Naim XPS2 vs XPS DR

Why no answer to this? c'mon guys!

42? 

What a statement! You western people are brave! 

Obvoiusly (or not) I was not expecting an exact number but rather some nice display of common advice

No surprises in Naim land. You get what you pay for. I have had my XPS DR'd so easy to compare one to the other the same day. Everything is lifted, detail and music wise. If the funds are there go for DR. If not you will one day but as you say there are plenty of non-DR XPSs around at a reasonable price. 2.

Yeah, true. But I might go for xp5 and then, maybe in a year, exchange for xps dr. I just need someone telling me that xp5 actually does some good to n272

Tony2011 posted:

42? 

He is referring to the very long-awaited answer to a question posed to a computer brain (I think it was called Deep Thought) in Douglas Adams' book A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The question was "What is the meaning of Life, the Universe and Everything?" And after several thousand years, the answer came "42". I think Tony was implying that your's was a similarly impossible to answer question......

The OP will be trying the XP5, according to their first post. But given that it was asked over a month ago, the results don't seem that exciting...

I wouldn't bother with the XP5 but would leave the 272 as it is until I'd saved up for the XPSDR. 

Has anybody here listened to a 272 with an XP5 XS? Like many others, I've only heard it bare, or with an XPS, but it's just possible that we're all missing a trick here. Naim list the XP5 as a possible upgrade path on the 272 web page, and I doubt very much that they'd do that if it wasn't worthwhile. At less than half the price of an XPS, maybe it's worth trying.

ChrisSu thank you for this. Wise words. And thank you David for giving me extra background on Tony's input

Well to answer my own question - I went through the XP5XS, XPS2, XPS DR upgrade....

I originally has the used XP5XS as an upgrade to a ND5 XS - after a home demo of a N272, I very happily upgraded to the N272... I then had the opportunity to trade in the in the XP5XS against a used XPS 2 in mint condition (without loosing too much on the trade). I think saw an opportunity to purchase a used XPS-DR - but unfortunately someone else nabbed it before I did - however the dealer offered me a  really good trade-in price for a new XPS DR (it really was a no brainer) so now I have a new XPS DR attached to the N272...

So having gone through all three power supply options what was my experience....

XP5 XS - did improve the sound of the N272 - better detail in the sound, slightly wider soundstage - bass about the same. Conclusion: Worth while, relatively low cost upgrade if you can get a good used example - however I would not recommend buying new, when you can get a good used example of a XPS2 for more or less the same money.

XPS2 - improvement on tha XP5 XS - better controlled bass, more detailed sound - improvement in the soundstage. To my ears vocals were better defined. (Note: Even though the XPS2 was a used example - about 5 years old - it still took about two weeks to get warmed up to give it's best....!!)

XPS DR - Power supply is just about two weeks old now.  I remember that  after a two days of being powered up - the bass was a bit tighter - it almost felt as there was less bass - but actually the bass was better controlled, less 'looseness'... vocals changed slightly - not sure if it was better or worse - just different.

One week in - I actually thought the sound was not as good as it was after the 2nd day..!! Seems to have tightened up - less soundstage, vocals seem to be more distant...

Two weeks in - sound seems to have improved - bass firm. vocals clearer and soundstage back to what it was on day two. Currently I would say that that the XPS DR is better than the XPS2 - but I would not say that the improvement was in the same range as the step up from XP5 XS to XPS2. 

For anyone considering upgrading the N272 with a PowerSupply - If the price of a new XPS DR is a challenge - then a good used XPS2 in my view is a very good upgrade and with what I have heard so far, I think the XPS2 delivers 80%-90% of what the XPS DR gives (but my XPS DR is only 2 weeks old... ). 

I assume that the sound quality will continue to improve as the XPS DR beds in further...

I also have noticed that the sound quality seems to be a function of the time of day that I listen to my systems - better in the evenings after around 7:00 PM - and even better around 11:00 PM.. so maybe the differences I am hearing is a function of the time I listened to the music....!!

I have an XP5 with my NDX as (after demoing) considered the improvement worth it but still contemplate going up to an XPSDR some day soon :-) 

It seems that I will be getting me xps2 non dr in coming days. And then do the dr upgrade one day...

DRPO - I dont know if you are considering buying a new XP5 or a used one - but if you are considering a new, you should really compare the sound vs a used XPS (not much difference in price) - I know that used XPS2 are few and far between in the used market, but the XPS really is a step up from a XP5 - and I think a better match to the capability of the your NDX (both in performance and visually)  

Hi Fernar, thanks for the feedback; indeed the XPS2 is in my wish list after I sort out some pressing issues with my set up:-) 

An update..

I had my system playing in the background for most of the morning today, and this afternoon with my wife away doing some shopoing with my daughter, I though I would spend some quality time with listening to NAIM kit.... I was struck by the improvement that seems to have blossomed since the last time I seriously listened to my system - I think the XPS DR has not come on stream (or maybe it's a combination of the XPS DR and N272) as musics I have listened for years seems to have gained an extra octave in bass and an extra layer of detail injected from somewhere.... wow...

I have a 272 on my main system with a 250DR, but no power supply. Compared with the ND5 XS I had driving a Quad 99/909 system before, the 272 initially into the Quad 909, and subsequently into the 250DR, has that extra octave of bass that you mention. I noticed that within an hour or so of switching the 272 on, but it took maybe a month to really start to sound relaxed I think.

best

David