I have remained largely silent on my very limited experience of my Mana wall shelf. This was partially because I didn't have too much negative or positive to say about it- when I installed it it was to accomdate my newly prefixed/geddoned and Aro-ed LP12, so I could not make reference as to how much it did or did not improve the LP12, which was performing vastly better with the added naim-mongery on the Mana than the pre-Prefixed etc LP12 did while placed on the top shelf of the RoomTunes rack. I did try out placing the CDS1 head unit on the Mana shelf and it did work better than on the low-lying amp-shelf I have been using, but only incrementally so, with a sligthly more tuneful and cleaner sound. But really not anything worth writing about.
My interest however was piqued and I ordered one more level of Mana to go on the wall shelf, which I installed last night.
Firstly I noted that the shelf was not level (I would have sworn it was when I mounted it several weeks ago) and it had to be shimmed. Secondly the nuts were way too tight. So I corrected these, did a somewhat better job of placing, levelling and tuning the top shelf and then reseated the LP12 on it. Note that I did not try the LP12 out on the retuned and relevelled shelf without the added level.
My system, including the turntable, is housed in a walk in closet adjacent to the music room and of course is well away from the 'sweet spot' (which for DBLs is a very large spot indeed). Yet within the first 2 bars music I would tell from this disadvanted position that something very right had happened that was only hinted at before. There is now a tremendous sense of pace and vitality that has escalated the LP12 performance to a point that the CDS1 can only gaze at in admiration. And this with a cheapo Benz Micro cartridge too.Dare I say that this improvement was every bit as dramatic as supercapping the Prefix, but only 1/8th of the price. I cannot imagine anyone interpreting these changes as anything less than a signficant improvement. If the other equipment racks offer similiar degrees of improvement I am at a bit of a loss to see why there should be any controversy over the 'Mana sound', which apparently just allows the equipment to work as intended, instead of injecting any editorialization to the sound.
The only down side is that the added level makes changing an album a little bit risky for anybody much less than my height. One more level and I will have to use an ampstand as a stepping stool.
Ron
Dum spiro audio
Dum audio vivo
http://homepages.go.com/~rontoolsie/index1.html
Posted on: 29 December 2000 by David Sutton
Ron,
I never tire of reading threads about great discoveries using Mana equipment. At the last Hammersmith Show I heard Forum Folk discussing how Mana made Naim sound "too good" and "incorrect", but I am sorry to say that I cannot agree with these cognoscenti. I too have marvelled at the improvements I have heard, and continue to do do so whenever I have to "tune up" the ironwork to get it to sing. My equipment is somewhat more modest than yours (LP12/Aro/Troika/Armageddon/32.5/HiCap/250) with a CDX for backup, but nevertheles the improvements are stunning. It now only remains to upgrade and upgrade the Mana...
Happy New Year
Posted on: 29 December 2000 by Naheed
Ron, it sounds like you've progressed to Phase 2 (Wall Shelf and another table), the addition of Stages or Phases bring mind-bogling improvements.
Phases 4, 7, and 9 are supposed major sonic milestones, for me Phases 4 and 5 were unbelievably good way beyond what i had ever imagined, but its been a month now since i upgraded my whole rack to Phase 9 !!!
The sort of PRaT my system has now took on board is awesome, Dave i agree with you here, many have thought at this stage Mana has applied it's signature but this is not the case, for me and many others in the Naim context Mana brings out the best of what a good Naim System can do superb PRaT coupled with the best dynamics.
naheed...
Posted on: 30 December 2000 by Allan Probin
Ron,
If you can manage to bear being without the LP12 for a short while in the interest of experimentation, how about letting us know how you feel about the CDS head unit back on the mana now that it's sorted.
I also wouldn't mind knowing how the 52 head-unit reacts to mana, but maybe I'm pushing it a bit here.
Allan
Posted on: 30 December 2000 by Top Cat
Yeah, adding levels is pretty amazing. And addictive, too.
I went from a QS rack to a Phase 1 Mana rack and noticed a startling improvement. I then went put two soundstages under the rack and was gobsmacked at how much more these unassuming levels had somehow squeezed out of my modest system. Of course, I just had to go to Phase 5 next, and now the system truly kicks ass! I've a couple of levels heading my way for next week, and it just gets better and better...
That's the only downside to Mana - once you've added one level, you just want more, more, more...
John
