I think @TOBYJUG was pulling your leg, as was I obvs.
When you tried the Luxman, did you try pulling the HCDR and plugging in the AC? Maybe that means the SN3 power amp would work as per your earlier question about using the AV input…
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Try switching the server mode on the Zen from Roon to UPnP…
I had a Zen MiniIII with LPSU and I was never entirely happy with it in ‘normal’ roon server mode - this was playing multiroom to my endpoints including Atom and Qb2 - seemed harsh - and the Qb2 was tiring to listen to for a few hours even in background.
It was better running the ‘experimental squeezelite’ mode to a single endpoint I could switch over (non-naim) to Squeezelite, but best of all as a UPnP server with all the devices (using Naim’s own multiroom for Atom and Qb2).
I have changed out the ZM3 now for a more powerful server running roon and the SQ on the Atom and Qb2 are a major step forward (‘less harsh’ might be a way to describe it). I have played the Qb2 all afternoon using roon, while working, and it is so much better with the more powerful server.
Bear in mind that the Intel PC motherboard and processor used by Innuos is a lower spec than the i3 that roon themselves recommend for a small roon server. When Innuos demo at shows they typically use the ‘experimental mode’ for Roon with direct USB output to a Chord Dave or TT2.
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You added the pre amp test post while I was writing that. The Burndy idea wasn’t offered as a potential cure anyway.
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Yes have to put the black cap back on… it’s really more of a jumper to join pre-amp to power amp. And of course make sure the SN3 and Hicap are OFF.
I’d also add that a Good power line conditioner with the level of gear you have would be a very good thing. There’s a lot of support here for the AudioQuest units. Niagara 1200, 3000, 5000… I’m a long time Shunyata Research user currently have a Shunyata Denali S6000 v.2…
If you want to stick with Solid State I’d suggest a Pass INT60 or the Smaller INT25 … I can very heartily also recommend my current amp which is the best Intergrated I’ve ever owned: The Aesthix Audio Mimas… If you go with a Mimas be prepared to wait. Hand made in California…
FYI I had a SN2 with a Hicap DR… in the USA the upgrade to Naim separates was silly overpriced
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So I have returned home with the black cap for the Supernait 3 and totally removed the HiCap Dr from the system and…
PROBLEM SOLVED
The sound is much more pristine and has lost the “thickness” the HCDR added, which now makes sense why it would add all the hash and noise in those complex passages, because it appeared to be beefing everything up. So when the mixes got busier the sound got noisier.
Is there a thing where the HCDR is not really recommended for the Supernait 3 versus the past SN and SN2s?
At any rate it either was not a good match or there was some kind of malfunction with the HCDR. I am leaning toward the former. However now I have quite a mess to clean up.
Thanks everyone for all your suggestions and advice.
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Could it possibly be a faulty SNAIC cable? FWIW I run a HiCap DR with my SN3 and it is sublime. Same source components as yourself.
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I am not sure - I wouldn’t know how to debug the SNAIC cables since I don’t have any available to swap out and experiment with. I do know the one cable (that does not ship with the HCDR) was bought new when I got the HCDR second hand. What kind of speakers are you using? Is it possible the “beefier” sound the HCDR offers could just be too much body for my 100dB sensitive speakers?
I don’t think it’s a beefier sound. The HCDR just gives you a better more stable power supply. Everything should be cleaner, quieter, smoother.
But I think I should leave now to people who have the SN3 and a power supply upgrade. I’m glad you have got to a much better place anyway.
Best
David
Can’t you go with your SN3 and Hicap to a dealer, and check all at his place ?
As says David, the sound should be cleaner, nicer and more open with the hicap on SN3. So something is wrong.
Could be then that there was something wrong in the connection or the unit itself all along then, because I have always noticed a thickening of the sound from the HCDR, from day 1. Figured that was the way it was supposed to sound, but I feel like I have heard or read elsewhere that the HiCap was not as essential for the SN3 and had wondered if it was too much of a good thing. I’d definitely like to send it in for service somewhere to see if there was anything wrong with it when I bought it.
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No I don’t have a local dealer, the closest is nearly 4 hours from here unfortunately.
Can’t you take one day of work to go to him? It’s a bit sad to have such costly equipment and not being able to profit of it.
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I haven’t read this very long thread recently, but you are bound to find some useful info about using the SN3 with and without the HCDR. Enjoy!
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I hate to keep using songs as examples, but as an example of the “thicker” sound I have always heard from the HCDR, “I’ll Be Over You” from Toto’s Fahrenheit album. I use these examples because they are universally known to be pristine audiophile recordings…
Anyway Jeff Porcaro’s rim shots and hi hat work in the first verse right as the song comes in. With the HCDR, those hi hats and rim shots always have a thicker, beefier sound that has always bothered me a little. Without the HCDR they are very clean and have the proper transients and more “studio-like.”
I did not buy the HCDR from that dealer unfortunately, I bought it used from Audiogon. But it is very difficult to make an 8 hour round trip to debug the HiCap. I don’t even know if they have any service in-house, they are a very small boutique retailer that does most business online these days due to Covid.
Anyway I am happy that I have tracked down my current problem and will deal with the HiCap service in time… for now I am happy to go without the HCDR as the sound finally is not noisy and distorted.
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Good on you! I’d just box up Hicap and send it off to Naim. That way when you get it back (send the snanics back with it) you can listen and determine if it’s better or worse with it or without, and you can move it on with a clear conscience that it’s ok.
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Glad you have made progress - which seems to be logical, too.
Either you just don’t like what the HiCap does to your system - or maybe something is wrong with the HiCap or the SNAIC connecting it. Both really need to be checked, IMO. Service only once problems understood.
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Thanks for everyone’s help over this weekend getting to the bottom of my woes…
It seems I am cautiously ready to say mission accomplished here, even to fixing the possible issue with the HiCap that was causing the distortion in the first place.
I did carefully do a full reconnection of the HiCap last night. When I unplugged it earlier I noticed that it was screwed down super-tight and almost at a bit of a cockeyed twist when I removed the SNAIC from the back of the Supernait.
While experimenting last night I did a real easy connection with the DIN and left the screw-down nuts completely loose. And the difference is pretty much night and day - the “thickening” of that intro to the Toto song is completely fixed now and the HiCap appears to be behaving as expected.
So it could be this entire fiasco revolved around a faulty connection with the HiCap. I did completely tear down this system when I acquired my Fraim back in November. It is very likely that when putting the Fraim together and reconnecting the HiCap into the system, because it is a little hard to connect from the back of the Fraim I did a faulty connection and that is what I have been hearing for the past 3 months that has been driving me mad.
At any rate, everything appears to be working wonderfully at this point so I will cross my fingers and hope for the best.
Thanks again to all for your assistance!
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“Check your SNAIC’s…” 
Perhaps yours may still need to go in the SNAIC Shaker… 
(you couldn’t make this up…)
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Hi I have a supernait 2 dr which is bedroom kit but I had it attached to klipsch Rf 7.11 speakers and also tried with b@w cm9 s2 speakers and like u a few songs I knew very well had a more scratchy sound on a certain guitar part that I had never heard before n tried on both sets of speakers and it turned out I tried different speaker cable… N that problem was rectified… Try switching Ur cables over n see if it is a dodgy cable hopefully it’s an easy fix for u
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Sorry just read Ur v last post glad all is good 
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