Supercap v. Supercap DR for use with snaxo

The 272 is a great product for the price, but I don't see a place for it in a system of that calibre. I recently compared a 272/XPS with an NDX/282, and to my ears, the latter, with no external power supply, sounded significantly better.  

The DR Supercap is a lot better - it is a critical stage and should give a lot more life, detail and dynamics. I changed a Reference SC to DR SC and that is what I got.

I've heard the XPS on the 272 and it is a very large upgrade - more cohesive, stable, detail and lower noise.

I also heard the 555DR PS and it goes even further with more bass weight. But I suggest the XPS gave best value for money and perhaps 555PS funds should go elsewhere - 555PS was better, just that the XPS gives a lot of what you get with the 555PS on the 272.

In context of your system, do the XPS upgrade for the 272 first.

As to the 252DR vs 135 then it depends on when the 135 was last re-capped. The 135 is a superb monoblock amplifier in its own right. The 250DR does have a different presentation you will either prefer or not - so you need to audition it first I think.

If the 135 set is more that 10 years since re-capped then new 250DR will sound a lot better I think.

DB.

Thank you all.  I appreciate your thoughts.

All of your advice poked at the question of ultimately where I wished to go with this system and  DBear and Allante raised the question expressly.  The answer is that I know where I wish to be with it now, but I guess I am uncertain overall.  

This is a second, tv system that is for the entire family.  I want it to be easy to use -- the reason for the streaming source -- that requires minimum of fuss.   If it is at all complex, they simply won't use it.  I also wanted it to be a high quality hifi so they can all share my love of music and hear thier music, etc. played back very well.   And I wanted to do this as relatively economically as possible using as much of my existing  equipment as possible.  Because I already had the 135s and then a pair of SBLs and olive snaxo crossover in great condition became available at great prices, an active SBL system was attractive.  When it came to preamp and streaming source, I could have gone with an existing 72 and bought a dedicated streamer.  My dealer recommended the 272 instead as providing the convenience of remote control (the 72 is manual) and a high quality streamer for the price of a dedicated streamer, and being upgradeable with a digital power supply.  The gist of this was that to do better, I would have to spend significantly more for, for example, a 282 preamp, supercap dr and ndx.  

So Allante raises the question, essentially, whether I wish to stick with the integrated preamp and streamer 272 or go the route of a separate preamp and dedicated streamer.  (I am going to maintaint he active system -- it is fantastic).  The answer is that I don't want to spend significantly more on this system.  If used 282, supercap dr and ndx became available, I might consider that in lieu of the 272.  I would even be interested to know if a 52/supercap/ndx/xps would significantly sound better than the 272.  But unless some such unique opportunity arises, I will stay with the 272.  Absent a unique opportunity, I am interested in making this system as good as it can be.  So if powering the crossover with a supercap dr as opposed to my olive supercap I have on it will significantly improve the sound, I am wiling to do that at some point.  I just dont know if the power supply on the crossover makes much of a difference.  

And I am interested in putting a digital power supply on the 272.  

I hope this is not too longwinded, and, again, appreciate all thoughts.

Thanks again.

If this is the second system, I wonder how good the first one is? Anyway my suggestion, for what it's worth, is to get an XPS DR. It will make far more of a difference than a Supercap upgrade, and will provide a massive boost for both streamer and preamp parts of the 272. 

I once started dabbling with this idea, but I soon came to the conclusion that it would be better, cheaper and easier to buy the music again in CD (mostly second hand) and rip that. My Unitiserve is slowly but surely making my LP12 redundant.  

I had an active SBL system using four 135s and a Snaxo 2-4 and Supercap (non-DR).  Source was a CDS2 feeding through a 52 pre.

Switching the Supercap for a DRed version made a big difference, particularly around bass control where previously it was a little loose.  The new power supply tightened it up significantly.

I eventually changed the 135s for NAP300s.  Everything in the system has changed in the last 2.5 years, details in my profile if you're interested.

Hi Lawrence,

Cutting to the chase:

For the second system, XPS-DR on the 272, service the 135s & snaxo (if more than 8 years since the last one) then leave it at that.

The Supercap DR will be an improvement on the snaxo but do you need it for this awesome 2nd system?

It would be nice but certainly not necessary.

A 282 with SC-DR or better still a 52 would be even better but do you really need it?  If it was my money burning a hole in my pocket, I'd to the first recommendation listed above, then...

For the first system, Radikal motor on the LP12 + a new (Dynavector?) cartridge, especially if the Troika is a bit long in the tooth.  Do this to your TT and even an NDS/555PS won't touch it as a source in any respect other than pitch stability (from my own listening experience).  Then you can revel in the musical joy of your LPs, rather than worry about the hassle of converting them or replacing them with (inferior) CDs.

All the above based on personal experience of listening to the equipment mentioned. 

Or, enjoy following your own path 

Best regards, FT

I'm not very good on Linn these days, I believe they make a power supply that powers the motor and an chassis mounted phono stage, which would replace the prefix, Armageddon and Supercap, and from what I understand, sound a lot better. 

As FT says, that, and an XPS DR for the 272 would be a sensible balance. 

Chris, Graham and HH, thank you for your thoughts.  I really appreciate it.

As to the active system, Graham, I will take a look at where you are now.  I suspect that I will not go whole hog as it appears that you have done, but (perhaps unfortunately? ) stranger things have happened over the decades since I have been Naimed.  And I greatly appreciate the insights all of you have provided about priority in changes and the like.

As to my first love, I am fascinated to learn that of the info about alternatives from Linn for the LP12.  As is likely not surprising, my troika is getting long in the tooth -- it has been retipped once and I am not sure it can be again -- and so am facing a cartridge change in the relative near future if I am to continue using the record player. 

I have not had the chance to hear an nds/555 in my system, much less with the lp12 available.  I find it very interesting Graham (and exciting) that you believe it still out does the digital.  My TT sounds fantastic (the troika, and prefix are great products), and I have been debating whether the convenience v. cost and hassle of going digital is worth it.  I will take a look at the Linn products discussed and referred to. 

Thanks again.