About SNAICs – serious opinions welcome on a silly thought

It could also be two SNAICs soldered by the same woman in a row......

Now if you knew that you had one made by a man and one made by a woman, ahould you prefer one or the other to carry the signal? Or doesn't it matter now they are shaken in manufacture rather than massaged as in Richard's youth? If it does matter, perhaps they should come with pink or blue bands at one end.....

best

David

They must be made simultaneously by someone who is ambidextrous, otherwise the phasing (lunar) will be out. Gender is, thus, rendered immaterial (if, indeed, it were ever an issue).

Presumably the plugs should be soldered by a male operative, and sockets by a female (or is it better the other way round?

David Hendon posted:

perhaps they should come with pink or blue bands at one end.....

best

David

That's a good idea, I'll talk to Steven Hopkins.

Best

Max

Max - I think your fever must be very high now But in a way you're right - consistency is everything. I'm sure Naim has worked hard at ensuring that a yesterday's snaic is as good as tomorrow's.

Just one point: 252 and SuperCap uses a burndy and a snaic.

Adam Zielinski posted:

Just one point: 252 and SuperCap uses a burndy and a snaic.

Right. I'll go to sleep and come back in one year or so.

Thanks,

bye..

Did you guys OD on the Mead at the winter solstice

Besides the lunar inconsistency - how does it sound? Still a non-DR believer (I don't know why, but you are categorized as such in my mind)?

Merry Hibernating

Ardbeg

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Did you guys OD on the Mead at the winter solstice

Now Lindsay

You have to let your mind run free from time to time....,

Added to which, I have a special fondness for the absurd which might not have yet developed when we first knew each other.

best for Christmas and the NY btw. Maybe we should try to contrive an actual meet in 2017?

David

And I hope you are better in time for Christmas Day Max.

best wishes and thanks for bringing a smile to my lips on a cold, wet, day here in England!

David

Since my dealer has always done my connections and I only have a Hicap PS I have no idea what you are talking about

It has always confused me reading posts that talk about snaic, burndy, ic etc - it is only recently I realised they were different things ... I think ... confused!

Allan

Ardbeg10y posted:

Besides the lunar inconsistency - how does it sound? Still a non-DR believer (I don't know why, but you are categorized as such in my mind)?

Merry Hibernating

Ardbeg

Ardbeg,

I assume this was addressed to me, there has been some cross-posting.. Is it? I'll reply gladly.

M

Allan Milne posted:

 

Since my dealer has always done my connections and I only have a Hicap PS I have no idea what you are talking about

It has always confused me reading posts that talk about snaic, burndy, ic etc - it is only recently I realised they were different things ... I think ... confused!

Allan

 

They are different warms, cleverly disguised as cables, Allan

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Did you guys OD on the Mead at the winter solstice

Yes

Adam,

aahh ... now I understand ... those HiFi worms again

These cables must be when the worms metamorphose into their adult stage ... and then presumably they evolve into a higher plane where they become SL.

Allan

They're not worms,  de'z snaics.

Ardbeg10y posted:

non-DR believer

I prefer the alliteration of DR-denier. But I'm not a writer :-)

C.

Massimo Bertola posted:

Ardbeg10y posted:

Besides the lunar inconsistency - how does it sound? Still a non-DR believer (I don't know why, but you are categorized as such in my mind)?

Merry Hibernating

Ardbeg

Ardbeg,

I assume this was addressed to me, there has been some cross-posting.. Is it? I'll reply gladly.

M

Indeed, it was addressed to you. Ardbeg.

Hi Ardbeg,

when the DR came out, I was enthusiast about it because I saw, in it, Naim's way to answer an 'accusation', frequent on another forum, of still using an obsolete design for their PSUs, of sticking to the very basic LM317 regulators, not 'up to the task' anymore. Plus, it also was Naim's commercial answer to some makers of 3rd party PSU designed to work with Naim and intended to be 'hugely better' than the original..

Since then, I have had only DR PSUs: first I DR-ed an old XPS for my CDX2 then for my CDS3; then it was a HCDR, then a NAP200DR that powered my 202, then a second HCDR. I had completely forgotten how 'classic' Naim PSUs sound, until a few days ago when I have borrowed my brother-in-law's HC2 to power my 282 while the newly bought Supercap (old, non-DR) was being re-capped.

Now I'm not sure anymore; both the HC2 and, now, my re-capped Supercap (a late olive one to which a previous owner has had the new fascia fitted) have brought a little more 'force', a bit of 'flesh' to the reproduction that the DR seems to 'clean up' in favour of greater transparency, of a more direct light on things, without losing PR&T or dynamics. Having a pair of N-Sats, this extra 'bump' is welcome; and I am amazed at how two speakers can gradually change with the gear before them: when I took them home I had 202/200DR, and they were lovely but lean, airy, almost disembodied, with a nasal quality in the upper region; now, with 282/SC/250.2 they are full, assertive, and have no problem filling with music a space of circa 45 m2 (our living room communicates with the kitchen by two openings). The main point is, that I have had a stronger impression of this when placing the HC2 into the system than when I inserted the 250.2.. And of course the Supercap has done the rest, bringing fullness, coherence, finesse and force, richness and some more 'naturalness'. (I am talking of the usual shades which, for us, constitute a good reason to toss money).

I am not therefore saying that I am a 'DR-denier', as Christopher puts it, but I am a non-DR believer, as you put it – they are two different points of view. For me, the old LM317 still answers a sonic question that has evidently been capital for Naim for years. Forgive the long reply.

Best

Max

Its worth noting that although the LM317 is mentioned, Naim have their own sub spec, and a fair percentage of these regulators, although meet the manufacturers spec, fail Naim's, so Naim onward sell on. Naim does this a lot with many key Naim components... the reason I mention this because care needs to be made when comparing LM317 applications. Some might be old, but Naim keep their designs current. 

Now the Naim discrete regulator variant of the LM317 integrated circuit regulator came along. It offered different characteristics in terms of lower noise and a faster transient response... this would almost make connected dynamic audio circuits sound different and indeed it did..  however there is no right or wrong, or automatic better or worse, but different. The only consideration is that I believe many of the power supplies can only be offered when new in DR as opposed to IC regulator mode, however the older non DR can be fully serviced and maintained. I recently saw a selection of the Naim specification LM317 IC regulators waiting to be used when recently at the factory.

Now I personally think the DR regulators sound best on the preamps. The sources to me vary, and other than the NDS I generally prefer the Naim variant LM317 integrated circuit regulator.

Simon,

thanks for this rich and interesting integration to my basic facts; I have no remotely comparable knowledge of Naim's inner technical strategies. All you wrote seems to confirm that when I prefer an 'LM317' based power supply, I simply exercise a personal preference without denying a technological step onward. If only my sonic taste was as consistent and reliable as Naim's long term design...

Max

Thanks guys, this gives me a bit more understanding and helps me to identify strenghts / weaknesses when I e.g. audition powersupplies, preamps poweramps etc ...

It is indeed remarkable how small speakers can fully convince any difficult music when driven by good amplification - the root of Naim.

Mike-B posted:

They're not worms,  de'z snaics.

Food for one village and shoes and purse for a lady and daughter.