What to upgrade next

If the 272 inputs don’t affect the A&K and the volume button doesn’t work, you cannot be sending signals to its analogue input. You just can’t. 

Everyone is saying to get a nas and you can choose to follow that or to ignore it. It’s also perfectly possible to do some of your own research on the internet rather than expecting to be spoon fed. 

I said in my post that I'm amazed you ask the question about NAS,  why amazed.   The 272 is a UPnP enabled network player & assuming you bought it from a dealer I wonder what the dealer thought he was doing selling you the 272 without first going through its purpose in life.   

How are you filling up the A&K with music?

I will be getting a nas drive soon. 

I'm currently using a external HDD loaded with hi res files and its superb plugged in to the USB socket. 

With regard to the nas drive I can connect to the router but I cannot connect from nas to 272 as its upstairs so will have to be wireless. 

For the moment the external hard drive is amazing. 

Rich,

You evidently replaced your excellent 122X with the 272.  What did you have in mind for this to accomplish?  One supposes anybody with a 272 wants to use its key features — local streaming of lossless music files from a server of some kind, usually a NAS, or Naim server box; remote control via tablet or phone; Spotify and Tidal; the on-board DAC for digital sources (used only if it betters the DAC built into the source component).

If the A&K will be your main source, I wiuld hace stayed with the 122x, or moved to a 202, 282, or SN2.

Please explain how you got here and where you are headed.

Nick

I will be getting a NAS drive for my birthday next month.

My Astell and Kern AK380 is filled with Hi Res music files.

The reason I bought the NAC272 was that i wanted a better preamp first.

The dealer had me stream Bluetooth from my AK380 and it was superb. I have Hi Res files on the AK380 plus a few wav cd converted files.

The idea of internet radio too was a plus.

I am currently streaming using a western digital external harddrive and it works a treat - the sound is better that the cd5i.

As I have over 3000 cd's a CDX2 will also be on the hitlist.

I just wanted the streaming compatibility hence my purchase. It helps the pre amp stage is better than my 122x.

i Got options - NAS, External HDD, AK380, CD Player upgrade, Internet radio.

If you elect to go with both CD and streaming, you will always be splitting your upgrade budgets between the two and hence will always be compromising on optimising SQ.

If it were me, I would pick one source to prioritise and if it were me I would bite the dust, rip all my CDs and choose UPnP streaming with a NAS. You now own a wonderful streamer/pre in the 272 which, with a NAS and Ethernet connections, will always outperform Bluetooth. So, if it were me, I would buy myself a NAS and ask your nearest and dearest (assuming you have one of those) for a 250DR for your birthday. Part exchanging your CD5i and 150x will ease the financial pain, so will going for an ex dem 250DR should there be one available. You should find a way of running an Ethernet cable upstairs because this will always sound better and be far more stable than a wireless connection.