Headline with NAC 152 XS + flatcap

Posted by: hifinerdwannabe on 26 December 2016

I am waiting to get the NAC 152 XS + flatcap and wonder if the 152 sounds better connected to both upgrades from the flatcap rathen than from just one?

I am also thinking of buying a headline and connect one of the upgrades from the flacap but wonder if this might compromise the general sound from the 152 depriving it from one of the upgrades and is it at all possible to connect a headline through the 152? I read on Naims site that "HeadLine takes its signal from the tape socket of any of our preamplifiers, except the NAC 152 XS." which I am not quite sure of how to interpret.

Posted on: 26 December 2016 by Oldenbroke

I have the 152 XS / 155 and to my ears using both outputs of the Flatcap to the 152 is better.

I have also tried one output with the other powering a stageline and the music still sounded great.

A bigger improvement came with a change of power cable to the Flatcap with Chord power cable.

Can't help with the Headline as I don't have one and can't find a clear wiring guide for the 152.

Posted on: 26 December 2016 by hifinerdwannabe

Oldenbroke posted:
I have the 152 XS / 155 and to my ears using both outputs of the Flatcap to the 152 is better.
I have also tried one output with the other powering a stageline and the music still sounded great.
A bigger improvement came with a change of power cable to the Flatcap with Chord power cable.
Can't help with the Headline as I don't have one and can't find a clear wiring guide for the 152.

Thanks! I have a Naim powerline which I have been considering selling but will then try it out powering the flatcap ��

Posted on: 26 December 2016 by NickSeattle

Line Out of 152 is RCA.

Nick

Posted on: 27 December 2016 by hifinerdwannabe

NickSeattle posted:
Line Out of 152 is RCA.
Nick

Thanks, if I understand you correctly the only way to connect headline is through rca from my 152, e.g. from av or cd? But if I do that and have a dac connected to an other rca port I can't figure out how I can listen to music since I can not choose to have the output of more than one rca output?

Is there any other head phone amp on the market that will work together with the 152, preferrably so that I can use the volume dial on the 152 to adjust the volume on the head phone amp.

Posted on: 27 December 2016 by NickSeattle

The RCA Line Out plays the current source, whatever it is, into the 152. The only difference from other Naim preamps in this regard is that Line Out is separated from the DIN terminals, which makes using a headline even easier on the 152, with the right interconnect cable -- you don't have to sacrifice any of the DINs to this duty.

Headline has a captive interconnect, terminated as DIN -- you will need to use a 2RCA to DIN adaptor (not DIN to 2RCA). You could use a 4RCA <> DIN adaptor, but the two leads not used would remain disconnected from the 152.

Nick

Posted on: 27 December 2016 by NickSeattle

The RCAs labeled as "AV" or "CD" etc. are inputs, not outputs. They are offered as a convenient alternative to the related DIN -- the latter being preferable , if you have a DIN interconnect cable handy.

On all but the 152, the AV and Tape DIN terminals provide both inputs and outputs, the rest are inputs only, with the two output pins disabled/unused.

This is diagrammed in the Amplifiers manual.

Nick

Posted on: 27 December 2016 by NickSeattle

I see from the Headline product page that you can order the Headline terminated as RCA, eliminating the need for an adapter, if you don't think you might prefer DIN later, with a different Naim pre.

Nick

Posted on: 27 December 2016 by Richard Dane

If you order a Headline with RCA phonos, you can always have it changed to DIN by your dealer or by NAIM at a later date, if need be. And of course, vice versa...