Next step-advice please

Will you be buying blind or listening first?

Interesting, that's a lot of Cash, Some members of the Forum think your gear is worthy of 11K Speakers!

Just a thought!

Hmm. I have all three of the things you are thinking of getting, and I added them in the order you have listed them. The speaker wires made a huge difference, but they were building on a system with the XPS in place. The interconnect made a huge difference, but it was building on a system with both XPS and speaker wires in place. Together, all three have moved the 272/250 to a new place entirely, a higher plane. 

Ask yourself whether you will ultimately get all three. If you will and a bargain comes up, grab whichever. But if you will only do one for the foreseeable future, I'd go for the XPS. It's a fundamental part of the system, unlike the wires, which are amazing add ons, but add ons nonetheless. 

I know you are listening and thinking - how can this be any better, it already sounds great? But the thing is, it can. I had no idea how much. 

Have fun!!

Good advice from HH!!

XPR DR.

I tried both SL and Vertere cables on my (at that time) Hugo/282HCDR/200 and I couldn't hear much improvement over NACA 5 with my Dynaudios.

I think lots of this cable upgrade (at this system level) is not financially best bang for buck

Maybe at 252/300, 552/500 or statement level?

I'd suggest that maybe the Dynaudios aren't good enough to show the difference. With my speakers, and just a lowly 272/250, the difference the cables made was just massive, and certainly in the same ballpark as the difference made by the XPS.  

Have you got Naim bananas at the amp end of the Naca5 and Ovator pins at the speaker end? I ask because, on a factory visit, a senior Naim bod was very keen to emphasise how the quality of their mechanical engineering ensures as much information as possible gets into the speakers.

Sorry, can't help with the rest of it. Good luck.

Chris

Sorry HH I disagree, the Dynaudios are good enough to show differences in interconnects.

But SL and Vertere seem massively over priced to me, even in a 552/500 system with the top of the line Sonus Faber, compared to NACA5

I'm happy you like them, but I'm not buying them, and not buying into this idea of expensive cables.

And until statement, there was no need for them.

I would start with an interconnect and then add XPS.

Allante93 posted:

Interesting, that's a lot of Cash, Some members of the Forum think your gear is worthy of 11K Speakers!

Just a thought!

Interesting observation. Yes the Naim boxes I have retail locally for a total of $22000. The Ovators I run were 2nd hand at $5000. All I can say is that the Ovators  do what a very good speaker should do--- they get out of the way of the music. Even though they are 3m apart they image very well and essentially disappear. When I close my eyes I cannot pick where they are situated, so I guess they are staying!

Hungryhalibut posted:

Hmm. I have all three of the things you are thinking of getting, and I added them in the order you have listed them. The speaker wires made a huge difference, but they were building on a system with the XPS in place. The interconnect made a huge difference, but it was building on a system with both XPS and speaker wires in place. Together, all three have moved the 272/250 to a new place entirely, a higher plane. 

Ask yourself whether you will ultimately get all three. If you will and a bargain comes up, grab whichever. But if you will only do one for the foreseeable future, I'd go for the XPS. It's a fundamental part of the system, unlike the wires, which are amazing add ons, but add ons nonetheless. 

I know you are listening and thinking - how can this be any better, it already sounds great? But the thing is, it can. I had no idea how much. 

Have fun!!

Thanks for sage advice HH.

I did briefly try the SL DIN-XLR cable for a few days some months ago and did not notice much difference over the standard lead, but as you intimate ,it was in the context of no XPS DR or SL speaker cables.

Looks like I will await the right circumstances and get the XPSDR. Meanwhile loving the system as is. Local dealer is excellent and happy to do home demos, currently no XPSDR in the country!

Kiwi cat posted:

Allante93 posted:

Interesting, that's a lot of Cash, Some members of the Forum think your gear is worthy of 11K Speakers!

Just a thought!

Interesting observation. Yes the Naim boxes I have retail locally for a total of $22000. The Ovators I run were 2nd hand at $5000. All I can say is that the Ovators  do what a very good speaker should do--- they get out of the way of the music. Even though they are 3m apart they image very well and essentially disappear. When I close my eyes I cannot pick where they are situated, so I guess they are staying!

 

 

I totally agree that the S 400s do disappear (now they are run in) I only have the 172 and 200 combo with them and just love sitting back and letting the music wash over me. Just a matter of time and I guess the upgrade bug will bite. For now I am content. I am spending the available dosh on music.

I thought the 272/250DR sounded nice enough, but it didn't blow me away. It sounded like a meaty, full bodied power amp with a slightly weak source. Adding the XPS DR really did bring about a big improvement in detail, resolution and clarity. I think the 272 needs the XPS to hold its own in a system of that calibre, and I very much doubt you'll be disappointed with one.

I would agree with Chrissu, regarding the xps dr, after a recent demo of the 250/272 combination,it was the introduction of the xps dr, that made everything start to really sing, that said speaker cables can also provide significant improvements, for the demo it was nac a5, which really were the weak link, but tellurium ultra blacks for example,I know would have added a further dimension with out question, likewise with interconnect, if no xps dr, available interconnects and speaker cables a must...

ChrisSU posted:

I thought the 272/250DR sounded nice enough, but it didn't blow me away. It sounded like a meaty, full bodied power amp with a slightly weak source. Adding the XPS DR really did bring about a big improvement in detail, resolution and clarity. I think the 272 needs the XPS to hold its own in a system of that calibre, and I very much doubt you'll be disappointed with one.

Yes Chris, the only quibble I have with the 272/250DR is busy passages of music can should every so slightly congested. I guess the XPS should help this, and perhaps the cables will bring extra refinement. Anyways, will need a windfall to get the XPS  so I'll make like Slim38 above and just relax and enjoy what I've got.

 

Kiwi cat posted:

Allante93 posted:

Interesting, that's a lot of Cash, Some members of the Forum think your gear is worthy of 11K Speakers!

Just a thought!

Interesting observation. Yes the Naim boxes I have retail locally for a total of $22000. The Ovators I run were 2nd hand at $5000. All I can say is that the Ovators  do what a very good speaker should do--- they get out of the way of the music. Even though they are 3m apart they image very well and essentially disappear. When I close my eyes I cannot pick where they are situated, so I guess they are staying!

 

 

Sounds like a man who knows where he's headed, and knows what he líke!

Nice boxes, I was responding on the behalf of a previous post, Where a gentleman was pairing your boxes with Wilson Sabrina's (13K)!!!!

Enjoy your gear! Ovator's

Kiwi cat posted:

ChrisSU posted:

I thought the 272/250DR sounded nice enough, but it didn't blow me away. It sounded like a meaty, full bodied power amp with a slightly weak source. Adding the XPS DR really did bring about a big improvement in detail, resolution and clarity. I think the 272 needs the XPS to hold its own in a system of that calibre, and I very much doubt you'll be disappointed with one.

Yes Chris, the only quibble I have with the 272/250DR is busy passages of music can should every so slightly congested. I guess the XPS should help this, and perhaps the cables will bring extra refinement. Anyways, will need a windfall to get the XPS  so I'll make like Slim38 above and just relax and enjoy what I've got.

Despite my comment above, I'm sure your system sounds very nice as it is. Sit back and enjoy the ride!

I would tend to agree with Anologmusic, the Dyns are at least the equal, if not superior, to the dated (14 year old design)  Naim SL2 speakers at revealing  system upgrades. Speakers have come a long way in the last 14 years!

I have heard some pretty impressive systems through the years, and I can honestly say that when changing cables the differences were NEVER massive, especially with amps in the 250-2 range.  

If spending $13,000.00 USD on cables is affordable to you, that's great, but the phrase "diminishing returns" would play heavily in my decision. I think you definitely would get more bang for your buck on hardware.