even when powered by single Hicap DR, the 202 and 282 sound very different. No power supply can make a 202 sound like a 282, and Richard Dane confirmed this a few years ago when he said that the power supply upgrade will never take the preamp to the next level (i.e. Supercap on 202 will not make it a 282)
there is some talk about this on various forums (that the Naim preamp range is the same circuit with ability to connect to better power supplies as you go up the range), and while this may be partially correct, there is much more to it than just that, listening to 202 and 282 with the same Hicap, I find that Richard Dane is 100 % correct. The 282 is simply much superior to the 202.
Anyway Allante, I am not very sure if the Supercap on 282 powers left and right channels, I read from another forum that for the 82, adding a second hicap actually powers the 2 parts of the preamp rather than splitting into individual channels.
Would be nice if anyone from Naim can confirm this
For the NAP 500 that is what Naim say they do, they use one single big transformer, and then use separate regulators for each part of the amplifier.
About that write up, I think it is a bit ignorant, it is a bit like saying that NAP 250 and NAP 500 share almost the same transformer and transistors (which they do), and hence are alarmingly similar inside, but there is a LOT more going on in the NAP 500 than the NAP 250, and the results can be easily heard.
the same applies to 252, each part of the preamp gets its own regulated power supply, it uses all the 13 (I think) rails of the Supercap, whereas the 282 can only use 2, becasue the 282 is split internally (Naim, please confirm) into 2 parts.
So no, the 252 is not the alarmingly the same as a 282, or 202. That is just a gross generalization of the intricate engineering, and bit like say oh - BMW 5 series and E class Mercedes - both cars have got an engine, and 4 tires, so they are both cars and are alarmingly similar
About 252 vs 282, I do believe that the 252 is better than 282, (although I haven't heard them side by side), and the 552 is better than the 252, but then as Richard Dane did say a few years ago, after 282/250 level the law of diminishing returns starts to bite the wallet, and the 282/SC/250 is (or was - now maybe 272/250) the sweet spot VFM in the range.
I also trust that Naim know their products very well, and would not ask for much more money for 252/SC or 552 if they were not 100 % sure about the improvements over a 282.
Different speakers, different rooms, different ears, and different expectations result in varied opinions on this thread.
At the end of the day, when systems are made active, with Snaxo and Ovator S800, then the system (source/preamp/poweramp/cabling) is ruthlessly exposed and laid bare, and then maybe the real value of 252/SC over 282. and 552 compared to 252/SC becomes very obvious.
