SuperLine capacitive plug confusion - inconsistent manual versions?

[Suedkiez]

I got the ex-demo SuperLine from my dealer, it’s from 2008, SNo 263xxx. Setting up now and I can’t reach the dealer anymore regarding an odd confusion with the capacitance values. Would be great if anyone knows.

I have an Apheta-3, so 100 ohms, 1000 pF according to Rega. According to the manual from the Naim website, Issue 2B-2, this would be the 100R resistance plug and the 1 nF capacitive plug:

The last page of this manual shows “Part No. 12-001-0069/2 Product Manual: SuperLine”

However, the printed manual that was in the box (and of which I do not know for sure if it is the original manual that came with the unit or later grabbed from somewhere by the dealer) says that 1nF is without any plug:

The last page of this printed manual shows “Part No. 12-001-0069/1 Product Manual: SuperLine” (i.e. /1 instead of /2) so I suppose it is the older version, which might fit the age of my unit.

The dealer added a copied page to the manual that is consistent with the /2 manual that is currently online. But why? Was the older /1 manual incorrect and later fixed in the /2 version, or is the /1 manual correct for older SuperLines?

Contrary to the printed /1 manual, my initial impression is that it sounds better if I add the 1nF plug.

However, @Richard.Dane wrote in an older post to leave the capacitive plug off as a baseline (edit: after re-reading: not quite), which would seem more consistent with the /1 printed manual if Rega’s recommendation of 1000 pF applies to the SuperLine

Superline upgrade

I am currently using a Superline (powered off the 552) with a Rega MC cart - use the 100ohm plug and maybe a touch of capacitance if needed (leave off if not) and the sound is superb - very fast and very groovy, but with excellent insight too. Just ensure that you lock the Rega RCA Phonos very tightly onto the Next Gen sockets on the Superline to get the best contact, and also make sure you give the Superline enough space from any transformers - then it’s super-quiet for such a high gain stage.…

The plugs that came with the unit are:

1 nF
5.6nF
10nF

100R
220R
500R
1K

As a 1 nF is included it seems that the unit without a plug would have 100 pF; if it had 1 nF, why would there be a plug with the same value.

I cannot find a way to reconcile all of this available information. I anyone had an idea what I have and what I should plug in, and why the different manuals, that would be great. Thanks

[jodl]

Hi @Suedkiez! When I got my new Superline E recently it says in the manual 100 pF with No capacitive plug fitted…with my 2008 standard Superline the manual states 1 nF with No capacitive plug fitted. So I thought it has something to do with the slightly modified design of the E Superline-version.
Very interesting, if also the standard Superline from nowadays seems to be different regarding capacitive values to the ones from old days - and if so, why the change?
Maybe @Richard.Dane or naim can comment on this…
With the standard Superline I preferred no capacitive plug, but with my new Superline E, it’s better with the 1 nF plug fitted - all with my Lyra Skala.
Regards,

[Suedkiez]

Hi Jodl, thanks. Interesting, so your older and newer manuals are consistent with my older printed one and the website version, so it is still unclear if the manual changed or the units or the SL versions. I don’t even know if I have the regular or the “E” - the dealer website did not say E and I assumed the normal one, neither did the dealer says something, who knows I have the Apheta. But now I am not so sure Gain seems fine, I dial up on the 252 a bit higher (maybe add 00:30) than I did with Aria or with NDX2, which suits me fine.

[jodl]

Yes, the manual is different… E-Version should be stated on the back, as in the picture below…

[Suedkiez]

Thanks for the pic, I have no E version then.

[Richard.Dane]

I have an E and it came with the same plugs. I can only assume there was originally a print error.

[Suedkiez]

Thanks. I figured it out, I think. Yes, seems like an original print error. @Jodl: I bin a Trottl.

First of all, the newer manual has a section about the regular and the E model, which lists the same plug values for both, which are consistent with the main section of the manual. (I have actually a 5.6 nF instead of the listed 4.7, but might have been mixed up at the dealer over the years). Anyway, the lowest plug option is 1 nF in the manual as well as in my set:

The older print version has no such section at all (I suppose the E did not even exist then)

What I had thought to be a “copy” that my dealer had put into the older print manual, where the listed values are consistent with the newer manual, actually has a big “CORRECTION” printed at the top. I have now circled it in red for future sanity preservation

I am pleased that my ears told me to fit the 1 nF plug in agreement with the new manual

[Suedkiez]

And thank you very much @Richard.Dane for all your older posts about the SuperLine, they were a great resource and very helpful in deciding, and I fully agree with what you kept saying: The Aria is very fine, but the SL (powered from 252) is something else indeed. Very, very happy with the - now complete - new Naim system and you and the whole forum played a large part

[Suedkiez]

@Richard.Dane I have more questions if I may:

• I’ve read all (I believe) the discussions about Z-foil Airplugs for the resistance plugs, but are there Airplugs for the capacitive plugs as well?
• Is there an official opinion about servicing? My SL is from 2007 and forum info is conflicting. Some members reported their dealers saying there’s nothing to service in an SL, others sent it to service and reported improved SQ. My dealer is tending towards nothing to service and I requested them to ask MusicLine/Naim but apparently it’s taking a while. (Mine sounds great but there’s logo bleed that’s bugging me a bit, and I’d tend to getting everything in order. On the other hand I am not keen on spending 500 for a service if the result is just a predictable “all fine”)

Thanks again.

[Richard.Dane]

AFAIK, the Z foil Airplugs are only use for the resistive loading.

As for servicing, probably best for Naim or Music Line to advise here.

[Yeti]

I have a 470pF airplug from Naim so they can be had, I haven’t investigated the type of capacitor in there.

[Suedkiez]

I was just wondering, if the Airplug is a microphonics thing (I suppose, because I can’t think of anything else) why it would not apply to the capacitive plug just as well. So it might, thanks, and I am not making myself a fool if I ask Naim/ML

[Cymbiosis]

The air plug is a decoupling thing and it took a long time to persuade Salisbury of its benefits but if you travel through the old forum if it’s still available he will find my client and good friend Jon Honeyball was able to demonstrate some I had made up originally by re-tasking some Hi-line plugs probably way back in around 2010 or 2011 to Paul Stephenson if I remember correctly. The result was that the factory then made these plugs available for the super line and latterly a Z foil version became available after Chris West in the USA had sent me some which sounded even better than the standard resistors we had been using up until that time.
As such a variety of air plug loadings are available these days through retailers in a variety of values S load I preferred 453R over the original 470R And K load I preferred 576 are over the original 560R .
I had considerable help from Steve Sells at the time when working out these values.
By the way capacitive air plugs are available although no longer the 470pF ordinarily the 1nF is the preferred option as higher values limit the high frequency output rather too much.
KR Peter

[Suedkiez]

Thanks very much. I have an Apheta 3 for which Rega recommends 100 ohm and 1 nF, which is also Richard’s recommendation at least regarding the 100R. I preferred 1 nF very much over no plug (100 pF) in initial tests, so all in line with what Rega says. Would you agree or recommend something else?

So far I’m planning to get the 100R Airplug Z-foil from Naim and, if it makes sense, the 1 nF Airplug too. I’m smitten with the SL and want to provide to it whatever it needs to be at its best

Thanks for your time & input

[Cymbiosis]

1nF for with the Apheta 3 should be the best capacitive load as above this I was found I was getting too much HF attenuation.
As for the resistive load I wouldn’t go too much on the cartridge manufacturers recommendation when using the Superline with say Dynavector as the manufacturer has similar recommendations being around 100Ohms and yet with the Superline the S load which proved to be the best for these cartridges was 453R.
Given I do most of my listening tests on an LP 12 and you have a Rega I guess and it really is a case of judge for yourself which you prefer with the loads that have been provided to you in the standard kit of plugs with the Superline. So do try the 100R against the 220R and 500R. Additionally a very small incremental improvement can be achieved with the standard silver plugs by inserting them fully firstly and then withdrawing them about 1.5 mm. In this way the plug is slightly more decoupled and it tends to sound slightly better. It was this theory only expanded due to the availability of the Hi-line cable and plugs, that lead us to experiment with the Hi-line plug body is latterly called “Airplug”

[Suedkiez]

Fabulous, many thanks, I’ll play some more with the loads before buying. In any case, is sounding wonderful already