Prefix to Supercap to 552?

Hi-Fi Corner
1

Can someone remind me of which sockets to use as input for the Prefix on a Supercap and which socket to use for output on Supercap to a 552?

Thanks!

2

Use sockets 1 and 3. Try also powering the Prefix from the 552, which may sound better and would mean you could lose the Supercap.

3

Socket 1 for input and 3 for output?

Will also try direct to 552. Currently my Prefix is powered via Hicap.

Thanks HH!

4

Correct.

5

Unfortunately Aux 2 on the 552 is not so good,it will bring down the performance of the whole Preamp if used,in my experience.

6

Where on earth is that coming from?

7

From Salisbury :wink:

8

That seems very strange.

I don’t have a 552, but many here seem to be using a 552 to power a Superline. The consensus seems to be that using Aux 2 is often preferred to using a Hicap to power a Superline, but is not as good as using a dedicated Supercap.

I have a 52. With that, and with z-foil air plugs in the Superline, we compared my Aux 2 power with using a Hicap. The Aux 2 option was clearly a bit better to multiple ears.

In addition, we tried the NDX2/ XPSDR and CDS2 input with the Superline powered both ways (and with it disconnected). None of us could consistently tell which we were hearing, never mind pick a winner between the digital inputs under these different scenarios.

Listeners included a professional guitarist (a session musician) and an amateur clarinet player, but all the ears involved were over 40 years old so your hearing may be dramatically better than ours.

The rest of the system is 52/Supercap/ 300DR/ Tellurium Q Black/ B&W 804 D3. The LP12 has Stiletto, Skorpion base, Ekos, Keel, Karousel, Radikal and Kleos.

Has anyone else reached the same conclusion that you did?

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9

Well that’s the first time I heard about that conclusion,but different systems and ears .

10

I power my Superline from the Aux2 socket on my 552. Miles better than a Hicap. I’d heard that it robs a bit of performance but having tried with the Superline connected and disconnected I could conclusively say I noticed any difference.

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11

I am comforted that it isn’t just my room/ system giving this result - thanks.

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12

I really think that at your level a Supercap for Superline or Prefix is justified,it’s such a big step up.

13

I have tried the Prefix with the 552 powered input, a Hicap and a Supercap.

Even the dedicated Hicap was better than the 552 powered Prefix, that really rolled off frequency extremes and dynamics, sounding quite polite and uninspiring.
A Hicap was a nice upgrade, but the SC on the Prefix was in an entirely different world. Without the SC the CDS1 was a better source, but with the SC, the Prefix reigned.

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14

I agree.
Maybe Naim should have skipped the Aux2 option and the 552 could have had an even better sound,but box counting seems to be very important for many people,so maybe a commercial decision.

15

Is it possible that powering a Prefix is more of a strain on Aux2 than powering a Superline?

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16

I’ve had the same problem with both Superline and Prefix.

18

Interesting-thanks for the comments.

Do we need a survey here?

  1. If you have tried more than option for powering Prefix, can you tell all those alternatives for SQ?

  2. Same question for those using a Superline?

  3. In each case, which pre-amp were you using?

  4. If you have compared the SQ of digital inputs when you did/ did not have something plugged into Aux 2, can you comment on the difference?

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19

I disconnected my Superline from the Aux2 socket earlier this afternoon. Everything sounded a smidgen smoother but a little less live. I’m not sure if doing this messes with the floating/non-floating earth switch on the system and could account for the slight change? I only have my LP12 and ND555 connected to the system but I’ve been told this (LP12) will be the earth point, so the ND should be floating, unless anyone else knows otherwise?

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20

I do remember that removing the phono cards inside the 52 made everything sound better as they were drawing current even if the phono input was not being used.

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21

That’s a good point. Taking phono boards out of a 72 (when about to add a s/h Linto) improved the CD SQ slightly, according to the dealer. TBH, I can’t remember if any of us could could hear a difference - that itself suggests it wasn’t a big effect but isn’t good evidence of anything.

Mind you, unless the 52’s Aux is very different from that of 252 and 552, the fact that some here have compared Aux 2 and Hicap and strongly preferred the latter can be compared to my pro-Aux2 result with a 52. The contrast reminds me that we all need to use our own ears when making decisions here.

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