i'm looking for some advice. year ago i was reading on old naim forum about hooking up flatcap to nait3. right now this is allowed by default in new 5 series. is it worth to do such upgrade (has anyone tried it?) or it is better to buy nap140? my nait3 is clipping on 1/4 of volume - but this is not an issue - 1/4 is loud enough. i prefer moderate levels but i'm looking for upgrade. quite normal here.

I used this combo - and found that the flatcap
improved the phono input only. Acording to what you are saying about the volume, I guess you don't have a TT.

I also must say that other experienced members like Mike Hanson - says that the flatcap improves all inputs - I didn't feel it does - but the improvement in TT sound was in a way that justified the flat cap adding.

Arie

Hi TZK!

I have added a flatcap to my Nac 92 and it was definitely a big improvement. Every source sounds better and you can turn up the volume (a bit) without distortion. That said, I just replaced the flatcap by a hicap, which is in another league altogether. My guess is the flatcap gives about 60% of the performance of the hicap, which makes it a good buy!

Regards, Bas

PS it is not obliged, but could you use your (first) name? Makes it all a bit more personal!

TZK,

I've used a PSU on my Nait for some time now, and it made a significant improvement to all inputs.

The mod to the amp is fairly simple, requiring your dealer to fit the pre-amp and amp DIN connectors (2 x 4 pin DIN, 1 x 5 pin din), and cut some internal links.

Andy.

Andrew L. Weekes
alweekes@audiophile.com

arie_gur, i have turntable and i like very much vinyl, its feel, hiss and sound. i would like to volume operate for other sources like it operates for aux/vinyl.
bas, so you preffered upgrading psu rather then going for better power amp? can you explain why?
hi-cap is almost the same price as nap140.
so, all of you think that is better to upgrade psu first? even if i have nait3? flatcap is rather cheap, but hi-cap is comparable to better power amp, which can help my low sensitivity and impedance speakers.

What speakers do you have? I have Intro's, which are not really power hungry. I however did notice that I can turn up the volume with a *cap. I think a better power amp will have the same effect (as a matter of fact, I know for sure), but the *cap gives so much more: detail, spaciousness, etc. What doesn't come in, can't come out!

Regards, Bas

tzk,
If you have a TT - go for the Flatcap and tell me if you feel like I did or you feel it improves all inputs.

I'd never felt a lack of power with the Nait 2,
Nait 3 - and now I have a flatcap/72/140 and I don't think that the benefit now is with additional power - and I didn't feel that the flatcap gave me more power with the Nait 3. I have the feeling that I alwyas listen with the same output power - the better amplification improves sound and pleasure but does nothing with power , that's my feeling (although I know that somewhere in the amp there is more power...).

Arie

I don't know if your response is directed to what I have stated, Arie, but what I meant is that the Nait doesn't get more power, it's just that it seems that when the signal is cleaner, you can crank up the volume more. Hope this explains.

Regards, Bas

Hi Bas,

To my experience, as I live in small rooms (3 x 4 meteres) I'd never had a problem with the power of Naim amplifiers - I mean by that that my ears demand was to stop raising volume before something went wrong with the sound - and I listen loud.
When thinking to upgrade amplifier - never thought that I need more power.
With the Nait2 nait3 flatcap/nait3 and flatcap/72/140 - I listen to TT with volume knob points to the 12 hour
and to cd's to hours 7 - 10 depands on cd recording volume.
I think that the same volume knob position gives
the same loudness with the different amplifiers.

Arie

bas, i have harbeth p3es. when i'm not in background listening volume knob is on 9 for cd
and about 11 for tt. listening on highest hours may finish with clipping on certain tracks.

Well TZK, I don't know these Harbeths. I have listened to both the Nait 3 and the 92+90/3. I bought the combo for the extra power. I hardly ever listen with the volume knob past nine o'clock with my Intro's. It's hard to tell how that would be with the Nait. Off course a better power amplifier would give you the possibility of turning up the volume more without clipping. I think the effect of the flatcap is smaller from this point of view. The flatcap makes the music more listenable and as a result you can turn up the volume a bit more, but not to the same extend. So it's more a matter of what you are looking for. If you want to listen at higher volume levels, and you do this regularly, buy a better power amplifier. If you want better music and just need a little extra power, buy the flatcap. Just MHO.

Regards, Bas