XPS DR observations

(Eventually after Burndygate!) Hooked up the XPS DR with DAC (+CD5XS), this is feeling like a VFM upgrade given the manufacturer promotion. Immediate impact is bass, it’s deeper, and vocals. Never done “try before you buy” or bought s/h, buy new when you can my philosophy and overall buy on instinct not advice on here, feels like it’s paid off again

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The majority of PS upgrades are very worthwhile, the prime matter being the spondulics for the PS as against the cost of the base kit. That’s why so many 272 owners think adding an ‘expensive’ (alone and relative to 272) 555PS(DR) is a wonderful upgrade.

An obvious tip (you may have already done) - when rebuilding the rack(s), connect the burndies and interconnects as you go. It’s far easier to get one’s head aligned to the often awkward orientation of the burndy connections - even when they’ve been marked with pen/white marker per Adam’s suggestion.

…and if a burndy collar ring gets stuck/becomes highly obstinate, as they can, take a breath and wiggle it a bit but not so much the cable is being twisted. I find a bit of gentle inward pressure will eventually release it/them. Under no circumstances reach for the mole or plumbing grips.

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Hi Calum, I was wondering what had happened after you made the connection, and I assumed you had started blasting out your new system! I hope my photomontage of your plug and socket was a help to you get it sorted, along with the advice of others.

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I’m listening to my CD5XS nDac XPSDR right now, and it never ceases to please, hope you enjoy yours after cable gate😃

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Is that slang for cash?

That was my point on some previous post!
Can’t keep track of them, but I do like this new system!

My vocabulary is burgeoning!

Thanks HappyListener!

CD5XS/nDAC/XPSDR is a fine front end. I had this for several years before moving seriously into streaming with a 272. At which point the XPS did sterling duty on the 272. Enjoy your system now and expect it to improve over the next few weeks.

Roger

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I just bought a S/H XPS-DR for my two month old NDX2. It’s transformative. It’s at least as much an upgrade from a bare NDX2, as the NDX2 was from my 7 year old ND5-XS.

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Hi @Allante93 - yes, spondulics is American English slang for cash. Apologies, I was searching for a word which embraced many forms of cash (£/US$/euro/Aus$/Can$ or loonie/and many others).

Back on thread, the great thing about Naim’s PS’s is that you can use them for future upgrade of the base kit and they allow an incremental upgrade path.

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I added the XPS DR to my 272 and like you experienced the same result, better bass, better detail, better everything. I use to think these PS upgrades were just a gimmick. Apparently I was wrong.

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I’ve just bought an old XPS2 off EBay to try with 272/250DR…to my ears it made very little, if any difference

Will put back on EBay when there is a no selling fees weekend and hopefully won’t lose too much

@Hasselblad100, Give it a couple of weeks and make sure the Burndy fits without being twisted and hangs in a relaxed way. Also check if it needs a service based on date of manufacture if no service records came with it. Every 10 years I th8nk.

I had a dealer demo (not with my speakers) of the XPS-dr and apart from an increase in volume I thought that was also disappointing. I didn’t like the Kudos speakers at all, which didn’t help the impression created.

I could complete the exercise with a home demo of the DR.

If my XPS needs to be DR’d and services because the total cost of doing that would be similar to buying a factory DR second-hand and I would get a much younger unit

There could be merit in DR’in an older unit. Then you get a fresh 10 years before next service date rather than a reduced period over say a 3-4 year old unit.

Did not do dealer demo, just took the gamble and it paid off, transforms the DAC. Could it be when adding PSU’s to higher level base gear the effects will be less pronounced as you are starting from a higher level?

My dealer took a 272/XPSDR in on trade for Boulder components (the customer already has a Boulder amp).

I was in the store with my wife to drop off my ND5XS (it was serviced, but I found shipping damage once I got it home). Anyway, my wife suggested taking the XPS home for demo after hearing the explanation of what it does. Once home with it she was the first to say “it’s a LOT better” after hearing Bon Jovi “Wanted Dead or Alive” (24/192 on Qobuz) before and after the XPS. It took about 10 seconds for us to decide to keep it for the NDX2, and that was with it not even warmed up yet.

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Your wife suggested taking home a power supply home for demo wow they don’t grow on trees ! (wives not power supplies), having said that with LGBT it’s hard to know what constitutes a “wife”

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My wife enjoys the system as much as I (we are not a LGBTQ couple and have been married going on 25 years). We have worked hard, and invested responsibly for retirement, and can now reap some rewards for living wisely. We plan to acquire what we want for the system before we retire in four years. I have made significant upgrades and purchases over the last year, staring with service and DR upgrades one year ago.

My wife knows the last two bits I really want are a XPS-DR and a SuperCap DR. When the XPS came up used at my dealer for a good price, she made the right call to give her blessing for a home demo. She has since given her blessing for me to acquire a S/H SCDR if and when one comes up. After that I feel like I am at end game. Sure, there are things that can be better, but nothing that needs improvement at a reasonable price.

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