Why do we hear streaming so different?

Posted by: Claus-Thoegersen on 28 September 2008

I am more and more puzzled over the fact that people like subscribers to this Forum suppostedly all Naim owners, have such a hard time agreeing on the quality of the new streaming sollutions!
Some find Lavry plus Mac to be the best sollution since the whole 500 series or at lest since the cd 555, others that have demoed it says it is about as good as the SNait!

ome people like and at least one forum member seems to own Linns Climax DS. Personally I find it so borring to listen to that I would not even consider it if I had it offered for much less than the plus 10 K pounds it cost. Of course I have only heard it in a full Linn system, maybe it can play a little more engaging in a Naim system?

Finally the HDX. First impressions were something like a very expensive convinience player but not anything close to cd X2. Over the Summer and the last changes before production it has gotten better, most people say very close to x2. With added SU it gets better, but for several here not up to s3 levels. I do not agree, with Spx2 and my Indigo cable it is better than my cd s3! Not better on all fronts, but it plays more musically I tend to forget to listen and just enjoy the music. The s3 and HDX has in my system about the same amount of details in the music, but the HDX present the details as a whole you do not have to listen to hard for the details they are just presented to you and if I listen it is more clear what each instrument plays if I listen e.g. to decide if tehe base is the same, worse or bgetter when comparing players.

Voices especially background vocals are more articulate, it is easier to hear what they are singing on records where I often have a hard time listening for lyrics.

The s3 seems to play with a little more base and maybe a little more of the PRAT known in Naim products, but it is different depending on the cd I listen to.

Maybe for others there are things that you vallue in musical replay that I do not really care about and therefore do not or maybe even cannot listen for?

And finally a few of my test cds, the 2 I have used before writting this post is:
Leonard Cohen The future, and Hans Theessink and Terry Evans Visions.

Claus
Posted on: 28 September 2008 by glevethan
quote:
Originally posted by Claus-thoeg:

Some people like and at least one forum member seems to own Linns Climax DS. Personally I find it so borring to listen to that I would not even consider it if I had it offered for much less than the plus 10 K pounds it cost. Of course I have only heard it in a full Linn system, maybe it can play a little more engaging in a Naim system?



Have a listen to the Klimax DS through a 552/300 and you just might change your mind.

Gregg
Posted on: 28 September 2008 by imperialline
quote:
Originally posted by glevethan:

Have a listen to the Klimax DS through a 552/300 and you just might change your mind.

Gregg

This brings up an interesting question - Could it be the question of synergy?
Posted on: 28 September 2008 by u5227470736789439
It is always the case that the replay is the result of three basic parts: The source component[s], the amplifier[s], and the speakers. To which add the greatest variable, the room. System matching is crucial, and then add the subjective individual response of the listemers themselves.

I am not sure that the variations in opinion are surprising at all.

On the HDX, it surely also the case that the Roadshow machines demonstrated to so many were clearly not finallised. I would think this was a not such a good idea, as many will have come away with an impression that was not always as positive as it might have been if a certain and final version - the version now in circulation apparently - had been used.

What is certain is that auditioning is just as important as it ever was with the older and know source styles.

ATB from George
Posted on: 28 September 2008 by Adam Meredith
Just a radical suggestion - but could it be taste and priorities?
(see similar thread on "CDX2 harsh or honey?" and so on)

Many people like B&W speakers. When I listened to them I felt I had an idea why someone (else) might like them but I could not see why you would bother to run a Naim front end through them. They seemed to make a good fist of throwing away much/most of what I like about the "Naim sound" FOR ME. Oddly enough, I do not own B&W speakers.

Problems seem to arise when people mistake taste or subjective opinion for fact - or, possibly, mistake someone not sharing their taste with that person laughing loudly as they occupy the adjacent urinal stand.

We do NOT even all respond in the same way when presented with the same sounds. Our tastes do not entirely overlap. Even when we like the same thing we do not necessary like it for the same reasons.

The DAC in the SuperNait is not an afterthought, stuck in to raise the feature count, but intended to be a serious digital input - not requiring immediate replacement like iPod headphones. You may therefore suspect that any future, standalone, DAC from Naim is likely to sound like the SuperNait DAC - but better.

Which is why I find it amusing to be accused of telling people not to listen for themselves. That, and take responsibility for your choices, would be my condensed advice for hifi and, even, a decent part of life.
Posted on: 28 September 2008 by Adam Meredith
quote:
Originally posted by imperialline:
Could it be the question of synergy?


Yes -

the piece of equipment - your ears.
Posted on: 28 September 2008 by ryan_d
So does that mean that a stand alone dac is in the offing??? Have you let the cat out of the bag Adam?

Ryan
Posted on: 28 September 2008 by Adam Meredith
As I am only tenuously connected to Naim I no longer have my official cat bag.
Posted on: 29 September 2008 by Claus-Thoegersen
quote:
Originally posted by glevethan:
quote:
Originally posted by Claus-thoeg:

Some people like and at least one forum member seems to own Linns Climax DS. Personally I find it so borring to listen to that I would not even consider it if I had it offered for much less than the plus 10 K pounds it cost. Of course I have only heard it in a full Linn system, maybe it can play a little more engaging in a Naim system?



Have a listen to the Klimax DS through a 552/300 and you just might change your mind.

Gregg


2 problems here. Currently I am told that we have 252 and a 300 as top of the tree gear in Denmark. The 500 has been here on a show but never a 552 and I doubt it is going to happen unless I win the lottery and order 1.

The local Linn dealer used to have Naim, actually it was the first place I heard Naim gear, but time has changed and they hhave put cloth in their ears and do not have Naim in the shop, so the only demo of Linn is in all Linn systems.

If you have access to this system the really interesting comparison is to hear the Climax Ds against HDX plus 555 su.

Claus
Posted on: 29 September 2008 by glevethan
quote:
Originally posted by Claus-thoeg:

If you have access to this system the really interesting comparison is to hear the Climax Ds against HDX plus 555 su.

Claus


Claus

I heard a HDX/PS against a CDX2-CDS3 and against an Akurate DS. Several months ago I extensively demoed the Klimax DS vs. CDS3. If you look at the other thread I posted "my ears impressions".

Regards
Gregg