Why not😝
Just changed my NAP200 for a NAP250DR. Wow, even cold out of the box I notice already quite an improvement, especially regarding voices. They seem to be much ‘closer’. The NAP200 always provided a good service however and will now serve in the office system together with my currently unused NAC202.
Recently done likewise along with a 202 - 282 change in the preamp department - improvements all round - biggest difference though was adding XPS to nDAC! That was gobsmacking!
Onwards and upwards once more…
Absolutely, it probably never stops. I am indeed now looking for the xps as well.
Good luck in finding one - it will really make a huge difference! And then it will be the xxx that needs changing then the xxx - but its fun nonetheless! If you don’t mind me asking what cables are you using?
I’m using mainly Naim - but with a couple of alternatives including a Chord Epic from DAC to pre and a couple of Nordost power cables.
Hi Simon, I am also using naim cables at the moment for interconnects and chord clearway speaker cable. Ethernet is Bluejeans cat 6a. So far I prioritized the boxes but to hear experiences regarding cables.
I’ve upgraded all of my line level interconnects to Triode Wire Labs Spirit/II. Although they are not cheap, they are very reasonably priced (in the audiophile world), and they are, by far, the best line level interconnects I’ve had in my system, including many, many, many with big reputations that retail for substantially more money. They are ‘fabricated’ to order. Fit n’ finish are top shelf, they are very flexible and easily managed, the connectors are lightweight and first class (something of which I’ve recently become ‘cognizant’ is that, FOR ME, lightweight connectors are the way to go - I’ve done away with all bulky, locking rca connectors in my system, and switched to bare copper spades or the newer style, low mass ‘cylindrical’ bananas wherever possible. YMMV.) and the sound - well, there isn’t any that I can detect, which is why I like them so much. It took a week or so for them (or me, depending upon your POV) to burn in and acclimate, but once they did, they vanished. I feel like I’m listening directly to the two Amperex tubes occupying my preamp, which isn’t a bad thing. Admittedly, the fact that I hear the tubes could lead one to the ineluctable conclusion that they are obviously colo(u)red, and that would be correct - assuming you count ‘gorgeously beautiful’ as a colo(u)ration.
My apologies for the poor quality of the photograph - it does not do the cable/rca connector justice.
An interesting purchase - today …
Installed new SuperCapDR last evening and have now listened to five albums and some individual tracks. Enjoying the music and first impressions are improved clarity, separation of instruments in the soundstage and a fuller bass. Now need to sit back, relax and keep on listening while time performs it magic…
On the rack top to bottom: NAC 282, NAP 250 DR, XPS DR, SuperCapDR.
On the glass shelfs:
Top - English Electric 8Switch
Middle: C2960C-8PC-L Cisco Catalyst Switch 8 FE PoE and NDX 2 sitting on Herbie’s Audio Tenderfoot Vibration Isolation Feet.
Bottom: NAS, NAPSC for 282, NAPSC for HeadLine, HeadLine.
Stiff as f**k, but those white sheathed Chord cables do let the music flow.
Enjoy
You are not wrong James, lovely cables, but I felt I could lift up the cd player with the Chord
Never happy and they went back , but replaced with rca’s and upgraded to Sarum T .
Those Sarum T’s certainly look the part - just lovely. Do they make a SNAIC alternative?
(I know, LMGTFY.)
Yikes! Just found it - not looking to drop that much change on a SNAIC between a cd3.5 and a flatcap2. Back to the witch hat offerings, or maybe I can get Pete from TWL to make one for me….
Chord Music?, very nice.
Yeah, not cheap, but they do the business between CDX2 and SN2