What upgrade hasn't worked for you?

Buying non-Naim PSUs. Got rid of them very quickly and replaced with the originals.
(I hope this entry is ok with the moderators - I'm not discussing the non-Naim PSUs - I'm actually confirming they are a bad idea).

Adam Zielinski posted:

Buying non-Naim PSUs. Got rid of them very quickly and replaced with the originals.
(I hope this entry is ok with the moderators - I'm not discussing the non-Naim PSUs - I'm actually confirming they are a bad idea).

I made the same mistake although in the end I opted for no PSU upgrade.

No PSU is also a good idea - I can imagine an NDX or a SuperNait2 without an external PSU (although I run my SN2 with a HiCapDR ). 

Long time ago: Adding a HICAP to my 42-5/110.  The HICAP did not seem to do much for the 42-5/110. I bought it anyway because I had already heard what a 250 could do, had decided to upgrade to the 250 in the near future, and the HICAP was needed to make the upgrade possible.

My initial plan was to upgrade the 42-5 to the 72, add the HICAP, and then upgrade the 110 to a 250. But the 250 was available first, hence the reverse order.

Shortly after I finished my amplifier upgrade (to 72/HICAP/250), I heard the 52. The 72/HICAP's days were numbered...

SuperCapDR on 282... reverted back to HiCapDR after a while...  and 555PS on CDX2..

always be careful with the cables -"first try at home"  once I have replaced flatline gold just for white lighting and that was a HUGE mistake , 

252. Just couldn't get on with it. 

James, what was your source?

C.

james n posted:

252. Just couldn't get on with it. 

Christopher_M posted:

James, what was your source?

C.

Me too and my source is NDS/555DR, 300DR, Ovator S400. Luckily for me I had it on home demo

252, even after auditioning 3 of them.  Sources were CD555 and NDS/555PSDR. Bought a 52 instead.

Supercap DR on a serviced 52.  Better hifi with much inkier blacks (just for HH) but foot stopped tapping, so I kept the olive supercap.

Origin Live power supply on the Linn LP12.  Oh, what a mistake.  With the larger motor option, the better controller and the big power supply. Awful mistake.

Switch from the original mk 1 Linn Kan to Linn Saras on the end of an LP12, 32.5/CB hicap/CB 250.  It had to be better because that was the official upgrade heirarchy in the 1980s.  However, it didn't time right, no matter what I tried.  Then Naim released the NAP135 and for the first time I heard the Saras play music properly.  My 250 just couldn't drive the Saras well enough.  However, Robin Marshall launched a new speaker brand called EPOS with something called the ES14.  Heard them once, thought, "ooh, interesting."  Went back the next week and listened properly with an LP12, 32.5/hicap/250.  Bought the EPOS ES14, sold the Saras and enjoyed musical bliss for several years. 

The most surprising examples have turned out to be phono stages.  
Starting with a Dynavector P75 mkII as the temporary solution (for 6 years...) to go with the Dynavector XX-2 cartridge, we tried a Trilogy 907, Aurorasound Vida, Whest 3 Signature, Whest PS.30RDT SE, Naim Superline, Paradise 3 box, NVA Phono 2 & Sim Audio Moon 310LP/320S, as far as I can remember.  

Given that the phono stage amplifies the MC cartridge output by about 2000 times, the cartridge-phono stage synergy/matching must be one of the must critical & difficult to get spot on.  
The Superline/SCDR, Paradise and Moon were the only ones that were ultimately more musically enjoyable over an extended listen.  All the others were near or far misses.  
However, with a different cartridge, I suspect that the result would be very different due to the criticality of the cartridge-phono stage matching issue.

It was a Weiss DAC202 at the time Chris. A few have mentioned i might have had a duff 252  (you'd hope not at that price) but it's new owner loved it so it maybe it just wasn't for me long term - even though i initially liked what it did. System synergy and musical tastes probably played a part too. 

Adding XP5XS to ND5XS - very little improvement for the cost, so soon replaced with Hugo, a quite different upgrade with definite improvement (and would have been less cost if done instead).

Recapping my last IMF speakers had no noticeable effect on their sound (but  may have delayed such action being needed in the future, though that is now to the benefit of a different owner).

other no-improvement changes were done primarily for other reasons than upgrading, e.g. replacement after failure.

The inkier the blacks the better! Actually the inky blacks are one of the really nice things about the DR upgrades. 

Like some others the 252 is the one thing that's never really worked. It was just too restrained; something that was remedied by a 552. 

I've bought some disastrous speakers too, by foolishly trying examples that weren't properly run in. The Spendor A5 and Neat Motive 1 were just awful in my room once run in and the oceans of bad bass became apparent. 

My most puzzling "upgrade" that just didn't work was from back in the '90s.  I had been very happy with a Michell ISO phono stage fronting a Gyrodec Mk.III.  And then the upgrade itch needed a scratch and so the dealer came by and swapped out the ISO for the new ISO HR with Hera PSU.  I was assured that this was a whole new ball game in resolution. The reviews were rapturous in their praise for this new improved ISO. Only trouble was that any engagement with the music had evaporated with the arrival of all this resolution. Another example was no better.  Thinking the front end needed improving I had the Gyrodec upgraded to Orbe spec.  There were improvements for sure, but the music was still AWOL. It was a tough lesson, firstly that more resolution does not necessarily equate to more enjoyment, and that when things are working just right, leave things be unless you're absolutely convinced by a demo in your system...

Funny Richard mentioned Michell.  Wasn't really an upgrade but was looking to buy a new TT.  Had both the Gyro and Orbe in various configurations and was just too dry and lacking entertainment.   

This is an in hindsight thing. I had a 300 for a short while. And I did really love it, as I never would have considered that I could be in the market for a 500. Then relatively short after I got the 300 I moved to a 500, better would have been to move in one step.

The 252 which some of you mentioned was for me not a wrong step. It was the piece which brought me in the world of real hifi. 

I had a Flatcap XS with my  nait xs amplifier and cd 5xs that gave no benefit whatever . I noticed this when the cd player went for repair and I ran the amp with a cd5i. On getting my cd player back I tried the flatcap on it's own with both the amp and cd, but still no difference.

I sold the Flatcap about a year ago and don't miss it.

Innocent Bystander posted:

Adding XP5XS to ND5XS - very little improvement for the cost, so soon replaced with Hugo, a quite different upgrade with definite improvement (and would have been less cost if done instead). 

Same here only I part-exed my ND5XS/XP5XS for the NDS/PS555DR.

I once bought a pair of Spendor A5 without listening, because they were cheap enough to sell on with little or no loss if I didn't like them. Oh my god, what an awful sound they made! I was absolutely convinced they were faulty, and ended up taking them to a dealer where we compared them to his demo pair. Nope! His sounded just as bad (and he didn't seem surprised at this!) so I got rid of them immediately.

For me I was never sure the Hiline was better than the standard IC in my system. I bought it used and sold it on for no loss so not the end of the world.

Ray

I had a Nait 5i at one time, i exchanged it for a Nait 5, since it had a powered AUX socket for a stageline. The sound was different, and certainly less powerful, although i could now play records through a decent phono stage. Then i got a Flatcap, a 150, 112x (swap done for Nait 5). I am now in the process of upgrading to a 202/200 combination. Have to wait until the end of the month to get my PT  turntable from Dr Peter (AKA Cymbiosis), the RB300 went to Audio origami for a rewire, Peter is refitting it and resetting my PT. I have to wait since he is out of the country next week. It is worth noting that Peter can service/upgrade other Turntables than Linn!

Changing my NDX/SN1/HC for a Qute, TP DAC-VC and 2xMB100's.

The monoblocs were great but the DAC-VC brought far too much digital brightness for my liking. Incredibly detailed but just not very musical.

Switched it all out for a 272/300, and added a 555DR since.

ChrisSU posted:

I once bought a pair of Spendor A5 without listening, because they were cheap enough to sell on with little or no loss if I didn't like them. Oh my god, what an awful sound they made! I was absolutely convinced they were faulty, and ended up taking them to a dealer where we compared them to his demo pair. Nope! His sounded just as bad (and he didn't seem surprised at this!) so I got rid of them immediately.

I don't understand why supposedly reputable companies allow lame products like the A5 to be launched. Don't they listen first?

One bad product in a lineup is enough to seriously damage a reputation.

Getting a 42 brought up to 42.5 spec with a Hicap and being underwhelmed.Also the 12 preamp that my dealer lent me while the 42 was away at the factory was much more engaging.More sparkle and life and wish I had brought it.

Left Naim amplifiers after that and thought if a 12 sounded better compared to a 42.5.time to try something different I was sharing a flat with a mate who worked for The Cornflake Shop a London dealer and as well as being Naim dealers they had just taken on Bryston.After lots of home trail with a 32.5 changed my 42.5-Hicap-250 for a Bryston 12B preamp and 2B Poweramp which is still going after 25 years in a vintage system.Brystons 20 year guarantee is brilliant.The preamp had a loose phono socket and they replaced it and a few bits on the circuit board  free of charge.Still got my 01 which is in fine health after a factory service 8 years ago.

Linn Lingo 3 to Linn Radikal. There was no way to do a before-and-after comparison, because the Linn dealer needed a week to get to it. I couldn't hear any obvious difference after getting it home, and I wouldn't give any differences much credence after a week's absence. Then I read elsewhere that the biggest virtue of the Radikal is that it's really quiet. Well, my Lingo wasn't really noisy. Meh.