Overall best performer

A 272 is cracking but even powered by a 555PS, as a source, it is not an NDX and as preamp, not a 52. So that 272/555 combo into a supercapped SNAXO effectively gives you an even more revealing and transparent amplifaction chain with a lesser source and preamp. Though I would argue that is still a superb system - your frame gets shorter but doesn't use any less floor space.

If you are looking for the least bad way of reducing box count, the simple answer, though you may not want to hear it, is dump the SNAXO, HC, and a 250 and downgrade to passive, thus saving 2 shelves. It is a downgrade for sure but then again, so is chucking in the front end for a 272/555 and source and pre still trump active vs. passive.

If you are looking to upgrade and simply not increase box count, the NDX, XPS, and 52 can all be swapped out for better things of the same size. A 252 and an NDS both spring to mind. But at the moment, everything seems so nicely balanced and-to-end, I'd not bother unless you are prepared to keep spending. And NDS/252, soon will start making you wonder about other things like the SBLs and then by expention the SNAXO and before you know it in two years time you have ditched that for a 300 and some different speakers, and so on. 

When a system is nicely balanced (and I think yours is), any change invariably incurrs other knock on changes to bring other things up to the level of the new bit. 

I think you'd be disappointed if you broke your system up and replaced it with a 272/555.  When released the 272 was priced almost the same as 202/ND5XS a bit less actually and so I can only think that Naim must have thought that the two were similar in performance to have priced them so.  The 272 was a compromise more of a life style choice for those who wanted less boxes add to it a psu that costs almost double and of course it will elevate the 272 to a very good player maybe even close to the NDX/XPS that you have.  

But then you have a 52/PS which is a totally different animal pre section wise to the 272 and so I can't imagine Supercapping your Snaxo would bring the 272/555 even close to what you have. Find a way to accomodate that SC if you really want to try it stick it on the floor or in a cupboard somewhere but don't downgrade your system to accomodate it.

Far from ideal but helping when rack room is limited is to lay one or two PSUs vertically on their heavy transformer side.. 

Chag -

If you want to upgrade the obvious answer in the Naim world is to change the NDX to an NDS.  

If you want to make space for another Supercap then one of those pesky Chord DACs could allow you to run the NDX as a source for the DAC, losing the XPS in the process as the benefit of using the XPS would be marginal with a separate DAC.

All

Thanks for the input. It was more musing around how much improvement the SuperCap brings to active over the HiCap and if the collective forum brain thought it may offer a better overall balance / performance. 

I am loving the Active and still hearing improvements day by day is it runs in. I just like to ponder the long term future as i relax to a few tunes. 

Rob

If you can audition the 272 (XPSDR or 555PS) in place of your NDX 52 SCAP you should do this. 

G

I’d be interested to hear how 272/555 performs in active configuration as I’m not aware of anyone having tried it. I suspect it’s bound to be inferior to a NDX/XPS/52 front end but it would be good to have someone who’s done the comparison confirm.