That sounds like a replacement to me - but whatever - just do something.
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I’m a very happy 272 owner, combined with a NAP 250 DR and my Dynaudio Special Forty it provides me with lots of fun.
I’ll keep on enjoying my system and if anything pops up in the future, I’ll re-evaluate … 
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There will be a replacement, but I think it will be not the one most members are hoping for 
No, the 272 replacement was late before covid and the current supply issues
If there is an itch you absolutely must scratch the NDX2 is there
Or a chord Dac into your 272
I never liked the 272 anyway
But there was some anticipation that it would have been announced at the Munich show in spring 2020. May or may not be true, but back then it would not have been “late” and it’s possible that first covid and then the supply issues then delayed it
The Solstice turntable hints at the product design direction, there’s a challenge here that Naim want to stay current and interesting to those new to the brand whilst remain true to their roots and the loyal fan base which itself spans multiple generations of mechanical industrial design.
If it were me leading a design team I’d want to really push the limits to bring a streaming preamp to market and not just make it an “NDX2 with knobs on” which I’m sure a percentage of current 272 owners would leap all over but that in itself isn’t doing the brand justice and would be in part an acceptance that they aren’t forward thinking or indeed have any new ideas.
What it could act as is the precursor to a radically new range of Classic level separates that does what we know and love but improves on it across a range of functional touch points, power efficiencies for one or an improved customisable facia that allows a user to configure the buttons and name them how they wish.
They could also make the streaming subsystem modular and upgradable and even offer multiple levels of DAC performance or indeed do a total redesign of their DAC architecture and launch that with a Statement digital source and cascade the benefits down to a new Next Gen Classic series.
Naim are very passionate as we know about their brand and their signature sound and a streaming preamp is a good opportunity for them to do something a little more radical, I think their appetite to do the things they choose is materialised already with the most recent product launches, the Atom HE and the fruition of an analogue source product that has been many years in the thought process.
Whatever they end up springing on us I’m sure it will act as a pleasant surprise and form the basis of much more to follow.
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I think you’re probably right by saying that if Naim do some kind of replacement it’ll be quite radical and not just the “new” platform (which I suppose is now quite old in computer terms) with an input switch.
I would have thought that an “NDX with knobs” would have been relatively straight-forward given their experience so it would have been launched quite quickly.
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Here is the mail from Naim that was sent to Signals. It’s on the forum.
« Where technically possible, Naim has always endeavoured to upgrade older products with new functionality. However, recent developments in music streaming – including both the increasing amount of services and their advanced technical demands – means older models no longer have the specification required to support additional services.
With this in mind, we have taken the decision to stop making one of our most popular streaming products, the NAC-N 272, as we can’t upgrade it any further. The NAC-N 272 still offers superb performance and core functionality, plus has had an in-life upgrade to offer TIDAL support, but does not, for example, have the technical capability to support the native Qobuz integration recently announced for the rest of our streaming family. We will, of course, continue to support the NAC-N 272 for bug fixes and other technical adjustments needed to keep customers enjoying their streamer as long as possible.
Our newer streaming platform – as featured in Mu-so and Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation wireless speaker systems; Uniti Atom, Uniti Star and Uniti Nova streaming systems and ND5 XS 2, NDX 2 and ND 555 dedicated network players – is designed with much higher processing power, networking capabilities and headroom for future upgrades than earlier systems.«
I think there are 2 meanings. First, it means that the new platform can’t be implemented in the 272. So this later can’t be upgraded.
Or it means that it’s impossible to implement the new platform, even in the 272/ 2.
Personally I am really not sure that a new streaming pre, better than the 272, can or will be realised .
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There are loads of options but they all require mixing and matching and adding more boxes - maybe that’s the intention.
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I don’t see at all how this would mean any of this. All the email says is they stopped making the 272 because they can’t upgrade it further to support new streaming services. That’s talking about the 272, not about a successor.
Of course they can build a box with the new platform and a pre, if they want to.
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And in my humble opinion, this thread could be merged with the 272 love thread
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Too long now…
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I am quite certain that if Naim can implement the new streaming platform in the Muso, Uniti, XS and Classic ranges, they could implement it in a 272 replacement if they chose to. Whether this. Of course, if they decided to call it a Nova HE it would be largely the same thing.
So for you a replacement can happen or Naim seems to don’t want to?
I’m sure it can if Naim want to. Whether or not it will, I have no idea, and it’s not a product that would interest me personally, but I suspect it will arrive in some form or other. Perhaps even a 172 replacement too?!
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”With this in mind, we have taken the decision to stop making one of our most popular streaming products, the NAC-N 272”
You don’t end the evolution on one of theirmost popular streaming products. There will be a replacement. Question is…when.
If the 272 replacement takes much longer, the new streaming platform will be rather old by the time of product launch — not sure whether this would make a 272.2 a good purchase… Unless of course the streaming platform can be updated…
In any case I think I am in a good place with keeping preamp (282) and streamer (Hugo 2 cum 2go) separate — the 282 will last longer than any x72… And of course the 282 sounds bl*** good. 
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The question is, not whether there will, or not be a replacement for the 272. The question is how good the sound quality will be and whether it is upgradable to a 272 + 555 DR PS sound quality level.
The 272 isn’t really for people who want or already have an analogue preamp, it’s for people who don’t want a separate analogue pre.
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