Supercap / Hicap / Flatcap differences

The Flatcap is long and thin, the Hicap is short and fat, the Supercap is long and fat.

In the context of your system a flatcap is inadequate for the 282, and a hicap should be considered as the minimum to get it performing well. A Supercap would be better again. The NDX needs a different type of power supply, hence the different options. A bit of reading of the Naim website and reviews over the years will tell you a lot more. Incidentally, you’d be well advised to get a 200 or 250 for your GB1s, which need more than a 150. 

I've not heard the NAC282 with the various power supply options, but I did own its predecessor, the NAC82, which I had powered in three combinations: 1) from the power amplifier; 2) from 2 X HiCaps; and, 3) from a Supercap. The step up from 2 HiCaps to the Supercap was the biggest step change in performance that I think I have ever experienced in any upgrade. I suspect the same would be true for the NAC282. I would strongly encourage you to try to listen to that combination if you can afford it. It would then open the option for a later upgrade to a NAC252, should you wish to do so.

The 282 is a lovely amp capable of giving much enjoyment being fed from a humble 200 or, even better, a 200DR.

I did the 200, Hicap, Supercap, and then inevitable 252 journey with mine and looking back I wish I had stayed with the 282/200 combination.

Ray

In a nutshell: to begin with, you could use a FlatCap2x or XS with a 282, and it would work like a SuperCap; yet, a single HiCap would be probably better. Fact is, the FlatCap can power two units (hence the two channels of a 282), which the HiCap can't do, but it's much less powerful and good as a SuperCap.

Main differences: size of the transformers and selection of the LM317 if it's older PSUs, price if it's the newer ones: the HC and the SC have the new discrete regulators, the FlatCaps (of any generation) have older, LM317-based ones. Which one is better, though, incredibly is a matter of the listener's taste.

Best sincerely

Max

I've run a 282 from a flat cap 2x using one outlet (very fast sounding but lacking body and somewhat diffuse staging), 2 outlets (similar but the sound stage shrankbut was much more precise- think Spinal Tap Stonehenge, I prefered the single outlet). Then came a Hicap, this relaxed the pace and improved the body, a very well balanced sound if a little small scale for orchestral music but satisfying nevertheless. Speakers went for Thiel CS1.6 to NBLs at this point, then came a supercap DR, the power amp (250-2) seemed to gain a lot more grip on the speakers and the scale increase again along with more body and drive I began to wonder what there was to gain from going further but then funds for a 552 became avalilable (you can't take it with you, luckily), this change made the slightly Kraut Rock character of the 282/SCDR apparent, rhythmic elements pushed to the fore and slightly regimented, they hadn't been obvious up to then and I now have the Thiels/250/Hicap/282 setup elsewhere and thoroughly enjoy it, I wouldn't go back to a supercap with a 282 but I'm glad I've had that setup for a while. Throughout there had been a superline on aux2 except when I tried powering it from the hicap, which i didn't like, the supercap DR now powers the superline via a Burndy and it would continue to do so if i went back to a 282/250 and a Hicap for my main system.

Interesting, thanks.

Max

Yes, thank you for the feedback.

So the 282 then has three power inputs - NAPSC and 2 others.  What do each of the two others do - clearly pre-amp circuitry but I can't imagine what?

I think the next upgrade will be a NAP200, followed by a HiCap, then I'll probably leave it at that.  Hopefully.

The NAC 282 can be powered thus, in increasing performance level: 

1. From a suitable power amp, i.e. NAP200, which provides 1 x 24v DC
2. From a single Hicap, which provides 2 x 24v DC
3. From a pair of Hicaps, which provide 4 x 24v DC (essentially one PSU is utilised per channel)
4. From a single Supercap, which provides 4 x 24v DC

The NAPSC is always used on the NAC282 - it powers just the controls and logic circuits.  These are usually fairly noisy so separating these from the pre-amplification stages brings big benefits.

reAnimate posted:

Sorry for the basic question but I haven’t seen a summary of the differences between each.

instinctivly I think I’ve ordered them by greatness, but what are the pros and cons?

Then there’s XPS for NDX and NDS?

Thanks

 

If you are staying with 282,  HiCap DR is probably the best compromise. For my experience it should be also very worth trying a Powerline on the HC.

@ Yeti42,

Curiously your Kraut Rock impression about the 282, is often used by Max B about the S.Nait.

Regards

Roberto

Indeed a power-line really enhances the HCDR I use on my 282.

Can't listen to the HCDR without a power line anymore in fact - it's such a big difference.

you need to go to a dealer and listen to all three and hear the differences. Obviously the more you spend the better the sound.

it is for you to judge weather the improvement is justified by the additional expense. If money is not an issue get the supercap DR.

"From a pair of Hicaps, which provide 4 x 24v DC (essentially one PSU is utilised per channel)"

If you start it up with a single hicap and no upgrade 2 link plug do you get one channel or none? Or does "essentially" imply it's not quite that simple.

Yeti, you get nothing as the link connections on upgrade 2 are needed.  I say "essentially" as while it's mostly dual mono, it's not completely, in the strictest sense of the word (see my previous sentence as to why).

I get it - thanks for your input and patience.