NAC252 Next?

I don’t believe there is anything imminent and if there were Naim would keep it a very guarded secret to not impact sales.

The 252 with a Supercap DR is a great preamp, a lot closer to the 552 than it gets credit for (the DR upgrade made a big difference) 

You can always hold out for the latest tech but the 252 sounds great regardles of any future releases. 

Enjoy

Gary

The 252/SCDR will be a huge upgrade for you.  If you can source at least one of them gently used, I'd do that.  At the right purchase price, your overall value is pretty secure.

fathings cat posted:

I don’t believe there is anything imminent and if there were Naim would keep it a very guarded secret to not impact sales.

The 252 with a Supercap DR is a great preamp, a lot closer to the 552 than it gets credit for (the DR upgrade made a big difference) 

You can always hold out for the latest tech but the 252 sounds great regardles of any future releases. 

Enjoy

Gary

Very much agreed when I purchased my 252 and Supercap dr a couple of years ago as their was a lot of talk of new Pre Amps nothing yet has happened so how longg do you play the waiting game life is to short.

l’ve enjoyed mine immensely one thing with the 252 good installation on decent equipment rack is essential to get the best out of it, when it’s right it can really sing.

If it is possible, I'd suggest listening to a 282 against a 252.  They are different and some of us, including me, preferred the 282. A 282 would also allow you to utilise your HCDR and, if necessary, upgrade to an SCDR at some future point.  I used 282 with SCDR for some time and regard it very highly indeed.    

Hi Crispy -- I agree with MDS that a 282 seems like the logical next step. What's the rest of your system?

Main source is NDX, but an NDX2 is on order. My system has an AV focus as well through an Oppo 203. Next steps are pre amp, then 555PS for NDX2.  Long term (and subject to green light from my wife) will look at ND555. 

I have batted the same question around in my silly brain. Yes, the Nova system with pre-amp, amp, streamer shows that a new digital future is possible. I am sure a new preamp and/ or 272/2 will appear. But I will be 60 next year.......better to enjoy now...so on Thursday as posted elsewhere I will probably be joining you with a 252.

I’ve been very happy with my 252 (bought used and then serviced at Naim) and SCDR (again bought used).

Personally I thought it was a significant musical upgrade on my previous 282/HCDR, but the forum has strong voices on each side of that debate. (It also reconciles three different-sized boxes (282/HC/Napsc) into two same-sized boxes, which may or may not be important to you...)

Not wanting to start a civil war (as am fairly new to the forum and hope to get more advice in the future) but what do the respective factions feel are the strengths and weaknesses of the 252 and the 282? 

Crispy posted:

Not wanting to start a civil war (as am fairly new to the forum and hope to get more advice in the future) but what do the respective factions feel are the strengths and weaknesses of the 252 and the 282? 

Opinions are a bit divided but, unlike some topics in the Padded Cell, no-one seems to fall out over the 282 v 252 debate, thank goodness. So to expand on my earlier comment.  Having compared both at home, twice, each for about two weeks, I found that the 252 offers more detail retrieval and refinement and is more laid back in its presentation than the 282.  The 282 is more exuberant in its presentation.  I liked much of what the 252 did but on rock music for me it lacked the excitement that I love about the 282.  That lack of excitement was a fatal flaw for me which is why I stuck with the 282/SCDR combination until I tried a 552DR.  Of course some others hear things differently and I'm fine with that. It would be really boring if we all liked the same thing.  

I posted a long (possibly too long a) post on 282 vs 252 when I made the switch. If you can be bothered to search the forum, I think the title was : '282 vs 252, Which Is Best, Only One Way to Find Out - Fight'. Yes not the snappiest of titles but my conclusion was the 282 was boisterous and fun but could get over-excited and the 252 was more mature and refined but not, I repeat not, boring. I have lived with a 252 ever since.

I do think it is a good idea to hear the two pre amps side by side, at home if possible, but if you have bought a NDX2 and might go for a ND555 in the future, my belief is that the 252 is the more capable and transparent pre that would be a better match for the new streamers.

Enjoy the journey.

Thanks for the feedback. Will certainly search for your previous post. The challenge is normally finding something that works with my eclectic taste. Also love to rock out, there is something about the energy of loud guitars and drums. That said, am just as happy chilling with jazz or getting lost in the scale of a full orchestra. Sometimes it is fun to do boisterous, but also not to be tired out at the end of the session. Similar to what I look for in a car. Has to be able to make you grin, but then waft you home after you have eaten too much curry. 

Crispy, I found myself in a similar situation a couple of years ago when I decided to upgrade my Olive System my sources t the time were a CDI and a NDX it was the addition of the NDX that made me look at a upgrade.

I read up on the forum and you had the divided camp between the 282 and 252 speakers at the time that were highly recommended were PMC 20 23.

After several discussion with my local dealer in Bath who I had never used before but as it turned out are rather good, a demo was arranged starting with a NDX,282,Supercap dr and a 250 dr speaker were PMC 20 23.

I settled into the system the dealer then added a XPS dr to the NDX and the improvements were very noticeable however the PMC speakers were not to my liking at all these were changed for a pair of Spendor D7s and I was very pleasantly surprised at how good they sounded.

Later the 282 was changed for a 252 and I much preferred  the presentation of the 252 it had much better control and refinement this was something I was not expecting after hearing so many negative comments regarding the 252.

The NDX and XPs dr have done sterling service in my system and are a wonderful combination in my opinion however I did have an NDX2 on order with the view to upgrade to a ND555 at a later date.

The dealer suggested I try a 555PS on my NDX as a first step which did give a uplift in performance but he then he slipped a ND555 on the rack for a three day home demo.

Within an couple of hours it was fairly obvious that the cheque book would be required very shortly the ND555 is a rather special black box the system sounded awesome with the ND555 playing mine should be installed later this month..

Like a lot of stuff in life it all down to personal preferences just enjoy you journey up the Naim ladder it's a long ladder I started in 1983 and yet to reach the top.

nigelb posted:

I posted a long (possibly too long a) post on 282 vs 252 when I made the switch. If you can be bothered to search the forum, I think the title was : '282 vs 252, Which Is Best, Only One Way to Find Out - Fight'. Yes not the snappiest of titles but my conclusion was the 282 was boisterous and fun but could get over-excited and the 252 was more mature and refined but not, I repeat not, boring. I have lived with a 252 ever since.

I do think it is a good idea to hear the two pre amps side by side, at home if possible, but if you have bought a NDX2 and might go for a ND555 in the future, my belief is that the 252 is the more capable and transparent pre that would be a better match for the new streamers.

Enjoy the journey.

Nigelb, having had a ND555 on demo in my system I must agree with your thoughts when I bought 252 a couple years ago I was looking at the longer game.

The ND555 into a 252 is an absolutlty stunning combination exceeding anything I was expecting I never thought I would hear music conveyed in such a way as I did with the ND555 and 252 in my lounge a couple of weeks ago.

Normal service should resume at the end of September when the beast arrives?

I never made a valid comparison. As for an invalid comparison, I did at one point bring home a 282 and 250DR to compare to my SN2. (Used the HiCapDR on both, as well as the NDS).  My reaction was 'meh, I dont hear all that much different.'  It was a relatively short test, but it didn't floor me at the time so I stuck with SN2.  Fast forward to the past 2 weeks where I moved to 252/SuperCapDR/250DR, and it's a total 'wow fest.'  And I know it's not merely my new ND555, as I listened to that on the old SN2 before it left the barn.

There seem to be a few who are going for a ND555 into a 252, rather than going for a 552 first. Interesting.

Are we suggesting that a NDS to ND555 is a bigger leap than a 252 to a 552. I know I am over simplifying things but I'll stick this one out there and see what the reaction is.

I can do you a NDX2 to ND555 with 252, versus 552.....I am also wondering if a 552 is my better long term bet. Will tell you on Thursday how I found the comparison after my demo and decision.

Crispy posted:

Currently have SN1/HiCap DR/250DR and am looking to upgrade the pre amp stage as the weak link in the chain.

I had some misgivings about buying a preamp given no change since for many years. I bought a used 202 and thought I'd keep it and that a new model might well follow the several other recent updates. Then thought **** it and bought a used 252 (cos the 202 wasn't up to the level of the other pieces).  I read how the continuation of the same NAC's still stands up since there've since their intro  been no real applicable technological "breakthroughs".

I read much of the 252/282 debate I ended up thinking that even if the 252 is a bit more laid back, my other units reflect Naim's PRaT philosophy and the aggregate of them all is still going to have the hallmark "engaging" sound.

MDS posted:

Crispy posted:

Not wanting to start a civil war (as am fairly new to the forum and hope to get more advice in the future) but what do the respective factions feel are the strengths and weaknesses of the 252 and the 282? 

Opinions are a bit divided but, unlike some topics in the Padded Cell, no-one seems to fall out over the 282 v 252 debate, thank goodness. So to expand on my earlier comment.  Having compared both at home, twice, each for about two weeks, I found that the 252 offers more detail retrieval and refinement and is more laid back in its presentation than the 282.  The 282 is more exuberant in its presentation.  I liked much of what the 252 did but on rock music for me it lacked the excitement that I love about the 282.  That lack of excitement was a fatal flaw for me which is why I stuck with the 282/SCDR combination until I tried a 552DR.  Of course some others hear things differently and I'm fine with that. It would be really boring if we all liked the same thing.  

With the caveat that you need to listen  yourself I have done the journey from 282+HC to 282+2*HC to 282+SCDR to 252. The two upgrades to the 282 set up were definitely more (and an improvement) of the same (PRAT, detail, etc., etc.). The move to a 252 was something different entirely. People bandy around terms such as boisterous (282), mature (252), refined (252), detail (252) etc. - and I can appreciate what they are trying to describe. I'd just use one term - better. Now I'm going to use a subjective description myself - the 252 is less about impressive hi-fi and more about music than the 282. Have a listen to some live recordings where the 252 really makes you feel you are there. The 282 never did that for me.

Gazza posted:

I can do you a NDX2 to ND555 with 252, versus 552.....I am also wondering if a 552 is my better long term bet. Will tell you on Thursday how I found the comparison after my demo and decision.

Look forward to your feedback Gazza.

nigelb posted:

There seem to be a few who are going for a ND555 into a 252, rather than going for a 552 first. Interesting.

Are we suggesting that a NDS to ND555 is a bigger leap than a 252 to a 552. I know I am over simplifying things but I'll stick this one out there and see what the reaction is.

I dunno!  I got into the ND555 and 252 club in a sideways way. But the results count. My music is doing IT for me like never before. 

Blimey love this thread...

Crispy

I currently use 282 in my system - NDX (2014) HCDR, 300DR, the 282 is detailed, focused has a lovely warmth , the other source I use (a lot ) is my LP12

owned both 202 & 252,

252 & SC either SC or DR is a super pre but it will bring out the best and moreover the worst in your source! when I owned my 252 I thought it would be the answer but did not work at all with my 200 but not an issue for you

so I would have an open mind on going either 282 or 252 - as mentioned if you go 282 you can use your HCDR

heard the NDX2 & ND 555 last week, but as I use my LP12 as main source I am not looking to move straight into NDX2 (Yet) my thoughts are on the main ND 555 thread

enjoy the search and the journey - 282 or 252 will add more music neither is wrong

I think we will see a new range of pre amps launched next year, so I would wait 12 months.

Why well Naim have to launch something new next year what else could it be?

There must be some trickle down benefits form the statement project that can be applied to new pre amp range, plus the 272 must be replaced soon as this does not use the new streaming structure.

We’ve been waiting years for this.

naim don’t introduce new models unless there’s something significant to improve upon.

i would like to guess it’s the 272 second generation and 172 that would come next.

maybe new active crossovers ?

personally on my wish list is the return of the Nsub

please Naim. Surely it’s not that difficult to bring back the nsub ?