How to power a NAC82......

Given the choice, I'd go for the Supercap...

Yes, I was wondering about that.

Currently, I have four Caps.....one Flat- (CD 3.5), 2 Hi- (82 & Headline) and one Super- (SNAXO 2-4). My plan is to get to know the (new) 82 for a week or so, then borrow the HC from the NAHA to see what improvement it might make.

If the 82 were to end up "fully railed" then I would obviously need another cap, which could be either HC or SC. I have read of folks who prefer two HC to one SC, so I thought I would canvas some opinions.

I use a single Hicap. I tried a second one, didn't really hear a difference. The Supercap I tried was a significant improvement, but I already had the Hicap on the 82 when the Supercap was released, so I stuck with that as I enjoyed the 82 a huge amount with it. Starting clean, I'd look out for an olive Supercap. (And obviously you need the NAPSC.)

I suppose one "left field" idea could be to swap HC & SC. So instead of:   82 + Hicap / SNAXO  + Supercap, it would be 82 + Supercap / SNAXO  + Hicap, which I suppose could be considered to be following the "source first" mantra.

I think some experimentation is called for over the next few months. This could take several glasses of contemplative vino!

As an aside, despite the 82 arriving last Friday, I've only just got it installed (replacing my 102). I must say I'm considerably impressed. Question: is the gain the same as the 102, coz the system is definitely louder - I find I'm turning the volume control down.

I wouldn't go that route personally. That Snaxo really benefits from using the Supercap via the Burndy. I think the Snaxo is the box that gets the most out of the Supercap. IMO it's hicap or Supercap on the 82/282. Two hicaps not enough improvement to justify the extra expense and complication. Also you should really have matched hicaps to avoid channel imbalance.

When I had my 82 the upgrade to a Supercap from a Hi Cap was significant well worth the outlay.

As a quick tryout, I hoiked my other HC from the headline and stuck it on the 82. Play my usual "test track" -  Dire Straits: Ride Across the River. 

The two HC are 174xxx & 166xxx (2001 & 2000) so reasonably closely matched - I didn't need to adjust the balance. Obviously, a single Scap would remove any issues on that score.

From a sample of one track, I do like what the 2 HC are doing. More wine, er, testing needed.

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Have been down that road.  Supercap all the way.  Night and day better upgrade from 2xHC.  A no brainer for me.

Two hicaps may improve things but the Supercap via two snaics is significantly better. Having said that, if you already have two closely matched hicaps, why not?

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NFG posted:

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Yes, I've seen that, er *cough*,  mod, but I'd like to keep the system kosher. So it looks like the only way forward is firstly a S-cap.......and then maybe, just maybe, a 52

Suzy Wong posted:

The two HC are 174xxx & 166xxx (2001 & 2000) so reasonably closely matched - I didn't need to adjust the balance. Obviously, a single Scap would remove any issues on that score.

From a sample of one track, I do like what the 2 HC are doing. More wine, er, testing needed.

Suzy, have those hicaps been serviced? If not, I reckon a big improvement could be gained by getting them seen to, whether you decided to go for one or two. When I replaced an early 200xxx Hicap with a newer Hicap DR on my Superline the jump in performance was much greater than I anticipated, Some of that no doubt due to the DR upgrade but I'm sure the age of the Non DR Hicap was important too. Or, sell the two hicaps to help fund a Supercap 

PS, apologies for the forum rules lapse. Beer o'clock.

Another voter here for the S/Cap . Like many, I went the 82/HC to 82 S/Cap and then 52. The 82 S/Cap (ex-dem IRRC) was by far the better upgrade = and made sense for the future. The S/Cap tamed the uppers of the 82. I think many around these parts prefer the 82 S/Cap over the 52, due to it's livelier nature.

FWIW I'll give my view. When I had a NAC82 I started with it powered from a NAP180. Then I added two Hi Caps, which was some improvement, but then when the Supercap was released I bought one of those and sold the HCs. The improvement of the SC was, in my opinion, the biggest upgrade I have ever made. I would strongly recommend you get another Supercap for your NAC82.

I've heard an 82 in a friend's system over several years and - sorry - the performance with the olive SuperCap is a big step up from one or two hi-caps.   

MDS posted:

I've heard an 82 in a friend's system over several years and - sorry - the performance with the olive SuperCap is a big step up from one or two hi-caps.   

For sure, I'm already enjoying the 82 with one HC over my 102, so the future looks good........

BTW, congrats to "your lot" on getting promotion....from the "lot up the M27"!

Suzy Wong posted:

MDS posted:

I've heard an 82 in a friend's system over several years and - sorry - the performance with the olive SuperCap is a big step up from one or two hi-caps.   

For sure, I'm already enjoying the 82 with one HC over my 102, so the future looks good.

 

BTW, congrats to "your lot" on getting promotion....from the "lot up the M27"!

Thank you, Suzy (or is it Chris?)  

Suzy is the one in the picture. Family member for fifteen years. Sadly missed.

I really should change my username...........

Suzy Wong posted:

I suppose one "left field" idea could be to swap HC & SC.

That struck me too.

As MDS says, I've run a single Hicap between freshly serviced POTS8 82 & Chrome Bumper 250.

Putting a 2nd Hicap on it was a big step... but a Supercap more so still.

To emphasize the point I initially went from 2 x Hicap  with 2 snaics and NO link plugs fitted to using link plug 2 and one snaic on the Supercap (using it like a giant Hicap) and that was significantly better than 2 x HC.  Taking out the link plug and using the Supercap properly with the 2nd snaicwas awesome.

If you want the last word though... Powerline the lot... and (call me mad if you like) I even opted for the later NAPSC2 and put a Powerline on that.

Enjoy

MIke

Nice 82 appreciation thread! Reading the forum lately you can get the impression that allmost everyone has gone 272, but no. A lot of 82 owners popping up! I have read that the 82 is like a small sports car, lively, fast and exciting. Very Naim in other words. Is it many who prefers the 82 over 52 here? 

Regards 

Fred

Fred11 posted:

Nice 82 appreciation thread! Reading the forum lately you can get the impression that allmost everyone has gone 272, but no. A lot of 82 owners popping up! I have read that the 82 is like a small sports car, lively, fast and exciting. Very Naim in other words. Is it many who prefers the 82 over 52 here? 

Regards 

Fred

I wouldn't say I prefer the 82 necessarily, I did listen to a 52 a couple of years after I bought the 82, and felt it did many things better than the 82, depth, tonal accuracy, control, while lacking the raw excitement of the 82. But I was, and am, having so much fun listening to music that I decided. this was the time to get off the upgrade treadmill after a Nait 1, 62/140, then changing 62-72, adding a HICAP, 140-135s, 72-82. The 82 is still an amp that makes music fun for me whether it be Lynyrd Skynyrd or a Bach keyboard work.

Interesting Mike,

If I understand correctly, you are effectively saying that 2 Supercap LM317 regs beat 4 Hicap LM317 regs. And yet the received wisdom is "the more regs the better". This does bear further investigation (involving more expenditure and more vino collapso! ).

I've heard the thoughts about putting a Powerline on the NAPSC - I think it was t'other Mike (MDS) of this parish, as well, I believe.

I remain to be convinced (after all, I'm a Chartered Sparkie and do this stuff for a living, LOL), and have made up my own mains cables...........

Anyway this 82 is fast growing on me. Currently got it driving my Headline+Hicap-Sennheiser650 cans.

The tonality (grand pianos!) and clarity and level of detail (especially bass lines) is stunning (and I thought the 102 was pretty good). Almost too much overload......and with only one Hicap on the 82 - I have to power the NAHA somehow).

Happy days

Suzy Wong posted:

Interesting Mike,

I've heard the thoughts about putting a Powerline on the NAPSC - I think it was t'other Mike (MDS) of this parish, as well, I believe.

 

It was. And it worked. Goodness knows why.  

Suzy Wong posted:

Interesting Mike,

If I understand correctly, you are effectively saying that 2 Supercap LM317 regs beat 4 Hicap LM317 regs. And yet the received wisdom is "the more regs the better". This does bear further investigation (involving more expenditure and more vino collapso! ).

 

The gains you get with 4 rails from the 2x Hicaps is tempered by deviating away from the normal Naim ground scheme. Probably one of the reasons using just 2 rails from the Supercap betters the dual Hicap arrangement and then using all 4 from the Supercap is better still.

Just get the Supercap