An Upgrade To The New Range - WOW!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Peter Holmes on 10 March 2003
Have just upgraded from a 52/Supercap/250/CDX to a 252/Super Cap/250-2/CDX2. I also at the same time decided to take the plunge with a Tom Evans Groove Phono Stage.
CD SOURCE
First impressions are Wow! The sound is altogether quite different but still very much NAIM. Immediate differences noticed when playing the CDX2 from cold was separation and soundstage are in a different league compared to the CDX. First CD in the tray was Avril Lavigne's "Let Go" album since this is what I had been playing prior to the new system install. What a Difference! I could hear sounds/instruments and rhythms that were just not there on the CDX. There is no doubt that some of the attack and slam has gone (this may of course be just as much due to the 252/250-2 but I will never know as replaced all units at the same time)but after 4 days of listening to the CDX2 this has in my mind been replaced by a far more refined presentation that takes a little getting used to but grows on you rapidly. The other main difference I notice is that the system can be turned up much much louder before distortion sets in.
VINYL SOURCE
This is my main source and the difference here was just jaw-dropping! I bought a brand new LP12/Ekos(silver wired)/Akiva/Lingo 2 in January 2003 and until the arrival of the new system was to be honest a little dissapointed but always suspected that the Moving Coil Boards in the 52 were limited. The 252 of course has no phono board capability so this was the time to take the plunge. I tried a Linto on loan but was not happy with the sound at all. IMHO it made the vinyl sound CD-like in so far as it sounded bright and the treble ssssssss like. So what to do - Stageline, Prefix, Dino, Micro Groove, Groove........?? Decided since vinyl is my main source that I had to go for The Groove. I based my decision based on reviews and the helpful advice I received from Audio-T Reading alone since several attempts to hear it never came off. The result.........jaw dropping! I have been after the ultimate (to my ears) vinyl sound for nearly ten years now and this is it! The detail that is extracted from the disk is just astonishing! The first LP on the LP12 platter was "Ramble On" from Led Zeppelin's 2nd LP - I was hearing this track like never before ...the stereo effects, separation, rhythm were just incredible. I was quickly reaching for all my favourite LP's to hear information extraction never before heard. Some of all of this may have been in part down to the 252/250-2 but I suspect that full honours should be awarded to the Tom Evans Groove phono stage,the best upgrade I ever made! Now I understand why they say Vinyl beats CD hands down!
CD SOURCE
First impressions are Wow! The sound is altogether quite different but still very much NAIM. Immediate differences noticed when playing the CDX2 from cold was separation and soundstage are in a different league compared to the CDX. First CD in the tray was Avril Lavigne's "Let Go" album since this is what I had been playing prior to the new system install. What a Difference! I could hear sounds/instruments and rhythms that were just not there on the CDX. There is no doubt that some of the attack and slam has gone (this may of course be just as much due to the 252/250-2 but I will never know as replaced all units at the same time)but after 4 days of listening to the CDX2 this has in my mind been replaced by a far more refined presentation that takes a little getting used to but grows on you rapidly. The other main difference I notice is that the system can be turned up much much louder before distortion sets in.
VINYL SOURCE
This is my main source and the difference here was just jaw-dropping! I bought a brand new LP12/Ekos(silver wired)/Akiva/Lingo 2 in January 2003 and until the arrival of the new system was to be honest a little dissapointed but always suspected that the Moving Coil Boards in the 52 were limited. The 252 of course has no phono board capability so this was the time to take the plunge. I tried a Linto on loan but was not happy with the sound at all. IMHO it made the vinyl sound CD-like in so far as it sounded bright and the treble ssssssss like. So what to do - Stageline, Prefix, Dino, Micro Groove, Groove........?? Decided since vinyl is my main source that I had to go for The Groove. I based my decision based on reviews and the helpful advice I received from Audio-T Reading alone since several attempts to hear it never came off. The result.........jaw dropping! I have been after the ultimate (to my ears) vinyl sound for nearly ten years now and this is it! The detail that is extracted from the disk is just astonishing! The first LP on the LP12 platter was "Ramble On" from Led Zeppelin's 2nd LP - I was hearing this track like never before ...the stereo effects, separation, rhythm were just incredible. I was quickly reaching for all my favourite LP's to hear information extraction never before heard. Some of all of this may have been in part down to the 252/250-2 but I suspect that full honours should be awarded to the Tom Evans Groove phono stage,the best upgrade I ever made! Now I understand why they say Vinyl beats CD hands down!