Best use of equipment

Hi-Fi Corner
1

I’m looking for some advice please. I have a NAC202, NAP200, with a CD5, FlatCap 2, ND5XS, XP5 XS, HI CAP DR, Stageline S, Headline and 2 x NAPSC. Speakers are a pair of SBL’s.

Currently I have the NAC202 powered via the NAP200 along with the NAPSC and the HICAP DR. The ND5XS is powered via the XP5 XS, and the Headline via the other NAPSC. The Stageline is off the FlatCap2 which is also powering the CD5.

Whilst I’m happy with the setup, I wonder if I have the most optimal configuration, I’d love any thoughts on alternatives.

Many thanks for any words of wisdom / experience.

Thanks

2

Welcome to the forum. It may be the way it’s written, but are you saying you have the NAP200 powering the NAC202 along with the NAPSC and the HICAP?

3

I am yes - that was what I was advised to do.

4

OK, then that’s not correct. If you have both the NAP200 and the HICAP connected to the NAC202 at the same time then performance is impaired and it can also over-stress regulators. Connection of the NAP200 should be to the HICAP from where it take the pre-amp signal. See the connection diagram below;

Screenshot 2024-08-06 at 19.28.25
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5

Further things to look out for; As you have a Naim CD player as well as a Naim Streamer connected to the NAC202, make sure the earthing switch on the ND5XS is set to “floating”, that way you will avoid having two sources with a signal to earth connection connected to the pre-amp at the same time.

Also, have you tried dedicating the Flatcap to powering the analogue output of the CD5 and using the powered AUX2 socket on the NAC202 to connect and power the Stageline? Might be worth trying so the Stageline gets some benefit from the HICAP DR and also from one less i/c in the signal path. The CD5 should sound better too. See how you go here as it may be better as you already have it, but worth trying anyway.

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6

So I think ( and I will check now) this is how I’ve got them connected. Is this correct, I should have been clearer in my explanation?

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7

Thanks I’ll give that a try. and thanks for taking the time to reply.

8

It should be connected like this (here’s a later connection diagram);

Screenshot 2024-08-06 at 19.42.57
Screenshot 2024-08-06 at 19.42.57838×722 142 KB

SNAIC5 between NAC202 and HICAP (banded end closest to the NAC202), AND SNAIC4 between HICAP and NAP200 (banded end closest to the HICAP).

2 Likes
9

Going to have to dismantle it all at the weekend and double check everything, but good excuse for a clean as well.

1 Like
10

The other think to note is that a Hicap should only power one thing at a time. So the Hicap powers the 202, along with a Napsc. The second Napsc powers the Headline; the headline does not connect to the Hicap at all.

11

Agreed, the HiCap is only powering the 202.

12

Fine, but your diagram shows it connected to the Headline.

13

Sorry that was the diagram I downloaded to show the NAP 200 connection. Again I will check when I strip it all down.

14

Hopefully once it’s all sorted out it will sound even better.

15

That would be amazing, it already sounds great so an improvement will be fantastic. I’ve just got back into Vinyl so adding in the Stageline and the TT made be just think if I’m making best use of it all. Thanks again

16

Connect via AUX2 on your preamp.

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17

better than the Flatcap 2?

18

I think it is a good idea to partially power the CD player from the Flatcap, on my system it did a good job at lifting the sound of the CD5.

19

Yes, it definitely gives the CD5 a good performance lift. However, it’s better when the Flatcap is dedicated to just the one item (CD5 in this case) than when it is shared.

1 Like
20

See my second post on the thread.

1 Like