Apart from the early units the Stageline has two DIN outputs on the back one 5-pin for signal and power and one 4-pin for signal only. The 4-pin can only be used if a power supply separate from a suitable Naim Pre-amp is used.
However, that being so manuals showing how to connect a Stageline via a Naim power supply like a Flatcap XS for example always show the signal being fed to the Pre-amp from the power supply never (as far as I have seen) from the Stageline 4-pin connection both using a 4 to 5-pin interconnect.
I am just curious why Naim published their manuals that way and did not show utilisation of the Stageline 4-pin output even though it was added to the unit.
The i_Supply has no signal handling so it does indeed force the user into using the Stageline connection.
I have not seen that page in a manual before but it still does not make much sense to me why any other power supply could be used in the same way as indicated for the i_Supply but not use the Stageline 4 pin output. There is no difference in the voltages or the pins it supplies the power on.
There must be some kind of Naim logic to it but I do not see it.
I am not sure how. The stageline is earthed and the pins have the same earthing as any other unit. The i_Supply I assume did not suffer from earth issues.
Possible I guess but all the other power supplies are earthed. If the 4-pin Stageline connection was for the i_Supply only I would expect manuals to state it is only for that use just like it explains how to use the twin Aux 6 inputs on some pre-amps.
If you had an iSupply you’d know to connect to the 5 pin socket and then use a 4-5 interconnect to connect to the power amp, as that’s the only way to make it work.
The Stageline was redesigned when the I-supply arrived so signal earth did not have to run through the PS. Obviously the I-supply doesn’t give you the option but worth trying either way with a flat cap or Hicap.
Yes indeed. I have a Stageline S using a flatcap XS presently. I am using a Hicap and Napsc on the preamp.
I have tried the 4 to 5-pin interconnect via the flatcap and the Stageline and it seems to make no difference in sound neither does it introduce any earth noise.
My original question was about why Naim does not mention the 4 pin outlet in any manuals on the Stageline when independently powering it via a Flatcap etc. except as I now know via the i_Supply.
Yes and if you are not using the i_supply? How do you know that the 4-pin Stageline output can or cannot be used when powering from a different power supply?
With the various Flatcaps, Hicap and supercap you can try both ways a pick the one you prefer or you can follow Naim’s advice, it’s a 4/5 DIN for connection to pre in each case, I haven’t tried direct vs via the supercap myself.
With a system that’s only been powered up back for a couple of days following two weeks rest I’m currently undecided between supercap and 552 power for my stageline N fed by an Ortofon SPU Century and a SUT, 552 is more fluid, the supercap more robust, maybe I should try direct whilst powering from the supercap just for completeness.
yes indeed, I have tried using the Flatcap XS for power but using the Stageline 4-pin outlet and also the Flatcap XS 4-pin signal outlet to the pre-amp for Stageline signal. They sound the same to me.
What I have not tried is powering the Stageline from the pre-amp (NAC 202) where it is in turn powered by a Hicap/NAPSC. The Hicap should be the better power supply but I do not know if it will make a difference. I have only just got the Hicap (DR) and rearranged things as per the manuals but since I have been thinking about what might work as well or better.
As I said in my original post I was curious, I am not worried.
I still think it curious that the Naim manuals make no mention of using the Stageline output other than as I have found out above for the i-Supply.
It is odd to me given Naim usually talks about shortening signal paths etc. A cable from the power supply with a return signal and then onto the pre-amp doubles the signal path length compared to straight from the Stageline to the Pre-amp.
I know that signal paths have always/often been shared on the same cable with power but it is the difference in signal path length which is significant between using the power supply signal out and the Stageline signal out socket.
Although having said that it does not appear to be significant in terms of actual sound quality according to my experimentation nor introduce or reduce noise/hum on the channel
