Replacement for Naim NAC72 with Ryan Sound Labs boards

[nap90]

Hi,

I have two systems:
Living room - CDS2/NAC82/1xHicap w TPR/2x135s, Kudos Super 20 loudspeakers
Hobby room - ND5 SX/ NAC72 with Ryan Sound lab innards / TPR hicap / 180 / SBL loudspeakers

The hobby room system was always miles better than the living room system - oodles more boogie and foot tapping. Recently i swapped out the 82 in the living room for the RSL 72 - and the boogie was back in the living room system. I really like what the RSL 72 does.

I would love to have the 72 back in the hobby room, so need a replacement for the 82 in the living room system that is better than the RSL72. What would i need to go for? NAC52? 252? or 552 even?

Kind Regards
Matthew

 

[JezmondTutu]

Avsondale Grad One / TPX2.

For reference, I had a 82 and preferred my 72 with Avondale 821A’s.

Bruv Sawney found my Grad One significantly better than his 72 with RSL boards.

 

[Gervais Cote]

The 135 were designed to fit with chrome bumper preamps so I would get another 72 and put some RSL or Neil Jadman’s boards.
Never heard an Avondale pre though.

 

[flatpopely]

821 boards sounded very nice in my 72 but the gain was way, way too low, when playing vinyl.

 

[JezmondTutu]

821 boards sounded very nice in my 72 but the gain was way, way too low, when playing vinyl.

Not in mine they weren’t, virtually identical to my K/S boards.

 

[JezmondTutu]

The 135 were designed to fit with chrome bumper preamps so I would get another 72 and put some RSL or Neil Jadman’s boards.
Never heard an Avondale pre though.

Have you been indoctrinated by Naim??

 

[colasblue]

What you actually need is a dual teddycap or teddy supercap for your 82.

The RSL circuits are essentially the same as the naim ones but with more local regulation and decoupling so a similar improvement can be had by improving the PSU and increasing the number of rails on other naim preamps. The 82 is very severely hobbled by running on a single HC (even if it's a TPR one).

Since you obviously have two TPR Hicaps see what happens when you put both of them on the 82 at the same time. That's likely to be a good indicator of how much improvement is possible/probable, but not the absolute limit.

 

[flatpopely]

Not in mine they weren’t, virtually identical to my K/S boards.

821 boards are unity gain. NAIM 321s not so.