Streamer equivalent to 272

Posted by: xcentric on 25 May 2018

Am considering getting a preamp and streamer, and wondering what the rough equivalent to the streamer quality in the 272 is in the current Naim range.  I know it's being updated, so I'll try to pick up something older and preloved until the new ones come out - but how far down the range do I go, if the 272 is roughly what I want to listen to?

(alternatively, do I get a 272 until the autumn and use it with the preamp and then chop it in then if I think it needs it? - pre is possibly going to be a 252 I've found at a good price - was going to be a 282).

Posted on: 25 May 2018 by Alley Cat

Having sat on the fence for many years with streamers I eventually got a Uniti Atom, then a Nova.

To be honest in hindsight I think I should have gone for the 272 as I already had older Naim pre-power items.

As crazy as it sounds I find the naming of the current/forthcoming standalone streamers completely unhelpful in remembering the hierarchy of quality!

Ultimately what do you have already, and what's you planned upgrade path - the 272 sounds a fine device  from the majority of user posts I've seen here, but if you know you'll be going for a better pre, in future perhaps do that first with a standalone streamer.

I'm sure you are not even looking at the Uniti Atom/Nova etc, but I thoink fair to point out their limited options for upgrading.

Posted on: 25 May 2018 by xcentric

am currently trialling an Atom but it's going back..... it git me back into music but went tuneless.....

any views on what s/h streamer is ok - NDX will be, but will a ND5 be ok for a while? into either a 282 or 252 and 205dr or 300 dr.....

will probably get the ndx 2 when it's out - is the stopgap I'm interested in....

 

Posted on: 25 May 2018 by Eoink
Alley Cat posted:

 

As crazy as it sounds I find the naming of the current/forthcoming standalone streamers completely unhelpful in remembering the hierarchy of quality!

 

 

That’s not exactly unusual with Naim, 202, 282, 252, 552 for example.

This generation of power amps are probably ranked numerically, but 140, 160, 180, 250, 135 wouldn't have helped the uninitiated  either.

Posted on: 25 May 2018 by Eoink
xcentric posted:

am currently trialling an Atom but it's going back..... it git me back into music but went tuneless.....

any views on what s/h streamer is ok - NDX will be, but will a ND5 be ok for a while? into either a 282 or 252 and 205dr or 300 dr.....

will probably get the ndx 2 when it's out - is the stopgap I'm interested in....

 

I use an NDX, definitely very good, the ND5 seemed pretty serious the few times I heard it. Naim kit does seem to take time to settle after power up, a second hand one will minimise that, so as an interim I’d be surprised if the ND5 didn’t work for you. To give you my personal experience, I have a Nova into PMC 25.23s, and NDX into 82/Supercap/135s into B&W 804S. The Nova is very musical and lovely, but the bigger system is significantly better, so I’d expect an NDX2 into similar or better blackboxes to be a big step up from the Atom. Enjoy your music.

Posted on: 25 May 2018 by Alley Cat
xcentric posted:

am currently trialling an Atom but it's going back..... it git me back into music but went tuneless.....

 

How so? Wasn't after 2.6 firmware update was it?