Hi-cap for CD-3.5

Although 3.5 does sound much better with a Hi-Cap, it's nowhere near as good as a CDX (maybe half). Also, the CD players don't benefit from better power supplies as much as the pre-amps. Consequently, a Hi-Cap makes a 3.5 sound only a little bit better thana Flat-Cap, but a Hi-Cap makes a pre-amp sound MUCH better than a Flat-Cap.

If you plan to upgrade your 3.5 to a CDX later, and your Nait to Naim pre/power separates, then do this:

- Buy the Hi-Cap now for the 3.5.
- Replace the Nait with a 32.5/110 or better.
- Buy the CDX, and move the Hi-Cap to the pre.

Catch you later!

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

Smilies do not a forum make.

Mike Hanson says:

"Although 3.5 does sound much better with a Hi-Cap, it's nowhere near as good as a CDX (maybe half)"

In his opinion. In my opinion the performance of a flatcap/hicap cd 3.5 and a cdx is so close that the cdx is not worth the extra cash.

You must hear and decide for yourself.

He goes on: "Also, the CD players don't benefit from better power supplies as much as the pre-amps."

In fact it is cd players that benefit most from separate power supplies because in a cd player you have many systems that use different voltages (for the laser, the focussing mechanism, the dac, the analogue circuits etc.) Pre-amps tend to use one voltage.

And more: "Consequently, a Hi-Cap makes a 3.5 sound only a little bit better thana Flat-Cap, but a Hi-Cap makes a pre-amp sound MUCH better than a Flat-Cap."

A pre-amp amplifies the source and ideally has no sound of its own, but a more revealing pre-amp will either highlight a good source or embarass a poor one. if your main source is cd then enhance that.

cheers

Nigel

Alco

I've had the CDX and the CD3.5/hicap in my home.

My only disagreement with Mike is that I don't believe the CD3.5/hicap is anywhere near half as good as a CDX. Apart from that I think Mike is entirely correct.

Ask your dealer to let you take the hicap home and also a CDX. Do the comparison for yourself and see what you think. If you do, make sure you let us all know how you get on.

Brian

a)Don't the 102/82/52 have on-board regulation, unlike the 72/32/92/62/42?

b)One reason a hicap makes a big difference over a flatcap is that the phono boards have regulators which dump noise into the power supply, which then infects the line stage. The hicap, in addition to splitting the rails, like a Flatcap, regulates each separately, isolating the line stage from the noise from the phono boards.

c)I'm not convinced a *cap is better on a CD3.5 than on a preamp, but then I only have experience of how much better my non-Naim sources sounded after Snaps2, then Hicap, were added to my preamp.

--Eri

Let's assume that a bare 3.5 is X. Adding a Flat-Cap is 1.5X. Using a Hi-Cap instead is 1.7X.

In comparison, let's assume that a pre-amp is Y. Adding a Flat-Cap is 1.5Y. Using a Hi-Cap instead is 2Y. Using a Super-Cap is 3Y.

Of course, these are rough estimates, just for the purpose of my explanation. Some might disagree with the actual value of the multipliers, but my point should be clear now.

BTW, this is based upon listening tests, and not on any theoretical explanation. I'll add that Naim seems to agree with me, since the new Flat-Cap2 provides two power supplies: The primary is designated for the pre-amp, while the secondary is for the CD player. This confirms that the pre-amp can benefit from the better power-supply more than the CD player. Catch you later!

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

Smilies do not a forum make.

Mike

You don’t need to justify your comments any further.

I feel certain that MOST people who have actually taken a power supply, plugged it into a CD3.5 then later used it on the preamp instead will agree with you. In sound terms it is better utilised on the preamp than the CD. It doesn’t matter whether this is supposed to be the case or not. It just is.

Brian