Trying this att the moment. Couldn’t resist as I had both hicaps at home. They are both connected to a NAC82
I’ve heard the hicaps are supposed to be matched however that is done? And this surely isn’t a match. It sound ok though and will be interesting to see how it feels in a few days when I unplug the DR.
I’d try your 82 with either the Olive Hicap or the Hicap DR.
If you’re using both at the same time then you’ve got a different regulator version (they don’t have the same sonic signature) of Hicap driving each channel * - Hence the recommendation they be ‘matched’ when running two. Matched can be by type (ie DR, non DR) or when they are of similar age / service history.
*I’m sure I remember reading somewhere on here that the whilst the 282 is split L&R when using two Hicaps, the same applies to the 82, albeit the Tape Buffer power rails are swapped.
IIRC, on the NAC82 the gain stages are split L&R between the two Hicaps - one rail of each on the gain stages, the other rail doing the rest. Therefore, for optimum performance, it’s best to ensure the HICAPs are reasonably well matched.
`The 82’s circuits are split ultimately into front/back. So that’s [Phono(if used) + 729 stage ] + gain stage. One hicap powers all these for both channels when used; albeit with internal RC decoupling between each and every stage.
2 Hicaps make the fore/aft split happen. 1st Hicap powering both channels of [Phono(if used) + 729 stage ], one chanel per 24v rail; the 2nd hicap then powers both gain stages - i.e. provides separate 24v supplies to each`
I’m no electronics expert but looking at the internal layout there appears to be a left right split but only when the link plug is removed and 4 rails of power are being utilised.
Yes - that makes sense and that L&R split is clear on the 282, but I’m curious on the exact 82 configuration as there seems to be a few different (non official) opinions. Anyway the OP seems to like the DR / Olive mix so if they’re happy…