You really do need to factor in almost 18 months of a global pandemic, which has put immense pressure on supply chains and component supplies - across every industry. No-one could have planned for that.
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I did exactly as you and bought a 272/250, which was a lovely improvement over my SuperUniti. That grew over the years, adding a 555PS and swapping the 250 for a 300. Then came the fancy Super Lumina leads and whatnot and while it was great it started to feel a bit much. So out went the 272 and 300 and in came a NDX2 and Supernait 3. It’s smaller, simpler and a delight to use. System automation lets me control the volume via the NDX2 remote or the app. New features are being added, such as high res radio and of course I can use Qobuz. I can’t say the integrated feels like a step back, but then I changed speakers to match it.
I was pretty convinced that a new 272 would appear that was effectively an NDX2 with volume control and analogue inputs. The release of the Atom HE means I’m not so sure and I suspect it may be a Nova HE instead. I’m not keen on the Nova design and wouldn’t want something that didn’t match.
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Of course, everyone appreciates that, this is why I am here, however other products have been developed and launched by Naim, not on a small scale, not to mention other companies progress with this…
……I would not hold one’s breath………
Riding my Kawa bike and not asking many questions, life is long …
272 sounds fantastic anyway
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I guess you may be ran out of patience but I can see the direction? May be a bit like that (or not) but I feel a bit stuck between the more mass and entry level and the very high end where I feel the real rabbit hole goes, and I have promised myself and my family that I will not fall for that again.
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Just adding a US to 272 made a such a big improvement in SQ, was not able to expect that tbh….
My friend who had Naim top of the line 10 box system, sold everything and is happy with 24/96 capable only dac, so it’s what we want to hear becomes what we are I think
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as HH said “smaller, simpler and a delight to use.”
sometimes less is more. even if sound equal , turns out to be better: less equipment.
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Is it a Descartes stance, « what I want to hear is what I am » ?
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With a smaller scale too….
Compromise is on the … ear of the beholder?! 
But even if you loose 5% of the sound . But 50% less equipment….
Would you do it? I personally would.
And as long is still enjoyable….
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No mine ) invented while writing
Of course, it was a joke. Descartes was saying « I think so I exist « , something like that.
Nap 300 into SL2 vs SN3 amp into bookshelves, it’s absolutely not the same.
You loose a lot in solidity, bass, confidence, scale, depth….
You gain in details because of a better source.
However, if the room is little, the scale down system may work better.
But in absolute terms, I would not say it’s on the same level.
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Nigel,
Am I right in thinking your hearing isn’t the same as it was when you had your 272,300,555 and full Super lumina setup tho?
This system you raved about for some amount of time.
Agreed. But I comprehend HH approach .
And subscribe.
(PS:: you can , however, get more juice/body maintaining HH system but with floorstanders, vs bookshelf´s)
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My hearing changed in April 2020 and I swapped systems in November, at a similar time to getting hearing aids. With my reduced hearing I just felt that something smaller would suit me better. As FR so rightly said above, the scale is smaller but the source is better. The most important thing is that it’s so much smaller that it fits the room better. You only realise how dominating the speakers are when you get rid of them.
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@anon4489532 says something right on the money. So often have we heard “I can’t tame the bass” or “the treble is killing me” and all sorts of fixes are proposed, change the DAC, amp or heaven forbid the cables when in truth the speakers are just simply too big for the listening environment.
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I completely agree.
However another camp will say « make acoustic treatment first and then buy the speakers « .
I am more on the former camp.
depends if you´re begining “the game”, or in the half of?
In other words: if i have already the speakers and never made the room treatment? will i sell the speakers and start from scratch?
Obviously the money factor have a big role in this.
More: in the begining of the game “we” dont have enough know-how to build something… serious. (altough a good dealer should advise the client in this regard)