Get Best from the CDX (CDX Tuning)

3/4 inch MDF cut to size and painted black with six vibrapods worked a treat for my CDX. It seems to take a bit of the edge off. Smooths things out while providing more detail. Well worth the price of admission. I had similar results with my DVD player on the TV stand using only four pods, as it's much lighter than the CDX.

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3/4 inch MDF cut to size and painted black with six vibrapods worked a treat for my CDX.

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I really don't think Vibrapods are the answer.

Peter, it may be time to put them back in, just to see...

The CDX is (usually) very solid in the bass.

I think something else may be amiss.



Regards,

Steve.

Sounds like a broken record to me.
Spend thousands on Manna and all will be well.

Peter

I'm now a firm believer in the 'ferrous f***k up effect' having moved from steel Sound Org stands to Fraim.

I have an LP12 and if I just sit it in close proximity to the rest of the kit, it degrades the sound. I'm guessing it's down to the steel in it.

Try taking the Garrard away and see what happens. The effect will be much more obvious with non-ferrous supports.

Marco,

Having heard both yours and Peter's sistems, I very much doubt that the Mana Effect would be to his taste (remember, I knew it would be to yours even before you did )

Peter's system majors on the tune, and sounds very similar to mine in its sonic characteristics, if a little more refined and "polite" than my setup.

It has that same "euphonic" signature that you know I like very much (especially when he had removed the Vibrapods.)

Whilst the Garrard is a real bestie, and would trounce the CDX, the CDX should still do good bass.

Mana is good in many applications - it certainly is in your system, but it won't work for everyone. It doesn't really do it 100% for me (except under my speakers.)

Regards,

Steve.

Peter,

Sorry to refer to you in the third person like that.

Being quite familiar with your system, which I lke very much, I'd say that the CDX is unhappy on conventional glass supports such as my old Optimum stand, and your current Ash Designs one.

Rather than go through the domestic upheaval of completely changing your rack, I'd suggest a QS Ref. wallshelf for the CDX. At a later date, you could buy a QS Ref. rack if you wanted (you could "sell" the idea of it then visually matching the shelf) move the CDX onto its Reference top shelf, and put the Garrard onto the wallshelf.



Regards,

Steve.

Hi Peter

Suggest you try placing the CDX on the bottom shelf of your stand and see what that happens? I've re-arranged the CDX I had on a Sound Org tripod and it firmed things up a little.

I know it's not that convenient to reach down all the time - but it is free!

Jay

Yabba, dabba, doooooo

Thanks All for the responses. I also listened extensively this weekend. I have to say that the Mighty Garrard has never sounded better, funny really because I haven't done anything special to it in a long time. I also noted that the foundation (bass) varies from CD to CD, enormously, The best CDs have a very satisfying presentation with adequate weight in the bass and fine clarity in the mid range and sweet on top. I also listened to some recordings with some big bass drum hits on them and they came over well. But, it just doesn't seem clear enough to, say, distinguish between percussive playing on the bass or double bass and fast hits on the bass drum. I listened to Tosca on the Garrard, and there's some bits near the end where they're banging like there's no tomorrow on the Tympani. Evelyne commented that it sounded like an earthquake in the rest of the appartment. So, I might have been hasty in saying that the CDX wasn't satisfying, afterall it's all relative.

J.A. Toon offered:

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As a test, you could try experimenting with some home-brew supports under your CDX. You could try an arrangment such as a MDF panel supported by Michell Tenderfeet, or something else. My CDi rests on a MDF panel with four insulation tape rolls, on their sides, acting as feet. I find this arrangement to work surprisingly well.

If you find that a home-brew arrangement works better, then you know it is time to buy a better support! Wood, glass and MDF all sound slightly different, and everyone has a preference for one or the other.

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replacing the glass shelf under the CDX with a QS Ref style bog seat is something I've been considering for sometime. But being DIY challenged and not having a workshop, I'll wait until the weather is a littlebetter.

Ed Tringali suggested:

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3/4 inch MDF cut to size and painted black with six vibrapods worked a treat for my CDX. It seems to take a bit of the edge off.

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Chez me the CDX doesn't have an edge, unless the CD is particularly fierce, I use a HiCaped Nait 5 as amplification, and I'll wager that one of the characteristics of this combo not liked by 'traditional' naimophiles is just the sweet treble that it has. In a previous system incarnation I found the Vibrapods did indeed have smoothing and inflating effect on the sound, and ultimately it's not my preference.

Then Hlhoppfgarten:

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Do you have the CDX, then, plugged into a Shunyata Hydra? I wouldn't do that (with exotic power-conditioning for everything else, I still prefer my CDX plugged into the wall). The Shunyata Hydra removes hash and provides "shaping" to source and pre-amp components but is not, IMHO, a great match for NAIM gear.

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I've just discovered the existance of the Shunyata Hydra. This is a too expensive for my tastes and the hydra I'm referring to is attached. It's the white box.

Marco, ever reasonable and levelheeded (sic) analysed:

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Peter, without meaning to sound supercilious, lose the 'furniture style' support you're currently using and get some Mana supports ... A 'Phase 2' arrangement of 4-tier rack and Soundstage should suffice, although going to 'Phase 3' by adding a reference top for your Garrard would be even better.

....indicates to me that you're aware the Ash Design rack may not be the last word (sonically speaking) and that more can be done to coax your system into producing the magic it is undoubtedly capable of. .... In my experience, they'll also connect you to the emotional core of the music in a manner that other stands fail to emulate.

However, no support - no matter how capable, will allow your CDX to 'do bass' like your Garrard; ... Therefore in order to preserve your audio sanity, I'd recommend that you try not to strive for the unattainable!

.... don't worry, I'm sure that the Ash Design rack would do wonders for your TV and VCR

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Mana ? Hmm, I have an unbelievers resistance to mana, and I don't particularly, from a style point of view, want an oil rig in the lounge (TM. Mick Parry). But I've seen the photos of Vuks mana installation and was rather taken aback by the simplicity and elegance of the stack. I think my system succeeds in emotional connection with the music, since adding the Hydra arrangements I've been digging out long unplayed musice and really enjoying it. It's the hifi in me heed geek that's asking too many questions . Finally, if I change stands, which in the longterm is possible, the Ash will most likely be consigned to plant support duties, coz it's too high for a Telly.

Jay ventured:

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Suggest you try placing the CDX on the bottom shelf of your stand and see what that happens? I've re-arranged the CDX I had on a Sound Org tripod and it firmed things up a little.

I know it's not that convenient to reach down all the time - but it is free!

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I'm thinking of doing a little reordering on that front this weekend. Getting the CDX further away from the Garrard, the Garrards motor is no more than 30cm from the top of the CDX case. But the Garrard seems more than happy on the Ash, and there's nowhere else to put it at the moment. Steven has many times sugggested a QS wall shelf,a nd it's something I may investigate, but isn't there a mana wall shelf as well ?

Once again, thanks to everybody.

Peter

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Steven has many times sugggested a QS wall shelf,a nd it's something I may investigate, but isn't there a mana wall shelf as well ?

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There is a Mana wall shelf which will probably suit your Garrard, but I think you'd be taking a risk by ordering it to place it under your CDX - you may love it, or you may hate what it does.

I think satisfaction would be guaranteed with the QS Ref. wall shelf under your CDX given your tastes. QS Ref. really suits the CDX if you are after accurate pitch of notes, i.e: the tune, lyricism and flow, and notes telling you the full story, and not simply prioritising the introduction to the tale



Regards,

Steve.

Steve,

I think your spot on with the way I like the sistem to sound, I listened to more muisc last p.m. Rabou ABou Khalil - Blue Camel and John Mellencamps 1st Columbia/Sony CD. The both worked brilliantly, atmosphere for the first, and great bass, drums & Guitar for the 2nd.

I commented to Evelyne that I have nevr had a better sistem than as it is today, so I'm well pleased. .. .. ... But, you always want a little bit more!

As I realised that the suspense was killing you all, you know amazing discoveries and all that here's what I did.

I disconnected all the kit and took it off the stand and lowered the shelves as much as practical. When reinstalling, from the bottom up, I have Hicap, TT PSU, Nait 5, Stageline, CDX and then there's about 30cm until the top shelf with the Garrard. On the Electrical side I replaced the standard mains plugs with some monster Schukos that I got from www.hifi-tuning.com . These have gold plated contacts and, more importantly, they'll take 6mm² Twin and earth mains cable, which I'm now using in a Hydra arrangement. On the IEC end of the mains cable are Marinco 320's.

The addition of this changes have gone a long way towards giving me the clarity that I'm looking for at the lower end of the spectrum. The sense of space both height and depth is also easy to perceive.

Peter

Glad to read that the mains mods have worked.

I'm not sure about the gold plated bit though. My undertanding was that whilst gold protected against corrosion of the surface, it wasn't a terribly good conductor. I'm no sparky, but...



Regards,

Steve.

Steve,

From a quick punt around the web, Gold comes in third place after Silver & Copper. I don't know what the gold is over in this Super Schuko plugs but it's most probably brass. It's almost impossible to evaluate any improvement if any from the plugs alone, but they have the virtue of taking the 6mm² T+E mains cable, which is surely the bargain mains cable of the moment. It can be had off the reel for about 3€ a metre, of course a 2 metre mains cable with a marinco one end and a super schuko the other is still going to cost c. 60€ even as home brew. In my view the 6 mm² cables, even when tacked on to the end of whatever is in the wall, is an improvement over the standard Naim cable.

Peter

Peter

Put two glasses under your CDX. The second one
must be 10mm, if you want more bass.

Emil

Are we talkng drinking glasses here, or 10mm sheets of glass. There's a thread on the Mana forum on this topic...



Regards,

Steve.

Yes, Steve

I'm talking about 2 sheets of glass, distance between them 10mm. That comes from the Mana thread. The second glass must be at least 10mm for more bass. This is my personal experience.

Emil

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Originally posted by Emil F.:
Peter

Put two glasses under your CDX. The second one
must be 10mm, if you want more bass.

Emil

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I've tried this occasionally, and felt that it buggers the timing.

Peter