Hi all,
I currently run my 282 with 1 x Hicap and the required Napsc. I am not looking at upgrading to the 252 any time soon but looking at the option of adding another Hicap. Could anyone who has done this please advise if any noticeable improvement or is it very minor ? Or is the Supercap a better option even if not necessarily upgrading to the 252 in the near future or ever. Thoughts would be most welcome.
Many Thanks
I’ve recently bought a 282 and after listening chose a Supercap over the Hi Cap as IMO it was a considerable improvement.
If you are considering upgrading you would save money in the long run by going for a Supercap as you’ll need one for the 252.
Agree with JohnF. I did try 2 * Hi Cap with my 282 but it was a long time ago. I went for the Supercap in the end as it sounded better to me but also fitted with a planned upgrade to a 252. As it happens I’ve not upgraded to 252 but still happy I went with the Supercap.
Not everyone likes the SC on the 282. I’m not in that group but thought I’d be honest and let you know there are more than a few people who feel the 282 sweet spot is the single HC.
As for the power supply options on a 282, my dealer aptly put it like this:
As above, two Hicaps didn’t add much but the Supercap was a good step forward.
If your profile is up to date you could also look at changing the XPS to a 555 as the next upgrade.
Hi Jack, I was interested to see your comments regarding a supercap as like me you have a 282/200 combo. I bought a hicap second hand when I still had a 202, and it works very well with the 282. What sort of degree of uplift is the supercap over the hicap with 282/200. For my next upgrade I had not considered going supercap first but rather a 250 or even 300.
Andy
I run my 282 with 2 hi-caps and there was an improvement in terms of definition etc. However, whether it was a large improvement is very much a personal thing, what I consider an improvement some may not hear, others may think it’s night and day. Best to try for yourself. It may be worth upgrading the cable ‘twixt pre and HC instead.
FWIW I will be auditioning a Supercap at some point to see if it’s a worthwhile upgrade but they’re not cheap !
Thats another option under consideration. See how many pennies I have available next year!
I have two Hicap Dr on my 282, improvement was enough for me to purchase and be happy. Mainly in definition, sound stage and especially in base registers.
+1
Did the same and having the same experience. For me small improvement but noticable.
Supercap is next step when funds allow it. 
I have 2 HiCaps for my 82. I simply cannot afford or justify the cost of a SuperCap. And unless you go upwards even further, to 52, or 252, the SC’s outputs and capabilities are not fully utilised.
I found adding the 2nd HC to be a nice overall improvement - more ‘spacious’ mainly - and didn’t cost me very much (as it was Olive, pre-loved).
Ultimately, its the buyers choice. But - there is an inevitable tenancy for people to justify whatever it is that that person finally bought… 
Human Nature.
I did one HCDR then 2 & then SCDR. My experience was each step was a step up but not what I would call a massive difference. My plan is to eventually go 252, so adding the SCDR was just planning for the eventual upgrade. If I was sticking with a 282, not sure the SCDR would be your best value for $, but at the same time, if the rest of your system is where you want it to be, with no plans of upgrading a SCDR can bring the 282 to its ultimate level.
I’m another on this journey. Started with my 282 powered by a 200, then one Hicap, then 2 and now a SC
There is a fairly discernable improvement at each step I found - including from one Hicap to two, I certainly wouldn’t dismiss this. There is a further improvement in going from 2 Hicaps to a Supercap but it isn’t ‘night and day’ and you are only utilising a fraction of the Supercap using it like this. If - like me - you eventually see yourself getting the 252 then the SC is a sensible purchase but if not it is expensive - especially as you will need two Snaics to connect it to the 282. I certainly wouldn’t dismiss the option of 2 Hicaps longterm.
To be honest Andy, I can’t remember it was a long time ago. It was definitely an improvement over 2 * Hi Caps but IIRC the Supercap purchase was definitely influenced by the fact that I fully intended to upgrade to a 252. I would expect you will notice a difference with 2 * HiCaps and again with a Supercap but unless you are planning a 252 in the near future maybe 2 *HiCaps would suffice. I guess it depends on funds and how much you can get the HiCap and Supercap for.
Thanks Jack, There are quite a few different routes to take for the next upgrade. Supercap/2nd hicap, a 250 or 300, or maybe even a 555. I don’t see a 252 in the near future so thats a factor to consider. I haveonly just acquired an ndx2 and for the moment I’m really enjoying that. It has exceeded my expectations!
Indeed…that’s a very nice system you have there Andy, sometimes it’s nice to take the time to enjoy what you have and forget about upgrades for a while (if that’s possible 
)
Definitely worth trying out all potential upgrades in your room though, personally I find the 282/200 seems to fit with my room nicely even though I’ve tried the 250 multiple times and most all agree it’s a good upgrade from the 200. The 555PS was definitely a nice upgrade from the XPS when I tried it but I ended up spending the funds elsewhere as it’s quite a jump in price especially when you have to add the 2 cables on top etc.
I think system matching to the room is important. My room is quite small about 4 x 3.5m, so home audition of power amps particularly would be crucial I feel. Before anything else I think I should upgrade cables. The dealer who installed my ndx2 felt that the shawline speaker cable was not bringing the best out of my system. I’m thinking of TQ black or phantom both of which seem very well regarded
I found a second HiCap (non DR) to be very worthwhile. You can always trade the 2 HiCaps against a Supercap if you eventually take that road. That’s the great thing with Naim - you can always recover a good proportion of the initial cost.
Thanks for all the replies today. Quite a few in favour of 2 x Hicap and then also quite a few with the Supercap. Fair play to Naim, very clever little area of upgrades here… Time to listen to some music using the 1 Hicap for the moment and give the upgrade some thought maybe.
Have a great weekend.
It’s worth bearing in mind that Hicaps need to be closely matched on the 82/282.