Other Peoples Systems

unfortunately i have only heard systems that make me appreciate mine.

"So what ya gonna do when the novelty has gone.."

I consider my self very fortunate as i love my systems.

However i would love to have a better sounding room which is significantly larger eg; 30ftx18ftx12ft.

Now then my horns would really sing.

I always enjoy listening to new music so when i visit friends houses for a listen i always end up poorer due to the subsequent purchase of new cd's.

I hope my new loudspeaker project sounds good when it is finished. Still plodding along.

Will post piccies when complete with completely unbiased subjective review.

regards David

I did audition two systems from fellow music/HiFi lovers in my town.
Both of their systems had an AudioNote valve amp, and a AudioNote DAC on their CD-player.
Some high-efficient speakers were hooked up.
(some big chunky ugly horns, and the other had some big chunky, more ugly AudioNote's)

These two systems made me very sad when I returned home and wanted to listen to some music on my system. At that time my system consisted of a Nait-2, CDX, and Kan-1's on Kan-II stands, which sounded like 2 Tivoli Model-One radio's on stands, compared to the systems mentioned above...

Now I have a 72/180 (soon a NAC102 will replace the 72! )
and some Diapason Micra mkIII's, and I'm delighted.

regards,
Alco

A good friend has an LP12 that is a good but up the ladder from my LP12, including an MC cart v. my K18II. He also has his LP12 on a dedicated metal-and-glass stand (not M**a btw).

His system boggies in a way I've heard no CD player do and leads to "psychadelic" music listening sessions. Source First and all that.

I'm not *that* committed to vinyl and can't afford CD playback at that level (if any CD player can do it to begin with) so while my system plays bigger, louder, and cleaner, his is the more enjoyable.

- GregB

Insert Witty Signature Line Here

I'm always amazed that of all the vast numbers of friends, relatives and aquaintances I visit or have visited over the last 20+ years, how few have a decent sistem. The number can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Most seem to be quite content with Midi sistems or old Japanese racks with the speakers hidden behind sofa's etc. It's set me wondering where all the millions of amps, tuners, turntables and speakers etc that have been built, and sold over the years in Britain have got to. Surely they can't all have ended up in land fill sites or mouldering away in garages and lofts. One case in point. My mate Pete had a half decent Quad system fronting a nice pair of, expensive in their day, Goodmans. Last time I visited it was all gone to be replaced with a Sanyo midi with a small pair of plasticky speakers and sounded utter shite to me. He told me that it's what the wife wanted as the Sanyo was more modern. Asked what had happened to his old system and found it was thrown out although the speakers were in the garage. Off to the garage to find that time, dampness and vermin had overtaken them. Veneers peeling off and the surrounds perished. He does'nt listen to records, Cds or tapes much now anyway. No wonder really, as I said the Sanyo was no better than a 50 quid Ghetto Blaster.

Yours in Music

Syd

Now I used to have quite a lowly

Denon DCD3520 (not a shabby player but a top of range circa early 90s battleship machine)
Naim 62/140
MS10s on Target Stands
(Linn Axis in the cupboard not toddler compatible)

Now my friend Swifty has over the last few months gone from a CD3.5/102/180/HicAP/NAPSC/Shahinian Compasses to CDX/CDPS/82/2xHiCap/2x135/NAPSC/Shahinian Obelisks. I have heard several iterations in between these two systems, but the final configuration really made me sit up and say 'I really must sort out my home system'.

So the Axis and most of the LPs have been sold and I have moved up the ladder to:-

Meridian 200 Transport with Trichord Clock
Meridian 203 DAC
Naim 62/140
MS10s on Linn Kan II stands

I now have a system that I'm much happier with (I don't have Swifty's budget and a family to attend to). I can appreciate his system but also now really enjoy mine, but I have some upgrades planned.

I've now just purchased a reworked SNAPS, but yet to try it as I'm in Mid Wales and its in Surrey!

So sometimes listening to other peoples systems does pay off.

Mr Perceptive

I find system building is a very personal thing. I've never heard two systems sound the same, even those using similar components!

I've heard a lot of systems that do certain things better than mine, but few that have had me wishing for dramatic upgrades upon my return home. The few that have have all cost at least 10 times more than my own.

Fortunately the memory usually fades, with the exception of the first 4-pack active SBL system I heard at my dealers. I'd love that system - first time I'd exited a dealer dem with my ears ringing - didn't notice how loud it was, 'til it stopped

Andy

I recently visited a Hifi shop in Londons west end to buy a cheap rega cartridge as a stopgap for my TT.

The shop in question is the one which prefers valves to transitors and TTs to cd, we know who I am talking about.

Whilst there I was sat don in front of a valve system from the former yougoslavia driving some enormous tannoys meant for the middle east market.

I must have forgotton what imaging and depth of soundstage are, and it was quite fun to listen to, being surrounded by a warm yet bright theatre of sound. Whilst it placed instruments in locations that my humble naim sistem cannot approach, it did not unravel the complex aspects of the music like my sistem.

Quite an eye opener but I prefer the way the naim has attack and pace which the round earth system lacked.


Simon

ps The anti Naim rumors that I have heard about the shop I was in did not seem true, thouroughly nice guys.

Me having come from a blind school - almost ALL my mates have decent-ish seperates systems, though I'm the only one with any Naim component (and then, so far, it's only a NAIT 3 and 2 pairs of NACA5) one for the Naim amp, and one in the Rega setup.

My friend's system is FAR superior to any of mine, but in some respects I still prefer mine as it doesn't show up all the recordings as iffy if they are, etc. His turntable I'd kill for though When I come back to mine the only thing that bugs me is lack of bass (due to weedier amps/speakers, and the fact I live in a flat and have to be considerate).

Some of my mates have bits of my castoffs in use - one mate has most of my spare gear in one system - a (POS SHODDY AND HORRID) Sony DVD, Audiodrab 8000A and Epos ES14s - those damn brutes just wouldn't work in my house. When I have a big house and a big Naim setup maybe I'll have them back...

Midis and minis should be banned for crimes against humanity (or hearingsanity morelike!)

When the music's over turn out the lights

Systems that include the original 1980s Heybrook HB1s always seem to sound good - someone ought to start making them again.

Dan

I have 19 year old HB1s driven by a 160-Hi-62. They still sound fabulous.

Kevin

My mate has a pair of HB1, but needs a new driver. Any ideas where might have them?

My system has been transformed by a single component, so that few systems(sic) can sound as good as mine. It leaves me happy to go home and listen to music properly every time.
Answer?..very poor friends.
No, only joking..well, come to think of it...anyway, ....I have a dedicated listening room, with no TV, nothing that is not hi-fi, CD's, books and a sofa. The furniture and furnishings came AFTER the hi-fi, so I put what I wanted in the perfect position, and if it won't fit, or gets in the way - it goes.
I can honestly say that until that happened, everyone's system sounded better than mine.
Perfect positioning and the perfect room has to be considered to be at least as important as, say, the system rack.

I recently heard a system consisting of the following:

Wadia CDP/Perpetual Technologies upsampler/Wadia dac/Belcanto amp/Meadowlark speakers, all connected using a combination of fairly esoteric cables and power supplies

Frankly, it is easily the best CD based system I've ever heard, walking all over ALL the gear I heard at Bristol (including every Naim dem there) and the Naim systems I've heard more recently.

So yes, I certainly have heard something that made me think twice about Naim gear.

Having said all of that, what it really did above all for me was show me some of the capabilities and limitations of CD. So I'm now considering a rega deck.

Mekon

The drivers for the HB1 are made by VIFA. You can get both woofers and tweeters from Wilmslow Audio. They very helpful.

Kevin

“Both of their systems had an AudioNote valve amp, and a AudioNote DAC on their CD-player.
Some high-efficient speakers were hooked up [Alco’s one] sounded like 2 Tivoli Model-One radio's on stands, compared to the systems mentioned above...”

Alco, it’s an absurd comparison, I’m familiar with the system you’ve described, they are somewhere inbetween of CD2/52/135 and CD3/552/500 league.

All I can say is that Naim systems like any other systems on the world has merits and drawbacks. Merit of Naim has been known for 25 years: rhytm playing ability, listenability. The old series allways had something that I did not like: the sound is somehow dark, not a merry sound, treble quality is mediocre. These drawbacks are more and more eliminated in the more and more new and expensive models. Other maker’s had another way to go. My main reason for having choosed Naim (the second times!) for 5 years or so is its listenability, believe or not: for classical and opera music. That time I opt an Audio Research pre/amp for the good old 250, driven by a modified Nait 1...

graphoman

My first listening session of a friend's round earth system really blew me away, it was certainly 3Dimensional with horns and voices popping in left and right, great detail too. It was a system he bought in the military in the 70's and had a stereo geek match some interior components then he phased the electrical connections. I remember he had a Macintosh Pre and the small early NAD amp for his tweeters but a bigger 150 WPC amp for bass and mid. I would have bought it (as he doesn't listen to it anymore) but it was too big for my small apartment.

He did give me his 80's era Rega P3 and started me down the path of vinyl. He has an incredible collection of LPs I will probably inherit some day, tho mostly broadway shows and the like (I'd much rather have 60's/70's R&R.) However, I am very happy with my Naim gear and like the aspect of it being a complete balanced system. Plus I like the addition of a remote. Someday I'll get into the mid range of Naim Reference gear and be blissed out.

Life is analogue

Simon,

I truly believe that Naim will (has) the ability to give us both. At this point the cost is 3 buy 500/552.....
This combo begins to approach the level of ESLs.
To acheive this without having the need to produce a whole new speaker will be an amazing accomplishment. We will all get there sooner than later..

A truly balanced/coherent/organic experience.

Regards,

Marc

After hearing a dem of a cds2/552/500/SL2s, getting home to my own system was a breath of fresh air. Ditto other numerous dems in dealers of cds2`s, 500s, etc. The problem was not the kit, but the way it was set up.....

Laurie S

quote:

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Originally posted by Mr_Sukebe:
I recently heard a system consisting of the following:

Wadia CDP/Perpetual Technologies upsampler/Wadia dac/Belcanto amp/Meadowlark speakers, all connected using a combination of fairly esoteric cables and power supplies

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That wouldn't be a certain place in Cheltenham Spa would it - one with a rather nice widescreen telly between the speakers, and a mobile that you nearly take your eye out on if you forget it's there?

If so - it's a killer system - very impressed with that indeed - it even handles 1980s "digititis" CDs like Whitesnake's 1987 well - and very nice visceral bass - although a tiny bit boomy for me. I'd still kill for that rig though...

All the boy needs now is a turntable - I've tried to tell him...

When the music's over turn out the lights

Hello DomfjBrown,

I feel that you are implementing my 'Ruffian' Brother in this!!.
You shouldn't broadcast these things, he's bad enough to deal with on a day to day basis, let alone with this .
I wish to point out, that It (his system) changes on a virtual day to day basis, and I have to admit this, much as it pains it so, it is rather good, and I would assertain more than likey/greater than/large proportion of, the system was some what 'lacklustre and under-nourished' (His words you understand) when you visited, due to the 'constant fettling'
It can all get too much sometimes, I wish I didn't live so close. Oh well, please don't mind my ramblings, I'm glad your 'endured' the experiance, without 'too many scars'

Kind regards David

Well Balanced Beings Promote Harmony In Music and Soul

So far I am very happy with my sistem:
CD-5/112/FCII/150/NACA5/Dyna Special 25

But I am afraid I will feel bad about my sistem when I listen to my friend's new sistem....

He is going to get 202/200!

quote:

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The problem was not the kit, but the way it was set up.....

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Laurie (and Marco)

How can you know it was a set-up issue unless you hear it in some "optimal" set-up e.g. your own home?

Anyway, I think that a mega-buck system should sound great despite set-up issues. In my view the problem is one of diminishing returns. A fivefold increase in price rarely produces anything like a fivefold increase in listening "quality".

cheers

Nigel

"Anyway, I think that a mega-buck system should sound great despite set-up issues".

The better the system the more set up limitations can hinder ultimate performance. As more expensive systems attempt more (bandwidth/dynamics/air shifting etc) their set up failings can be more apparent in my experience. It is similar to having a badly set up deck in front of a 552, in many ways a 72 would do well at hiding the problems the 552 would ruthlessly expose.

"In my view the problem is one of diminishing returns. A fivefold increase in price rarely produces anything like a fivefold increase in listening "quality".

True but even if we consider them as diminishing they still are often far from subtle and can increase enjoyment levels considerably. The extreme position in this case is that we should all sell our systems in exchange for JVC midi systems at £200 a pop where sound per pound is pretty good. I'm not going to be at the front of that queue.

quote:

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Originally posted by Tom Alves:

ys. Naim own your soul.

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very true.

and yes, I keep thinking giving more power to the Dyna S25, seems it deserves more power than 50w/c

regards
ys