I went from the first version of the Nait XS to 202/200, lived with this for 7 years and then to 282/200 and finally 282/250DR. I have both 282/250DR and 202/200 for about 2 years before I sold the latter. In my experience the 282/250DR is a massive improvement over Nait XS in many areas with my Harbeth SHL5s.
As others have suggested, I would say give it some time. I’m not sure if the Supercap still improve things but the match between the 282 and Hicap DR is very nice. If it doesn’t improve things then perhaps look at the source.
I would surely agree with this. I would also add that making small changes to the system will further improve the sound of the new system and enhance the listening experience.
I believe you need to adjust the speakers placement since you will hear much more information from the newly acquired nac282. When I added a hicap into my 282/200 then, they sound congest with the earlier speaker placement.
From what I’ve read on this Forum numerous times, I agree with @CrazyRiver , that a pre-owned nDac for the ND5 XS2 would be the most affordable upgrade to the source part of your system. And you can add a separate PS to it for additional SQ upgrade.
I think you just need to give it some time to be honest. The step to 282 is significant (when I went to mine it was from a SN2) and besides the fact that it took the unit a little while to settle down (it was pre-loved) it also took me a little while to adjust. So I’d suggest you give that some time before jumping to conclusions or changing something else.
Which leads me on to the SuperCap, which is an excellent PSU for the 282 and although opinions are split here, i definitely preferred it to HiCap. However, I knew I was going to go to 252 (and since have) so it made sense. Is that your intention too? I ask because if it’s not really on the radar I think your funds would be better spent elsewhere, most likely on the source. I too had ND5XS2 and found the step up to NDX2 was significant.
Don’t know if you’re locked in on the SuperCap but if not I’d seriously think about whether it’s the right move right now.
Goodness me. It is two hours old and people are spending more of your money!
Be patient, use it and wait for it to settle down, it will change in all sorts of ways over maybe a month, and it would be crazy to spend more until then
My money is on the Scap being better for sure, but source limitations are going to be holding you back in that system, and will be more clearly revealed I think. Doesn’t mean you might not get to really enjoy it as is when it beds in.
Patience, and one step at a time, and demo well burned in items, ideally at home. There are a variety of ways to go here, and some expensive ways that might not deliver.
The problem you have here is that you have three sources that, while fine with your previous Nait, are hopelessly outclassed now you’ve introduced the 282. You already have an excellent power amp in the 200DR and similarly good speakers. The 282 is simply opening the window and because the sources aren’t good enough, their limitations are showing up. System building is all about balance, and you’ve unbalanced it.
One immediate improvement you can make is to ditch the Flatcap and run the 282 directly from the 200DR, which has a better preamp power supply. Then just use it for a few days and let it all settle.
You are clearly aware of the potential for the Supercap to make things worse so I wonder why you’ve decided to upgrade in the way you have. Do you already have plans in place for a significant source upgrade? If not, it’s probably best to cancel the Supercap and put the money into sources. The Supercap brings big improvements to the 282 and makes a lovely preamp.
If you have the necessary funds, you should be looking at either an ND2/XPSDR or a really good Dac for the ND5XS2, or significant upgrades to the turntable and CD player, dependent on how much you use them. A 250DR wouldn’t go amiss either if you want to get the best from the B&Ws.
I went from Nait 5Si and CD5Si to an 82, Hicap and 250. I had the ND5XS and the CD5Si and LP12. I wasn’t happy until I upgraded my sources significantly to NDS with 555PS, CDS2 with XPS and upgraded the LP12.
You’re amplification is too good for your sources. You had a balanced system before. I would ditch the CD player completely, get a RP10 and add an nDac and power supply to the ND5XS2. Or get an NDX2 with XPSDR or 555PS.
It’s alot of money to make the changes. If you do one thing you quite often have to make alot of changes to get things to sound balanced. The 282 will reveal the weak points of your sources.
I got to the point while I was upgrading sources where I wouldn’t use certain sources as they didn’t sound as good as others.
I also added a separate DAC to my ND5XS. It improved things but the NDS blew it away.
With three sources you might be advised to go to one or two instead.
Going from a flatcap to a highcap on my 282 relaxed the sound but still with that rhymic signature, the flatcap made it a bit tense. At the time I ran a CD5x and a superlined (from the 282) Townshend Rock/DV17D2. The move to supercap came after adding a 555ps to my CDX2 so it’s hard to imaging what it would do with a lesser source. I suspect I’d have better put the supercap on the superline and kept the hicap on the 282 but I didn’t make that move until after I’d retired the 282 and the supercap became spare. In hindsight supercapping the 282 overegged it with the speakers I was using (Thiel cs1.6 and then Naim NBLs) but that’s speaker dependent, I demoed Kudos with hi and supercaped 282/250-2 and there supercapping the 282 was the right choice.
I don’t understand the need to change anything yet. The great Lord Naim designed the 282 to sound at its best with a hicap. Try that first for a month. If you then still feel that the system is unbalanced speak to your dealer and borrow a better source just to find out whether your paltry streamer is the problem, or whether you now are hearing all the tempo and layering that the 282 brings. You may gather that I suspect it is the latter, rather than a poorly mismatched source. It is of course true that all sources can be bettered, but if that isn’t the core problem then you are just chasing after someone else’s dream set up.
Yes, that is the cheapest start, but I still feel the 200 would be better served by not having to power the 282, just as the 282 would be better served by its own power supply. I din’t know that about the 282 being designed for two hicaps. Is this what Naim dealers in the UK recommend?
It’s just the upgrade path - one rail from a power amp amp with a preamp supply, 2 rails from a single Hicap rising to 4 rails from dual Hicaps (or a Supercap). Next step would then be a 252 which can fully utilise the Supercap via the Burndy and Digital PS connections.
Yes I know its possible, I run my 82 with a Supercap. However the starting point for the OP is to get the best he can from the 82 in a ‘standard’ format, a baseline if you will, before looking at upgrades.
An ND5xs2 plus a Hicap/282 plus a 200DR is a fine system.
I just did 202 to 282 and 200 to 250DR and cannot relate to the problems of the OP. Guess my source (CD5XS/nDAC with XPSDR) must be “good enough” (?). Cannot justify SC and would create siting problems
I didn’t notice nothing of that, when I had a Qute2 acting as a streamer connected to 282+hicapdr+300dr.
Even a old FM tunner plays rigth.
Changing the sources before solving the pre-amp combination and its sinergy with the speakers can equate to other questions to solve before adressing this one.
