Nap300 dr or keep nap250 dr

I've only had mine back for three days but I am hugely impressed with the DR upgrade on my 300  

sheffieldgraham posted:

Zackwater posted:

Thanks to everyone for all the great advise.  This was my final decision, the check is in the mail (1)  upgraded the 250dr to a 300dr (2) upgraded the xps to a 555. (3) kept the sopra 3's (4) kept the 272 (5) bought a rega rp8 turntable. Now I'm done until next year.  Thanks again to everyone. 

err excuse me, but which cartridge/phono amp/power supply did you buy with the rp8?

"Apheta2 Moving Coil Cartridge and Aria Phono Stage" to quote the email from my dealer.  Please tell me it's a good choice.  

It's a good choice.  Superline is a better choice, but then you are looking at a HiCAP DR, a Zplug, a HiLine, a Powerline.....

A new Rega Aria costs around £900.  How much does a new, all-in Superline assembly cost?  
Between £3,500 and £4,000 in the UK?

The Aria and Alpheta 2 are a superb fit with a Rega RP8 or indeed an RP10, whenever I've heard them together. They are genuine music makers.

Sure a Superline assembly is more capable than an Aria, but is it a natural financial fit and a good distribution of funds for an RP8?

When I auditioned a number of phono stages to replace the excellent Dynavector P75 (at around £600), the Superline powered off the existing 52/SC was a bit better (but only a bit better to these cloth ears), not circa £2,500 better.  The Superline/SCDR was a whole step or two better in the context of our system, but then it is a £7,000 phono assembly.

In the end, I settled very happily indeed for a £2,500 phono stage.

The fairer comparator for a Superline/HCDR & cables is the £4k Rega IOS, not the £900 Aria.
Alternatively, it might be RP10 + Aria versus RP8 + Superline & HCDR (or IOS)

I wasn't attempting to make a fair comparison.  I was attempting to answer his question of choice.  As I said, the Aria is a good choice.  A Superline, we can agree, is a better product.  Value for money always comes to mind, but this customer just bought a 300DR and a 555PS DR... Would a Superline not be a better long term fit in that system?  I don't think the IOS is made any more.

please don't torture Zackwater. the Aria will be great, especially as he's just getting into vinyl. now he needs to go dig up some LPs and get spinnin'.

joe9407 posted:

please don't torture Zackwater. the Aria will be great, especially as he's just getting into vinyl. now he needs to go dig up some LPs and get spinnin'.

You are my hero and new best friend. 

More records is defintley better than more gear!

The Aria is very good. I have one and still prefer music through it from my Gyro to my NDS/555. I don't have any intentions of spending all that on a Superlne, it's poor value for money in my opinion. 

Zackwater posted:

Thanks to everyone for all the great advise.  This was my final decision, the check is in the mail (1)  upgraded the 250dr to a 300dr (2) upgraded the xps to a 555. (3) kept the sopra 3's (4) kept the 272 (5) bought a rega rp8 turntable. Now I'm done until next year.  Thanks again to everyone. 

it is like a buying a Ferrari and going with max 50KMH......   they come alive at 40+

An Aria can be had for under £800.  I had one for a week to compare with my Stageline on my RP8 Apheta and whilst it's different and better in some areas, in soundstage especially, it wasn't a big enough upgrade to justify selling off my Stageline and spending the money on the Aria and there were some areas of presentation where I prefered the Stageline.  

Wm. posted:

I wasn't attempting to make a fair comparison.  I was attempting to answer his question of choice.  As I said, the Aria is a good choice.  A Superline, we can agree, is a better product....

Ah, thanks for the clarification Wm. As you say, Superline + external power supply is a more capable & expensive option.

For an RP8, I'd still go for the Alpheta 2 and Aria.  £600-900 is a real sweet spot for excellent, reasonably affordable phono stages.  To gain appreciably more sound quality, it seems that a jump to £2,500-£3,000 is necessary (in the UK), which is what a complete RP8 + Alpheta 2 costs.  

Hence if the OP has real world budget constraints, then an RP8, Alpheta 2 and Aria is a tough combination to beat.
Take away the constraints and the world of high spec Linn LP12, Michell, SME, Vertere, even Kronos & TAS opens up to separate an owner from his or her funds.

Best regards, FT

Everyone, 

I read this topic with great interest because I am considering if I should upgrade to a 300DR. So forgive me if kind of hijack this thread...So this is my situation. As you can see from my profile, I am currently have a 250.2. This is used to drive a pair of Diablos. I do near field listening. My listening position is about 2.5-3m from the speakers which are less than 30cm from the wall. I like to listen at lower volumes. What I have noticed is when I moved from a 272 pre amp to a 282, that at lower volumes I am losing some detail which I didn't notice with the 272. Probably because with the 282, it tends to be louder so I lower the volume more. 

I have been told that if I use a 300DR, I will get more detail at lower volume (don't know if that's true). I was intending to do a DR upgrade on my 250.2 but now I am toying with the possibility of just getting a 300DR. The cost is obviously higher. Given that I prefer to listen at lower volumes is upgrading to the 300DR worth it? Or given my circumstances, a upgrade of my amp to 250DR would be sufficient? I also have the option of adding a Super Lumina interconnect (which I won't do if I upgrade to a 300DR.

Any thoughts would be welcome! Thank you!!

Richard,

Interesting.  I guess, as ever, the only way to find out is a home demo.  Of course power and volume is not the only reason for upgrading.  The 300DR is by comment consent a more suave and sophisticated performer than the 250. As a matter of interest what PSU do you have on the 282?  The norm here would be to upgrade to 252 before the 300.

Regards,

Lindsay

Richard Choong posted:

Everyone, 

I read this topic with great interest because I am considering if I should upgrade to a 300DR. So forgive me if kind of hijack this thread...So this is my situation. As you can see from my profile, I am currently have a 250.2. This is used to drive a pair of Diablos. I do near field listening. My listening position is about 2.5-3m from the speakers which are less than 30cm from the wall. I like to listen at lower volumes. What I have noticed is when I moved from a 272 pre amp to a 282, that at lower volumes I am losing some detail which I didn't notice with the 272. Probably because with the 282, it tends to be louder so I lower the volume more. 

I have been told that if I use a 300DR, I will get more detail at lower volume (don't know if that's true). I was intending to do a DR upgrade on my 250.2 but now I am toying with the possibility of just getting a 300DR. The cost is obviously higher. Given that I prefer to listen at lower volumes is upgrading to the 300DR worth it? Or given my circumstances, a upgrade of my amp to 250DR would be sufficient? I also have the option of adding a Super Lumina interconnect (which I won't do if I upgrade to a 300DR.

Any thoughts would be welcome! Thank you!!

This may well be due to the difference in design of the volume control. I think the 272 makes use of the same design used in the Statement NACS1. Here's an extract I copied from a NACS1 write up.

Dual Volume Control

There are numerous ways to design an audiophile volume control, each with their own advantages and setbacks. The stepped attenuator can sound great but it does, however, come with one disadvantage in that the sound tends to be uneven during volume change. The new Naim DVC includes a chip volume control that is used while changing volume to allow a smooth progression of change. The millisecond the volume is fixed the electronic volume control switches completely out of circuit back to the now set stepped attenuator.

DVC also uses a fixed set of single resistors for each of its 100 volume possibilities so that combinations of resistors - creating multiple signal paths and multiple path lengths ‘blurring the signal’ - aren’t used.

I think the 282 uses a conventional stepped resistor ladder, which is much more sensitive to adjustment particularly and the lower end of the control. while the 300DR will give a more detailed presentation at low levels it may not be the complete solution to your problem. Try to audition the 250DR and 300DR at home first.

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Richard,

Interesting.  I guess, as ever, the only way to find out is a home demo.  Of course power and volume is not the only reason for upgrading.  The 300DR is by comment consent a more suave and sophisticated performer than the 250. As a matter of interest what PSU do you have on the 282?  The norm here would be to upgrade to 252 before the 300.

Regards,

Lindsay

Richard could you update your profile. 

Options using the 282 could be : upgrade power supply to Supercap (recommended); upgrade 250.2>250DR; SL interconnect rather than buying a 300DR.

Going from a 282 to 252 is very much a matter of personal taste. Many people prefer the 282 to 252 and visa versa.

sheffieldgraham posted:

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Richard,

Interesting.  I guess, as ever, the only way to find out is a home demo.  Of course power and volume is not the only reason for upgrading.  The 300DR is by comment consent a more suave and sophisticated performer than the 250. As a matter of interest what PSU do you have on the 282?  The norm here would be to upgrade to 252 before the 300.

Regards,

Lindsay

Richard could you update your profile. 

Options using the 282 could be : upgrade power supply to Supercap (recommended); upgrade 250.2>250DR; SL interconnect rather than buying a 300DR.

Going from a 282 to 252 is very much a matter of personal taste. Many people prefer the 282 to 252 and visa versa.

Updated my Profile.

I have tried the SL interconnect and I didn't feel that difference was that great to justify the cost of the SL interconnect.

As for the Supercap, while I have not tried it, I was advised by the distributor that there was minimal change given that the 282 won't make full use of the Supercap. Then again, I got the 282 with the HiCap at a great price so I am not complaining. 

The option now is to stay upgrade the 250.2 to a 250DR or just bite the bullet to get a 300DR. I am leaning 300DR then never upgrade again! Famous last words....hahahah..

Richard Choong posted:

sheffieldgraham posted:

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Richard,

Interesting.  I guess, as ever, the only way to find out is a home demo.  Of course power and volume is not the only reason for upgrading.  The 300DR is by comment consent a more suave and sophisticated performer than the 250. As a matter of interest what PSU do you have on the 282?  The norm here would be to upgrade to 252 before the 300.

Regards,

Lindsay

Richard could you update your profile. 

Options using the 282 could be : upgrade power supply to Supercap (recommended); upgrade 250.2>250DR; SL interconnect rather than buying a 300DR.

Going from a 282 to 252 is very much a matter of personal taste. Many people prefer the 282 to 252 and visa versa.

Updated my Profile.

I have tried the SL interconnect and I didn't feel that difference was that great to justify the cost of the SL interconnect.

As for the Supercap, while I have not tried it, I was advised by the distributor that there was minimal change given that the 282 won't make full use of the Supercap. Then again, I got the 282 with the HiCap at a great price so I am not complaining. 

The option now is to stay upgrade the 250.2 to a 250DR or just bite the bullet to get a 300DR. I am leaning 300DR then never upgrade again! Famous last words....hahahah..

In the last 12months I  have had a new 250dr and upgraded to the 300dr, if your budget allows  it's definitely worth doing , you will not be disappointed.. 

Richard Choong posted:

sheffieldgraham posted:

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Richard,

Interesting.  I guess, as ever, the only way to find out is a home demo.  Of course power and volume is not the only reason for upgrading.  The 300DR is by comment consent a more suave and sophisticated performer than the 250. As a matter of interest what PSU do you have on the 282?  The norm here would be to upgrade to 252 before the 300.

Regards,

Lindsay

Richard could you update your profile. 

Options using the 282 could be : upgrade power supply to Supercap (recommended); upgrade 250.2>250DR; SL interconnect rather than buying a 300DR.

Going from a 282 to 252 is very much a matter of personal taste. Many people prefer the 282 to 252 and visa versa.

Updated my Profile.

I have tried the SL interconnect and I didn't feel that difference was that great to justify the cost of the SL interconnect.

As for the Supercap, while I have not tried it, I was advised by the distributor that there was minimal change given that the 282 won't make full use of the Supercap. Then again, I got the 282 with the HiCap at a great price so I am not complaining. 

The option now is to stay upgrade the 250.2 to a 250DR or just bite the bullet to get a 300DR. I am leaning 300DR then never upgrade again! Famous last words....hahahah..

I can't say I agree with your dealer on this. I've had 1xHiCap, 2xHiCaps, SuperCap on the 282 all non DR .

However 2xHiCaps wasn't much of an improvement on 1xHiCap. A SuperCap was one of the most noticeable upgrades I have made. If you do ever decide to upgrade after the 300DR give it a try. You may be surprised.

sheffieldgraham posted:

I can't say I agree with your dealer on this. I've had 1xHiCap, 2xHiCaps, SuperCap on the 282 all non DR .

However 2xHiCaps wasn't much of an improvement on 1xHiCap. A SuperCap was one of the most noticeable upgrades I have made. If you do ever decide to upgrade after the 300DR give it a try. You may be surprised.

Cool! Will think about that. 

sheffieldgraham posted:

Richard Choong posted:

sheffieldgraham posted:

The Strat (Fender) posted:

 

 

As for the Supercap, while I have not tried it, I was advised by the distributor that there was minimal change given that the 282 won't make full use of the Supercap. 

I can't say I agree with your dealer on this. I've had 1xHiCap, 2xHiCaps, SuperCap on the 282 all non DR .

However 2xHiCaps wasn't much of an improvement on 1xHiCap. A SuperCap was one of the most noticeable upgrades I have made. If you do ever decide to upgrade after the 300DR give it a try. You may be surprised.

Just entered the world of Naim Late 2014, quite naturally, the topic of choice was the New Trickled down DR Technology, 2012!

A no Brainer, Cdx2/282/250.2.

However, which PS?

The Forum, for the most part, agreed with Sheffield Graham, the SC trumped the duel HCs by a wide margin. Next, the obvious topic of choice, SC vs SCDR, the verdict was not much fronted with a 282, but a noticeable difference, with the more refined 252!

However, most did agree, that the HCDR, narrowed the gap, when compared to the SC.

Hence, I decided to go with a Pre-loved SC, and get it DRed down the road.

Didn't happen, a 2015 HCDR, hit the market at an amazing price.

Cdx2/282/HCDR/3 x 250.2/Briks

However, if a SCDR, hits the Market at an amazing price, I'm all in.

Active Fan, SCDR & Snaxo, next upgrade!

Then I can post on HCDR vs SCDR on The 282!

Allante93!

Richard Choong posted:

sheffieldgraham posted:

I can't say I agree with your dealer on this. I've had 1xHiCap, 2xHiCaps, SuperCap on the 282 all non DR .

However 2xHiCaps wasn't much of an improvement on 1xHiCap. A SuperCap was one of the most noticeable upgrades I have made. If you do ever decide to upgrade after the 300DR give it a try. You may be surprised.

Cool! Will think about that. 

I tried all the options when I had an Olive 82. The second Hicap was a waste of effort and made virtually no difference, whereas the supercap was very significant. All of these were Olive, but I doubt it'll be any different with the DR stuff. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

It's beyond me why people buy these mullet systems, but having experienced the difference between a 250.2.and a 300, though I've never heard a 300DR, I think going for the bigger amplifier is a very good idea. I'd also think about a 555PS to get the best out of the 272. But ultimately the 272 will hold things back. 

+2

+1 for the Supercap vs HCDR on the 282. I'm definitely going to get one when funds allow. I've tried it and thought it was quite an eye opener. However my SC is now doing service on a SNAXO. My SC is Non DR by the way and still felt it was a significant step up on the 282 vs the HCDR.

Hungryhalibut posted:

I tried all the options when I had an Olive 82. The second Hicap was a waste of effort and made virtually no difference, whereas the supercap was very significant. All of these were Olive, but I doubt it'll be any different with the DR stuff. 

My view too - including Black and DR