SN3 and NDX2 connections Hiline vs Superlumina

I have an SN3 and NDX2 heading my way and have a Hi line already for a connection. Would it be worth my while trading this in for a SL Din cable?

Thanks in advance.

A Hicap DR would be cheaper!

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SL interconnect is certainly far sonically superior to the HiLine. However I agree with Chris, I’d invest in a HicapDR first. The HiLine is not shabby.

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I would advise superlumina before Hicap DR

Source first… SL din is the connection between source and amplifier

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I would see if you could try both and see which one gives you the biggest imrpovement

I unfortunately don’t have that opportunity due to where I live.

Then the advice should be, dedicated supply, Fraim, Powerlines then IC. :crazy_face:

I don’t particually want to look at more boxes at the moment as I have limited space. I was contemplating the Fraim and I already have 2 powerlines.

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+1 for Hicap dr. And secondly I find that Superlumina is not at home with an SN3, even if it will uplift the SN3. The Superlumina was developed originally for the Statement.
If you don’t want more boxes, I would more upgrade the power side : isotek, Musicworks…powerblocks.

@Mike_S has an Hicap dr and Superlumina with an SN2. He could say which upgrade was the most effective.

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I tried SL with CDX2/282/hi/250-2 and happily gave it back after a week. I still use a hiline with ND555/552/500, though, I haven’t put the SL to the test in that system; mainly because I’d want full loom if it worked and the speaker plugs would get in the way of siting my speakers close enough to the wall.

I’d get the HiCap DR personally, it’ll improve things in subtle ways the IC won’t. I’d also encourage you to loan a SL IC and use if for 1-2 weeks, at home and in your system with your music. I was going to get one as a discounted ex demo one and hearing it at the dealers demo room it was clear it “turned on the tap” musically in ways the Hi-Line wasn’t. I asked to borrow it, just to be sure, as whilst it sounded more open and with a more cohesive sound stage, having tried it for a few weeks at home I found it a little bright and over time somewhat fatiguing. I imagine through a more capable preamp than my SN3 has it wouldn’t be presented in quite the same way.
Even with a very similar system to mine, your speakers, room and listening taste and of course ears may conclude differently, but I would encourage you to try it for more than a quick 10-15 minutes in a dealer demo room just to be sure it’s a good fit for your ears in your system.

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Same here, I tried one between NDX and 282, and it did nothing for me. The speaker cables were a different matter altogether. Strange how these things give such different results in different systems.

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Thanks everyone, you have given me a lot to think about. I think at the moment it sounds best to stick with the HiLine. I will look at adding other boxes when I can persuade my partner to remove her “craft area” to the shed!!

I’m using the standard interconnect between my NDX2 and Supernait and it works fine. I wouldn’t rush into changing anything. Just enjoy it.

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Thank you HH you have answered a lot of my questions over the last few months I can’t thank you enough.

A relatively easy test is to swap out the Hi-Line for the stock grey Naim IC, run it with that for a few weeks, then swap the Hi-Line back in.
You’ll probably then realise it’s more than capable and matches well with the rest of your system and order a HiCap soon after :slight_smile:
Good luck with the testing and changes regardless.
For what it’s worth, I ran a HiCap across multiple NAIT’s but let it go not long after getting my SN3 earlier this year. I’ve found the SN3 especially when paired with the NDX2 is a very capable and enjoyable setup and performs admirably, every one of us likes to tinker but sometimes doing little or nothing is the better outcome.
I found simple things like rebuilding the Fraim levels and tightening it all up periodically or experimenting with speaker positions can have real benefits overall and apart from time and a bit of fiddling about don’t cost anything!

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I’m pleased to have been of use. I’ve had my NDX2 and SN3 for a little while now and think they are excellent. I’ve ditched the Powerlines and SL speaker cables and gone back to basics. I do have the PS555DR though and am not letting that go.

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Although it’s early days, is it better than your old set up out of interest?

Ditching the PLines and SLs must have had some impact though.
What difference does it make?

Or have you’ve got everything now?

I used a Witch Hat Morgana between an SN3 and an NDX2 which made a significant improvement to the sound but I already had an XPS and Hi Cap.

The HiLine is a nice improvement over the stock lead. With HiCap DR even more so. I would try to do both together for a proper upgrade. Forget the the SuperLumina, it simply isn’t needed for this calibre of system.

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