NAP250 sounding very crisp and lively since its enforced break during room refurb operations. Mind you the amp’s speaker sockets looked a bit dull so were given a thorough clean. The cotton buds speak for themselves…
(Note- no contact cleaner or solvent, just dry cotton buds rotated in the socket until the last one comes out clean)
The Karik / Numerik getting a spin for a change. Forgot how good it sounds 
The NAC72 is a fantastically capable preamplifier. And fantastic VFM these days, provided that you can find one in good condition.
I can recommend to try a Supercap instead of the Hicap DR ,for the Nac 72.
That’s an intriguing idea …
My immediate thought is would you get the best from the SuperCap. There is no Burndy multi core connection on a NAC72, so the 72 wouldn’t get the benefit of all those power rails. Does it still make a difference, with just a DIN power connection?
That’s leaving aside the challenge of actually finding a nice pre loved Olive SuperCap. They don’t appear so often these days.
KR
R
Yes it’s a big upgrade and the same goes for a Prefix,that also uses
only 2x24v from the Supercap.
I think that any ‘improvement’ from using a Supercap with an NAC72 is very much in the mind of the buyer.
An NAC72 can only draw a (comparatively) tiny part of the supply that an NAC52 would draw from the Supercap.
Have you tried yourself ?
The Supercap is vastly better than a Hicap ,in my experience.
I think that with a 72 Supercap combination you will be using 2 of the power rails out of 10 or more possible that a 52 uses.
But the Supercap is better built than a HiCap and 82/282 users benefit from a Supercap versus 1 or 2 HiCaps.
So a 72 with Supercap would still be of benefit. The fact that it’s not using all the power rails isn’t necessarily an issue. It’s the quality of the power supply that counts too.
I haven’t tried it but had Supercap 2 with 82, and it sounded better than 2 Olive HiCaps.
Having said that the natural system for 72 is HiCap and a 250 and even 2 x 135s. You have 140. Personally, if you are happy as it is I would leave it alone.
But I haven’t left my system alone! I have continually changed, updated and upgraded.
But with 72 and shoe box system I would leave it as that. It will interfer with the aesthetic as well.
Glad you’ve said that…
It’s my feelings too. Very happy with Olive shoe boxes, etc.
However, others like to suggest. Which is fine.
And I’m always interesting to chat and learn about different ideas.
Lastly, I think your instinct is correct. (I am also more inclined to add an Olive 250 before an Olive SC). We will see… 
Olive is fine for now. Currently concentrated on finishing our other system. So, a psu for our nDAC is next on the list 
When buying secondhand go for what you find first.Both a Supercap and a Nap 250 is a very good upgrade and so is a Naim power supply for your nDac.
I use Nac 72 with Scap DR. Although there are only 2 regulators in operation, the 2x24v have a cleaner and quieter current than the 2x24v of the Hicap. This is due to the fact that the regulators are further away from the transformer and the rectifier bridges, and the magnetic field effect is less concentrated in the double volume of the box, with the audio earth (0 v ground) less affected. Most of the time in analogue line input, the 52 uses only 4 regulators, 2 for the buffer inputs 529, and 2 for the gain outputs 521. The other controls are dedicated to other circuits: 524 buffer outputs, phono cards, 2x24v Din output, etc.
So a 555PS is optiminal for nDAC.
As for 72 stick with HiCap of some kind. I wouldn’t do the Supercap unless you have 82.
A 250 Olive would be nice. Sometimes smaller amps such as 140 have a different character which can be preferable rather than a somewhat larger sound.
My son has Nait 3 in his room and it is really well balanced in his listening/games room which is very small.
I like a large sound in my main room hence full on system. This isn’t always appropriate if you have smaller room or are playing music as background at low volumes.
Just to add…
It’s really interesting to read about other 72 users and how they have their system arranged.
My original idea, above, was the discovery that a NAC72 was actually quite capable (more capable than we realised with Olive HC + 140) and inviting discussion from other 72 owners.
Our 72 is still connected to our new HiCap DR psu and via our new SN3, albeit in power amp mode. Sounds great. The nett result is an Olive pre-amp at the heart of a Classic system.
It now has a different character. All the detail is there, but notes are fuller, with more weight. I suspect the 72 is a better pre-amp, compared to the one in SN3. I’m still trying to understand what has made the main difference, the later DR regulated HiCap (compared to Olive HC), or the larger more capable power amp (compared to Olive 140).
It’s all interesting.
I too would say that the classic upgrade from 72/HC/140 would be 72/HC/250, then 82/HC/250.
You can then improve an 82 to most ears with 2HCs or 1 SC, but the big improvement comes with biting the bullet and getting 52/SC/250. Many here would say that SC on 82 works well, but its key benefit is that it is a gateway to getting a 52. I have been down exactly this route over about 30 years.
Olive purists will probably say that that combo can only be improved by swapping 250 out and 2 x 135s in. Others would suggest that a 300DR or even a 500 is not acoustically out of place with 52/SC.
You can go as far you want…
Sorry -I should also say that, as I understand it, many SN users reckon that its power amp is a good deal more capable than its preamp. Consensus also suggests I think that beating the SN power amp requires a 250 -if it needs doing at all.
Sure.
I think the next reasonable experiment would be to try the 72 with our new HCDR, then add an Olive NAP250 and see how that works out ? Compare and contrast, etc.
However, it is just conjecture… we are very happy with Olive shoe boxes.
But it’s still interesting to understand all these things.
The point is the NAC72 is a really good and capable pre-amp.
Also, thinking about sound quality, it retains the charm that olive items have. With a HCDR and SN3 as power amp, the sound signature is a bit of a hybrid. Maybe more articulate, more weight to notes. But still a little laid back. Maybe not so “HiFi”, (compared to the SN3 + HCDR by themselves).
These little cuties are a bundle of joy.
So much music, from just three diminutive Olive shoe boxes.
You might wish for more. But you certainly don’t need more.
Used with an LP12. Also streaming too.
Currently listening to Go Go Penguins, “Everything Is Going to Be Ok”, (2023).
Happy Sunday listening
R
I compared an olive HICAP to a modern HICAP DR with NAC 72 and there was a big difference in sound and musical presentation. Preferred the olive unit with 72 due to synergy but the DR did some very nice things.
