What do you suggest I should upgrade.

Spud,

You really need to try the 282 up against the 252 to decide.  I think the 252 is definitely a more organic sound than the 282 even though I use the latter.  But whatever you do DR the SC will I’m sure help with that more visceral feel you are after as will DR on the 250.  

Good luck.  

Lindsay

I don’t think you’ll get what you’re looking for from the 252, no harm in having a listen though. For a real difference, swapping the 250 for a 300 would be my suggestion and should not be too dissimilar in cost.

Having a somewhat similar system to you ...I would suggest that if you MUST spend some money ...and you have a great system already...then keep the 282 and cap ...but DR the 250 to lower the noise floor and get a nice improvement in sound

My view is in a Naim system, the heart is the NAC.. that sets the tone and feel for the total system. I found the 252 DR (ie SuperCapDR) a massive improvement for my tastes to my  282 HiCapDR and SuperCapDR.  The 282 slightly enhances the excitement of sound which can help with lesser ancillaries, but I found the 252 was a lot more insightful and detailed and got the best out of all sources no matter their pedigree .. it really provided hair tingling moments.. once it was setup correctly... the 252 seems more fussy than the 282 on cable dressing and support... 

But do listen, as not everyone prefers the 252 in their system.. it is very much about synergy... I would focus on your NAPs last assuming the speaker / room matching is currently fine..The NAC can get the best out of a NAP (not withstanding the above) but not the other way around.

I tried my best to not spend as much money as I have done recently, and the NAC was my target. No Naim NAC....a Chord Dave, just direct into NAP 300, this did not work for me, lacked musical involvement. Decided on a 252......really hoped the 282 presentation would give me the boogie, it did not. I endorse what S..i..S has mentioned, get the best NAC you can afford in the system you have, but don,t forget source first.

Japtimscarlet posted:

Having a somewhat similar system to you ...I would suggest that if you MUST spend some money ...and you have a great system already...then keep the 282 and cap ...but DR the 250 to lower the noise floor and get a nice improvement in sound

I too had a similar system and agree that to DR the 250 is the most cost effective upgrade to give the improvements you want. The 282 with a SC is a great combination which I'd keep as it is.

I would three options in order of impact to SQ and cost effectiveness:

1. DR  250

2. DR supercap

3. 282 to 252 dr but get a good home demo for this one

Thanks alot guys for your replies. Lots of food for thought. I’d obviously be very curious to compare the 282 and he 252, but considering  I’m really happy with the sound at the moment and only really missing a bit of the low end visceral thump I’d probably be tempted to evaluate the DR upgrades to the 250 and SC. The Nac can probably wait a while. 

Only consideration relating to cost effectiveness would be  the fact that I’d be sending them back for just the DR a bit too early for a recap I would have thought.

Davej, interesting suggestion about the 300. Do you think it would be worth going to a non-DR 300? 

At NDS/555DR level, you should be all DR by now. SC and 250. The real question here is 252 or 300 first. I believe 252, then 300, the natural and most organic association with the 252, also for the better control of the D30Rs.

Chag -   

Chag... posted:

At NDS/555DR level, you should be all DR by now. SC and 250. The real question here is 252 or 300 first. I believe 252, then 300, the natural and most organic association with the 252, also for the better control of the D30Rs. 

I agree... the 252 also has wider or more apparent frequency extremes.. so bass starts to shift the air with the 252, 

Spudgun posted:

Thanks alot guys for your replies. Lots of food for thought. I’d obviously be very curious to compare the 282 and he 252, but considering  I’m really happy with the sound at the moment and only really missing a bit of the low end visceral thump I’d probably be tempted to evaluate the DR upgrades to the 250 and SC. The Nac can probably wait a while. 

Only consideration relating to cost effectiveness would be  the fact that I’d be sending them back for just the DR a bit too early for a recap I would have thought.

Davej, interesting suggestion about the 300. Do you think it would be worth going to a non-DR 300? 

 

Yes I do. I was delighted with the 300 that replaced my 250.2, DR’ing it made it much better, of course, but in its original guise, the 300 added slam scale and eloquence. If you were using a HC rather than a SC I’d have suggested making that upgrade first but given what you’re looking for, I don’t think you’d be disappointed.

You could then DR things when it’s time for them to be serviced rather than, potentially prematurely.

Can’t see how a 252 can “shift the air” any more than a 282 whereas a power amp upgrade definitely will. 

I went from 282 to 252 to 552. The 252 lasted the least amount of time before the upgrade but    I kept the 282 with the SC for use in a second system.

There are plenty of posts on the differences between the 282 and 252 so no point in repeating the discussion on relative strengths and weaknesses apart from suggesting that the op listens for himself.

Chag... posted:

At NDS/555DR level, you should be all DR by now. SC and 250. The real question here is 252 or 300 first. I believe 252, then 300, the natural and most organic association with the 252, also for the better control of the D30Rs.

Chag -   

Very much agreed during a demo to compare a 282/Supercap dr against a 252 I preferred the 252 I found the bass in particular to be much better controlled the power amp used was a 250dr.

I eventually purchased the 252/Supercap dr plus 250 dr a lovely combination but changing the 250 dr for a 300 dr was a massive uplift the grip control is quite staggering a superb set up.

Just take your time and enjoy your journey remember its all down to personal choice.

Spudgun - I felt a DR upgrade on a SC was more apparent when coupled to a 252 than a 282, though I still did the upgrade it when I had a 282/SC.  If you are looking for more 'visceral bass that you can feel in your chest', I would be wary of swopping your 282 for a 252.  The loss of that characteristic was a major reason why I twice rejected a 252 in favour of retaining my 282, both after long home demos.  I felt that while the 252 was more detailed and sophisticated, the 282 had more oomph and impact in the bass department which I just found more exciting.  So in your situation I'd explore the 300 which I found was head & shoulders above both the 250.2 and the 250DR.   

If all you are missing is the visceral thump of bass, why not look at a sub?

.sjb

DR the Supercap. Better pre-amp PSUs usually result in more bass.

personally for me the fight would be between adding in the 252 or going from 250.2 to a 300 (and then DR)

i have 282/HCDR/300Dr, so my next planed move is to SC, but the difference the 300 added (then non DR) to my system was more of a long jump than a stride

as with [@mention:1566878604010590] i really like the 282 in my system

Thanks again guys, I’m more than happy with the presentation of the 282 at the moment. The time may come (when kids have finished Uni) that I may consider an upgrade to the Nac in which case I may skip the 252 and look at a 552, but that will have wait a few years.

Sjb, I had considered adding a sub but that brings in a whole load of tweeking with correct placement and crossover adjustments. If the 300 is an improvement it won’t just bring benefits to the low end but it will enhance the whole musical spectrum I would have thought. So as an upgrade would make more sense I think.

If I had that system I’d be getting a 300DR. It will really grip the speakers and make things sound both larger and more unforced. It’s a wonderful amplifier. The 282/Supercap is quite good enough for it. 

sensible

I remember a post from Richard Dane who said that a 552 with a 150 will always be much better than a 122 with a 500.

That is undoubtedly true, but in this case the OP would probably benefit more from increased power, which should give the attack being sought. It’s a case of horses for courses. 

If I were the OP I might end up just enjoying the music.  

What's it standing on?

C.

I am aware this is a thread seeking for an upgrade but if you are (generally) rather satisfied with the system, I'd hesitate to make a large change as the sonic character of the system may deviate from your ideals. You can also do nothing as suggested by Lindsay (The Strat Fender). Having said that, if you truly want to change something, personally I'd look at the DR upgrades and the 300 (although I don't have experience with comparing the Dr and non-DR, 250 and 300). I'd echo the sentiments of few here on the 282. It's a lovely piece when combined with the Hicap DR or Supercap DR. Being an owner of the 282 myself, I personally feel it's good enough that one can make it the core of a final system. Of course, there's the 252 and also the 552 but the 282 is, well, rather good as you have found out. 

Apart from the gear, you may also look at the finer details of the system such as equipment rack and cables. Or speaker placement and room furnishing which will also contribute to the sound quality of the system. Good luck.