Only one HC and two HC.
My comments from other thread were…
Current impressions are good with a nice uplift all round. Definitely getting a better soundstage and separation. Bass definition better too. My system (might be the speakers) can sound a little harsh on some recordings, but I think this has also been eased a bit.
Hope that helps.
Link to old thread is:
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In a word: thrilled. (I’ve got a non-DR 200 with a Hicap DR.)
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I think that there is a question over earthing with a single earth (for the supercap) and two earths (for the hicaps).
Apparently Naim were very particular about earthing arrangements and maybe this is part of the reason why a Supercap is preferred over two HiCaps.
Are… Am sure they still are… particular about Earthing.
For me, a 2 HiCap set up works (on an 82) - and was relatively affordable. Those with deeper pockets may prefer different solutions, as always.
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Having a second hicap on a 282 might break the principles of star-earthing, but connecting a Supercap to a 282 using two Snaics creates a ground loop because each Snaic provides it’s own path to ground.
When connecting to a 282, here are the connections used on the Supercap
Here are the sockets the Supercap connects to on the 282
Socket 1 on the Supercap connects to “Upgrade 1” on the 282. Socket 2 on the Supercap connects to “Upgrade 2” on the 282. Note both Supercap sockets include a 0v (or ground) connection. We know that the “Upgrade 1” socket must include a ground connection because that’s where a Hicap would connect to in the case of a single Hicap. It must also be the case that the “Uograde 2” socket must also include a ground connection because that’s the socket a 2nd Hicap would connect to and the 2nd Hicap wouldn’t work if it didn’t include a ground connection back to the 282. Just for confirmation though, here’s the wiring of the “Upgrade 2” socket.
(Green wire is the ground connection.
Is this dual connection for the ground path a serious issue? Well, here’s what the Forum FAQ on the the use of DIN plugs says about ground loops:
https://community.naimaudio.com/t/why-naim-use-din-connectors/63
Many manufacturers point to the great trouble they take to “star ground” everything. Sadly, this is all wasted when you connect your system together with RCA-plugged cables. Why?
When you connect, for instance, a CD player to a preamp with RCA-plugged cable, you automatically have two separate ground wires - the left and right shields going between them. This creates a ground loop, which degrades the musical performance dramatically, and negates any efforts that were taken to ground the internal circuits properly.
If you were to connect these same two components together with DIN-plugged Naim interconnects, you would have only ONE cable with only ONE ground shield surrounding both the left and right signal wires. Hence, only one ground path for each connection and no ground loop.
So there does appear to be a performance compromise here when using two Snaic connections from Supercap to 282. From my own findings comparing a HCDR to a freshly recapped Supercap-2, it was like the Supercap was two steps forward, sonically, but 1 step back musically. As impressive as it sounded, I just wasn’t getting the raw emotional involvement with the Supercap that I was with the Hicap. That’s why I did a bit of digging into the above. So after a bit of thought I arranged things so the ground loop didn’t exist, and bam, there it was, the involvement was back.
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Hi Allan - Yes, as you show in your post, there are two paths for signal ground (0v) connection between 282 and SC when using two Snaics. Loop area is minimised by keeping them close together which tends to happen naturally due to the socket layout on both products. I can see another approach could be taken but this would be outside the forum AUP. Can I ask what you did (as long as it’s not cable mods !) ?
Looking in the manual for connecting up HCs and SCs, no mention is made of using 2 HCs. That I can see anyway.
With the 4 pin “link 2” plug/paddle thing removed, the manual only shows a SC being connected.
Hi James, no modifications were made to the boxes, beyond that I cannot say more. Suffice it to say though, the difference was quite noticeable.
The way I quickly evaluate “musicality” or “involvement”, if you like, is to try and ignore the sound produced in the room and try and recognise how easy it is to just be conscious of, and be listening to, the music that is replicated in the head. Difficult to describe unfortunately. I stumbled on this technique when I realised that the most involving and sublime musical experiences come about not from listening directly to the sound that is formed at the other end of the room over where the speakers are, no matter how impressive, but when I’m not actually conscious of the physical sound, instead I’m simply involved with, and only aware of, the music that’s dancing around inside my head.
Thinking about it more, it’s a bit like Linn’s Tune Dem technique, the core of which involves “silent repetition”. Which I never really got when I came across it as it involves a conscious attempt to repeat the sounds of individual instruments and voices in the head, whereas my technique is similar but I’d describe it more as “sub-conscious replication” and it’s more about the music as a whole than individual strands.
These sort of techniques are probably a bit artificial as they don’t really reflect real-world / long-term listening, but I’ve found it quite a sensitive and quite reliable test. Even when an upgrade produces misleadingly “impressive” sounding results. The ground-loop test, for example, was quite an easy spot and I knew very quickly and instinctively when it was resolved.
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Hi if you look in the document ‘Naim connection guide’ which you can download as a pdf it gives you most connection permutations from the NAC552 to the NAC 152. It’s a really useful document.
Very interesting… Understood 
Yes, I never really got on with the Tunedem method. I see where Linn are coming from but I think we tend to do that naturally anyway in a less contrived way. I’m curious as to the different ways we listen - not sure if you’ve you’ve seen this
Going slightly OT so better get back to the Dual Hicaps thread…
James
Hi I also meant to add Naim also indicate the upgrade potential of dual Hicaps on the 282 on their website.
Nac 82 manual has the diags for connection of either.
'Tiz a bit odd.!
And clearly can be done. Perhaps they think that connecting via 2 snaics is the same whether via SC or HC ( it is)
The earthing theories are all very well but it’s the reality at your ears that matters. I definitely felt the 2nd Hicap DR was worthwhile on my 282. The SCDR is better but then again it’s more money and you are only utilising a fraction of its potential.
As a stepping stone to a 252, the SC does makes more sense…
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Sorry, but electrical grounding theories are ‘reality’. What you perceive via yer own lugholes is highly subjective.
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definitely, to connect dual HiCaps or Supercap to NAC 282 + NAP 250DR which SNAIC cables are needed?
thanks and rgds,
Stefano
282 > 2x SNAIC5 > Hicaps or Supercap > DIN4 to XLR > 250
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The SNAIC is supplied with the HiCap not with the Supercap, I think Naim charge around £180 per SNAIC so needs to be factored in with the SC.
Not wanting to cast nasturtiums but Mrs Bruss who is not the most discerning of listeners, has just wandered in to the study and said “it even sounds good in here” . The only thing I have changed is adding in the 2nd hicap.
Just sayin’.
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