power supplies

Nope.

External power supplies feed a clean and stable DC current to the component that receives it. However, the benefit of this is that an external power supply does not have to be squeezed into an existing component and therefore can be designed without the same constraints on size. In addition, making it external removes any interference a large power supply may have on low voltage delicate components.

In the case of Naim power amps that come with power supplies give you no option. The NAP300 and NAP500 must use external power supplies and must use the ones supplied. 

For everything else amplification related, the power supplies feed preamps or the preamp section of an integrated amplifier. So they have nothing to do with the power amp stage.

The philosophy on the importance of power supplies is really core to Naim. Essentially, any electrical device is limited by the current fed to it. Whether it is a hifi or a vacuum cleaner, they all have a power supply to feed DC current to something from the AC mains. Everything after the power supply merely changes the object's function. Therefore, if you take it as a given that regardless of what comes after, delivering the most stable power is the fundamental block on which a hifi is built on. One could argue that the power supply is the heart of the hifi. The more sensitive the components in a hifi (necessitated by be able to accurately reproduce a delicate audio signal), the more sensitive they will also be to poor power supplies.

This is why it is not uncommon for Naim users to spend more on a power supply than on the unit it powers in some cases. 

Certainly it is not the only approach. But it is Naim's and it seems to deliver the performance you expect at the cost.

The same. Just with a highly regulated stable power supply resulting in audible improvements.

In my limited experience PSUs affect primarily the output stages of pre-amps, CDPs and phono stages. The notion that adding a PSU will significantly increase the power rating of an associated amp seems farcical. There may be a bit of burden released from the power transformer by attaching a PSU, but I doubt this manifests into any realistic gain in overall power/wattage. You can't turn a 70-W amp box into a 80-W box via voodoo.

I think the OP may have thought that Hicaps connect to power amps and not realised they power preamps .

Guinnless posted:

I think the OP may have thought that Hicaps connect to power amps and not realised they power preamps .

 

or considering the impact of adding a HiCap to a Supernait

alanbass1 posted:

Guinnless posted:

I think the OP may have thought that Hicaps connect to power amps and not realised they power preamps .

 

or considering the impact of adding a HiCap to a Supernait

Maybe.  But the Hicap still powers the pre-amp side of the Supernait.

I had a Cyrus 3 amp many years back, the addition of the Cyrus power supply moved it from 50w to 65w, but that’s obviously a different design concept, in naim world no impact.