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Naim HiCap vs Teddy Pardo TeddyCap

Avondale TPR4 into a Hicap is the best option for me as it really keeps the Naim sound signature and improve the sound quality from top to bottom making it more musical and natural IMO. Better separation between voices and instruments as well.
 
kensalriser said:
I paid full price for the 102, had it from new! But 102 plus Hicap is now approximate value to an 82. If I was starting with cash, I think I'd go for the latter.
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A HC would still be a good move. 102/HC/180 will IMHO sound better than an 82/180. From a 102/HC/180 you can then later replace the 102 with an 82 for another jump in quality.
 
say it as it is said:
I have a Nac 72 with full RSL boards, power amp is Avondale 260z, so trying to assess best option for power supply. I have a Sonic Bliss( teddycap clone) that I previously found to be very good. I also have a DIY build hicap clone.

So now there is a mix of RSL and Avondale what the best option, Avondale TPR4 regs into the hicap? Or the RSL PSM-1 or go the whole hog and fit the full RSL PSM-2. Or would a new Teddy cap offer more? I know its possible to have the 72 altered to use a supercap but with the RSL boards am not sure there is much benefit rather than a decent power supply?

If my logic is wrong please feel free to correct me.

ideas and suggestions please or who has used any of the above options with an RSL'd 72
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Ok ...so similar setup to yourself
72 with full RSL remote cards
Avondale amp (similar spec to 260z)

My 72 has a DIY hicap with AWSR boards feeding two separately earthed supplies into it

Now my thoughts....any GOOD power supply is ok with the RSL cards (with their own on board regs)
To get the best out of your system you need to optimise everything else.

To that end I have a Naim NDS with 555ps as my streamer and Kudos super 20 speakers at the other end.
All cables are mid range chord
Speaker cables are tellurium q black
Rack is naim fraim

So there you have it...be happy the 72 is singing it's heart out...make sure everything else is in place
 
say it as it is said:
ok going off tangent a bit but looking for advice here

I have a slightly different question.

I have a Nac 72 with full RSL boards, power amp is Avondale 260z, so trying to assess best option for power supply. I have a Sonic Bliss( teddycap clone) that I previously found to be very good. I also have a DIY build hicap clone.

So now there is a mix of RSL and Avondale what the best option, Avondale TPR4 regs into the hicap? Or the RSL PSM-1 or go the whole hog and fit the full RSL PSM-2. Or would a new Teddy cap offer more? I know its possible to have the 72 altered to use a supercap but with the RSL boards am not sure there is much benefit rather than a decent power supply?

If my logic is wrong please feel free to correct me.

ideas and suggestions please or who has used any of the above options with an RSL'd 72
Click to expand...
I have full RSL in my NAC72 right now, powered by TeddyCap, with a stock NAP140 amp. I do have a HiCap though prefer the Teddy (sonically at least). Haven't heard any of the modded power supplies yet, though powering the 72 with a SuperCap does seem a bit over the top.
 
say it as it is said:
ok going off tangent a bit but looking for advice here

I have a slightly different question.

I have a Nac 72 with full RSL boards, power amp is Avondale 260z, so trying to assess best option for power supply. I have a Sonic Bliss( teddycap clone) that I previously found to be very good. I also have a DIY build hicap clone.

So now there is a mix of RSL and Avondale what the best option, Avondale TPR4 regs into the hicap? Or the RSL PSM-1 or go the whole hog and fit the full RSL PSM-2. Or would a new Teddy cap offer more? I know its possible to have the 72 altered to use a supercap but with the RSL boards am not sure there is much benefit rather than a decent power supply?

If my logic is wrong please feel free to correct me.

ideas and suggestions please or who has used any of the above options with an RSL'd 72
Click to expand...

Kit Ryan (RSL) did a preamp for a bit, he felt there was benefit in three levels of regulation, the outboard PSU, inside the pre, and then separate regulation on each of his boards.

I have tried a hicap, a hicap modified with a TPR4 (I know I am out of line with accepted wisdom on this, but it did almost nothing for me ... but then I run Avondale separation of power and signal and RSL MagicPower cards so perhaps just a external PSU based on the same old LM317 does little for me) and then took Kit up on the ZapCap loaner. The RSL ZapCap was better in every respect in my opinon. In particular it got rid of that low to mid bass one note bloom the Hicap and TPR4 seem to have, giving better definition and tighter bass. I did not want to spend on the full ZapCap nor lose the Olive look so I opted for the PSM-1 and got most of the ZapCap I felt. Kit uses a modern LT regulator and not a LM317 with tracking pre regulator. I think this is significant. I would not extrapolate my experience outside of a 72 with RSL MagicPower cards, but in that set up, I would recommend you follow Kit's route. Not sure if he is still selling the ZapCap, even if he is, there are other options you may prefer: The ZapCap is really a PSM-2 with a smaller toroidal transformer than a Hicap, you can get someway there with a PSM-1 in a Hicap, you can get almost all the way there with a PSM-2 in a Snaps or FlatCap.

An alternative way to do things is to contact WitchHat as I know they were keen to expand their 82 modifications to use more of a SuperCap to move 82 into 52 league to a 72 modification too. I don't know if anybody has yet taken WitchHat up on that offer. Personally I would prefer local regulation to external regulation, but Naim would disagree hence the SuperCap etc, so a Naim-ish view of how to better a 72 would be WitchHat "doing a 52 SuperCap" heap of separate external regulation on a 72.

If you want a TPR4 I have mine going spare ... I know I am alone and lonely in my view on TPR4 view so feel free to offer me pfm love money for mine :)
 
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