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Upgrade found hiding in cupboard shock!

Minio

Minio

Kind of Sort of Not really...
Sorry it's Naim again. And before the last naim threads run out!

Looking in my ebay sellers supply cupboard I found an old Hicap (originally for an old cd5x ) gathering dust. So I got it out and took pictures ready for sale.

Then I lookd at the back of my nac282 powered by Teddy P and thought about the extra hicap that can be connected.

As opinion on PFM etc in past threads seemed to consider this pointless I'd not bothered adding a different brand power supply to the Teddy before.

On connection of the incongruous olive box I was met with an upgrade in performance that I can only describe as significantly significant.

Much better dynamic expression, much cleaner top, tighter better nuanced bass were the immediately noticed improvements. Listening to music is now less effort as there is more expression.

So the lesson is learnt. Don't take for granted what you read on forums!

Anyone else found an upgrade hiding in the closet?
 
When using two PS on a 282, each one effectively powers one channel, left or right. Which can’t be a good thing, given your mismatched Teddy and Hicap?
 
An opposite view to many on here but I found adding a second hi cap to an 82 gave a massive improvement.
 
The channels do have differently designed psu's in this setup, which is why I didn't bother to try this at first. I was going to use the one supply that sounded better to me and leave it at that.

Now having tried the two (unmatched) supplies I wouldn't go back. It may not be the ideal but I would describe the improvement as much more significant than, say, bi-amping.
.
So the next stage for me will be to look into a matched setup.
 
Alex N said:
When using two PS on a 282, each one effectively powers one channel, left or right. Which can’t be a good thing, given your mismatched Teddy and Hicap?
Click to expand...

Not quite, on the 82 and 282 running in dual hicap mode, one hicap does both of the gain stages and the other one does everything else. There's no L and R split.
 
^ The Hicap 2 connection does the gain stage. You may find this even better with the teddycap here.
 
Alex N said:
Thanks, Mark. I was paraphrasing Richard Dane with my reply, and did wonder about it myself.
Click to expand...

Easy test unplug one supply with no link plug and see if you get one channel or silence, my money is on silence all the Naim pres I have modified split the psu's between stages not channels.

Pete
 
I could just switch off the hi cap.

ATEOTD it doesn't make any difference to what I'm hearing now.

I find two psu's, of whatever origin, to be preferable to the one. And the improvement applies to all sources.

By a wide margin!

Bargain!
 
Tony Lockhart said:
Cut out the convoluted journey. Have Witch Hat mod the 282, then buy a Supercap :)
Click to expand...

T’other way round, I would have thought, Tony.

SCap first, then WH mod - it’s certainly what I have in mind for my 82.....


And on my (AFAIK “vanilla”) 82 with two HC....(and I have just tested it)

1 HC on = 1 channel (and the ON channel changes depending upon whichever HC is on)
2 HC on = 2 channels

I know that mine is a “late model” with POTS8....perhaps 282s are wired differently?
 
I just tried switching off the Hicap :

The pre has gone into flashing mute mode. No likey.

Sounds like you're right Pete and each psu is not dedicated to a channel.

I'm certainly not perceiving any imbalance between the channels.
 
Minio said:
I just tried switching off the Hicap :

The pre has gone into flashing mute mode. No likey.

Sounds like you're right Pete and each psu is not dedicated to a channel.

I'm certainly not perceiving any imbalance between the channels.
Click to expand...

Sounds like 82s and 282s are wired differently
 
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