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Naim Superline power supply options

emrei

emrei

pfm Member
I am thinking about a Superline since i have all Naim setup.

I still have to decide to buy a new turntable, arm and cartridge ( A Dr. Feickret Woodpacker )

at the moment i am with a EAT C-MAJOR/Ortofon Quintet Blue

I have some questions in my mind


- How will you rate Superline + hicap and + Supercap to a similar priced phono stages? Aria etc..
- How is the difference between hicap vs Supercap performance. It is a big money difference
- Any Teddy cap or Teddy super cap users out there with superline ? very curious about teddy super + superline

regards
 
I have a Naim Superline and Supercap (Non-DR). I also have a Teddy Supercap and previously had a Hicap DR.

I have a number of phono stages to compare it to, currently a Whest Ref V Mk 4, a Trilogy 907 and an EAR 912. I have previously owned a TE Groove Anniversary, Aurorasound Vida, and other excellent phono stages.

The Superline/Supercap is competitive with the best phono stages I have heard, including the Whest Ref V Mk 4. It is superior to the Trilogy 907, the Aurorasound Vida, and the TE Groove Anniversary.

The Superline sounds best with the Naim Supercap, followed by the Teddy Supercap and then the Hicap DR. Each of these is a big step. A Superline with a Hicap DR is still an excellent phono stage which I think sounds better than the Vida and on a par with the Trilogy 907. But the Supercap takes it to another level.

I have sold off most of my Naim equipment but the only Naim kit I still use is the Superline/Supercap, which I think is the best thing Naim ever made.
 
I've tried the Superline a number of times (two different examples in fact). I've tried with a Hi-Cap and one of The Avondale power supplies. In every case I was really surprised to be rather disappointed by the performance - in fact I was so surprised I tried it a number of times hoping to find different. Certainly with the power supplies I tried I thought the Aurorasound Vida was quite a bit better (I have also tried this). Now I've never tried the Superline with a Supercap and many claim this is what is really required to make it sing. Certainly this provides a great deal more power supply management and it may well be true that the Supercap elevates the performance appropriately - it becomes a pretty expensive combo though.
 
I've moved from a Superline to a Linn Urika, mainly to get rid of a couple of boxes. On balance I prefer the Urika, but the Superline, with Supercap, did certain things the Urika can't quite capture. Converting the cartridge loading resistors to Z-foil gives a surprising improvement, but don't lash out on the Naim ones, buy the appropriate ones from Texas Components & solder them in yourself.
 
Had Superline/Supercap with my 552 & valved mono's until late last year, and they are a superb combo, as evidenced in my system by many local aficionados and a local non-Naim dealer.

However, my beef with the Superline was not one of s.q., but of practicality. Because of the floating nature of the innards, it's a pig to insert and remove the RCA plugs. It needs a grab handle; an oversight by Naim, i.m.o. Also, it's m/coil only and for one I/C input only. Probably wouldn't concern most, but was awkward for me with two arms/cart's.

I needed two switchable m/c inputs and swapped out my 552 for the E.A.R. 912 with 2 built-in stages. My mono's are E.A.R., so it's a logical step and also a step up on s.q. grounds, as it transpired.
 
I've very little experience of the Urika but have borrowed the similar Uphorik - certainly a very different sounding beast to the Superline :).
 
RossB said:
I have a number of phono stages to compare it to, currently a Whest Ref V Mk 4, a Trilogy 907 and an EAR 912. I have previously owned a TE Groove Anniversary, Aurorasound Vida, and other excellent phono stages.
Click to expand...

E.A.R. 912? Odd comparison, and probably very different, I'd guess. Obviously not fairly comparable, but my transition from 552+Superline+Supercap to the 912 was a real ear-opener (and 75% box count reduction too !:))
 
Am using a Superline "E" powered by a 552's AUX2. Sounds great to my ears.

Turntable is a WT GTA with EMT JSD6 cart.

A Supercap DR may sound better, and I may buy one some day. With a Burndy connection, my understanding is that it doubles the number of power rails to 4.
 
The Superline was one of the first products which made me seriously question whether Naim still had anyone who knew what good sound was. Subsequent products unfortunately tended to answer that question in the negative. Before dropping money on one, I would advise listening to a few of the better solid state and valve stages to see what is possible in phono reproduction.
 
Hook said:
Am using a Superline "E" powered by a 552's AUX2. Sounds great to my ears.
Click to expand...


I initially had my S/l powered from my 552, but the subsequent Supercap did move things on . Anyway, I then powered my Headline from the 552, as I really couldn't justify another Naim power supply just for the odd headphone listen.
 
Not cheap but for me the Superline + Supercap DR is an excellent combination and just has something that really has me hooked.
 
RossB said:
I have a Naim Superline and Supercap (Non-DR). I also have a Teddy Supercap and previously had a Hicap DR.

I have a number of phono stages to compare it to, currently a Whest Ref V Mk 4, a Trilogy 907 and an EAR 912. I have previously owned a TE Groove Anniversary, Aurorasound Vida, and other excellent phono stages.

The Superline/Supercap is competitive with the best phono stages I have heard, including the Whest Ref V Mk 4. It is superior to the Trilogy 907, the Aurorasound Vida, and the TE Groove Anniversary.

The Superline sounds best with the Naim Supercap, followed by the Teddy Supercap and then the Hicap DR. Each of these is a big step. A Superline with a Hicap DR is still an excellent phono stage which I think sounds better than the Vida and on a par with the Trilogy 907. But the Supercap takes it to another level.

I have sold off most of my Naim equipment but the only Naim kit I still use is the Superline/Supercap, which I think is the best thing Naim ever made.
Click to expand...

Mike Reed said:
E.A.R. 912? Odd comparison, and probably very different, I'd guess. Obviously not fairly comparable, but my transition from 552+Superline+Supercap to the 912 was a real ear-opener (and 75% box count reduction too !:))
Click to expand...

Can you compare the ear 912 vs 552 superline/supercap combo, ear 912 sounds very value for money ıf you compare the both setup
I have a 272 so a good pre amp with a build in photo stage iş always on the table provider that it will sound good with a naim nap 300dr
 
I power my Superline with a Hicap DR into a 552. Sounds good to me. I replaced my irritatingly fragile 4-5 Hiline with the standard cable and prefer it to the Hiline.

S Tony, is there a diagram showing the DIN connector pin connections for a DIY Z foil solder job ????

Mike
 
As you look at the back of the Superline at the socket for resistive loading - clockwise the first two pins are one channel and the next two are the other.
 
Mike Reed said:
E.A.R. 912? Odd comparison, and probably very different, I'd guess.
Click to expand...

emrei said:
Can you compare the ear 912 vs 552 superline/supercap combo, ear 912 sounds very value for money ıf you compare the both setup
Click to expand...

Very different, which is why I did not offer a direct comparison. Also, I have only had the 912 for a couple of months so still getting to grips with its sound. It has also taken a bit of tube rolling, initially sounding thin and a bit grainy. I have finally settled on some tubes (NOS Phillips 7DJ8) which remove the grain and add some warmth, but also sound a tad soft. Also bear in mind that the 912 is used as both a phono stage and a line stage, while I use the Superline and other solid state phono stages with my Exposure MCX preamp (which also has a cracker of an internal phono stage, but unfortunately fixed at 470 ohms), so again not really comparable. Overall I do prefer the Superline or Whest into the Exposure preamp to the 912, but the latter is growing on me.
 
I owned a superline, powered by four rails of dedicated superteddyreg, it was OK. I preferred the uphorik overall though. Moved on to better things since.
 
mbrian said:
I power my Superline with a Hicap DR into a 552. Sounds good to me. I replaced my irritatingly fragile 4-5 Hiline with the standard cable and prefer it to the Hiline.

S Tony, is there a diagram showing the DIN connector pin connections for a DIY Z foil solder job ????

Mike
Click to expand...
As Mr YNWOAN's posted. If you're still unsure, just dismantle one of the existing plugs, you'll see the two resistors soldered to the correct pins. When you're sure about the correct resistance for your cartridge, drop Texas Components an e-mail. They are, unsurprisingly, in Texas, but they're great to deal with and supply quickly. Incidentally, as long as no one's prone to fiddling round the back of the Superline, don't bother with the outer casing of the loading plug, just solder between the naked pins (they're easy to extract) and insert them in the correct sockets.

The Z-foils make a surprising difference, so well worth the few quid they cost.

You're not alone in preferring the Superline with the standard interconnect over the HiLine.
 
Although I don't use a Superline I would second the recommendation to use Z-foils for the loading resistors; I also found them surprisingly effective in this role :).
 
Likewise, we both use them in our current phonostages, in fact my entire RIAA correction is fitted with them.
 
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