen to the New Classics, any of them. If you like what you are hearing, then ——> 2/3>5
If not, I would get a SCDR
I don’t have any ideas, but with these questions I think it important to clarify the budget. Your system is probably worth 20k EUR (I guess, but it must easily fetch that), is part exchange and/or sale of existing kit to be taken into account too?
I know some people favour “big bang” approaches to upgrades, where you’d sell your kit, add the proceeds to your existing 20k, then go shopping with 40k - at which point dealers might well do you some very attractive, well, deals!
I’d be tempted to try and go full 300 series new, or full 500 series used for that budget. Might not be doable, but find a dealer and have that conversation.
[edit, I might have included speakers in my estimate of system value, and_excluded_ them in my silly maths of 300/500 costs, but I’d still add up what you think your boxes are worth and see what you might buy with that plus your 20k, the speakers look epic and worth keeping]
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What do you want to improve in your current system??
Start there. It may lead you to a full upgrade or a minor tweak, but at least you’ll be heading a direction.
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Listen to music for 5 years and then ask the same question with EUR40k.
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It’s a healty budget and opens up a good few permutations, especially going second hand. I’d decide first where you want to end up and whether this is an end-game budget.
Getting fairly new used original classic gear is going to be great value for money. For where you are, a NDX2/XPS DR with a 252/SC and your 250 is going to be great well balanced system. You could replace the 250 with a 300 and still be well below your budget. A 552/300 would be in your budget to, but then you need to look at the source - you could stagger a 555PS first on the NDX2 and go ND555 later - hence the question - where do want to end up, and then try and get there in as few steps as possible.
Have fun 
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+1
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I don’t know the Elacs and I do not especially like the NDX2 and streamers as a rule, but I’d surely say 252/SC/300.
M.
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Then buy a small boat.
Then catch fish and brew your own beer, and your set for life.
Turntable
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What we say here is: ‘the two best days in ones life are the day that one bought a boat and the day that one sold the boat’.
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If had the money to go with them lovely speakers I would
CB 250 x 2 or
CB 135 x 4
With a 242 crossover
A good DAC
Then see what I have left to spend,
I don’t agree with source first,
Get the power than find kit to match it,
Than again I like the old skool look,
Don’t like the modern stuff,
I think it’s all to twitchy
Getting right cables, don’t let them touch, keep them away from walls and floor, what a faff,
Keep it simple,
IMO
I have a similar setup, and I must admit I have been faffing around with minor updates when money come in (e.g. a second HiCap, Powerlines, EE8, etc), anyway now in line with many recommendations on this forum I will now stop faffing and save up for a 555PS to replace the XPS
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The many comments about it being up to your ears, and that it depends on what aspect you think can be improved, all apply of course. I am also aware that I don’t know your speakers at all.
Otoh, I have NDX2 and XPSDR. I spent 20+ years with a 250 before getting a 300DR, and heard both through multiple speakers. Before that upgrade I swapped my long-serving 82 (like a 282) for a 52 (like a 252). Because I kept 82/HC/250 for a different system, I got to do lots of comparing.
For SQ, I marginally prefer 82 to 282 and 52 to 252, but the family resemblance is strong. Either 252 or 52 has a good deal more detail and neutrality and air and that sort of thing than 82/282, while having no less boogie.
With my 52, it was clear that the NDX2 is improved by XPSDR - any by a good deal more than was evident when adding the XPSDR to NDX2 and 82 (with 1 Hicap or 2 or my Supercap).
Given all that, I’d encourage you to hear the difference if you were to spend your cash first on an ex-dem 252/SCDR or even a 552.
Given your system, I would not be surprised if the best upgrade chain (to my ears) was:-
-
252/SCDR replacing 282/HC. If easier, you can get the SCDR first - it improves a 282, but imho the real benefit is that SCDR opens up the 282-252 upgrade.
-
After that, I would probably replace a 250 with a 300DR.
-
If you want to go even further, then the next steps may well be 555PS for NDX2, then 552 then 500DR. However many will understandably argue that getting 552 and 500DR should be done after swapping in the ND555 (and the 555PS if you did not get one in the previous stage).
Some here would even get the 552/500DR first, and look at NDX2/XPSDR versus NDX2/555PS versus ND555/555PS at their leisure afterwards. Given how good the NDX2 is, I might be one of them.
There are lots of dealers selling Old Classic boxes like these at great prices now, as the focus is more on the New Classic boxes. These cost a lot more, but you could end up with a complete 300-series system (including 350s) if you go down that road.
Whether even a full 300-series is better then ex-dem or s/h purchases of 552, ND555 and 500DR is discussed at length on other threads here…
Finally, if spending that sort of money, I’d encourage you to look at a dedicated power supply if you have not done that. An electrician may well be able to run a suitable supply from meter to dedicated sockets. This cost me less than £700 and made a big difference, and I am far from being the only one here who found the improvement not that much smaller than that benefit of swapping 250 for 300DR - for a lot less cash.
Good luck!
Sell the none Naim PSU, 282 and XPSDR.
Buy a used 552DR and a Chord DAVE.
Use your NDX2 as a transport into the DAVE.
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Keep the speakers
Trade the rest in for a dCS rossini player apex.
Then add a secondhand 500dr.
Jod done.
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