272 & XPS2 then DR

Posted by: Dan43 on 05 November 2015

XPS2 for sale pretty good price, looks mint. The DR upgrade is £925 I think, would it be worth a punt on this XPS2 then DR upgrade later on?

 

Wanted to keep to 2 boxes, but it is a good price and might be worth it?

 

Has anyone here gone for XPS DR already to assess the performance jump?

 

Thanks.

 

 

Posted on: 05 November 2015 by Andrew Everard
Originally Posted by Dan43:
Has anyone here gone for XPS DR already to assess the performance jump?

Tested the 272 both alone and with the XPS DR when reviewing for HFN, and have to say that – excellent though the 272 is when used self-powered – the jump in performance when adding the XPS DR is far from subtle.

 

It's 'yuge', IMO, both in terms of added detail retrieval bringing more sense of ambience and the nuances of performers' techniques and foibles, and in the bass, which gains added weight and conviction compared with that of the 'naked' 272.

 

(Oh, and things get even more striking when you use the 555PS... )

Posted on: 05 November 2015 by Dan43

Thank you Andrew thats fairly definitive.

 

The way pricing has been going this XPS2 plus upgrade gets to about the same as a non DR 555 PSU, in that sense would a non DR 555 be more value than XPS2 eventually upgraded?

 

A 555DR is too much for now.

Posted on: 05 November 2015 by hungryhalibut
I've got an XPS DR on my 272.
Posted on: 05 November 2015 by Moog

DR upgrade is now just over £1000  (can't remember precise amount as i got the email from Naim last month at work)  Also take account of it's age as the service is £300ish.   If you want DR I think u are better off being patient for a secondhand XPS with DR.  

Posted on: 05 November 2015 by ChrisSU

The improvement to the 272 by adding an XPS DR is substantial, and I'd say it was worth the rather high price. If you can afford it, you won't be disappointed. 

Posted on: 05 November 2015 by analogmusic
Take a look at pictures of the ps 555 and then xps. I would buy the non dr 555
Posted on: 06 November 2015 by intothevoid
Originally Posted by Hungryhalibut:
I've got an XPS DR on my 272.

Did you consider, or compare, the 555PS vs XPS-DR?

Posted on: 06 November 2015 by hungryhalibut
I just bought the box that is the natural partner. Ordered on a Wednesday afternoon, set up in my house on Friday morning. A 555PS may or may not be better, but I have no desire to find out.