Yeah, I think I would go olive supercap as and when. Not sure how hard selling hicaps would be as I’d need to sell them for funds towards the supercap and have one lined up I guess.
Would hate to be without the hicaps for any length of time and I know what I’m like. If I just bought a supercap, the hicaps would just get unplugged and shoved in their box. Need to be disciplined with myself! 
I have sold lots of equipment on ebay. If priced right it will go straight away. If I were you find an Olive Supercap first. Then sell one hicap. By which time the Olive Supercap has arrived. Then sell the other hicap.
Those Olive Supercaps don’t come up too often and are often paired with a 52. Keep your eyes peeled!
Yeah, not a bad idea @Dan_M
I’m like a big kid with toys if I don’t force myself to sell stuff first. New shiny toy arrives and the old stuff just gets shoved in a cupboard!
I’ll have a look around and see what stuff generally fetches. Like you say, I’ll have to scout about for a supercap first.
Still feeling that the other changes will be first, though. Also think it sounds like the 250 would be needed before the supercap. It’s never ending!
I would suggest when buying second hand go with what you find first,don´t have to follow any rules of in which order, especially as you have good enough source and pre amp.
True! It’s not as if I’m lacking much as it stands. I know I will be in the grand scheme of things, but it’s still a very impressive sounding system.
I’d agree with one of the first responses I got, was the 180 being the weaker part of my system chain. Again, still sounds great… but if the 250 is absolutely much much better, then it’d be silly to not listen to the advice. One of the cheaper upgrades too.
You’ve got a great LP12. Your 82 and 2 hicaps should be top notch. Maybe a 250 is all you need for now. The Olive ones are very reasonably priced.
Yeah, it’s getting there @Dan_M!
I’ve been looking on the bay this afternoon. There’s a few on there, but nothing with a service history unfortunately. Don’t really fancy getting an early one that needs a service straight away and it being a faff. Decent prices though. The cost to swap shouldn’t end up being too much really. Bit of a no brainer now I’m looking at it!
When I had my first Naim (102/180/napsc) after a hicap the first thing I changed (if I remember correctly) was to swap the 180 to a 250 which was about £600 to £700 cost to change. Was using SBLs at the time and it was a really big step up - highly recommended.
The 180 is about as well regarded as the 250.2 I think … olive 250 a better option I think, as others have said above
After an olive 250 I got a non dr 300 which was another huge improvement though of course that’s another £1700-£1800 or so after px on the 250. But a fabulous step up if your source is up to it - that was still with the SBLs. Better think than a 250dr in my view but I particularly value the ease of listening at low volumes with the 300
Hey, thanks @TimOopNorth for that info. Again, great to hear people who have been there and done it with the same kit. Nice to know the 250 isn’t just the same with more volume as I’ve always thought. Looks to be highly praised by all.
I have looked at the 300 non DR as they’re coming down a fair bit now. Probably going to far then though, as I’d definitely need the 52 and supercap sooner rather than later, but still got a bit of work on the LP12 to go!
Thanks Tim, really appreciate the info!
Well to be fair I did have the NDS and 52 with sc by the time I got the 300
The 250 though is much better controlled than the 180 - so it’s definitely not just about volume. In fact I have never been bothered about volume or “impressive” sounds. Accuracy generally and fast, controlled bass is what I like. Don’t ask me for any precise comments on the 180-250 change though because that was about 14 years ago and I am not great at full descriptions of sound differences
Every 2nd hand Naim piece I bought from a private party I asked the seller to send straight to Class A.
I actually prefer this, as then I know for sure it’s a fresh unit vs. trusting existing service history.
Yes - I have done that a few times. Much easier than servicing later
Crazy how much they have fallen. Certainly tempting for the price.
Sounds like a 250 would open things up though and with very little outlay after selling the 180, it leaves more for other areas to improve.
Yeah, totally get the theory. Very restrained!! I’d be far too excited. To be fair, Class A aren’t too far away so not too bad if a service the same day is feasible.
Audiotechnica recommends a load impedance equal to or greater than 100 Ohms, including the ART9 and OC9 ML 2 and AT ART20. Except Audio technica ART 1000 recommended load of 30 Ohms. Linn Kandid recommended between 70 Ohms and 1Kohms. Linn Urika referenced load 75 Ohms. Pre-phonos with fixed load impedance (Linn Urika, Linto, Naim Stageline, Naim MC cards) are less demanding (no relay bridges). Pre-phonos with adjustments determine accuracy. The loads of the new Linn koil (audio technica) and Linn Kendo (emt) cartridges are 100 Ohms like the Audio Tecnica, Linn Exstatic between 42 ohms and 1 kohms, all of which can be assimilated with Urika. The AT ART 1000 weighs 11g, which seems too much for 9-inch arms ?
You’re right - I was flipping through the pages quickly while typing the response and mixed up the 1000’ and the 9’s loading specs. Bad idea to look for explanations after the fact.
What I do recall was the OC9MLII sounding very splashy with the Urika, and then moving to a different config when I got the Uphorik. It’s a shame the old Linn forums are no longer available, as the exchange with Linn on the loading for that cartridge was there and their recommendation at the time struck me as interestingly different from the recommended setting for the Akiva, which would have been the right match for the Urika.
Recently I heard the ART1000 with an Urika (not in my system) which did not work well, for different reasons - perhaps because it’s too far above the 30ohms (it’s min 30, not exactly 30)
Interestingly, the S cards on my 52 definitely worked better with the OC9 and the ART1000 for me than the Urika.
Linn makes a heavier counterweight for the Ekos SE for use with such cartridges. There was also one for the Aro made by Naim.
That’s why you have them send it straight there! No need to handle the unit and think “what if I just give it a little test”.
Darran did 3 boxes for me in a day. I dropped them off when he opens at 10am and they were done by about 4pm. It was prearranged a few weeks in advance. I went out for the day and combined with a trip to see friends and family.
I had my 52, Supercap 2 and XPS2 serviced in September this year.
Yes I know the heavier counterweight of Linn; it is a backup for the cells after 10 gr. The motivation, Linn adapted a heavy counterweight following the request of Peter Swan Cymbiosis for cells like Dynavector DV DRT XV. However Linn does not encourage the use of cells greater than 9/10gr. On “Hifi wigwam Linn forum” the Urika/Euphorik reviews may be different, some use Euphorik with Non Linn cartridges, others use Urika intrinsically higher, even if the load is less precisely adapted for some cartridges. Sorry, in my circumstances of use and listening, I preferred AT ART9 to Linn Krystal with my Urika 1, you prefer Uphorik with ART 1000, this is understandable and perfectly legitimate.
Hahaha but knowing it’s so close and having to wait, it’d be torture! 