NAC 272 and PS555

Olek_K posted:

Aaaaaarghh!! It's been over a month already since I paid for my xps DR and still none arived. Don't even get me started with all this 555 talk. 

You paid before taking delivery?

Dan43 posted:

 

EDIT : Sorry ignore this is a 555 thread not looking to hijack the OP....  Hi Stefan, just seen your post, I hope you don't mind me asking but how has the XP5XS worked out with the 272? I'm still looking for the PSU upgrade but still deciding, but price is a factor so a XP5 could be the best pound for pound answer? Thank you.

Hi Dan,

I only went for the XP5XS as a temporary measure - I needed a slim case, and since I sit next to the 272, I wanted its transformer off! I'm happy with it, but have not compared directly. I guess the XPS DR or 555 DR would be the more natural partners, where the 555 DR has the large capacitors plus DR, whilst the XPS DR only has the the same smaller capacitors as the XP5XS, but it gives you the DR circuits which the XP5XS and 272's internal PSU lack.

S.

Kevin Richardson posted:

Olek_K posted:

Aaaaaarghh!! It's been over a month already since I paid for my xps DR and still none arived. Don't even get me started with all this 555 talk. 

You paid before taking delivery?

Yes. Wrong.

I had a visit here in Switzerland for adding a external PSU to my 272. First we listened to NDS/555/282/Hicap through a Torus Power conditioner and it was amazing! Very big soundstage and like you are sitting in the first row of a concert. Then we removed the power conditioner and the soundstage felt away dramasticly.
After that we switched to a naked 272 as comparison - much smaller soundstage in width and deep but just normal at the different price points of the two setups. Then we added the Torus Power back in and soundstage was getting deeper and more lively, like moving 2-3 rows closer to the artist (but not as big as with first combo). Also some parts of the music had more punch. Next we added a 555PS to the 272 and the stage was widther and deeper as before and also more air around the instruments, with power conditioner even better. Can't remember if it was same as setup 1 as a lot of time passed between and first setup was warmed up and 272 was cold.

When we take the VFM into this, then 555PS is a lot of money to invest to get an improvement and currently I'm not really sure if it's worth the money. Maybe XPS DR (not available for demo) ist the better way to go, but when taking the big step up to 555PS, I will be ready for further 372 then. I'm pretty sure there will come a new streamer/pre bettering 272 and will be using a 555PS as powering unit. The improvement that the Torus Power gave was about the same as a 555PS in terms of sound imo. I know, naim normally doesn't sound well with power conditioners, but I was very suprised what's happen with Torus Power added.

Will have a home listening session with Torus Power at home soon over a longer period and then I will decide whetever to go with conditioner or PSU first. Often I have days at home where my system isn't sounding good and on weekend mostly much better - so there seems to be a lot of dirty power arround.

We also took a little listening to standard ethernet cable (flat one from Sonos) against Audioquest Vodka -  second one was better but as I'm not using a flat ethernet cable at home, it's not the importest location to spend my money.