172 or ND5xs or HDX?.

If you can afford an NDX, adding that to your current system is going to give you the best sound for sure. To my ears it's significantly better than the ND5. If you want to reduce your boxes, 172/200 is a great combination, but if you want to build on your current system I would still hold out for an NDX. (Or did you mean HDX?!) 

No sense feeding the 172 into the 202 as the 172 is a streaming preamp.   Going with ND5 (or NDX) will be limited by the 202.  I would sell the 202 & go for 272 which has a very good preamp & its streaming SQ is almost as good as the NDX.  

Hi Gents.

Yes sorry I did mean a HDX.

A NDX would be way above my  price limit.

HDX is more expensive than NDX...

I would still go for NDX. There is a clear improvement as one progresses up the range.

Mike-B posted:

No sense feeding the 172 into the 202 as the 172 is a streaming preamp.   Going with ND5 (or NDX) will be limited by the 202.  I would sell the 202 & go for 272 which has a very good preamp & its streaming SQ is almost as good as the NDX.  

hello,

i have 202+200+nd5xs and i don't feel the limitation that Mike is talking about, nd5xs or ndx are ok for 202+200, depends on your budget and how much you want to spend. Can you tell something about speakers?

Hi Adam.

Sorry my mistake twice.

A NDX is at my limit. Is a external power supply required for this or optional?.

Regards

Pieman

Hi

Speakers are MK2 SBL'S.

Regards.

Hello,

first if you choose ndx just let the music play, if u like 202+200+ndx, take into consideration napsc + hicap before xps for ndx.

Pieman. posted:

Hi Adam.

Sorry my mistake twice.

A NDX is at my limit. Is a external power supply required for this or optional?.

 

Regards

Pieman

XPS is optional.

Hello again

I have a Hicap 2 on the 202 and Napsc 2 also . I am getting as much out of the 202 as possible, as suggested.

Regards,

Pieman.

Pieman. posted:

Hi Adam.

Sorry my mistake twice.

A NDX is at my limit. Is a external power supply required for this or optional?.

 

Regards

Pieman

NDX has an internal power supply and it works extremely well this way. External PSU is optional and it further enhances the sound. 

Hi Adam,

Thanks for the info.

I will Demo a NDX and hopefully get a PSU at a later date, when funds allow ,

Regards.

NDX on it's own is very good adding a XPS brings benefits in the long term.

If it was me, I'd sell the 202, napsc and Hicap and get a 272. Add an XPS later and job done. The 272 preamp is much better than the 202, which will hold the NDX back. 

Hi HH.

That does sound like a possible idea also.

I have heard good reviews about the 272.

Regards

Pieman.

Hungryhalibut posted:

If it was me, I'd sell the 202, napsc and Hicap and get a 272. Add an XPS later and job done. The 272 preamp is much better than the 202, which will hold the NDX back. 

Good suggestion. 

Nap 200 should work well. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

If it was me, I'd sell the 202, napsc and Hicap and get a 272. Add an XPS later and job done. The 272 preamp is much better than the 202, which will hold the NDX back. 

I suggested that earlier & was told it was rubbish  ..........  

Mike, it's better to choose what you like not what is better, 272 was ok if u didn't had 202+napsc+hicap, if you choose what is better sure 282 is much better preamp than 272, sure ndx is much better streamer than 272...and so on till you get top of hierarchy. Just get demo both combinations and choose with your ears and money .

272 is a good hybrid product.

But not a pure preamp , in that case your 202 is much better.

Think of 172xs..Who would ever say it to be a better preamp than 152 xs and an nd5xs separate streamer? 

Either they're are doing charity at Naim or somebody is totally wrong and/ or is just making a mess of any sensible hierarchy rule.

Don't believe the hype, but your ears,  as any separate streamer is also much better than the implementation in a preamp unit.

just thinking that one through - isn't the 272 a preamp with an inbuilt streamer? So it is a pure preamp in that sense - however arguably the denser circuitry and closer proximity to noisy electronics (from the streamer) will limit the performance ceiling from the N272 preamp - but it could well be for many this ceiling is not an issue or irrelevant which I guess is part of Naim's design requirement for this device.

BTW for me the 202 only comes into its own with a HiCapDR and NAPSC - with those two PSUs it really is a rather sweet pre - discarding that slightly bland dryness you get from the 202  with the nonDR HiCap or amp PSU 

Antonio's advice to trust your ears is exactly right, and the only way you really know what's best. At least that way you will find out that a 272 preamp is significantly better than a 202. 

I don't agree,    First   I've heard the difference between 202 & 272 pre,  so I have my own preamp hierarchy opinion.    I just don't agree OP's logic of 172 into 202 (a preamp into a preamp) as rational,  & what I really had in mind with my post was the OP has said he is budget limited,  so I suggest to sell the 202+NAPSC+HiCap & those funds should enable him to go for the more capable 272.  Reduced box count, better preamp for his other stuff & a damn good streamer as a bonus.

The 272 is superb and a path I may well have taken if it had been available a few years ago.

However I really enjoyed my 202/200 fronted with an NDX so I would do the comparison and make your own mind up, especially as you already have the 202.

Richard

I had an ND5 XS with a 202/200 HiCap/Napsc and have just upgraded my 202 to a 282, If I where you I would do the same and upgrade your pre amp which would give the CD and Vinyl sources you already have a MUCH larger boost than the preamp section of the 272 could give. As you are new to streaming perhaps you should try a cheaper streaming solution before you take the plunge with the expense of a dedicated Naim streamer, later if you still like the idea of streaming then you can choose a Naim streamer. Personally I'm still of the opinion although I do realise it's becoming less fashionable that separating the preamp section from any Source is always best and if box count is not a problem then 282/NDX or even a 282/ND5XS is better than a 272.

When I was listening to NDX and 272 based systems and deciding which way to go, I most definitely preferred NDX/202 to 272. There is clearly no point at all in turning this thread into another 'I'm right, you're wrong' debate, but it just reinforces the importance of listening for yourself.