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Naim Supernait vs XS vs Exposure 2010s

Anybody compare these amps?
My speakers are Devores gibbon
super 8's and I have heard the
Naim supernait with these speakers.
Very nice. Most musical sound I
have ever heard. My one complaint
is soundstage width. Even with their
expensive cds2? (18,000 $) cd player
the width would not increase. However,
front to back imaging was really good.

I hear the Exposure 2010s is musical
and transparent but nobody comments on
soundstaging.

I would also like to know if the Naim
XS and Supernait sound the same? I read
somewhere that the XS is smoother and rolled off.
For my system anything smoother than the Supernait
would be too smooth.

Would appreciate any insights and please don't
post links to forums that require membership.

Thanks
128x128scottmac62
scottmac62's avatar
scottmac62 OP
106 posts
 
Dbarger, please elaborate on the Hi-cap.
Is it the latest model? I am not that familiar
with Naim but I know there is a Hi-cap2.
What improvements do you get in regards to
transparency, inner detail and soundstaging?

Have you tried an after market pc and power
conditioner on the Hi-cap?

By the way, I know what you mean by ARC being
audiophile-ish. I have heard several ARC set
ups on both Wilson watt puppies and top of the
line Theils and I must say that I have never heard
a more holographic and illuminated soundstage like
that ever.
dbarger
179 posts
 
I am still getting used to the Naim vocabulary. It is not a Hi-cap, but a Flatcap XS. They are less expensive than Hi-caps. There are improvements across the board, from soundstaging to drive to transparency, without losing that musicality and nuance of the bare bones unit. Every instrument in a group stands out a little clearer.
powerestudio
20 posts
 
Exposure 2010s does run cool or hot?
scottmac62's avatar
scottmac62 OP
106 posts
 
Dbarger, you have now piqued my interest
in the Nordost pc. I currently have
Shunyata's Python and Anaconda alpha helixes
not to mention an old King Cobra v2. Sounds
like the Nordost is a good match for Naim.
Curious how they compare.

Did you lose any of that Naim musicality?

Were the benefits of the Nordost on par with
the Flat cap?
dbarger
179 posts
 
The only Shunyata PC I have is a Black Mamba which I use in a digital piece, so I don't have enough experience with Shunyata upper level products to compare. When it comes to losing musicality, at first I thought I did lose some because with the Valhalla PC the detail gets ramped up quite a bit, on just about anything, including the XS. So you start to concentrate on all that detail... After getting used to it, I don't feel it loses musicality. Comparing the effect of the Flatcap vs. the Valhalla, hmmm, I would say the Flatcap may have the bigger impact, but it is very close in my opinion. That may change as the Flatcap is quite new and breaking in. I can say they both have a pretty big impact for sure. I have the Valhalla on my XS, and a Synergistic Master Coupler on my Flatcap. Fun stuff!
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