Supercap2 demo

Yes, I get silence and lack of sympathy when I whine about audio deprivation to most of my friends and co-workers too. That's why I blew them off and came home to hear my system with the SC2 in it.

Although the SC2 clearly needs more cooking (it only has about 20 hours on it), the differences between it and the HC2 are not subtle. The music is far more propulsive, tighter and more tuneful down below, more solid and fleshed out in the mids, and somehow "bigger" (but not unnaturally so).

I'm guessing that, like with the other Naim gear I've picked up of late, the system will smooth out and flow better (without losing the drive) as the SC2 starts to break in. Has that been folks experience with the HC->SC swap?

Regards,

Chris

Greetings Cens

Your SC will need up to 2 months or more to show its true colours. The sound will open up and lose the constricted quality that it has now by comparison.

The big stuff sometimes seems to take a leap in performance overnight. I'm never quite sure if it's 'me' or 'it' - but one day you'll go:-

"Wow, it didn't do that yesterday"

Enjoy the journey.

Cens,

Would concur with the couple of months for a supercap to break in. Will continue to improve long after that.
And spare a thought for those of us who are stuck in a hotel in LA not listening to our sistems!

Willy.

I agree a sc2 makes a big difference to an 82. I've had mine since December and the music is significantly better now everything is settled in. My only problem is I keep seeing these second hand 52's - one went on ebay for 1370 the other day - I wonder?

Smike

interesting comments about running in the gear, If i hadn't heard it myself I wouldn't belive it, my 202/200 started to change about 2 weeks in then another rather large improvement around 4 weeks, I just got the 282 a week ago and the 250 mk2 around 2 weeks ago so it is all still running in. the 250 sounded ok out of the box, then within 24hrs heard a improvement, the 282 sounded better than the 202 out of the box so I guess time will tell, it would be great if it all warmed up say within 24hrs, but I guess that is not the case. From what I am hearing from everybody it sounds about 2 months before it is all warmed up. about right?

Willy,

As someone who has spent a fair amount of time on the road, you indeed have my sympathy. I know I've got it bad when I start singing/humming to myself in public -- a definite no no given my voice -- after many days away just hear something approximating music.

Smike42,

My dealer has a full-price trade in policy (for a period of time, and not if you trash the unit of course). This is good in one way, but bad in the sense that I'm already thinking about trading the 282 in on a 252. Need to resist, at least for awhile, to save my wallet and get a complete sense of what I already have.

Ben R,

Not one of the many pieces of audio equipment I've had hasn't benefited noticeably from at least 100 hours of break in.

Regards,

Chris

Chris, thanks for the input, do you find that is a 100 hrs of actual playing time or just being on, I am leaving a tuner on during the day,hopefully this will accelerate run in with both the electronics and speakers, thanks, Ben r

I tend to hit repeat on my Cd player and let it run straight for at least 100 hours. It isn't a magic number though, and I agree with others that Naim stuff seems to keep improving for awhile afterwards.

Not sure about this, but my dealer swears by unplugging the gear after about 2 days and letting the caps drain fully (say 12 hours unplugged) then restarting them. Always done it just because so can't say if what if anything this does compared to not doing it.

Regards,

Chris

My experience of a supercap feeding an 82 and later a 52 was a combination of subtlety and authority.
It seems that the power supply really has a greater influence on the sound than the pre-amplifier itself.
What one is hearing, is not the pre-amp but the power supply modulated by the input signal.

This seems to be the strength of the Naim design philosophy.

Regards Robert

quote:

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Originally posted by smike42:
My only problem is I keep seeing these second hand 52's - one went on ebay for 1370 the other day - I wonder?

Smike

---

Smike

I think that was a very early 52 - one that runs from a 52 PS. "Current" 52 price starts a bit over £2k or so.

Regards

Mike

Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.

Well, in the end getting a supercap2 over the hicap2 for my 282 was not a very difficult decision (beyond pocketbook issues, of course). The 282 is a substantially better preamp with the SC2, even with break in not complete.

Regards,

Chris

I think that was a very early 52 - one that runs from a 52 PS. "Current" 52 price starts a bit over £2k or so.

Regards

Mike

Mike,

Do you know when the change occured so I can watch for that - I must admit the sellers blurb led me to believe that one was 1996 which I thought was the new type.

thanks



Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.[/QUOTE]

Smike

Hi Smike

Not sure when the change over happened - maybe the product history bit of the main forum would details this. I read the sellers blurb and I thought it had been Very Carefully Worded....

Regards

Mike

Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.

Just looked on the "Histort" section of the main website - Sipercap replaced PS in 1995.So this was almost certainly the older version.

Regards

Mike

Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.

Goldstar

quote:

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What one is hearing, is not the pre-amp but the power supply modulated by the input signal.

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I agree...which is why the mains have such an influence on the sound

Laurie S

Mike,

The one in question was 1995 manufacture - can you tell from the back view of the preamp? ie did the previous powersupply still use a Burndy? You are correct that the seller didn't mention supercap at all. There is a much older 52 on offer at the moment that does say it can be powered by a supercap - can older ones be modified?

Thanks

Smike