Hi all,
Am looking for some upgrade advice.
My Current system is NAP 200, HI CAP-2 , NAPSC, NAC 282, XPS2, NDS and B&W 804's speakers.
My gut feeling is that i should upgrade my 200 to a 250.2 DR to give a more balanced setup. I have tried to go with a source first policy so far.
I have raced floors so would be slightly worried about extra boomy bass but obviously would do a home demo first.
What other options do i have , would upgrading to DR make a big difference.
What about the XPS2? can that be upgraded?
Many thanks,
Maurice
Posted on: 16 July 2016 by ChrisSU
I think your source first policy is a good one, but the 250DR is a fantastic amp, and it's certainly not out of place in your system. You could also have the Hicap and XPS upgraded to DR, or upgrade the XPS to a 555. But I would probably go for the 250DR first.
How old are your Hicap and XPS? If they are old enough to be due a service, this should be your priority, and they can have the DR upgrade at the same time.
Posted on: 16 July 2016 by Adam Zielinski
NAPSC is a standard part of 282.
Being a source first advoctate, I think you should do that NDS justice and get a 555PS DR.
Leter on you may think about testing NAP 250, possibly a SuperCap in place of HiCap (this one is down to individual preferences - some like their 282 with a HiCap, I liked mine when I had it with a SuperCap). Mind you - there is nothing wrong with having 282 and NAP 200. Remember it's a pre-amp that is more important out of the two.
Posted on: 16 July 2016 by jon_jh
Do you already have Powerlines?
The HiCap-DR seemed to give quite an improvement on the 202, so my HiCap has gone off for the upgrade. Worth investigating for your 282 also. I'd expect a 250DR or 555 would be bigger upgrades though!
Posted on: 16 July 2016 by Frank Abela
Given the load on most 800-series speakers can be awkward, I think you should consider the 250DR as the first option. The XPS2 can indeed be upgraded to an XPS DR, and this is a significant upgrade which I think you should consider next. The DR addresses several aspects of the XPS2 such as improved timing and rhythm. It really is quite an upgrade, but I'd go there only after the power amp upgrade. The HiCap DR upgrade is a welcome improvement to the preamp in terms of better control and grip, but I think this comes last.
Frank.
Posted on: 16 July 2016 by rjstaines
The NAP250.2 is an essential upgrade and should be the first you do... it will amaze you.
Running an NDS with an XPS ought to be a criminal offence... get it changed to a 555PS as soon as you can, even if it's a used non-DR 555. As a defence to using an XPS instead of a 555 with an NDS, the following are the only acceptable explanations: 1. I was totally skint 2. I already had this XPS in the loft doing nothing, so I was just seeing if it worked 3. The guy I bought it from told me it was a 555 (and I didn't check the label on the back).
Enjoy, Maurice 
