Hello
Need your opinion about comparison of NAC-112X vs NAC-122X
- which is better in sound quality
- what is main differences between them ?
thank you
The NAC122X was brought out as an upgraded replacement for the NAC112X.
Hope this helps, BF
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122X is better but both are entry-level preamps in the hierarchy.
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Which is correct, but they can be very nice for the money if used in a balanced system using e.g. a flatcap to power both preamp and cd player and some easy loudspeakers like the iota alphas.
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As you will have now found out on the web, the main difference is with the motorised Alps volume control that the 122x uses for lower noise and better overall performance than the resistor ladder control of the NAC 112x. The 122x is probably the best entry-level preamp built by Salisbury. It is even argued that it was better than its successor the 155 XS.
I had a 122x/FC2x/150x combo for a few years before I went to 252/250.2. I just loved the slim line combo and kept it for years before I reluctantly let it go as I could not justify keeping it anymore.
Go 122x and avoid 112x if you can.
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thank you, I’ll go for NAC-122X, do the Flatcap 2X make a huge differences in 122X/Flatcap2X/150X ?
The FC2x or FCXS, exactly the same product except for fascia, frees the 150x from sharing its power supply with the 122x. It brings transparence, a more relaxed presentation, and a bit more details. Well worth it at current S/H prices.
The Flatcap 2x makes an enormous difference to the 122x. I had 122x, FC 2x and 150x for several years and really enjoyed it.
On a number of occasions people have said that the Flatcaps could easily have been squeezed into a half sized case. However, they fail to recognise that using an existing case design is much better value (a small case unique to the FC would cost much more) and there are also benefits to be had spacing the transformer away from the rest of the circuitry. Quite apart from that, you wouldn’t have a nice visual match when all put together.
On the latter point I recall during my time as Naim’s export manager lobbying on behalf of some distributors who would have liked to offer a full width Hicap, mainly so everything matched visually. I argued that the full width casework wasn’t that much more expensive over the half width case and I remember Roy speculating that it might even sound better due to being able to space things out more, particularly the transformer. I thought there was space for a kind of dual Hicap (a Hicap version of the FC2) that would fit between HICAP and SUPERCAP. Needless to say, it never happened… 
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