Naim Nait XS2 & Flatcap 2
Posted by: staffy on 04 January 2016
I am now in a position to buy a flatcap PS to go with a newly purchased NaitXS2. Can anyone tell me if this will add to my musical pleasure. Or am I wasting my money. What exactly will the Flatcap add to the amp.
Thanks for any advice.,
Only one way to find out and that's to ask for a home demo. A friend of mine has a CD5XS and Nait XS and to my ears it's wonderful as it is but you really need to decide for yourself.
As well as making the Nait better, it will give a real boost to the CD player, so two upgrades in one. It should give more drive, as well as making the system more engaging. You'll need an extra Snaic 5 and a Snaic 4 as well.
I was thinking of connecting the Rega TT and the amp to the PS So 3 upgrades in one go. Err this is were I let myself down. Whats a Snaic 5 and a Snaic 4 ??.
The snaics are the wires between power supplies and the amp or CD player. You'll get a Snaic 5 with the flatcap, but need a Snaic 4 as well, which you need to buy for about £150. You'll also need another Snaic 5 to power the CD player. And as for powering the Rega, you can't.
I already had a Flatcap 2 with a CD5 when I upgraded my Nait3 (converted to separate pre power) to a Nait XS2. I find it opens the sound up and an improved low end. Sadly my CD5 has since died ��. The CD was instantly more musical and both improved over several weeks. Great value.
The flatcap 2 was meant for the 5 series. It's probably old enough to need servicing. The flatcap xs provides a different sound signature and is tailored to your amp. From experience I can say the flatcap xs doesn't quite suit the older 5x series - the sound gets a bit edgy and fatiguing - it probably wouldn't be a great match with the cd5.
My apologies for not making my post clearer. It is the Flatcap XS I am looking to buy for the NaitXS2 amp.
A Flatcap 2 and 2x work very well on my CD5, i have both and the older '2' sounds excellent, and it's not been serviced. The Flatcap 2X also sounds great with the Nait XS original, be it the newer or older facia version (as it should, they are internally identical). I have no experience with the FC2XS, but the 2X most certainly works on the original XS. I'd be surprised if the 2X didn't work well with the new XS2, but it is likely the FC2XS has the edge.