Does anyone use NAC 272 without XPS?

Richieroo posted:

As far as I am concerned bottom line naked 272 is very good ..... with psu even better....and the better the psu even better. As for 282 it is very close .... I use mine with a 500dr and the 272 instantly showed the benefits.  I have no doubt the 552 would be an awesome upgrade .... but I really don't think I will ever do that as it's currently great and I have managed to keep my box count down. What I will do is upgrade my mains supply with a dedicated spur.

have you heard the 300DR/555PS-DR vs 500DR/555PS-DR

'Richieroo posted:

As far as I am concerned bottom line naked 272 is very good ..... with psu even better....and the better the psu even better. As for 282 it is very close .... I use mine with a 500dr and the 272 instantly showed the benefits.  I have no doubt the 552 would be an awesome upgrade .... but I really don't think I will ever do that as it's currently great and I have managed to keep my box count down. What I will do is upgrade my mains supply with a dedicated spur'.

+1 Rich - This is EXACTLY what I plan, in the fullness of time, to do too.... (and wallet wise I think the 552 is for me a bridge too far)

No.I have not... I was thinking of getting a 300 then I managed to get 500 for a really good price...then got it DR ed.... I suspect the 555dr ps would be a very nice upgrade... maybe one day.  I had a 250dr before the 500 made a massive difference .... the 500 DR improved on that again....point being  the 272 and 555 was able to show the differences.....so it is pretty darn good..... when I have time I may well tap up a dealer to borrow a 555dr for a test....I will then feed in my findings to the forum...

I would be amazed if you could not tell the difference between 300 and 500 with 272. The amplifier designs are completely different not to mention all the electronics. As I already have a 500dr coming to replace 250dr its too late to enquire....

PJB you are in for a real treat ..... congrats

Hi Rich - Must be patient because according to Steve Hopkins at Naim Towers there is 'a current shortage of copper heat sinks' so the 500Dr waiting just got a bit longer...... Any update from Naim (calling Richard Dane here) appreciated... Anyway all good things come to he who waits.   Philip

My God – 131 replies to such a question. Strange world we live in.

131 is a palindromic prime number.

I have just received an Xps dr for demo,to go with my N272 which I am feeding my Dynaudio XD 600's with,this is using the digital out of the 272.The Xps only has a few hours on it that from when my dealer tried it,so it is like brand new.First impression is WOW,huge difference over the bare 272,more testing to come as it breaks in,I will also try it with my passive speakers and the 250 dr...it sure has me thinking about what the 555dr wiould bring,but for now I am REALLY liking what I am hearing.

One question about the Burndy cable,does it matter which way it goes?I notice a clear ring of some sort closer to one end of the cable that says SXPS 0030 on it?

No quarter posted:

One question about the Burndy cable,does it matter which way it goes?I notice a clear ring of some sort closer to one end of the cable that says SXPS 0030 on it?

That end gets plugged into your N272 (directionality does matter...)

Oh good,i have it right then,thanks Adam

0030 is the employee number at NAIM who made that cable

3 weeks ago a 272 landed at Slim towers. I got a bit of a bargain as my local dealer is closing down, it's was a 3 week old demo.

I have a NAC-N 172 XS that I purchased with CD5 XS and NAP 200 in 2015. These were my first Naim products as I had been an Arcam fan.

So in goes the 272 and I let it warm up for a week only using it as part of the surround system. First CD I put on was Alanis Morrisette, Jagged Little Pill and album I know very well. I was immediately impressed by the improvement in SQ over the 172, Now 2 more weeks in and it just keeps getting better. I am a very happy Bare 272 owner. however what would the next logical step be? 250DR or XPS-DR? The joys of having options! The 172 is up for sale, no going back.

ATB, Simon.

Slim68 posted:

I was immediately impressed by the improvement in SQ over the 172, Now 2 more weeks in and it just keeps getting better. I am a very happy Bare 272 owner.

ATB, Simon.

Glad you're happy. Care to say a few words about the difference from the 172? There's loads of comment on the forum saying the 272's better, but only one or two direct comparisons with much detail.

Personally I'd go 250 next, then PS in due course. But that's just a feeling rather than from experience. It's not like a bare 272/250DR is a mullet, though. I just feel like, if you plan on getting both eventually, getting the PS first would feel like waiting longer for a 'proper' system once the 250 was later added, whereas getting the 250 first would feel like a proper system immediately, with icing on the cake yet to come. Pure speculation and baseless reasoning: the life blood of internet forums!

Dave, There is no such thing as a 'proper' system. Everyone has different perceptions, wallets, and expectations. I am sure a villager in Sudan would be pleased with a Pure Radio. 

Slim, you have Ovator 400s speakers. Mid range so get  PS first I think, If speakers powerful with big  soundstage and/or not so sensitive, 250DR. I went biamp 250dr with Proac D30r 89db before 500dr because as a rock fan they defo benefited. The neighbours are not nearby.

pjb_4465 posted:

Hi Rich - Must be patient because according to Steve Hopkins at Naim Towers there is 'a current shortage of copper heat sinks' so the 500Dr waiting just got a bit longer...... Any update from Naim (calling Richard Dane here) appreciated... Anyway all good things come to he who waits.   Philip

Sorry, I don't work from the factory so can't help out here. Steve would know the latest.

pjb_4465 posted:

Dave, There is no such thing as a 'proper' system. Everyone has different perceptions, wallets, and expectations. I am sure a villager in Sudan would be pleased with a Pure Radio.

Well that's bloody obvious. You seem to have misinterpreted me.

Dave***t posted:

Slim68 posted:

I was immediately impressed by the improvement in SQ over the 172, Now 2 more weeks in and it just keeps getting better. I am a very happy Bare 272 owner.

ATB, Simon.

Glad you're happy. Care to say a few words about the difference from the 172? There's loads of comment on the forum saying the 272's better, but only one or two direct comparisons with much detail.

Personally I'd go 250 next, then PS in due course. But that's just a feeling rather than from experience. It's not like a bare 272/250DR is a mullet, though. I just feel like, if you plan on getting both eventually, getting the PS first would feel like waiting longer for a 'proper' system once the 250 was later added, whereas getting the 250 first would feel like a proper system immediately, with icing on the cake yet to come. Pure speculation and baseless reasoning: the life blood of internet forums!

Hi Dave,

I am not very good at putting into words the difference in sound, but here goes!

Firstly, I thoroughly enjoyed the 172, it is a bargain at its price point. However with the 272 the first thing that was obvious was an increase in bass performance, not just louder (which it is) but much more control, the sound seems to stop and start in an instant.

Then over the next couple of weeks the sound-stage has grown way outside of the speakers. 

The Music seems to have slowed down, that sounds mad I know. I think it could be that where on some albums the 172 lost a bit of control, the 272 just holds it all together.

I hope that makes sense.

Slim68 posted:

 ...

Then over the next couple of weeks the sound-stage has grown way outside of the speakers. 
...

This indicates that you have a problem with room acoustics.

Huge posted:

Slim68 posted:

 ...

Then over the next couple of weeks the sound-stage has grown way outside of the speakers. 
...

This indicates that you have a problem with room acoustics.

This is proof I should not try to describe sound! 

Re the OP original question, I run the 272/250DR into Ovator 400s without any power supplies. I find it a really complete package. It images superbly and has a wonderful rhythmical presentation. Instruments have great separation, you can follow the various musicians easily. I major factor is the 250DR which I bought before the 272 when I added to a superuniti. It really increased the propulsion of the music, the 272 added a greater clarity over the SU.

I will eventually get the XPSDR, as it seems to add an bit of midrange heft to the presentation and a bit more grip, but in no great hurry to do so. But the 250DR has certainly offered the biggest improvement so far to my ears.

For what it's worth, a loaner 272 arrived here this morning, and has been happily playing away ever since.

It's hooked up to a NAP 300DR and a 555PS DR ( see my thread elsewhere, "downsizing thoughts"), and it certainly isn't being shown up by the boxes it's temporarily replacing.

I can't comment on a "bare" 272, but this combination is mighty impressive.

Kiwi cat posted:

Re the OP original question, I run the 272/250DR into Ovator 400s without any power supplies. I find it a really complete package. It images superbly and has a wonderful rhythmical presentation. Instruments have great separation, you can follow the various musicians easily. I major factor is the 250DR which I bought before the 272 when I added to a superuniti. It really increased the propulsion of the music, the 272 added a greater clarity over the SU.

I will eventually get the XPSDR, as it seems to add an bit of midrange heft to the presentation and a bit more grip, but in no great hurry to do so. But the 250DR has certainly offered the biggest improvement so far to my ears.

My system too...very impressed with it as a complete package. The only difference might be TQB 'speaker cable and a Hatpin4x.

G

Hi some advice please, am I better getting a power line on my 272 or 250dr or xps?

i can't afford all 3 at the moment.

cheers