advertisement


Naim stage line N with Elys 1 on a Rega P3

Hififriend

Hififriend

pfm Member
Hello community.
So I decided to listen to his turntable, without traffic noise, in his bedroom.
Actually I prefer the sound to when it was connected straight to the phono input of a 1999 Roten RA-980 BX Integrated amplifier.

Actually the Planar 3 is connected to Naim Stage line N - Hicap to a Sudgen HA-4 (headphone amplifier used as Pre Out) and then in the Main In of the Rotel RA-980 BX.

Sound is quite amazing.

But the Hicap is not mine and I have to give it back.
So my question, Hicap or Flatcap XS or even Hicap or Flatcap Olive ?

Thanks a lot.
The vintage Hifi ambassador (YT)
 
Which ever one you can pick up for a reasonable price. Others may disagree and advise you change the turntable (old school thinking).
 
Hello.
It is a purple Elys from around 2002.
Yes I have to change to a Dynavector, Goldring, Ortofon, Grado, or even a Rega Ecact or Ania ...nope, too expensive :)
I'll spend 200 GBP max as I only have 120 records with 60% not in a good condition.

But I want as fast as possible listen to them now, so I need a suppy, and i-supply is out of question and they are rare.
So Flatcap XS or Hicap does not really matter and first I shall buy the new cartridge, but, as I am quite sure it sounds better with a supply, the same question will be a point again.
Conclusion: Flatcap Olive, Flatcap XS, Hicap Olive, Hicap 2 all would be an upgrade?

Thanks
Regards.
Tvha
 
Hello PerF
You did understand it in total. My error about Rega, for now staying with MM and Hicap has to go back to where it was, so in a few days no more power supply and I have to buy one now. I do not want to lose any sound, and as I never heard a flatcap, there are people telling the Flatcap is better than the Hicap.

So to be sure I do not lose any SQ, I just buy a Hicap and no risk.
Yes lots of people mention AT95.
Yes my Elys 1 probably has had around 30 +20 +15 +70 + 25 records played and 2 days turning at the end of a record when I forgot to
switch it off. Problem is vocals which sound a little distorted at some records. I suppose the 1 night or was it 2x 24 hours killed the Elys.

But about 105 records ago and after the mentioned incident, I took the Rega P3 to the dealer and he told me the cartridge and stylus were perfectly allright.
I suppose my records are all quite in a bad shape.
So Elys has 19 years and around max 160 + 48 records or "hours" played

I have no microscope to verify the needle :)
Thanks a lot
Please have a look at my latest Youtube video, there you see the Rega P3 in my fresh organized bedroom setup before I installed the stageline with the Hicap.
Time to say goodbye, Hicap will now be taken out.

Kind regards.
The vintage hifi ambassador
 
In my experience a Hicap is vastly superior to a Flatcap. It would be worth looking for one which has been serviced. Also CHC make great ones
 
Thanks to all, it will be a Hicap. Budget is 700 eur. And now I have to look in the classifieds, whatever that means :)
 
Hififriend said:
Please have a look at my latest Youtube video, there you see the Rega P3 in my fresh organized bedroom setup before I installed the stageline with the Hicap.
Click to expand...
Just as an FYI, getting your P3 off from that pile of kit should be a far greater priority than which power supply to go with your Stageline.

If you think that you will stick with a Rega deck, I highly recommend a Rega Turntable Wall Bracket, any version, they are all going to be far better than having a Rega atop a Rotel DVD player with amps either side.
 
Craig B said:
Just as an FYI, getting your P3 off from that pile of kit should be a far greater priority than which power supply to go with your Stageline.

If you think that you will stick with a Rega deck, I highly recommend a Rega Turntable Wall Bracket, any version, they are all going to be far better than having a Rega atop a Rotel DVD player with amps either side.
Click to expand...

A Hicap/Stageline with an old Rega P3 and 20 year old cartridge isn't likely to be a great partnership.
 
Craig B said:
Just as an FYI, getting your P3 off from that pile of kit should be a far greater priority than which power supply to go with your Stageline.

If you think that you will stick with a Rega deck, I highly recommend a Rega Turntable Wall Bracket, any version, they are all going to be far better than having a Rega atop a Rotel DVD player with amps either side.
Click to expand...

I suppose you mean this awful bloody black wall mount I took with me through 4 apartments I rent and never did want to put holes in the walls and now, yep, definately the last 10 days I reflected about fixing this awful thing over the white Ikea rack, and how I would cover everything from the particles from drilling...and then I have major issues as a perfectionist if the access to something is not "easy and comfortable". So the awful thing is 40 cm from the wall and the turntable now is 48 cm, so I will lose 8 cm in access comfort, which is acceptable :) Yes I stick with Rega for the next few years. Thanks. What's the best way to not see the RCA and the power cable pending down the wall, and what heigh from the ground would you propose that I mount the awful black thing. Ps: 2 weeks ago there was a 170 cm wardrobe there, so don't blame me for not having done it in the last 9 years in this apartment. Regards.
 
Guinnless said:
A Hicap/Stageline with an old Rega P3 and 20 year old cartridge isn't likely to be a great partnership.
Click to expand...
In fairness, he clearly stated 'sound is quite amazing' with his P3/Elys into Stageline/HICAP vs. straight into the phono section of his Rotel RA-980BX.

On the other hand, probably not the best allocation of funds should one be purchasing all new, however, he has the deck and the phono stage and simply wants to make the best choice wrt powering the latter.

Personally, I'd take an old olive FLATCAP (or even an i-Supply should one come along*) in the interim, saving the balance for a new Exact or sommat. In the meantime, I'd put the effort into optimizing the siting of the deck, and get the other loudspeakers out of the listening room. When the itch to spend more comes, I'd look to P6 or better before playing with expensive 24V alternative power supplies.

* IIRC, i-Supply requires use of the later Stageline with dual DIN sockets, as i-Supply strictly provides power via captive DIN5 cable and doesn't accept signal back to be passed along to pre/amp. Later Stageline have both a DIN4 and a DIN5 socket, wherein i-Supply plugs into DIN5, and DIN4 is then used to take signal out to amp.
 
It just seems a little crazy to me to spend £700 on a HiCap to service a Stageline (not an especially good phono stage), for a £200 cart on a Planar 3.
 
Hififriend said:
I suppose you mean this awful bloody black wall mount I took with me through 4 apartments I rent and never did want to put holes in the walls and now, yep, definately the last 10 days I reflected about fixing this awful thing over the white Ikea rack, and how I would cover everything from the particles from drilling...and then I have major issues as a perfectionist if the access to something is not "easy and comfortable". So the awful thing is 40 cm from the wall and the turntable now is 48 cm, so I will lose 8 cm in access comfort, which is acceptable :) Yes I stick with Rega for the next few years. Thanks. What's the best way to not see the RCA and the power cable pending down the wall, and what heigh from the ground would you propose that I mount the awful black thing. Ps: 2 weeks ago there was a 170 cm wardrobe there, so don't blame me for not having done it in the last 9 years in this apartment. Regards.
Click to expand...
Two things come to mind.
  1. Have the awful bloody black thing powder coated white.
  2. Use 2 x white plastic cable conduit tubes to enclose the Rega power cord and tonearm cables separately down the wall.
Re no. 2. above, such a shelf can be mounted such that the deck appears to be only one shelf up from the shelves below. One of my systems here had a Sound Organisatiön Wall Stand positioned one shelf space above and perfectly aligned with a 2-shelf Floor Stand below. Looked just like the 3-shelf Floor Stand that sat next to the 2-shelf.
 
Craig B said:
Two things come to mind.
  1. Have the awful bloody black thing powder coated white.
  2. Use 2 x white plastic cable conduit tubes to enclose the Rega power cord and tonearm cables separately down the wall.
Re no. 2. above, such a shelf can be mounted such that the deck appears to be only one shelf up from the shelves below. One of my systems here had a Sound Organisatiön Wall Stand positioned one shelf space above and perfectly aligned with a 2-shelf Floor Stand below. Looked just like the 3-shelf Floor Stand that sat next to the 2-shelf.
Click to expand...

Yep I just had a look at some pictures where the wall mount (not sprayed to white) was around 25 cm over the last gear and even the cables then do not bother much as 1. without cables no music, so you have to love cables and 2. perhaps it could be beautiful

This week-end I try out the stageline with the Hicap without Sudgen and the Rega directly to the RC-990 pre with a RB-980 Bx power amp to find out thje ratio of importance of the Hicap vs Sudgen. It's a pity that I can't run the stageline directly in the Sudgen. Yes my strage line N has 2 Din as otherwise I could not listen it with a Hicap as someone told me the Din from the Nat 02 is only for signal and I could not hook it up to a Hicap. I suppose it's the same with .... euh no, it is not, I just read that old Stage line with 1 Din can have a Flat Cap ... well that's over my comprehension then. If the mount is close to other components (of course Rotel DVD is switched of when I listen to turntable, but of course vibrations from ground and shelf to the Rega P3), the black colour does not annoy me. I thought I have to mount it on heigh of my chest, mea culpa. Regards.
 
Craig B said:
In fairness, he clearly stated 'sound is quite amazing' with his P3/Elys into Stageline/HICAP vs. straight into the phono section of his Rotel RA-980BX.

On the other hand, probably not the best allocation of funds should one be purchasing all new, however, he has the deck and the phono stage and simply wants to make the best choice wrt powering the latter.

Personally, I'd take an old olive FLATCAP (or even an i-Supply should one come along*) in the interim, saving the balance for a new Exact or sommat. In the meantime, I'd put the effort into optimizing the siting of the deck, and get the other loudspeakers out of the listening room. When the itch to spend more comes, I'd look to P6 or better before playing with expensive 24V alternative power supplies.

* IIRC, i-Supply requires use of the later Stageline with dual DIN sockets, as i-Supply strictly provides power via captive DIN5 cable and doesn't accept signal back to be passed along to pre/amp. Later Stageline have both a DIN4 and a DIN5 socket, wherein i-Supply plugs into DIN5, and DIN4 is then used to take signal out to amp.
Click to expand...

Looking for an i-supply for over 1 month now and I do not want to buy a HP printer power supply and change the leads, not able to and a Non Naim solution. The Hicap I would purchase could also serve me for powering my Nat 05 XS or connecting 2 Hicap to my Nac 282 or ...well I quite like narrow hifi gear. Yes I'm testing out which speakers I prefer and in the end all the other pairs (actually 2 pairs are in the cupboard (built in the side wall) of the bedroom) and 1 pair will be installed in my office hifi room with Revox & Co. So good to know that it does not matter if olive or newer series, as that made me quite a headache. Thanks so much dear Craig B, I feel so many energy that you really want to help me out. Love that! I had 2 surgeries and I am no more able to carry heavy gear, so I transport everything with a Skateboard and because of pandemy, I do not want friends to help me out. To move the Hicap is absolute limit and I feel bad afterwards because of allegations I should not lift anything. Kind regards.
 
Craig B said:
Your are welcome, @Hififriend.

Please do take care of yourself first, the hi-fi can wait.
Click to expand...

The purchase of Naim gear 11 years ago was when my neighbours were a very old lady in the side apartment, near deaf, a nice couple above me who were often out and under me a rich belgian fellow who was there only 2x/year. So I got the gear and the only minor thing was that the bass sounded awful because of the floor. Jazz sounded only a little better compared to now as the room was 10 m2 bigger but rock or metal never sounded good because of Naim-horn combination.

The Hi-Fi waited for around 9 years now as after I listened to my main system once with a sing song writer from Germany (Natas loves you), my neighbour (side apartment) a doctor rang at my door, looked me in the face around 19:00 o'clock and said: "Come on, what's that for". So I respected him and very sporadicly only listened to jazz or classic at very low volume as only after 23:00 the traffic noise does no more disturb me.

Then my neighbour over me with 2 babies in the apartment over my head did not accept any music, so again I did only listen carefully and the new doctor is much more understandable and his wife, also a doctor (side apartment) sometimes listened very loud music at Saturdays and she told me she does not hear very well.

So now without babies over my head, without a doctor knocking at my door I could listen loud, and since beginning of pandemy I have a slight tinnitus because of Lotus alarm with closed garage. So last chance to enjoy Hifi as I do not know what the Tinnitus will become. I could get a house but that's so much work, so I do not want one. After pandemy I will sell around 20 hifi components and perhaps I will be in the mood to ask a specialist to help me out finding the best fitting high end gear and changing my listening rooms. We'll see.

Now it's time to listen to the music at a level where my Tinnitus is glad and where the former doctor would already ring at my door as music is emotion, and emotions demand a certain level of volume :)
 
Last edited:
Tim Jones said:
It just seems a little crazy to me to spend £700 on a HiCap to service a Stageline (not an especially good phono stage), for a £200 cart on a Planar 3.
Click to expand...
Yep, your reflection is logic. My logic could be, after a long record listening period, to connect the Hicap as a 2nd Hicap to my Nac 282 to get a little more "spacious sound". I do not know if a Rega Elys 1 was worth 200 Gbp :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top