We may have to settle on just agreeing adding a HiCap makes a NAIT sound better and leave it at that 
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That will be speculation unless Naim confirms it.
That’s what I believe Rickard the moderator here said somewhere.
Yes, you are right. I hear nice improvement after I connected HiCap to my SN3.
My question was if I will hear higher improvement if I replace my old HiCap with new Hicap DR.
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Yes
Almost up and running with the SN3 this end, ironically due to an order mishap I’m a shelf short so I’m running it initially without my HiCap!
Luckily I got the SN3 before lock down at least…
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I’m sure it’ll be fantastic once it’s all settled in. Do keep us posted
Few other changes, moved from Isoblue to Full Fraim moved speakers about a bit.
Finally sat listening to the SN3, fresh out the box a little bright but expected, I’m sure the Fraim is helping as well, sounds nice and relaxed, musical, been a long wait!
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Like you I experienced a delay before I could connect my Hi Cap to the SN3.
When connected it was a noticeable improvement. Not night and day but worthwhile.
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Someone described adding a HiCapDr “is instead of sitting 25th row center, you are now 12th row center”
My lack of sufficient Fraim levels has actually forced me to setup the SN3 without the HiCap (sat on the floor behind still boxed from last use).
I’m thinking to move things around again later today and put some more space
between the speakers, they’re a little closer together than they usually would be.
Initial observations after having been without this system for some months is the SN3 has a better grip on timing and more space in the midrange compared to what I was tuned to with my previous SN2. The bottom end is composed if a little light as it was with the SN2, I’m anticipating adding the HiCap back in will fill that out and improve the resolution.
As it’s brand new and only been powered on from unpacking for a few hours it’s sounding a little lean and noticably bright but not to the point of being fatiguing, I’ve certainly enjoyed having it setup
and the music flowing again.
In parallel, setting up the Fraim was straightforwards and levelling 3 feet instead of 4 is alone a massive plus!
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Took it all apart, moved everything around and relocated the Fraim and spaced out the speakers with some toe in now. This has helped with the soundstage and added a bit of air, it’s meant the cabling is a little neater and easier to manage. Doing some listening tests and comparing different sources as well as Roon, so far not regretting the move to the SN3, also looking forward to adding in the HiCap once the Fraim level appears, even without it’s sounding pleasant out the box.
I now have the temptation of an ex demo NDX2 to contend with, and some actual time to enjoy it all which is rare normally.
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Looks great Mr.M
So glad to have it back, especially now.
With various things going on including renovation work in the house, it’s been offline/boxed up/part replaced for about 5 months now!
Plenty of noodling ahead but as a first step it’s doing its thing nicely.
I’ll update as it evolves and settles in, I’d say the timing and punch is an improvement on the SN2, still early days but considering it’s only had a few hours play time it’s pretty good already.
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I think that you can add a suitable phonostage pretty cost-effectively and unobtrusively to an SN2-based system; I’d not make that a primary reason to go from an SN2 to an SN3. I’d really want to hear both at home; there is a chance that you won’t find the improvement “worth it.”
The main motivation in this case was I could get a trade in on existing NAIT’s I had and get a new SN3 for not much money. The timing was important also as I got a 50% discount on extra bits on same order.
So for me the motivation was mostly financial, I have 3 different Phonostages already I can play about with too
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Thanks Dan, yes all good and officially one of the family now!
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I definitely believe in taking a great deal when it arises.
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If it weren’t for that I’d have happily stuck with the SN2 I already had which I’ve enjoyed a lot in the time I’ve owned it.
I’m fortunate to have a very good and well established Naim dealer who is local to me and I’m also under an hour away from Salisbury as well so it tends to be (under normal circumstances) easy to get things or try things out.
The recent offer at the Bristol HiFi show also meant I got a Fraim base half price which has meant I had a chance to move to a full Fraim rack and my dealer also let me have a practically brand new Powerline at a price you’d find hard to match even on auction sites.
Looking to what comes next, I’m pondering trading in my ND5 XS 2 and my HiCap DR and getting a NDX 2 (ex demo one with light use), then beyond that getting a brand new HiCap and XPS ending up with 4 boxes and with a TT up top that I already have but is getting light use elsewhere in the house.
I have more Fraim levels on backorder already but being forced to run a 2 box system is a good test anyway given my thinking above.
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