I have got a Naim SuperUniti now. And I would like to step upward.
What I read and What are meet my plans NAC/NAP. I hear lot of CD on CD5x + HiCap 2, some time Stream (Tidal).
What are diferencences (tonal firstly). And what are the significant best then an other choice? In every situtation I need to buy a streamer (NDX, ND5 XS, ND5 XS2) it is an other game.
NAC202 + HiCap DR + NAPSC + NAP200
NAC282 + NAP200DR
NAC202 + HiCap DR + NAPSC + NAP250
I know the best would be the 282 + double Cap + NAP250ā¦ It is the future. I need to reach my first milestone now.
Please give me detailed information about sound qualtiy, and try compare togedher.
I read here lot of note with āit is more betterā, āendgameāā¦ yes but why, please account for your answer.
IMO, its not possible to answer your question. Your requests are too detailed and too specific. Its also unlikely that many will have done meaningful comparisons of the options you have listed.
Sorry. Being realistic.
Butā¦ as @paulbysea says, you could look at it from a āstrategicā view point. Where do you want to end upā¦?
Personallyā¦ having owned a 102 and an 82, I much preferred the 82. Soā¦ I would recommend your option 2 - 282/200. Orā¦ option 4 - 282/HC/250ā¦
The endpoint (and the next step) is depend on the future. Especially the momentarily financial situation. I wonāt close my ears to the change any of them in the future.
But I would like to produce the best from my budget. What is going to be the best choice if it would be the final step.
@paulbysea Iāve read tons of āpagesā in this topic. I think it is special discuss, and the threads are closing after 2 months. Unfortunately i couldnāt ask there.
And usually the entries of a comparison are not efficient, not included concrete details. āHighly recommendedā, āIt is best in everythingā, āthe difference is significantā and so.
I think it depends what would be more useful in your use case. Are your speakers difficult to drive or particularly power hungry (also consider if you might change them) in which case prioritise getting the best power amp you can. If your speakers are fine with less power Iād probably go option 2, you can always consider adding a hicap down the line. Of course it depends on your musical preferences and I havenāt listened to those exact options.
If it were me, Iād start with a 282/200. Then plan add a single hicap when funds allow and next a 250 DR. You can choose at that point if you want to replace the Hicap with a Supercap DR or go dual Hicap. Main thing is try to demo if you can as opinions are split regarding hicap vs dual hicap vs Supercap.
If it were me Iād get a Nova, which is much better than the SuperUniti, or a NSC222 and NAP250. If the NSC222 is too expensive and you are happy with the streaming capabilities of your SU, a 272 and 250DR would be a great compromise.
If you rip your CDs, you donāt need a CD player at all, which will save a bit of money and will reduce the number of boxes.
Dimensions (HxWxD) : 272mm x 396mm x 469mm;
Weight : 16 kg each
Sensitivity : 90,5 2,83V/1m
Nominal power handling : 80 W rms
Maximum unclipped power handling : 160 W;
Impedance : nominal 4,0 ohms;
Crossover frequency : 4000 Hz
Frequency response (in-room environment) : 40-25000 Hz
Drivers : 2,5cm silk dome tweeter, 183mm ER paper cone mid-bass driver
Iāve just looked these up. They look very nice indeed. The review did say that they are quite light in the bass, which probably suits the SU, as itās a bit bass heavy. The 200 is much leaner in sound, which may or may not suit.
Itās very important that your source is good enough, especially if you upgrade your amplifier. I wouldnāt match a CD5x with a 282 for example. Thatās why itās important to decide whether you really want to play CDs. If you do, and you were to get a 282/200, then you really need a better CD player.
Another option Iād consider is an NDX2 and Supernait 3. It will be hugely better than a SuperUniti and you can find them used at very good prices. It would give you the new streaming platform and a great amplifier, all in a nice simple package.
The 250DR is excellent, but youād need a 282 and Hicap. Iām not up to speed on CD players; Iād probably be looking at a NDX2 and a CD transport if you really need one. But with a 282/250 youād also need a better turntable. It all adds up, which is why I had the idea of a NDX2 and Supernait 3.
I can share my personal experience as Iāve tested some of the gear you mentioned. I canāt comment on the NAC282 and NAP250, unluckily Iāve never been lucky enough to hear them.
The CD5si was the source and the Totem Forests were the speakers.
First I tested the SN3, then moved to the NAC202 / NAP 200 DR / NAPSC, then added the HiCap DR.
The SN3 is a great all rounder, itās surely better than my Exposure 3010S2D, however I expected a much greater difference. For a touch more money the NAC202 / NAP 200 DR / NAPSC is a better choice, but I would say they donāt really set themselves apart from the the SN3 (I suspect thatās why many people here didnāt give much love to this combo). However itās a nice starting point for further improvements with a lot of flexibility.
Adding the HiCap DR opened the soundstage and gave more clarity and definition, that was totally worth it. I would say the HiCap DR is a must IMHO.
I would like to point out that in my test the source was the weak point of the chain. It would have been much better if I could use an ND5 XS2 or NDX2.
It depends where you want to end up. If you think it likely be your end game NDX/SN is a great solution, but if you think you might like to progress through the pre/power options 282/200 is a great place to start. HCs etc can come later.
Why donāt you begin with a Powerline on your SuperUniti? It will change the amp for the better at a very reasonable expense (compared to the other options). When you move to a better amp the PL will come in handy. Especially on a source.
