not a thead about nasty stuff, Rico discovers the NAP90 (ricosystem III)
Posted by: Rico on 19 November 2001
No, I'm not on drugs! Here's the bullet-pointed summary for those executives amongst you, followed by a piccy for those of the pictorial persuasion. We'll then wrap up with a brief discussion of the merits, and a few more piccies. 
I know you'll all enjoy pointing out all the shortcomings of this system, but it has much going for it.
- It's low-budget
- It's compact
- It's not demanding on setup
- It even features non-ferrous equipment support (for those of you gone to the dark-side). Hey - I can even make the bog-seat mod without the use of a router by folding in the box-flaps, and save another £100 in the bargain!
- It features the most under-rated Naim amp, the NAP90.
And here it is:
Yes thats right, Rico favouring a NAP90 after all the years of slagging it off. No, this is not a revelation, just a pleasant surprise. The NAC62 & NAP90 were kindly lent to me by a friend, and the speakers (AudioMark AM18's) lent to me by the designer. The NAP90-2 has been upgraded to 90-3 status, and is run via a black SNAIC. The Philips CD502 (aka "plastic fantastic") belongs to another friend, and is the cornerstone of his earlier system before he scored an all Naim system in the UK.
This system is certainly a rule-breaker! Set up as plonked down in the room, a real bitser. The winning thing here (apart from the outstanding synergy with Naim amps acheived by employing the fabulously musical CD502) is that the speakers have been optimised for the 90. Ever heard a 90 sounding really fast? Ever thought a 90, or a ported speaker could do PJ Harvey? Hell, this one does! OK, we're not talking the ultimate in refinement here, but loads of music in our lounge while whats left of Ricosystem II swims its way around the world to be married up to Ricosystem I. Jah Wobble's bass runs upset the player a bit - it just can't make that much sense of the complexity of the bottom end, so it just fluffs it. And we're probably lacking some scale here, although I suspect some improved bracing of the non-ferrous support would help things. The real culprit must be the speaker cabling, a case of "what was to hand" which in this case was some 5 metre lengths of RICO4 (1.2mm TPS 3-phase power cabling, solid core, with bananna terminations) left over from rounder-earth days. I'm sure NACA5 would improve things. I'm really keen to try the CDX in this system once it arrives - although a properly levelled support will be a requirement for CDX operation.
Source-firsters will understand why the MD player sounds more like a Japanese hifi, requiring a lot more heft on the volume dial to make scale... but allows me to groove out atop the ladder with paintbrush or roller in hand whilst Hooky runs through his stuff on Power Corruption and Lies. Yep, it's all music to paint rooms by. Groove Armada's Hello Country Goodbye Nightclub (did I get the order right on that one?) is not at all bass-shy, with the sub-lines wining forth. Sola Rosa sounds well funky, and when I run out of CD's to play (I have the traveller's version of desert island disks - the 20-disk Case Logic folder, packed in a hurry, along with a few aquisitions along the way), the Sony portable tuna makes good sounds.
So here's a chance for ya'll to knock yourselves out - point out all of the "issues" in the setup of Ricosystem III, and which rules I've broken. Glittering Prize: Whoever makes me weep tears of shame gets further details of the AM18's by way of a reward. Oh hell - I haven't said wood yet. Huhhh hehh heh heh huhhhh.
The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed the homage to Greg Beaty. The towel really works, but I have found the colour paricularly important - any other would not contrast favourably with Naim Green.
At any rate, the moral of the story is not to write off the NAP90. With careful speaker matching, it really can deliver a load of musical enjoyment, and more importantly, FUN. Kan owners will know what I mean. For those interested in the AM18's, there will be more details on a forthcoming website - it's a self-build speaker that works on Naim - awesome!
Rico - SM/Mullet Audio
System Detail including Ricosupport.
[This message was edited by Vuk Vuksanovic is our friend on MONDAY 19 November 2001 at 19:55.]
[This message was edited by Better off without Vuk? I think not. on MONDAY 19 November 2001 at 20:01.]
Rico - SM/Mullet Audio
Come on ya'll, how 'bout a list of the setup indecencies? 
PS - Nurses are good for you.
Rico - SM/Mullet Audio
quote:
The thought just occured to me that the diff here is that I like the way this rig sounds
Ooooh. Oooh Keeeiih. The thought just occurred to me that you might be serious about the setup hints
[Nurse! CPR, quick! We're losing him!]
Thomas
Glad you have seen the light and got a grip on a big knob (or two).
OK, my observations:
1) Severe spooling of speaker cables. Touching the wall as well. Shock!
2) Pre sat directly next to the power
3) CD 'player' on top of pre-power. Hey, what happended to the screening? The 'Plastic Fantastic' is a bit open to the Salisbury radiation no?
4) That TV should be a bit more centered. (Like mine..) Your gonna get honko-vision there budy!
5) Mini-disc nicely suspended but not level. Don't tell me - you shipped the M*n* spirit level - DOH!
6) No shag pile in front of the speakers. Major reflections dude. Bit live is it eh, eh?
7)Tut tut Rico. Not supported your local box producers. No, you just go and callously use a Mexican box (From Dusk Till Dawn anyone??) Just think of all that untouched wood. (In NZ's forests you filthy bunch!)
8) Mint green towl. Sooooo passe. Toffee is the new green sweetie.
Er, think thats it.
But does it really matter??
Enjoy the tunes,
Steve
PS - You missed a bit just above the TV.
[This message was edited by Stevie D on MONDAY 19 November 2001 at 23:18.]
Firstly, indeed Greg, that is the ubiquitous towel employed in the now long-gone Ricosystem III.
Now, new improved Ricosystem IV is mutating in the sunroom at Casa Rico. Plonked down unceremoniously on move-in, I managed about 3 hours of listening without the XPS. And then as the work on main listening room stretched from weeks in to months, the system started mutating, as though I had left it in a damp spot... it sprouted first a DVD player and television so that we could watch movies after a hard day's de-boxing. And then someone lent us a VHS tape, so the video was necessary. And then Mrs Rico wanted TV, so the antenna "mod" was duely despatched. The Tuna was floundering in the corner, so I shifted the coax and low and behold, FM issued forth.
In the mean time, it sounds pretty good! Punchy, and the room is fairly lossy, with an irregular shape, and exposed-beam chappel ceilings. Hopefully I should have the main room finished before Easter Sunday, am keen to have the system proper set-up soon. Substituting 82/SC for 72/Hi and SBL's for the ES11's should be jaw-dropping. And we won't talk about the Mana, yeah? 
So anyway, here's a few pics showing the mutation...
[Chris Koster left his breifcase]
Rico - SM/Mullet Audio
it is of course a work in progress, and lets not discuss cable dressing.
Rico - SM/Mullet Audio
Simon
Just about to buy 47 acres of potential vineyard in the Wairarapa. 
quote:
Just about to buy 47 acres of potential vineyard in the Wairarapa.
Sounds rather nice, Si. Not that bit in Martinborough, on the way up the slope to Te Kairanga vineyard, per chance? Just mind it doesn't prevent that CDSII upgrade! Hey - 47 Acres means you'll be able to have a tractor!
As for recycled Rimu - remember, in the 70's (when most of the renovation work was done on our 30's cal bungalow) they were still using Rimu as we would have used pine in the 80's. So undoubtedly it was new. Some interior decorator suggested painting over it all, and the ceiling dark blue and besides, that native timber is already out of date... "not in this house, mate!" was the rapid response.
Yeah GaryI, they're PDL tap-on plugs. NZ standard is M.E.N. system, rather similar to UK. there's more detail in this picture - hope it's simpler. I'm biased, but reckon its loads better than all of these crappy mains blocks put together, bears no fuses, made of good solid copper, and works well. Piggybacking one on to the other keeps it all simple.
Rico - SM/Mullet Audio
PS - the Nak's working beautifully, thanks Dev. And welcome back mate! You'll notice that one of the top disks in the foreground is "Mowlam Dub".