which PSU for the NAC 82

I used a NAC 82 for 25 years with a single HiCap, then for about 7 months this year ran the same pre with Supercap. The Supercap was a massive step up, the 82/HC was a fantastic pre, the 82/SC was even more amazing. I never lived with the dual-HC version, so can’t really comment on that. 

I used a 82 for over twenty years originally with a Single Hi Cap then for most of the time with a Supercap the Supercap is the one to go for a massive improvement over the HI Cap

In the last couple of years I have run my 82 from one HiCap, two Hicaps and a Supercap (and thence to SBLs via a brace of 250s).

I found that there was a significant upgrade between 1xHC and 2xHC, but less so between 2xHC & a SC.

Of course, YMMV.

Thank you all for the feedback.

Suzy Wong posted:

I found that there was a significant upgrade between 1xHC and 2xHC, but less so between 2xHC & a SC.

Suzy, so there was an (small) improvement, switching from 2 Hicaps to the Supercap?

Did anyone compare Hicap DR vs. Supercap?

I have a 82 and 52, ran my 82 on a dual hicap (Not naim ones) and then as I had a 52 and that needed a suppercap I did try it on it for a few minutes and I couldn't tell any difference, did try for long but as I had them all sitting there had to try

2x Olive Hicaps.

I have tried a dual non Naim PSU that copies to Hicaps, a single Hicap, an Olive Hicap, a single Hicap again and then finally a Supercap 2 in an Olive case and it is the last that I have stuck with. I intend to demo the single Hicap again once more before I let it go but after selling an Olive SC  and reverting back to a HC I then got hold of a SC2 and though many say there is no difference between the SC 1 & 2 I have found that I much prefer the 2.

Chris1977 posted:

Thank you all for the feedback.

Suzy Wong posted:

I found that there was a significant upgrade between 1xHC and 2xHC, but less so between 2xHC & a SC.

Suzy, so there was an (small) improvement, switching from 2 Hicaps to the Supercap?

Yes, I thought so, but it was not a massive upgrade (unlike 1 x HC to 2 x HC), and overall I think that 2 x HC is probably the sweet spot.

There were also other reasons why I bought a SC when I could have bought yet another HC, but they’re relevant only in the context of my system.

I used a NAC82 for five months powered from a NAP180. I then added two HiCaps, which improved it somewhat. About two months after I'd purchased the HiCaps Naim Audio released the Supercap. It was three years later that I tried the Supercap and what a massive upgrade it was! Until I eventually experienced the upgrade brought about by a NAP500 many many years later, I'd say that going from the two HiCaps to the Supercap on the NAC82 was the biggest step improvement I'd ever experienced. 

The trouble was that after a couple of years like that I wondered what the Supercap could do if I used the Burndy connection on a NAC52. Thus began another upgrade cycle.

Curious about super Cap 2 non dr vs hicap DR

I have never tried the Hicap DR but the Supercap 2 in my system seems less aggressive than Supercap 1.

Any reason you're looking to a 82 and not a 282?

Svetty posted:

Any reason you're looking to a 82 and not a 282?

I have no chances to compare both, but for what I've read would not be good value for money. At the current price, an used 282 costs at least 60% more than its ancestor, and everyone in this forum swear they are identical except for the case.

Chris1977 posted:

Svetty posted:

Any reason you're looking to a 82 and not a 282?

I have no chances to compare both, but for what I've read would not be good value for money. At the current price, an used 282 costs at least 60% more than its ancestor, and everyone in this forum swear they are identical except for the case.

I'm not so sure they sound the same..... however a 282 is not 'better'. Personally i prefer the 82 which sounds rather different, and is especially nice with twin Olive Hicaps.

gary yeowell posted:

Chris1977 posted:

Svetty posted:

Any reason you're looking to a 82 and not a 282?

I have no chances to compare both, but for what I've read would not be good value for money. At the current price, an used 282 costs at least 60% more than its ancestor, and everyone in this forum swear they are identical except for the case.

I'm not so sure they sound the same..... however a 282 is not 'better'. Personally i prefer the 82 which sounds rather different, and is especially nice with twin Olive Hicaps.

And even better with an olive Supercap!

There's a lot of love in this family for a serviced 82 with olive supercap 

Best regards, FT

Chris1977 posted:

Thanks to the feedbacks from this forum, I've just purchased a near mint NAP 250-2 and I'm on the market for a NAC 82. I'm quite puzzled about the wide PSU offering. Considering a budget of one grand in the used market, I see I have three options:

• one Supercap (olive or triptych but not-DR)
• two Hicaps (olive or triptych but not-DR)
• one Hicap DR

Which options would sound better?

I'm not a fan of having three boxes connected to the NAC....

 

 

I've run an 82 many ways: from a 180, one and then two HiCaps, finally a single Supercap (none DR). You always need a PSC so the installation is never particularly elegant - and this can be a real problem because the power supplies really do prefer space around them. The 82 should be nowhere near a PSU - especially if you're using it's phono input. As you can probably guess, I've got best SQ with the Supercap but I think lot of this is due to the neater installation - as well as gradually sorting out the LP12 front end. If your power supplies are too close to the pre, the sound will have a 'sat on' quality. Check also that the Snaic interconnects are fully tightened. 

I heard no more than slight differences between the 82 and the 282. Certainly nothing that could justify the difference in price.

Foot tapper posted:

There's a lot of love in this family for a serviced 82 with olive supercap 

I see the consus is in favor of a Supercap for my one grand budget  

Thank you all for sharing your views and experiences.

When I had an 82 I found that adding a second Hicap made hardly any difference, whereas a Supercap made a really big difference. That said, if I had a black 250 I’d get a 282, if only because they match visually, and I like my boxes to be contemporaneous. If I had a 250.2 and then got an 82 and Supercap, I’d also get shot of the 250.2 - a lardy beast - and get an olive 250. If I had a 250.2 and got a 282 I’d get a Hicap DR and then upgrade the lardy old 250.2 to 250DR.

Clive B posted:

gary yeowell posted:

Chris1977 posted:

Svetty posted:

Any reason you're looking to a 82 and not a 282?

I have no chances to compare both, but for what I've read would not be good value for money. At the current price, an used 282 costs at least 60% more than its ancestor, and everyone in this forum swear they are identical except for the case.

I'm not so sure they sound the same..... however a 282 is not 'better'. Personally i prefer the 82 which sounds rather different, and is especially nice with twin Olive Hicaps.

And even better with an olive Supercap!

Afraid not, not to these ears. Had both, dual Hicaps for me. Liked what a SC2 did to a 282, but not an 82.

The best 82/282 i owned was a Pots3 unserviced, driven by two Hicaps. Later had a Pots 8 and several 282s with and without SC2, but none beat the early 82 with dual caps.

You’ve got to admit, though, that three power supplies on one little preamp is pretty weird. One would be more than sufficient. 

hungryhalibut posted:

You’ve got to admit, though, that three power supplies on one little preamp is pretty weird. One would be more than sufficient. 

Not really bothered, it would take up the same space as you still need napsc with a SC. It also still sounds better than a 252.  If i wanted simplicity it would be a Nait 2.

Never understood why the 82 & 102 control sections cannot be run from a SC. Or in other words, why the 52 control section was designed to run from a different voltage to the control sections of the 82 & 102......

Yes i wondered that. I presume the 52 / 252 'digital' supply voltage from the SC is lower (12v ?) than the usual PSC voltage (18v) as they didn't have to accommodate the different pre-amp supply options the lower range pre-amps have. The 102/202/82/282 have an internal regulator to drop the 18v (from a NAPSC) or 24v (when the upgrade paddle is in place) to the normal operating voltage of the control sections.