Im pretty new naimie here, my current system is NAC152XS powered from NAP200 non-DR version (also a Stageline N powered from Aux2 on NAC.
Recently Ive got a very nice condition Flatcap 2 (the original one, non X or XS series, with a 22v second rail). My question here is:
What is the optimal way to use/wire the system:
A) use 24v out for analogue stage (Upgrade 2 on Nac152xs) and 22v for logic controls (Upgrade 1 socket) while leaving the Stageline in the Aux2.
Or
B) Use only Upgrade 2 for 24v rail and place Stageline on 22v rail and leave Upgrade A covered with a Paddle link Plug (orrr should I stick a 5pin link plug in there as wiring diagram shows - confused about this one).
Please not to offer 202 or Flatcap XS, that’s unaffordable for my budget : ) also have better priorities in life than this
There was a topic somewhere when someone tried powering both upgrade ports with FC2 (including a 22v supply) and it worked fine, i would just worried that it could burn out voltage regulators inside (?) as when I looked at the insides, the 22v output uses smaller regulators on the PCB than the 24v output
With the original Flatcap 2, supply A was set at 24V as optimum to power the NAC112 pre-amp or the pre-amp section of the NAIT 5. Supply B was optimised for powering the analogue output stage of the CD5 and here it was found that lowering the voltage slightly to 22V sounded best. Obviously 22V is still enough to power a Stageline if you so choose, even if not optimal.
If it were me with a NAC152XS then I would probably set it up to use Supply B for the logic controls and power the Stageline from AUX2.
Yeah so is NAP200, about same year. I just want to power preamp separately from power amp as it’s just doesn’t sound right to suck juice from NAP200 especially when I have stageline as well plugged into NAC. Any supply would be improvement here I believe. I could power Upgrade 2 and a Stageline from 22v, but then ive found this thread in this forum at
/t/flatcap-2/4023 (not allowed to post links for some reason)
Which made me very curious would that be okay to use old FC2 to run both upgrades on 152XS
Because, well im not paying 500 for FCXS or even more for HiCap, not always easy to match the whole set
I want to power entire preamp to stop relying on power from NAP, so would be Upgrade 2 port then, but there’s question - what tondo with Upgrade 1 port? Leave paddle link plug in or stick a round 5pin link plug into it?
There was a thread about this, it just mysteriously stopped. I can’t post links, but the link after .com ends like this
/t/flatcap-2/4023
So someone tried it and it’s still very dividing opinions everywhere on the web. I would love to power both upgrades with it, just worried about overloading FC2 regulators on 22v rail
Yes it did - when new, many s/h purchase not always include original cables, I’d check with seller as these cables are quite expensive new (if they are still being made ?)
That’s what i mean by that - it appears like i have to insert 5pin link plug into the Upgrade 1 socket or its just a printing error? Or I can just leave the paddle plug in?
If you are going to set it up like that, leave the paddle in link 1.
However upgrade 1 is called ‘upgrade 1’ for a reason. To me it is the upgrade you would want to carry out first, and it is what I have done on my NAC152XS.
The 22V outputs were designed for use with the analogue stage of a CD player. As there is secondary regulation within the CDP, the input voltage could be spec’d lower.
When fully quad railed, 152 input rails are assigned:
Upgrade 1 = Control (with secondary regulation) & Relay drive.
Upgrade 2 = Gain stage/Aux2 power & filter stage.
So the majority of cicuits are driven directly, same goes for the Stageline.
I suspect the 22V will work in any configuration, but if it were mine, I wouldn’t want to undervolt critical circuits like that, so I’d use Upgrade 1 & run the Stageline from the preamp.
For that you’ll need to connect the Flatcap to Upgrade 2 and keep the paddle link connected for Upgrade 1. That will allow the Flatcap 2 to power the whole pre-amp (but no separate supply for the control/logic circuits). You can then use Power Out B on the FC2 for the Stageline, but remember you’ll also need a 4-5 interconnect to take signal back into the pre-amp.
Just ordered the 4-5 interconnect, that’s an interesting experience, can’t wait to give it a listen how the entire system will sound after these upgrades.
Thank you all for good advice and some brainstorming as I was feeling bit lost in all this Naim magic
They are custom made, all OFC, hand soldered.