Blimey, the 272 is even better than I thought it was...
Posted by: hungryhalibut on 19 October 2017
I’ve been using my beloved 272 since June 2015, with the addition of an XPSDR in autumn that year. Yesterday I installed a brand new 555 PS DR, with a new S-XPS Burndy. Rather like when I bought the XPS two years ago I didn’t try the 555 first, and when I picked it up from the shop Dan from Naim was there for a Uniti open day. All Dan said was ‘you’ll love it, even straight out of the box’. And he was right, and then some. I thought the system was sounding great before, but the 555 has moved it to a different level. The music is so much more real, leaping out of the speakers in a much more lifelike way. Everything is clearer, so you get more into the music. The speakers sound a lot bigger too, which I imagine is the impact of the power supply on the preamp. Five hours later to was sounding better still, and of course things will improve further over the coming weeks.
It’s bloody expensive, it weighs a ton, but blimey it’s good. The idea of a £6,500 power supply on a £3,500 streaming preamp is perhaps bit odd, but the combination is just incredible. I know there are a few others using this combination, and that they have said how much better the 555 makes the 272, and perhaps I underestimated how much difference it would make: now I have one at home I am very much over rather than underwhelmed, which is always good.
Posted on: 02 November 2017 by yeti42
Having just completed an upgrade on my TT I’ve now concluded that I need a 555DR for my CDS3 and upgrade the 250DR to 300DR which really requires a 552.
See what you’ve gone and done HH 
Yikes!!!
The CDS3, 555, 552 and 300 is rather good - it’s what I had ten years ago. Of course, this predated DR, and the idea of using speaker wires costing over £300 a metre was simply preposterous.
Just a matter of time, methinks.
Best hang on to that spare set of speaker cables just in case a Snaxo beckons after the 552 in that case.
Posted on: 02 November 2017 by wenger2015
That makes total sense, though the 555 should work with the new streamers. That was my assumption anyway. ‘Bag of nails’ eh? I’ll be fitting brand new din to XLR as well as speaker cables, and I’m expecting a level of wierdness compared to the wonderful sound I’m getting now. It will pass of course.
I would suggest making use of your TQ enhancement disc, as I was running in my new 300dr and Silver Diamonds, it really helped the process considerably.
Must agree with one of your previous comments, absolutely no need to justify any upgrade purchase.
Posted on: 02 November 2017 by The Strat (Fender)
Having just completed an upgrade on my TT I’ve now concluded that I need a 555DR for my CDS3 and upgrade the 250DR to 300DR which really requires a 552.
See what you’ve gone and done HH
Yikes!!!
The CDS3, 555, 552 and 300 is rather good - it’s what I had ten years ago. Of course, this predated DR, and the idea of using speaker wires costing over £300 a metre was simply preposterous.
Spookily Nigel I’ve just received my pension statement - I to am making the jump 31 Dec - and have factored a re-decorate of the lounge and dining room. Part of that thinking will be DR the HC on the Superline, replacing the HC on the 282 with a SC DR and a 555 DR for the CDS3. But I’d go 2nd hand.
Regards,
Lindsay
Posted on: 02 November 2017 by Atherton
When I got my 272/250 I used it briefly with twenty.23s and it was really good. The speakers need some driving and if it were me I’d go for a 250 if it’s do-able.
Thank you HH. I am finding this thread so interesting, but it's driving me nuts! I was thinking of uprading my 200 DR to a 250 DR. But now I'm thinking of a 300 DR, which stretches budget to the limit. The idea of a 555 PS DR sounds great, but is out of the question. Is a 300DR wasted on a 272 without a separate psu? Am I better off with a 250DR and an XPS DR? The latter has fine reviews but seems to be a stepping stone to the 555PS for many....
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by hungryhalibut
If I were you I’d get the balanced option - the XPS and 250. The 300 is great but can only respond to what it’s fed.
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by ChrisSU
When I got my 272/250 I used it briefly with twenty.23s and it was really good. The speakers need some driving and if it were me I’d go for a 250 if it’s do-able.
Thank you HH. I am finding this thread so interesting, but it's driving me nuts! I was thinking of uprading my 200 DR to a 250 DR. But now I'm thinking of a 300 DR, which stretches budget to the limit. The idea of a 555 PS DR sounds great, but is out of the question. Is a 300DR wasted on a 272 without a separate psu? Am I better off with a 250DR and an XPS DR? The latter has fine reviews but seems to be a stepping stone to the 555PS for many....
I had a listen to 272/300DR at my dealers a couple of years ago, and it was a lot of fun, but in a rather unrefined way. A bit of a party animal! I imagine the 300 was showing up the limitations of the bare 272, so I would add a PSU before upgrading your amp.
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by boom
HH,
currently working on my next upgrade to xpsdr,ndx,282,sc,250dr, s400, how do you think this would compare with to 555ps,272,300,s400 SQ wise? The up grades cost would be very close.
unfortunately I won’t have the opportunity to to an A B comparison.
thanks in advance.
B
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by hungryhalibut
Goodness me, that’s a question. And one I can’t sensibly answer because it’s not a comparison I have made. When I moved from my SuperUniti over two years ago there were two logical options: 272/250 or NDX/Supernait. I didn’t bother listening to the two options but made the decision based on logistics: only two power leads, no interconnect from source to preamp, and the volume control. There was also a thought that the 272/250 was less upgradeable, which I saw as a positive, though the £19,000 or so of new equipment that has been ordered has shown that to be less than valid. But the 272/555/300 really is the end of streamer/preamp road.
In your case, swapping the 202/200 for a 282/250 seems simpler than effectively throwing the current system away and getting a whole new one. I’ve made my choice and you’ll have to make yours. I certainly wouldn’t want to advise either way.
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by analogmusic
It's quite amusing and alarming to see some of the posts here, are your systems now all of sudden sounding broken after reading this thread?
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by spurrier sucks
It's quite amusing and alarming to see some of the posts here, are your systems now all of sudden sounding broken after reading this thread?
You think this is bad? I went to buy some Diesel jeans and they were all sold out! 
Naim and Diesel owe HH a cut of this quarters profits I do believe.
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by Huge
It's quite amusing and alarming to see some of the posts here, are your systems now all of sudden sounding broken after reading this thread?
Not mine: I already have a 272+555DR / 300DR. 
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by Richieroo
Hi one thing you need to be very careful with .... regarding 272 ... is its siting it is very sensitive to vibration - which is not necessarily noticeable - but really evident when sited correctly. I used my 272 with a NAP500dr for a while and it was really very very good.
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by quickben
It's quite amusing and alarming to see some of the posts here, are your systems now all of sudden sounding broken after reading this thread?
Hardly - just put the XPSDR on my 272 with the 200DR so I am enjoying the step up from the bare 272 - what I haven't heard does not leave me dissatisfied. I am happy to have upgrade options should we a) move somewhere with a bigger listening room b) win the Premium Bond monthly draw. The former would have to precede the latter I think - and I would first of all invest in a suitable cellar for up to 2,000 bottles of wine.
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by hungryhalibut
It's quite amusing and alarming to see some of the posts here, are your systems now all of sudden sounding broken after reading this thread?
You think this is bad? I went to buy some Diesel jeans and they were all sold out! Naim and Diesel owe HH a cut of this quarters profits I do believe.
Maybe it’s time to mention the All Saints hoodie, which is really very nice indeed. And I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned that I really like The Smiths.
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by David Hendon
you are a man after my own heart!
best
David
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by Bob the Builder
It's quite amusing and alarming to see some of the posts here, are your systems now all of sudden sounding broken after reading this thread?
You think this is bad? I went to buy some Diesel jeans and they were all sold out! Naim and Diesel owe HH a cut of this quarters profits I do believe.
Maybe it’s time to mention the All Saints hoodie, which is really very nice indeed. And I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned that I really like The Smiths.
My God HH I bet you cut a swathe down the old Quadrilatero d'Oro!
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by hungryhalibut
We were staying on Via Senato, which is the next road to Via della Spiga. We wandered down there back to the hotel one evening and the prices were astounding, like €10,000 or more for a dress, or the same for a Dolce & Gabbana bag. £110 for Diesel jeans is positively bargain basement. It certainly puts Naim equipment pricing into perspective. It’s another world.
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by Haim Ronen
We were staying on Via Senato, which is the next road to Via della Spiga. We wandered down there back to the hotel one evening and the prices were astounding, like €10,000 or more for a dress, or the same for a Dolce & Gabbana bag. £110 for Diesel jeans is positively bargain basement. It certainly puts Naim equipment pricing into perspective. It’s another world.
It seems like Einstein had come up with his General Relativity Theory solely to provide us with an excuse for our own silly spendthrifts.
One of course could go the other way and be reminded that:
A 552 costs more than a brand new Honda Accord, a SN 2 would cover the home heating cost for six years and one Power Line would get you 8000 eggs..
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by nigelb
We were staying on Via Senato, which is the next road to Via della Spiga. We wandered down there back to the hotel one evening and the prices were astounding, like €10,000 or more for a dress, or the same for a Dolce & Gabbana bag. £110 for Diesel jeans is positively bargain basement. It certainly puts Naim equipment pricing into perspective. It’s another world.
It seems like Einstein had come up with his General Relativity Theory solely to provide us with an excuse for our own silly spendthrifts.
One of course could go the other way and be reminded that:
A 552 costs more than a brand new Honda Accord, a SN 2 would cover the home heating cost for six years and one Power Line would get you 8000 eggs..
Yes, but if you stick with stock power leads and invest the saving in eggs, you would have little time to listen to music as you would be stuck in the little room trying to get things moving. I think I'm going for the exploding sausage now. 
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by hungryhalibut
The new wires have arrived, which completes the process. Hurrah.
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by analogmusic
so what do they add to the system over the standard DIN/XLR?
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by boom
In your case, swapping the 202/200 for a 282/250 seems simpler than effectively throwing the current system away and getting a whole new one. I’ve made my choice and you’ll have to make yours. I certainly wouldn’t want to advise either way.
Thanks HH, that makes perfect sense and in-line what I was thinking. This injection on cash on my next upgrade is aiming to be my final resting spot so was just in the thought process of optimisation on the value of cash put down. I Think the rule of KISS (keep it simple stupid) Fits well in this situation.
enjoy that new set up of your!
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by hungryhalibut
so what do they add to the system over the standard DIN/XLR?
Impossible to answer after 10 minutes. Let’s see how it is by the new year.
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by MDS
so what do they add to the system over the standard DIN/XLR?
Impossible to answer after 10 minutes. Let’s see how it is by the new year.
I know that the general view on here is that the XLRs take the longest of the SL cables to run in but I have to say that I didn't really experience that with mine. And I've been through two sets: one when I had 250.2 and the pair needed for a 300DR. So maybe you'll have an early Xmas present Nigel.
Posted on: 03 November 2017 by intothevoid
The new wires have arrived, which completes the process. Hurrah.
So jealous.
