NAP 250DR vs. 300DR: How much better?
Posted by: feeling_zen on 05 May 2016
The first and obvious answer to this question is, Go and have a listen for yourself. Which of course is going to happen but that's not really the point of the thread.
Searching the forum I find there are threds wighing an upgrade of a 300DR against other upgrades of the same cost and there are even nice threads discussing the changes felt after upgrading a stack of 300s for 300DRs. But what is interesting is that much of the 250 to 300 comparisons are all pre DR.
Given that DR seems to be nearly universally lauded as a step forward over the predecessors (I am trying to avoid dropping in all the hyporbole surrounding the gushing from everyone who has upgraded to DR), I think it would be interesting to see how close or wide people feel the gap is between 250DR and 300DR directly. The fact that so little has been written about this but so much about the previous non DR comparison leads me suspect maybe there has not been much comparison of late.
Recent revews of the 250DR have pitted it against the 500DR with very favourable results but a review is just a review. Our own ears or something else enitrely. Since the forum is a great place for (usually) intelligent and diverse differences of opinion, I would be very interested in the experiences of anyone who has made the direct comparison and taken the changes into account with the not insignificnt price difference.
And where is this coming from? Well, I have a spare shelf on the rack, and Naim have absolutely no idea when my 250.2 serial number will come up for it's DR upgrade slot. One does ponder such things 
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by hungryhalibut
I read somewhere that it's best to set the loudest source at 0 and then use trim to reduce the volume of the louder ones. For example I have upnp at 0 and iradio and FM at -2.
I don't understand why you persist in ignoring the advice from everyone saying that the XPSDR is the way to go. It really does transform the system in a way that adding a bigger amp does not.
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by analogmusic
well yes agreed as I find the 250 DR really is very capable and is now showing me the limits of my 282.
But then Richard Dane did say with the older 250.2, that 282/SC was the minimum.... I have 282/HCDR.
I can't justify going to a 300 DR unless I have a 252/SCDR.
So yes XPS - DR on 272 keeping the 250 DR is very good advice, before even thinking about going to 300 DR
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by Pcd
HH,spot on the XPSDR takes the 272/250dr combination to an entirely different level indeed.
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by greekspec2
everyone I plan on purchasing a XPS-DR but let's say....
so I XPS-DR my N272 and keep my 250DR so I'm told. Then I'm told to do a Super Lumina loom w/Powerline as the next upgrade which now I'm at a 300DR upgrade price,
N272/XPS-DR/NAP250DR/ full SL loom/powerline or
N272/XPS-DR/NAP300DR/NACA5
the second version is cheaper and may or may not out perform the above, but I don't know unless someone here has one of the other exact system to chime in.
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by hungryhalibut
What you do is this:
Get XPSDR
Get powerlines
Wait six months
Try a 300. If you like it, get it.
Wait more.
Try SL speaker leads, and the XLR.
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by greekspec2
What you do is this:
Get XPSDR
Get powerlines
Wait six months
Try a 300. If you like it, get it.
Wait more.
Try SL speaker leads, and the XLR.
sounds like a plan, I currently have SL speaker leads on demo send them back or keep?
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by Chris Dolan
What do you think of them? As they ae already mentioned in your system pofile presumably you like them.
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by hungryhalibut
I would take them back. Sort out the boxes and then worry about wires. We managed to survive for decades before Super Lumina was invented - think of them as a nice add-on rather than a fundamental.
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by Rob T
What you do is this:
Get XPSDR
Get powerlines
Wait six months
Try a 300. If you like it, get it.
Wait more.
Try SL speaker leads, and the XLR.
+1 Spot on HH!!!!
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by Mayor West
Sorry to go off topic, but Rob T, do you still use TQ Black speaker cable?
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by Allante93
I would take them back. Sort out the boxes and then worry about wires. We managed to survive for decades before Super Lumina was invented - think of them as a nice add-on rather than a fundamental.
Is that you HH, words of wisdom!
I guess there's no substitute for hands-on experience!
Allante93!
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by Rob T
Sorry to go off topic, but Rob T, do you still use TQ Black speaker cable?
Yes I still use TQ Black speaker cable, I am very happy with it`s performance, it works really well in my system, I did a two week home dem the SL speaker cables and liked what they did but the TQB was not a million miles behind, I may well go for SL full loom at some point but I'm in no rush at the moment, I think my next upgrade will most likely be Fraim, anyhow thats all a long way off, I've not got the 300-DR through the door yet 
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by Mayor West
Sorry to go off topic, but Rob T, do you still use TQ Black speaker cable?
Yes I still use TQ Black speaker cable, I am very happy with it`s performance, it works really well in my system, I did a two week home dem the SL speaker cables and liked what they did but the TQB was not a million miles behind, I may well go for SL full loom at some point but I'm in no rush at the moment, I think my next upgrade will most likely be Fraim, anyhow thats all a long way off, I've not got the 300-DR through the door yet
Cheers Rob. Sounds like there's much more fun to be had!
Posted on: 08 May 2016 by Rob T
Sorry to go off topic, but Rob T, do you still use TQ Black speaker cable?
Yes I still use TQ Black speaker cable, I am very happy with it`s performance, it works really well in my system, I did a two week home dem the SL speaker cables and liked what they did but the TQB was not a million miles behind, I may well go for SL full loom at some point but I'm in no rush at the moment, I think my next upgrade will most likely be Fraim, anyhow thats all a long way off, I've not got the 300-DR through the door yet
Cheers Rob. Sounds like there's much more fun to be had!
Your welcome...oh the madness is never ending!
Posted on: 13 May 2016 by Bobby72
Heard the NAP250.2 vs the NAP250 DR driving Focal Sopra No. 2's & been mightily impressed with the improvements in extension, focus, grip, imaging, background noise & timing etc. Naim have brought to this particular model.
In the process of setting-up an audition to compare the performance differential between the NAP300 vs the NAP300 DR paired with the NAC252/SuperCap DR, perhaps against the Ayre KX-5 & VX-5. And hopefully driving the new Focal Sopra No. 3's.
Posted on: 16 May 2016 by Will99
Reflecting on the virtues of the 250 and 300 pre and post DR, would anybody know whether a DR updated 300 is strictly identical, or not, to an original DR unit? For all what we know the DR update includes the pure and simple exchange of both boards of the NAP unit. Does the original 300 DR offer other features that may still differentiate its design and therefore SQ from an updated unit?
Chag -
Apparently a non-DR 300 upgraded to DR spec is identical in every respect to a new 300DR - it even gets a DR sticker on the back.
https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...grade-vs-new-dr-unit
Posted on: 19 May 2016 by greekspec2
time to put my NAP 250DR up for sale, hello NAP 300DR
Posted on: 19 May 2016 by hungryhalibut
Have you got the XPS or 555PS yet? If not, it's the first thing to do.
Posted on: 19 May 2016 by The Strat (Fender)
Exactly what the Halibut says!!
Posted on: 19 May 2016 by analogmusic
Agree with the Halibut too.
The 250Dr has plenty of boogie and drive, no need to go 300 DR, I would add XPS or PS555 to the 272.
Posted on: 19 May 2016 by hungryhalibut
That's three of us talking to the wall then.
Posted on: 19 May 2016 by Maragoo
Will get my XPS DR tomorrow, then I can listen to 272/300 (non DR) with and without XPS DR and make a comparison
Posted on: 19 May 2016 by Rob T
Will get my XPS DR tomorrow, then I can listen to 272/300 (non DR) with and without XPS DR and make a comparison
Congratulations I am sure you will get quite an uplift in performance with the XPS-DR, this is what I discovered when doing a home dem and ordered XPS-DR and 272 at the same time, they are a great match.
Out of interest are you planing to upgrade your 300 to DR at some point in the future and how you compared 300 and the DR version?
Enjoy your new addition.
Posted on: 19 May 2016 by Maragoo
I will no do an upgrade from 300 to 300 dr as my amp is only 6 months old.
Posted on: 19 May 2016 by MDS
time to put my NAP 250DR up for sale, hello NAP 300DR
Your Sopra 2 will suddenly seem even bigger when you do, greekspec2
M
