Hicap DR on SN2 or XPS DR on NDX2?

Hi-Fi Corner
44

I have redressed the cable. It now comes down from the NDX2, loops in a U shape and plugs into the XPS-DR. It feels looser than it was. It is not touching the wall or any other cable. I will listen and see if it makes a difference.

Burndy3
Burndy31512Ɨ2016 484 KB

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45

I asked at the beginning of this thread which was the better upgrade: Hicap DR on SN2 or XPS-DR on NDX 2.
After realising the positive effects of adding the XPS-DR to my NDX 2, I have now ordered a Hicap DR for my SN2!

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46

Ah yes the expected result. The forum keeps doing its thing. Nowā€¦ have you heard the 282?

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47

Ha ha! Itā€™s not the forum so much, but my ears! I heard the difference an XPS-DR did to my NDX 2. I can only imagine what a Hicap DR can do to my SN2.

As for the 282 and 250 combo; I know these are famous last words, but no! They are out of my budget.

Famous last words I know, but after the Hicap-DR, I am at the end of my road. No, really!

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48

My NDX + SN2 + HicapDR sounded great for eight years. Only the boredom imposed by covid (I havenā€™t left my home since February 2020) got me back into the madness.

Never heard the SN2 without a hicap but Iā€™m sure itā€™ll be a nice upgrade.

49

Iā€™m so curious to hear how you find the addition of a HiCap DR. I recently added an XPS DR to my NDX 2 and was astonished and delighted at how transformative a change that is. I, too, am running it with a SuperNait 2 so am thinking a HiCap could be my next upgrade as well. At this point, however, I am just loving the music coming from my system which is totally engaging. Please do post your findings.

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Thatā€™s a cracking system you have there Daniel and long may you have years of utter musical joy! I have the same system as yourself and have no urges to upgrade. Both the XPS DR and HiCap DR, in this system combined, really do lift things into the high-end. Enjoy! :sunglasses:

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51

When I had a NDX 2 > SN 2 I added a XPS DR to the NDX 2 and for me was a huge upgrade. I added the HicapDR 6 months later and it was moderate upgrade. My system, My room, My earsā€¦

JMHO - YMMV

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53

I will post my findings, count on it! :smiley:

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54

Thank you Stephen.

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55

Thanks!

56

I got my Hicap DR today, along with a Powerline and an additional Snaic cable to plug it into my SN2. Impressions to follow in the following days.

hicap
hicap1512Ɨ2016 344 KB

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57

Might take a month.

58

Is it worth buying Powerline for HiCap / XPS? Or is it better to choose a better DIN cable between SN2 / SN3 and NDX2 instead?

If someone has such experience, could you share your impression of the comparison:

  1. SN vs SN + PowerLine vs SN + HiCap vs SN + HiCap + Powerlines
  2. NDX2 vs NDX2 + Powerline vs NDX2 + XPS vs NDX2 + XPS + Powerline
59

My advice would be donā€™t even think about upgrading cables until you have the PSU upgrades in place. Even then, try the expensive cables before you buy them. There has never been a consensus here as to whether or not they improve anything.

60

Iā€™ve been down this road with a SN2, so I would say my preferred order for improvement versus costs is:

  • Add XPS DR to NDX2
  • Upgrade the DIN between the NDX2 and SN2
  • Add Hicap to SN2 (donā€™t know about the SN3 though)
  • Add powerlines to everything at once
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61

Please forgive me for asking the question I always ask: do you already have dedicated mains? This, in my view, come before Powerlines. Nice clean quiet mains makes a real difference.

The other question I always ask is whether you have a decent stand for the system to sit on? This generally makes far more difference than fancy cables.

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63

^^^
Amen. Dedicated mains will improve just about every aspect over any cable(s), IMO, and itā€™ll cost a lot less. Mitigating noise is the key Iā€™m coming to believe. It isnā€™t as glamorous or exciting as new cables or tweaks, but it is effective and accomplishes getting a huge leap closer to what weā€™re all setting out to achieve in the first place.

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64

Absolutely. Itā€™s quite often we read of people with Ā£100k systems running off the ring main. Dedicated mains is rather dull, but itā€™s one of the foundations for good performance.

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65

Hereā€™s the Official Katzky2021 ā€œAll Naimā€ Upgrade Path

Starting with SNx & NDX2

  1. Dedicated circuit for hifi
  2. Powerlines
  3. SL Din ā†’ Din
  4. XPS
  5. Hicap
  6. 282
  7. 250
  8. Fraim
  9. 555 PS
  10. Supercap
  11. ND555
  12. 252
  13. 300
  14. SL Din ā†’ xlr
  15. 552
  16. SL speaker wire
  17. 500

This is the one true path.

1 Like