Been pondering the idea of adding a dedicated PSU to the pre amp section of my Nait XS2.
Funds presently do not allow me to purchase the esteemed Hicap DR.
So have been looking towards the flatcap XS, possibly ex demo or pre loved.
Looking at used/ex demo current prices, the flatcap XS is roughly less than half the price of a used Hicap DR.
Is the Flatcap XS a worthwhile upgrade for my nait xs2?.
What- if any changes could I expect to hear with the added Flatcap XS?.
Should I leave my XS2 as is?.
Would I be better off paying more than double for the Hicap DR?.
I once added a Flatcap 2X to my then 122x and CD5X and was delighted by the improvement that it made. There are many very contented users of the FC on their Nait XS2, and the Flatcap is the Naitās natural partner, rather than a Hicap. As ever, the way to know is to try one, though it can be a challenge if buying new.
I would skip the Flatcap. I once upgraded my XS 2ās pre-amp with a HiCap DR and it took it up a rung just as it does for a SN2 or 3. Remember itās the āDRā module that really lifts the XS 2.
When I had XS2 and a Stageline S, I compared Flatcap XS and Hicap DR, trying ALL the combinations of poweringā¦
For me, the Hicap made the XS2 sound āforcedā and almost showed up weakness of the Stageline. Using both the Hicap on the Stageline and Flatcap on the XS2 was an ear opener but beyond the budget available at the time!
I settled on Flatcap powering the Stageline directly and also the XS2. Lots of snaics and an additional interconnect but it was the most pleasing result. If you think about it, 4 power rails at my disposal to drive phono stage and pre-amp.
I liked flatcap xs on my xs2 and felt it was a better match than hicap dr and a definite improvement on bare xs. I kept the hicap on a stage line. The hicap seemed a bit too much and in your face presentation to me. I even tried a supercap dr on the xs2! which I was trialling on the preamp in the main system and didnāt like that either.
That was exactly my experience when I had CD5XS and Nait XS. The FCXS just made the setup a bit more musically communicative, ie. I enjoyed listening to it more, but did not change the fundamental character of the pair. However, adding a HC did change that character and not in a good way, to my ears. āForcedā is a good description, āmanicā was how one dealer described it in the forum.
OTOH the improvements from adding the Flatcap were incremental and modest and whether they,re worth Ā£1k has to be a personal decision. Sticking with the bare Nait XS, whilst saving for a SuperNait might also be worth considering.
Supernait 2 Iād probably lean towards. I imagine youād be more rewarded by that than any psu noodling on the XS.
Iāve owned most of these combos myself over the years as well.
Thanks for all your informative replies.
I am leaning more towards a trade in for a supernait 3.
Always loved the Naim sound signature but would like a slightly larger, more expansive soundstage.
After reading up on the supernait 3, it could give me the fast, dynamic nait sound I love but with a larger soundstage.
Oh the swarm of the SN. The flatcap was fairly worthless/invisible, especially given it took a rack space. I ended up trying a Hi-Cap later (non-DR) on my XS-2 and liked it in some respects, but I donāt think I could say it unequivocally improved things across the board. What you might seriously think about is matching and spending serious money on the source to the XS. I know this is repeated endlessly here and just as endlessly ignored because amplifier upgrades are easily accessible, but consider that if you are not lacking in power, your issues might be elsewhere. I had an Atom for a while and I actually think itās Naimās best product. Ignore prestige. pedigree and figure out what works for you.
Years ago, added a Flatcap to my NAC 90, yes worth every penny - NAIM wouldnāt make it, if they , their dealers and consumers didnāt think it made a difference. Naim are ruthless in culling unproductive models , so if a product has been around in one guise or another for around 30 years , you can draw your own conclusion
Some users have preferred the sound of the XS2/3 plus Flatcap over the equivalent SN
If you consult 100 experts you will get 101 opinions , there is only one opinion that counts- yours.
I had FCxs on 152xs and really liked the improvement. Tried a hicap DR and agree with previous comments.
Forced, unnatural, congested.
FC was more open, organised and musical.
I have upgraded from a NAIT XS 2 to a SN3 and all i will say is to go for it if you can afford one, and to forget about external PSUs for the time being.
I had the following combo for a while: Nait XS, CD5XS, FCXS. I was very happy with the system, the FC made it sound more refined (bigger soundstage, better definition) - I only bought an SN2 because the local Naim dealer made the sort of offer āthat you canāt refuseā, but which you actually can refuse.
This led to more power supplies, a CDX2, more cables, etc., the usual story. I sometimes wish Iād kept the XS systemā¦
