revealing...

Not too long after that I tried out another LP12 in the sytem, but this one was equipped with only a LV-X Basik. When the power amp used was the 250, the mistracking of the cartridge was very obvious and quite irritating to listen to. Reverting back to the 110 with the same turntable allowed the sound to nicely gloss over the mistracking while keeping some of the virtues intact- and indeed gave a more listenable sound, albeit less insightful and revealing.
There is no doubt in my mind that the LP12/Ittok/110 performed to a far more musical standard than the LP12/LV-X/250. But to my ears.. a better pre-amp is * always* better... but a better power amp can be too much of a good thing.
Oh.. the 250 with the LP12/Ittok upstream was in a different league altogether.
Note that this is entirely consonant with my subjective findings that a 52/140 is better than a 42.5/Hicap/135.. and by a LONG way. If you are going to get an electronic component that is 'ahead of its league', make it a source compnent or a pre-amp. Superior power amps or speakers need not apply when there is cack upstream.

Ron
Dum spiro audio
Dum audio vivo

I reckon the 'revealing thing' is a missnomer. I think what we are really talking about is the ability of component X to perform at its best. I have a friend who by the standards of this forum has just assembled a classic mullet system. He has a Rotel 971 CD player going through some massive Perreaux pre/power into Isobariks. He has been changing speakers in the system for the last year and ended up here when he snapped up the Briks at a bargain price. His stereo improved each time he upgraded the speakers, and now he is really impressed with what he has. Anyone that has heard Briks in the classic Naim/Linn set up would probably say that his set up is revealing limitations in the source because they know what these speakers are capable of. In contrast my mate will not hear this because he hasn't been there yet. In his experience his stereo keeps getting better, so he's happy. It's only when you look backwards with the benefits of hindsight induced by a severe case of upgraditis that you realize how much better things could get.

Jens

Speakers can "reveal" weaknesses in both the sources and amps, amps just the sources, and the sources themselves the recordings.

Where such "revelations" occur, the system can be described as imbalanced, and the "revealing" component can also be refered to as "analytical."

Jeez, I think I may have read a few too many hi-fi mags!

However, those Allaes I mentioned in another thread have had a few more hours' run in than yesterday, and they now reveal the deficiencies of the CD5/Hi/102/180 mullet system driving them.

Cheers,

Steve.

How would you know for sure if its neutral, every bit of hi fi kit in the world adds its own stuff to the mix. Short of being able to play a CD on your finger you can't call anything 'neutral'

quote:

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However, those Allaes I mentioned in another thread have had a few more hours' run in than yesterday, and they now reveal the deficiencies of the CD5/Hi/102/180 mullet system driving them.

---

This is interesting. My Naim system started with 3.5/Flat/102/140/Albions, shortly folled by 3.5/Hi/102/Flat/140/Albions. I would say that the Allaes are approximately equivalent to my Albions (at least from a cost perspective), and the electronics roughly matched your own.

Like you, I also thought that this system wasn't quite right. So I got a CDX and moved the Hi-Cap to the 102, bringing me to CDX/102/Hi/140/Albions. I could have easily lived with this system for a very long time. I had the upgrade bug, though, and look where I ended up. (Yeesh! )

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

Whichever way, the system aint gonna work without 'em, and sounds imbalanced because of them being so "revealing."

Mike, imho, the speakers revealed the relative weaknesses of the CD5. The CDX as you then got would have done much to remedy the problem.

Cheers,

Steve.

more comments later...

enjoy

ken

but a better power amp can be too much of a good thing.

do you think there exists such a good speaker out there that it shows up every upstream component ever made? similarly, do you believe there exists such a good power amp there that it reveals the weaknesses of every pre-amp ever made? and similarly is there is pre-amp that simply just shows up the weaknesses of current sources, cd players included?

if there is indeed a new naim pre-amp, i suspect this will be compulsory for NAP500 owners -- the argument will be the 500 will show up the weaknesses(?) of the old 52. what are they?

kind of discussing hierarchy principle indirectly i guess.

thanks for your contrinution ron. i guess my confusion came from the fact that even tapes that i had recorded on my technics SL17 direct drive t/t sounded good on the 82 -- which i though would just show up the poor quality of the t/t.

but i guess your "a good preamp is ...." applies here...

any more thoughts anyone?

enjoy

ken

have you listened to his system? to your ears, are the bariks revealing weaknesses in the source? i know this doesnt matter because the owner is "happy"...

enjoy

ken