Flatcap 2

I just happened to have the Naim preamp manual open in front of me…

Yeah, that was probably it.

As per the manual, the prospect (and cost) of two hicaps on the NAC152XS makes me smile! But someone somewhere will have done it.

Nothing unusual about Naim PSUs costing more than the boxes they power, but yes, that does seem like a rather extreme example.

Hello everyone,
Thanks for your replies on my posting asking if it is possible to use an older FC2 (which has one 24v and one 22v rail) as an additional PSU in my NAC 152 XS and NAP 155XS which asks for two times 24v. Our dutch distributor Latham told me there would be no problem at all, Naim said it was not suitable. However it turned out like Latham and Mr. Richard Dane and others said, just fine. I had the FC completely revised and the sound with the FC2 improved significantly: better bass control, better spaciousness, more air and a blacker background. I am very happy with the result. So if you should be in the same position, you know what to do. Best regards, Robert

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Excellent. Thanks Robert for letting us all know it works well.

I have also been wondering what would happen if I tried to use both rails of my Flatcap 2 for the two 202 upgrade inputs, currently using just one

You can’t do that. Upgrade 1 needs a napsc, which delivers 18V. The Flatcap delivers 24v. For the 202 it’s a Hicap you want.

You can use both rails of a flatcap 2x and presumably an xs on a 282, using the NAPSC for the logic. The effect is a tightly focused and small soundstage, possibly the worst way to power a 282, even just using one output was preferable. I used this for a couple of years until I got a Hicap, which relaxed the sound in a good way but a purchase that was delayed by a superline and an Aro, neither of which I regretted getting first.

Thank you Yeti, I do yearn for a Hicap

Thank you hungryhalibut. A Hicap would be wonderful, but I couldn’t believe the improvement of adding the Flatcap to Upgrade 2 on the 202… it only took me 15 years to figure out it could be done (why the distributor who sold me all my boxes didn’t tell me this when I bought the 202 is anyone’s guess!)

Please get a NAPSC for your NAC202 if you haven’t already.

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The Flatcap is a very underrated bit of kit. The benefit of this is you can get lots of upgrade for not much money :blush:
Cheap to service too if yours is due.

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There isn’t much in a Flatcap 2. Which isn’t to say it’s not a decent upgrade.

Now, if you take a Hicap DR…

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That’s the non DR version (but for illustrative purposes it looks almost the same inside albeit with different regulators)

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For someone who uses a Pizza box you know a lot about Naim. It’s time to return from the Dark Side. This is a Hicap DR. Hopefully!!
image

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Having owned that model I can confirm it’s a decent upgrade on a 32-5 and CD3.5 :blush:

If you put the insides of a Flatcap in a Hicap box there is not that much difference…

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But no roomon the back for all those DINs and a power socket.