TeddyCap vs HiCap DR for Naim Supernait2

[Patu]

Hello! I have owned all of Naim's power supplies and all of of Teddy's.

Here is my observation:

Teddy Power supplies:
flat sounding, wide soundstage,ultra low noise,light tight bass
low maintenance, cost effective,compact

Naim power supplies:
more dynamic,more air, fatter bass,more top end shimmer,"creamier",more depth ,more room decay,need recapping, hum from case,clumsy

It boils down to components,room acoustics,etc.. I think adding any power supply to a SN2 defeats the purpose of having an integrated amp. But if going that route I would choose Hicap DR. The Teddy I tried didnt seem to improve the sound. It was just different.

I recently got used Teddy XPS for my Naim DAC and liked what I heard. It easily outperformed XP5XS in my setup. So naturally, I wanted to hear how TeddyCap would perform against my HiCapDR. Tried to look a used one for a while but ended up ordering a new one from Teddy when I couldn't find proper used one. I've had it now for ~two tweeks and I think I can give my impressions. I quoted mynameismike because his listing is somewhat accurate, but I disagree on few points.

First, TeddyCap isn't flat sounding. It does take vocalist further back to the soundstage while HiCapDR (and Naim sound in general) tends to bring vocalist very forward and in your face. But otherwise I feel there's more depth to the sound with TeddyCap. Soundstage is slightly wider with TeddyCap. And yes, it has very low noise, which shows as clearly smoother high end and simply no harshness in sound. Bass is tighter but at the same time it hits clearly deeper than with HiCap DR, so more reach and better dynamics with TeddyCap. HCDR has slighlty fatter sounding bass because of the Naim midbass bump but the bass sounds "one note" while there's clearly more depth, authority and nuances with TeddyCap. HCDR has more attack in sound and the famous PRaT is better with Naim. I wouldn't say HCDR is more dynamic sounding or with more air. Top end isn't airier but definitely "shimmier" and to my ear, harsher.

While TeddyCap isn't quite as fast sounding, it still keeps up even with the more complex passages and thanks to better bass performance, works clearly better with electronic music, which I listen to quite a lot nowadays. HCDR also sounds faster simply because the bass doesn't hit as deep. My biggest consideration was the performance with faster paced rock/metal music. This is Naim's forte and I do love what HiCapDR does on these albums. TeddyCap got clearly better around one week mark of burn-in while it first sounded slow compared to HiCap. I let it be for one week, then switched back to HiCap and did more comparisons and the difference wasn't that big anymore. I just played through Tool - Aenima, whole album on one sitting, and loved what I heard. Never heard the bass hit this deep and with such authority before. I really didn't miss the HCDR at all.

My setup:

Roon -> Chord Silver USB + Intona USB Isolator -> TeddyPardo U2S -> Belden 1694A -> Naim DAC + TeddyXPS -> Tellurium Q Black -> Naim SuperNait2 + HiCap DR -> NAC A5 -> ATC SCM40 v2

 

[Maxbertola]

Hi,

I think I could add my own impressions because they seem to match Patu's a lot while I also understand some of mynaimismike's.

In the last year I tried (either buying, or demoing in stores with known and tested ancillaries) HiCap2s, HiCapDRs, a freshly recapped and serviced old Supercap2 (mine) and a SCDR (in my dealer's store).

Having toyed around with all sort of Naim gear for the last 12 years uninterruptedly, I am sure I have clear opinions now. Yet, they of course are only opinions, not ideas or facts.

First, I want to say that a) I am not at all so sure that DR Naim PSUs are necessarily 'better' than non-DR; this is true for both the HC and the SC; and, b), that the SC2, even used as a HiCap – with just one output working – has brought improvements even to a SuperNait 2, over a HiCap (DR or not) and, of course, the bare amp.

That said, I left Naim PSUs and finally decided to try TP's. I am using a TXPS for my CDX2 and a TC Mk III for my SuperNait 1's preamp. As announced, it took a few weeks for the TPs to burn in properly, but now I think they 'sound' as expected.

Well, I agree with mynaimismike that the TCs' bass may sound 'lighter', but only because Naim PSUs have a famous bump in the lower region, due I suppose to the use of oversized transformers and capacitors: Naim evidently relies on the fact that any piece of gear must get any sudden amount of current whatever the circumstances. But the most notable thing I have noticed with the TCs (apart from their price, which is not very cheap in itself but I am ready to acknowledge that a), it's much less than the Naims' and b), very plainly put, if you price your products too sensibly, nobody will buy them) is that they have made the music as fast, as detailed, as structured but more refined, especially in the upper regions.

I have Ovator S-400s, and their 40mm BMR, crossed at 700 Hz with the woofers, cannot do the same things that the S-600's 70 mm BMR, crossed at 300 Hz, can; so it can show some occasional 'harshness', especially if the volume is turned up - as is always with Naim, unless one has the top gear or at least a NAC 252, the smoothest of their preamps.

The two TCaps have refined and illuminated this upper region without taking away anything in terms of detail and liveliness; and for me, it is a satisfying result alone, enough to make me not regret the change.

I won't use – I've never done it - expressions like 'day and night', 'veil lifted' and other similar audio babble, but the essential of the TCs – cleaning, filtering the current noise and lowering the ripple to almost zero – is easily heard.

It is also – and NOT a marginal aspect – about what music one listens to preferably: I play mostly classical, acoustic jazz, voices, songwriters: with this kind of music the slight 'supercharged' effect of the Naim PSUs is not necessary, whilst listenability, clarity, dynamics, a certain lightness of touch are infinitely better.

Just my opinion,
M.

 

[damy79]

Hi,

I think I could add my own impressions because they seem to match Patu's a lot while I also understand some of mynaimismike's.

In the last year I tried (either buying, or demoing in stores with known and tested ancillaries) HiCap2s, HiCapDRs, a freshly recapped and serviced old Supercap2 (mine) and a SCDR (in my dealer's store).

Having toyed around with all sort of Naim gear for the last 12 years uninterruptedly, I am sure I have clear opinions now. Yet, they of course are only opinions, not ideas or facts.

First, I want to say that a) I am not at all so sure that DR Naim PSUs are necessarily 'better' than non-DR; this is true for both the HC and the SC; and, b), that the SC2, even used as a HiCap – with just one output working – has brought improvements even to a SuperNait 2, over a HiCap (DR or not) and, of course, the bare amp.

That said, I left Naim PSUs and finally decided to try TP's. I am using a TXPS for my CDX2 and a TC Mk III for my SuperNait 1's preamp. As announced, it took a few weeks for the TPs to burn in properly, but now I think they 'sound' as expected.

Well, I agree with mynaimismike that the TCs' bass may sound 'lighter', but only because Naim PSUs have a famous bump in the lower region, due I suppose to the use of oversized transformers and capacitors: Naim evidently relies on the fact that any piece of gear must get any sudden amount of current whatever the circumstances. But the most notable thing I have noticed with the TCs (apart from their price, which is not very cheap in itself but I am ready to acknowledge that a), it's much less than the Naims' and b), very plainly put, if you price your products too sensibly, nobody will buy them) is that they have made the music as fast, as detailed, as structured but more refined, especially in the upper regions.

I have Ovator S-400s, and their 40mm BMR, crossed at 700 Hz with the woofers, cannot do the same things that the S-600's 70 mm BMR, crossed at 300 Hz, can; so it can show some occasional 'harshness', especially if the volume is turned up - as is always with Naim, unless one has the top gear or at least a NAC 252, the smoothest of their preamps.

The two TCaps have refined and illuminated this upper region without taking away anything in terms of detail and liveliness; and for me, it is a satisfying result alone, enough to make me not regret the change.

I won't use – I've never done it - expressions like 'day and night', 'veil lifted' and other similar audio babble, but the essential of the TCs – cleaning, filtering the current noise and lowering the ripple to almost zero – is easily heard.

It is also – and NOT a marginal aspect – about what music one listens to preferably: I play mostly classical, acoustic jazz, voices, songwriters: with this kind of music the slight 'supercharged' effect of the Naim PSUs is not necessary, whilst listenability, clarity, dynamics, a certain lightness of touch are infinitely better.

Just my opinion,
M.

Thank you Max for your nice explanation,
I'm in doubt to remain with my TXPS+CDX2.2 or change it with the XPSDR but I do not have the possibility to hear both at the same time for a comparison. The rest of my system is SN2+HICAPDR and KUDOS C20. After your explanation I think I remain with TXPS, I would avoid that voicing is much more in your face than TXPS. I would like only a bit more slam in the bass but I do not want to give up to the excellent mid range of TXPS.