Perhaps more akin to buying a Ferrari and only driving it in super eco mode.
Or more like buying something you never needed and couldnāt use. But you felt better because if you ever did, you were ready.
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No.
The original XPS is Olive, it was superceded by the XPS2 in the Classic (black) series. This was then in turn superceded by the XPS DR.
AFAIK the old XPS cannot be upgraded to DR, the XPS2 can be.
A perfect summary.
The olive XPS has a smaller transformer than the XPS2 and XPS-DR.
One of the output circuits on the XPS is also of a lower power capacity, which means that it cannot be used with most (all?) of the classic series streamers.
Upgrading an olive XPS to an XPS2 would require a new transformer and at least one new circuit board, then the DR changes on top of that to reach an XPS-DR - so essentially a whole new XPS.
Best regards, BF
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So, as a bit of an update, I popped around my friends house last evening to view/hear the XPS.
I was quite shocked at the change. Difficult to describe without using all the usual phrases, but wow.
One interesting observation is that the noise the XPS makes when switched on. Itās like a ping. Iām guessing it the sound from the case when the transformer is switched on. And yes, she does turn the whole thing off when not listening to it!
The XPS is notorious for blowing fuses on switch-on, so following Naimās advice to keep it powered might be a good idea. If not, a good supply of spare fuses might be wise.
Ahh. Was not aware of that, Iāll let her know. I felt the weight of the xps , and most of that must be the transformer.
My HiCap DR does that upon switch on. Most big magnetic coil transformers do that upon switch on. Itās normal. Nice to hear your friend is pleased with the upgrade. Itās where iām heading next with my NDX 2.
Itās quite a distinctive sound. No thump, just the casing making a ping. There is quite a ring to it too.
She got a good deal to on an ex demo unit. I commented that Naim psus donāt seam to hold their value like the rest of their stuff.
My stuff does that to. I really, really would encourage her to leave the system switched on, both for best sound and to stop it blowing fuses. Equipment is far more likely to fail when turned on, and as it sounds better if left on for long periods itās a win-win.
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And Naim does not make a big thing out of it, but the idle power consumption of their power supplies (internal or external) is very low compared to most other gear in the same league. The 300 DR draws just 24 Watts or so on idle (half to a third of many pother power amps), the pres and similar 10 or 12 or so. And in winter you save on heating. Overall itās not a very big expense, just make sure to use renewables.
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Our electricity is 100% renewable. You can save more by swapping from a couple of old light bulbs to leds than you can by turning off the Naim. Of course, everything saved helps and there is no room for complacency.
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XPS2 blow fuses with frightening regularity itās a very thin line of safety and sound quality Naim will always choose quality. I leave mine on all the time powering CDS3 a rather foolish approach turning Naim gear on and off leave it on. 
Blimey. Iāll be telling my friend to leave it on. And/or get some fuses.
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I too preferred the XPS2 over the 555PS when I compared at home.
Isnāt the second circuit for powering the Analogue section of an NDS or ND555? Is there any other Naim PS that will power these Analogue sections if the digital section is being powered by an XPSdr?
Probably not - there was originally an XPS, then XPS-2 and then XPS DR
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Donāt think so. My understanding is that the cd555ps has two outputs. One of which is the same as the XPS. The other output is/was for the cd 555.
So, there should be no difference between a XPS and a cd555ps driving an ndx2 ( or anything else that just uses the one output).
Yes, the 555 may have a larger transformer. But that is because it has to drive 2 outputs. My friend, who has a very sensitive ear, found zero difference between the two power supplies when driving a ndx2.
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Looking at some pictures, it also sports much larger higher value reservoir capacitors all round which will make a difference. Same as moving up from a FlatCap to a HiCap does on a pre-amp, i would of thought. Itās a bit odd your friend couldnāt hear a difference. At least the expenditure was lessened from the outcome.
Sometimes one may need an extended period of time to hear whatās going on, it may seem subtle at first, but once gotten used too and then removing a particular PSU to the lesser one, is when the penny might drop in hearing the change, it can be quite startling from my past experiences.
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Sorry have to disagreeā¦i did the demo and to my ears the 555ps is clearly better, better definition of piano, greater sense of musicalityā¦but at a price. If i was never to upgrade above the ndx2, i would also choose the xpsdrā¦its a cracking upgrade for the ndx2, but the 555dr ps is better imo.
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