partners for my focal sopra 2's

I'm sorry. Am I missing something ? Have you bought the speakers before the rest of your system or have you got a starting point you wish to improve / modify ?

Love to know how you get on with these, heard at a dealer demo sounded excellent.

I have the 272/250DR combo on Aria 926s, for now, lovely to see if you go for the 250DR and how they drive the Sopra No2, which I am looking at for 2016.

Do you mind if I ask what your source is?

I have SN and CDX2, which although works exceptionally well, I know the SN needs to be replaced....for obvious reasons, it's a question of 250dr or 300 non dr?

Hi Wenger
When I listened to a NAP250DR driving the Sopra 2, it sounded very good.  However, the source was equivalent to a CDX2 + XPS DR.

You may well be in the slightly awkward position of having a very revealing pair of loudspeakers that can show up the limitations of your source & amplifier.

The Sopra 2 will work fine on the end of a good source, plus 282/Hicap/250DR or 272/XPS-DR/250DR.  Either way, an XPS-DR will not be wasted, as you could use it on your CDX2 or a 272.

Having said all of this, I found that the Sopras sounded like music rather than like good hifi when a 300DR drove them.

So in summary:

1. I think that you need a better source, first.
2. A 282 or 272 will be fine as your pre-amp (but you need a power supply)
3. A 250DR will work fine
4. A 300 will be the way to go if you intend to upgrade to 300DR, but will be expensive as you will have to upgrade source & pre-amp too.

Hope this helps, FT

Appreciate your observations, I've listened to 250dr with 272, although the dealer didn't have the focal sopra 2's, he had the Aria 926, sounded very good though, I am leaning towards the 250dr and 282, but have noticed their are good deals to be had on non dr 300, which just made me wonder what's the best option.

I'd very much agree with Foot Tapper.  Back in November I had a demo in store of pretty much my system, CDX2/XP5XS to nDAC/555PS to 282/SCDR to 250.2 + SL loom, into Sopra 2s. The main purpose of the demo was to show off the benefits of getting my 250 DR'ed or to jump to a 300DR.  The Sopra 2s sounded excellent on the 250DR but.......moving to a 300DR took them into another league. The jump in performance when the 300DR was plugged in was much, much bigger than the improvement heard when the 250 was replaced by 250DR.   

You also ask about 282 v 252.  That's a well chronicled debate on the forum which a search will reveal. Suffice to say they are both excellent pre-amps but they have different qualities and presentations.  Having twice had a 252 on demo at home in my system I preferred the presentation of the 282. But there are others on here who prefer the more subtle presentation of the 252.  You will really have to hear for yourself the two pre-amps to decide which is best for you. To follow the preferences of others to decide could be a big mistake.

Mike 

I'd be dubious about a bare CDX2 into those speakers. Something like a CDS3, XPS, 282, Hicap 250 would be the very minimum system I'd have thought - that's the trouble with buying posh speakers. The most economical path is the 272/XPSDR/250DR. This would also allow a transition to streaming and the eventual retirement of the CDX2 if that's on the horizon. 

Your 'posh speaker' comment made me laugh......I think your suggestion is a good one...but do you think their is a significant difference between 250dr and 300 non dr?

Appreciate your comments Mike, all has to be decided by ones own ears, and the need to listen to both....plus it's a purchase I only really want to make once

My dealer told me that he recently heard a pair of Sopra 2's with a 300 DR/252 and that it was one of the best sounding systems he'd ever heard.

Not sure what sources were being used.

Interesting.....what I was wanting to determine was the difference between a 250dr or a 300 non dr, their seems to be some bargains to be had if you take the non dr route? 

I've heard the Sopra 2 on the end of a 252 300dr and a 252 250dr, source was an NDX with power supply.  I also heard each amp back to back with the non dr version.  I though both the 250dr and 300dr were superb through them.  I found the 250dr to be the most impressive, at its price level, on the day.  I prefered the 250dr to the 300 non dr.

Wenger I can see the attraction of a non DR 300, especially as pricing is good now (most non-DR amps are ex-demo price but also now minus the DR upgrade price, so good value from that respect) and later the DR upgrade could be considered?

I also chatted to a dealer and he thought a 250DR would be excellent for driving Sopra No2 (this was a Spora dealer) and I am going back to try this out in January.

Yes, I've had the same suggestion from my local dealer, the 250dr being a good match, either with the nac 282 or 252. I think it's going to be an expensive new year, but hey! You only live once.