52/SC versus 282/HC2 (and SC2 and 252/SC2)?

Posted by: Top Cat on 06 January 2004

Just wondered if this has been covered.

I'll shortly have around £4000 to spend on a preamp inc. PSU (£2800 from other kit I've sold and £1200 from a future agreed sale of my 82) and I'm looking seriously at a 52/SC of very late vintage.

However, I've not yet really heard either the 282 or 252, and I'm wondering how the outgoing 52/SC, of final vintage, compares up against the incoming 282 and 252 models.

I know that the 282/HC is around £3500 new, and of course 282/SC2 isn't completely out of reach - but is the 52 the better preamp? I'm sure the 252/SC2 will be a fair bit better than the 52/SC but it will, after all, run to £7500 or so I reckon (so it's crossed off the list).

I guess what I'm beating around the bush trying to ask is:

Has anyone compared 52/SC to 282/SC2, and if so which did they prefer (musically)?

John

TC '..'
"Sun went down in honey. Moon came up in wine. Stars were spinnin' dizzy, Lord, the band kept us so busy we forgot about the time."
Posted on: 06 January 2004 by Dev B
John,

Just a quicky, cos I haven't done any preamp dems. I would expect a 52/Scap to be ahead of 282/SC2. I think the SCap1 to SCap2 is a small change (i.e not a H U G E as a XPS1 to XPS2 for example). I would guess the 252 to be a step ahead of the 52, but remember sauce first and all that!

regards
Posted on: 06 January 2004 by Top Cat
Thanks.

Sauce first recommendation heard & agreed - but the only place I can really go with my LP12 is to add a new Prefix K and run it off my soon-to-be-redundant HiCap.

I like the idea of 52/SC over 282/SC2 even if there wasn't that much in it, because that way I won't get the itchy feet for changing from my olive 250 to a new 250, and of course having been stung badly by the resale of my DNM* to buy any new hifi any time soon...

John

* Amps owned from new, mint and not that old; I am wincing over a 60% loss over full rrp (which luckily I didn't pay - my loss is more like 40% which is bad enough)

TC '..'
"Sun went down in honey. Moon came up in wine. Stars were spinnin' dizzy, Lord, the band kept us so busy we forgot about the time."
Posted on: 06 January 2004 by Stevo
If the new Supercap isn't changed that much, perhaps another useful comparison could be with a 252/SC1?

Stephen
Posted on: 06 January 2004 by Erik
I have heard 52/SC1 > 252/SC1 and that was a big step, actually a new dimension brought by the new pre. And than came the 552.....


/Erik
Posted on: 07 January 2004 by Top Cat
OK, now that the amps are sold, and the fact I've located an 18 month old 52/SC at the right price, I should be waxing lyrical about the new combo within a matter of weeks...

Unfortunately, my wife found out how much this 'little' upgrade was going to cost, and I'm in the doghouse - she's basically said that if I ever upgrade another bit of hifi (breakages exempt) then it'll be the d-i-v-o-r-c-e for me... ack!

So, about upgrading the wife Wink

John
John

TC '..'
"Sun went down in honey. Moon came up in wine. Stars were spinnin' dizzy, Lord, the band kept us so busy we forgot about the time."