NAC 272 or 152/155

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Now to my ears that setup is an acquired taste... most of the taste acquiring is with the Focal Sopra 1's

 

 

Agreed - I had the Sopra 1s on home demo - in one respect hugely impressive and resolving every little detail.  But ultimately it was too shiny - like an over polished piece of furniture.

Regards,

Lindsay

I have much reduced hearing above 2khz following my accident, and even I could tell that the Sopra 1 is brighter than a very bright thing. Impressive yes, enjoyable no. 

ryder. posted:

The costlier gear will sound better, only with Naim. The N 272 costs 3 times more than the NAC 152 XS.

Not really a fair comparison. The 152 with its matching XS series streamer would cost slightly more than a 272. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

 

I have much reduced hearing above 2khz following my accident, and even I could tell that the Sopra 1 is brighter than a very bright thing. Impressive yes, enjoyable no. 

Sorry to hear that - i hope it is expected to and will come back. 

I suffered HF loss in one ear following an ear infection a couple of years ago, and it seemed to recover over about a year (not formal test, just comparison between ears).

Fingers crossed.

Thanks for you kind wishes, but that's it unfortunately. Could be a lot worse. Mustn't grumble.

I expect you will adapt to some extent to your different sound spectrum, hopefully not diminishing your enjoyment of music, even some things remain only in memory. Looking at opportunities, you could go active, biamping  without having to add a second amp!

ChrisSU posted:

Not really a fair comparison. The 152 with its matching XS series streamer would cost slightly more than a 272. 

Point taken. I am not familiar with all the streaming stuff. Just rechecked on the prices. The N272 costs £3,400 whereas both NAC 152 XS ( £1,175) and ND5 XS ( £2,310) will cost £3,485. The cost difference between the N272 and NAC 152 XS / ND5 XS is £85. There are two things we are talking about here which are the preamp and source(streamer). Each component will contribute to the overall sound quality. Naim will know which is higher quality (though they may not want to comment), the preamp section of the N272 or the NAC 152 XS, and the streamer in the N272 or the ND5 XS. Taking into consideration the additional cost in the black casing and parts of ND5 XS, I suspect the N272 is a higher level component than the separates despite the slightly higher cost of the NAC 152 XS / ND5 XS combination.

If Naim are not able to comment on this and I were to make a guess, I would think that the preamp in the N272 is higher level than the one in the NAC 152 XS. As for the streamer, the one in the N272 is either on par or inferior than the one in the ND5 XS.

ryder. posted:

If Naim are not able to comment on this and I were to make a guess, I would think that the preamp in the N272 is higher level than the one in the NAC 152 XS. As for the streamer, the one in the N272 is either on par or inferior than the one in the ND5 XS.

I only use a streamer as a source, so I'm not really in a position to make judgements about weather sound quality is down to the source or the pre. I've flogged my LP12, and I never owned a CD player, so someone else will have to take over here. (I think the only comment you'll get on this from Naim is - go and listen, and decide for yourself. That's all that matters.)

IIRC Huge of this parish did a comparison between just the streamer in the 272 and an ND5 recently, and thought that the 272 was better, albeit not to a 'makes it sound broken' extent.  YMMV and so on, but it's a start.

Also IIRC Naim have said that as a package the 272 should be somewhere around 202/ND5 level by itself, though with a different sound, and approaching but not equal to 282/NDX if you add an XPS to the 272.  I might be wrong about that though, and it's too late to go searching.

Dave***t posted:

Also IIRC Naim have said that as a package the 272 should be somewhere around 202/ND5 level by itself, though with a different sound, and approaching but not equal to 282/NDX if you add an XPS to the 272.  I might be wrong about that though, and it's too late to go searching.

As a combined assessment of streamer and preamp together, I would agree with that.

ryder. posted:

If Naim are not able to comment on this and I were to make a guess, I would think that the preamp in the N272 is higher level than the one in the NAC 152 XS. As for the streamer, the one in the N272 is either on par or inferior than the one in the ND5 XS.

That's not what I found when I directly compared the two on my system - the streamer in the 272 was significantly better than the ND5 XS, not by a massive margin but enough to be a clear improvement - somewhere part way between an ND5 XS and an NDX.

Dave***t posted:

IIRC Huge of this parish did a comparison between just the streamer in the 272 and an ND5 recently, and thought that the 272 was better, albeit not to a 'makes it sound broken' extent.  YMMV and so on, but it's a start.

Also IIRC Naim have said that as a package the 272 should be somewhere around 202/ND5 level by itself, though with a different sound, and approaching but not equal to 282/NDX if you add an XPS to the 272.  I might be wrong about that though, and it's too late to go searching.

From personal experience, I agree with both these estimates.

I've heard a NDX/282 and my 272/XPS and could hear little difference if any. They are both very good. 

Huge posted:

That's not what I found when I directly compared the two on my system - the streamer in the 272 was significantly better than the ND5 XS, not by a massive margin but enough to be a clear improvement - somewhere part way between an ND5 XS and an NDX.

Thanks for the information. Looks like there are two votes for the N272.

If the N272 is better than the NAC 152 XS and ND 5 XS by a considerable margin in both preamp and streamer functions, then perhaps Naim may be able to clarify on the basis of the pricing of the latter XS units. Of course there is the general advice of listening to the gear and deciding for yourself, though there must be some sort of explanation or guidance from the designer on the purpose of the NAC 152 XS and ND5 XS' existence with respect to inquiries from potential owners. It is comprehensible if the N272 sounds better (by a considerable margin) than the NAC 152 XS and ND5 XS if it is costlier, not if it's cheaper. The N272 will then render the XS units to be redundant, unless Naim reduce the prices of the NAC 152XS and/or the ND5 XS so that the cost of both units are lower than the N272. Or raise the price of the N272 to be higher than the 152 XS and ND5 XS.

Is my understanding flawed?

No, your understanding isn't flawed, the 272 is a more recent device (the 152 has been around for some time, and the ND5 has been around for a few years as well).  Not everyone wants a streamer, and the XS separates have their place in vinyl and CD based systems.

The 272 really is exceptional value for the performance offered, and gets a considerable boost when an XPS is added, so it's not a complete dead end either.  I certainly have no plans to upgrade any further.

Okay, it appears that Naim may have underpriced the N272 which is exceptional value judging from most owners who have compared the unit with various kit (which include the NAC 282).

The N272 cannot take a CD player or turntable?

You can connect a CD via a digital S/Pdif or analogue (5 pin DIN connection).

You can connect a TT via an analogue (5 pin DIN connection), but it would need an external PSU.

Incidentally the preamp of the 272 is way better than a 152.

Looks like it's an excellent all-rounder then, the N272. Also, I don't see the purpose of the NAC 152 XS and ND 5XS with the existence of the N272. Perhaps Naim might want to scrap the NAC 152 XS and ND 5XS since the N272 can do everything that the XS gear can do not only at a higher level of performance but lower cost as well. Unless I am missing something here ?

Yes you are missing something there

CD5 XS + NAC 152XS     (£2359 + £1239 = £3598)
plays CDs which the 272 can't do without adding a CD5 XS
CD5 XS + NAC-N 272     (£2359 + £3400 = £5759)

Huge posted:

Yes you are missing something there

CD5 XS + NAC 152XS     (£2359 + £1239 = £3598)
plays CDs which the 272 can't do without adding a CD5 XS
CD5 XS + NAC-N 272     (£2359 + £3400 = £5759)

Right. It's just the ND 5 XS that is redundant if a CD player is added to the system, not the NAC 152 XS. However, if the CD player is not required, both NAC 152 XS and ND 5 XS may not be needed with the existence of the N272.

Is my understanding correct?

Not quite...

If you only want to play CDs (and not do streaming), then there's no point in paying out for the 272, when the 152 and 202 are cheaper.

Uhmm, I am not focusing on the N272 although I do agree with that. What I am saying is, if it's only CD playback, in the context of an XS system, the user will not be having the ND 5 XS right? So that piece is redundant ie. not required.

If the user wants to add streaming to the NAC 152 XS, then he will need to add the ND 5 XS, in which the N272 will come in and render both pieces redundant.

I see: Yes.  

And there was me all set to buy just the 152 today (which seemed to offer the best value upgrade for the smallest outlay) - but I just can't bring myself to do it. Similarly, I can't bring myself to order £3k of 272 without listening to it first - despite the significant saving on offer.

I think I need to calm down and get familiar with a local dealer (I am new to Northants so my old contacts aren't very useful). 

Many thanks for the interesting and enlightening responses. They have certainly made the long term path a little more clear. I shall be sure report back with the outcome. 

Cheers,

Matthew

ND5XS is a successfully good sounding product which can be upgraded with external PSU and nDAc.

Separates are better solution sound wise , not to mention a damage occurred you'd deal with one unit only.

But that's not the point guys, the streamer can be matched to any system, there's a world outside , Naim is only one of the answers.

Plant Pot posted:

And there was me all set to buy just the 152 today (which seemed to offer the best value upgrade for the smallest outlay) - but I just can't bring myself to do it. Similarly, I can't bring myself to order £3k of 272 without listening to it first - despite the significant saving on offer.

I think I need to calm down and get familiar with a local dealer (I am new to Northants so my old contacts aren't very useful). 

Many thanks for the interesting and enlightening responses. They have certainly made the long term path a little more clear. I shall be sure report back with the outcome. 

Cheers,

Matthew

Hi Matthew,

After re-reading your first post on this thread, I surely agree that you need to calm down. I think long-term planning will play a role in your decision, whether you want to see your system evolve through the years or you have the intention of settling down for good. From the looks of it, this upgrade is just an interim and may not be a final one. All options which include the NAC 152 XS are viable. It may be just a question of where you want to end up with in long term and how you want to spend your money when going up the upgrade ladder. Only you can decide on the path that you intend to take.

You are on the right track to take things slowly and not rushing into a decision.

Good luck.