Upgrades

Harry i only ment to consider others views as a guide as to what to consider, not a recommendation to buy, many have for example told me i need to buy some sbls, however i put them below my arrivas and carnt understand the hype, everybody's hears things differently yes but also i dont want to waste a dealers time trying things out only to buy them pre owned

Can you go back to the old speakers and 5-series ? or s it sold on ?

Ovators are love or hate so don't waste more dosh if they are culprit

lucky reselling used Naim kit, usually bring similar value back

Oh and yes iv used 2dealers,1 with good results and  1 with less so, i would say im not totally green having owned naim equipment for over ten years so some basic advice go's without saying, with respect

The old kit has been sold on but i did a comparison between them before and am happy with the s400s, the system does sound good im just fussy and perhaps am expecting to much, on the whole it is better than my 5 series theres just some aspects i would have liked to bring to the new one, will see how it goes when the hicap runs in before doing anything else, all advice is much appreciated

They do that. And they can buzz. Mine buzzed.

Re. your later reply. I genuinely don't think a dealer will consider helping you a waste of time. I might be wrong about that but I wouldn't assume it in the first instance. What's to lose?

Hank, Chris gives good advice. Naim can take an age to "bed in" and good set up is critical. I can't emphasise this enough. Please read through various threads around these parts as there are some real gems for correct set up.

When all this has been followed then "review" your system. Not yet, and not for a while. Have faith, Naim know how to make music "sing"!

Until you identify what these are, much as we might like to, I'm not sure anyone can really help.

Chris

The new HicapDR could be the culprit. Give it time to fully burn in. You are experiencing the problem of changing too much in the system at once. Let things find their balance and then reconsider.

Many thanks for the advice will wait and see what happens, will post again in a while to report how its going

Your newly acquired gear might be more sensitive to setup than what you had before. Once you've got it serviced, setting it up on a better rack might help. The usual suspects - Fraim Lite, Hutter, Quadraspire, Isoblue, often come up second hand. 

Although your power amp is the obvious weak link, I wouldn't consider changing it until you're sure everything else is optimised.

+1 to the recommendations to give it a while before you do anything.  Leave everything on 24/7 and let things settle a few weeks.  You have a great system, just give it a chance.

As a starter for ten, my 282 likes the top shelf (no power transformers over it).  If it's lower down in the rack with other components (transformers above and below), you may be cramping its style a little?

Give it all time to settle, then fettle!!  Good luck 

Hi Hank

Steve offers good advice to let the Hicap DR settle in for 2-3 weeks first.  This is how long it normally takes for the power supply electrolytic capacitors to "bed in".

A second thought, borne from personal experience, is that Naim power supplies & power amplifiers do NOT always last 10-15 years before needing a service.  My NAP135s had been serviced in 2007 at the factory with modern, Naim specified components.  Because of the peculiarity of our electrical mains supply where I live, they really did need a service barely 6-7 years later.  My CDS3 CD player also benefitted substantially from a service after only 8 years.  So if you have any mains powered boxes (the XPS?) that have been running for over 8 years since the last service, then put them in for a service too.  My own experience would also indicate that increased levels of transformer hum can be (but is not always) an early sign of  a requirement for a service.

So, service the XPS, leave the HicapDR for 2 weeks or so to bed in, then listen to your system again.  A NAP250 will certainly drive Ovator S400 speakers, if you need to go that far.

Hope this helps, FT

The service advice makes sense, would it be the best option to go back to naim or would one of their approved centers be ok as theres one in Sheffield, or are there no approved service centres lol

In the UK, you either send stuff back to Naim themselves (via a dealer) for service, or you use the one and only Naim authorised service centre, which is Class A in Sheffield. Class A are probably cheaper, but either way, you will get top quality service.

Thats great im only an hr away from Sheffield, thanks for that

Hank,

           I see you are only an hour from Sheffield.

There are 2 good Naim dealers in Sheffield. Why not contact them and ask for a home demo when they get a s/h 250 in. I'm sure they would be helpfull. 

p.s. Class A is based at one of them.

Great thanks for that i didnt know there was a naim dealer there, iv been going to Chester

Naim website.

Front page.

Find a dealer.

Plenty to chose from.

Hi update, iv taken the 282 in for a service, very pleased, i think the best way to describe my system before was like waiting for your ears to pop, its not quite there but as the xps is an 02 one i think thats next to be serviced, once done what can i expect from the inevitable upgrade to a nap 250

Nice Triumph 'chop' Hank. 

Thanks, not finished yet, 1942 i inherited it, second owner

I really have to echo Harry's sentiments here. This is something that really needs some legwork and audition time to get to the bottom of. I trip out of country to a dealer with more bits for a few days might be more cost effective than a punt (no matter how well informed) that turns out to fall short of your expectation.

While a 250dr on the end of 282 seems like an obvious choice (to me included), there may be other things going on here regarding the speakers, age of units, run in time so far etc.

I do find it is significantly easier to achieve synergy and a real groove factor from lesser components building a lower cost system that really satisfying and fun sounding. The higher up you go, the more picky things get by virtue of the fact they are all simply more revealing. We talk about diminishing returns as more money is spent on hifi but there is a reverse curve (I believe) that would show how things get exponentially harder to match and tune with every pound spent.  Which is interesting because dealers carry a broad range of lower cost hi-fi but the further up the chain where you really need to make very careful decisions, the choices available at each dealer get more and more limited.

On the other hand, I don't really feel you can go wrong with a 282/250 but, again, there are a minority that really dislike this combo and it would be a shame to find out after buying one that you were one of them.

feeling_zen posted:

I really have to echo Harry's sentiments here. This is something that really needs some legwork and audition time to get to the bottom of. I trip out of country to a dealer with more bits for a few days might be more cost effective than a punt (no matter how well informed) that turns out to fall short of your expectation.

While a 250dr on the end of 282 seems like an obvious choice (to me included), there may be other things going on here regarding the speakers, age of units, run in time so far etc.

I do find it is significantly easier to achieve synergy and a real groove factor from lesser components building a lower cost system that really satisfying and fun sounding. The higher up you go, the more picky things get by virtue of the fact they are all simply more revealing. We talk about diminishing returns as more money is spent on hifi but there is a reverse curve (I believe) that would show how things get exponentially harder to match and tune with every pound spent.  Which is interesting because dealers carry a broad range of lower cost hi-fi but the further up the chain where you really need to make very careful decisions, the choices available at each dealer get more and more limited.

On the other hand, I don't really feel you can go wrong with a 282/250 but, again, there are a minority that really dislike this combo and it would be a shame to find out after buying one that you were one of them.

+1. The more costlier, the more revealing and demanding to get it right.

Also, don`t spend more money on gear or services before you have located what you`re after. That`s my humble advice. It may be as simple as going back to a 5 series system. What`s wrong with that as long as you`re happy with it.

S

Dont get me wrong this is a major step up from my 5 series system and im looking at this as fine tuneing, much may be down to some of the rubbish recordings turned out as some cds are considerably better than others

Yup that is true too. Each major upgrade has led to a culling of artists that find their way onto my playlist because the system shows the recording up.

Funny thing is it is generally newer stuff poorly mastered that falls foul. Old stuff from the 60s, even with limits of technology at the time, if done right sounds amazing on good hifi. Anything mixed for the iTunes generation, hires or not, sounds rubbish.