Many upgrade questions appear on this forum and have common themes (source vs amp etc) but few seem to deal with long term strategy. Perhaps many people have little idea of their likely hifi budgets in the future. Mine is entirely predictable at least in the short term as I do extra work at weekends to generate ca UKP2000 a year which I can then keep aside from family expenditure.
To get to the point, I currently have CDX/92/90/intro 2/NACA5/musicworks CD lead and block (guess who my dealer is!) -which sounds great- and can envisage in the long term moving to CDX/XPS/82/PS/250/SBL (thereafter the jumps become unthinkable in terms of work per unit).
The question is how to go about gradual upgrading and, in particular, avoid huge losses at trade in and living with heavily unbalanced systems for protracted periods. From experience, heavy auditioning of all the options will lead to too much of a want-everything-at-once scenario. Going in to short term debit, interest free credit and all those other tempting little evils is of course feasible but taken to its logical conclusion (buy the lot now) is rather frightening.
My inclination is to compare 82/90 to 102/180 for now but I wonder if the NAP90 will limit the NAC82 so much that I'll be unable to live with it having heard the NAP180- and I'd be stuck with the setup for at least a year- and also see a large potential loss of cash going the 102/180 way. There is always the danger that I will get too pissed off with extra work and freeze at mid point as well so a heavily unbalanced system is best avoided.
I'm sure these dilemmas are familiar to all but the richest of forum contributors and wonder how you've thought your way through and what you've ended up doing or wish you had done in retrospect!

cheers Paul

First, you can reduce the costs dramatically by buying on the used market.

Second, if you buy new, then use the dealer - listen at the stroe until you're pretty sure, and take a home demo to make the final choice.

Third, I started with a 62/140, now I'm at 82/2 X hicap/250. When I listened to something out ofmy price range and then listened to my 'lowly' setup, I was always amazed at how musically satisfying it was - it wasn't as good as a CDS/52/135 setup, but it was GOOD. The trouble comes when something is affordable - then I want to get it immediately. But even if I don't buy, I can go home and enjoy the music, even on a 62/140.

Regards.

Phil

Excellent values abound. You can get a 72 for hardly more than your 92 would bring. Sell your 90, buy a 140 for a couple hundred pounds. The best strategy for value is to let serendipity strike and buy when the bargain is good. Then all you lose is the use of your money, because you'll get back what you paid. Real improvements for minimal cash.

--Eric

Paul,

I know exactly where you are coming from, having been down the path myself. I also agree with Phil and Barry (are you two related?) with regard to the cost-effectiveness of used gear. Naim is built to last a lifetime and the service backup is second to none.

In terms of upgrading to something better, you really need to ask yourself if there is something inadequate about your current set-up. I have found that the more one spends on hi-fi, the higher one's expectations become and the slightest foible in a mega system is much more likely to irritate than the same fault in a 'lesser' system.

I have aspirations for a CDS2/52/S'cap/500/NBL system one (windfall) day, but in the cold light of day, I find myself more than satisfied with what I have. Eric makes a good point about serendipity. Happiness is liking what you have and not necessarily having what you like. But if you crave better music than your system is giving you right now, your motivation to upgrade is sensible.

James