The Wobbly Streamer

You've got it. Output 1 is the primary output and should be used by default when only one Burndy is connected.

Ok, interesting to know, dident know the 2 burndys was the same, have fun with your set up.

//jonas

The second 555PS arrived yesterday. It was accompanied by a medium riser to give the 552 some headroom. It was possible to retain a full empty shelf above the 552 but this pushed the top shelf mounted NDS to within 5mm of the fixed cupboard shelf above the rack. Whilst it is possible to raise the height of this cupboard shelf, we decided not to after chewing it over with Audience Bath, who in turn sought a view from The Batcave. Yeah, maybe a full shelf is absolutely the best option but in reality a medium pillar is close enough so as to make little difference. Well, let’s put it this way, it doesn’t sound too shabby to me!

The system was powered down for an hour and a half and the second 555PS is brand new, so right now it’s sounding the worst it probably ever will. That’s a sobering thought because after spending a couple of hours with it last night, I am euphoric. The tightness, space around notes and fine detail are not an illusion. I’ve been hammering the system for a week (as has Helen) and enjoying it immensely.  No complaints. Nothing needed fixing but the upgrade has made a noticeable difference in what I regard as being the right places – musical communication, coherence and perceived realism.

In conclusion, and with reference to a warming up system and bedding 555PS, I can say that this addition is in the order of a box upgrade! Although the second PS hasn’t hugely tipped a balance I can now confidently, if subjectively say that  our 802Ds now sound like a fast, tight stand mount arrangement, with the extra benefit of scale, depth and lower reach that they bring. Audience Bath have for some time been exponents of tying crossed over speaker cables. Doesn’t always make a difference but no effort to try. I’ve never thought to do it until we were rebuilding the system yesterday.

Can’t hurt to try it, although our reference point has changed, so it’s something to be fiddling with in the winter.

We tried a network isolator in July/August and I was surprised by how much of a difference this made. Unfortunately it was a swing in the wrong direction for us but we will recover most of the cost.

The future? Amps and speakers sorted. Fifteen years to the next routine service (which sees me turning 70 if still the right side of the dirt) and we intend to enjoy those years without further fussing about. Top level DAC – not interested. Top level amp with built in DAC or streamer – not interested.  Top level stand alone streamer a la something like ND555 – interested.

Now, where’s my iPad……

I was just last evening discussing photography with a colleague and remarking on how much simpler it is (or appears to be) to capture in a photograph what the eye sees. When it comes to capturing what the ear sees, it's not so easy. The descriptions you give in reply to Bart's request are an object lesson in how it should be done. Simply compelling. I have some homework to do.

Jan 

Thank you. It's different for all of us and we listen to/for different things. If I'm hearing something that nags me it's most likely that it's something on my mind as opposed to something in my ears. Hearing and musical memory  are incredibly unreliable. I try not be be a measuring instrument. But we all do it from time to time.

Murphy's Law kicked in this evening. The street suffered a power cut. Before I could get to the plugs the power came back on again, then cut out a few seconds later. It wasn't a rapid on/off but these fast cycles can damage stuff. The power was back on a minute later but by then I had got the plugs out. Having been back with power steady for three hours I did a proper system restart a few minutes ago. So the system still probably sounds nowhere near its long legged best. But I'm going to spend some time with it anyway

Really interesting Harry - I'm on a similar path to you.

I'm still coming to terms with the large contribution that the network arrangement makes on the sound quality from the NDS. Which network isolator did you try? Any thoughts on pursuing this further.

Cheers, Gav

Wow, congratulations Harry. 

Wonderful system. 

What tune did you start with, with second PS in place Amy Winehouse...Back to Black! 

I really enjoy reading your posts/Hi Fi journey. Your system is not to dissimilar to mine (same colour etc)  except second PS. A dem might be in order...when does it end!!!

Keep up the good work, and keep us posted.

Acoustic Revive LAN isolator RLI-1, from a lovely bloke in Japan who wrote us a nice letter and included some soup with the order. It made the system sound rather dull, like it was going through the motions with a sigh. I gave it a fair shake but when it came out, the vitality was restored.

We've got some ferrite blocks strategically placed on the Ethernet cables that matter, particularly where they intersect with other cabling. No idea if it matters and can't be bothered to do the A/B. They cost pennies so what the hell!?  I have sometimes heard benefits using different CAT cables, sometimes not.  I've never heard two digital interconnects that sounded identical and high price is definitely not an indicator of sound quality. This is why I prefer to forgo an external DAC - too many variables. It therefore didn't surprise me that Ethernet cables can sound different. Sure, they shouldn't. But then nor should digital interconnects. We are using Audioquest Vodka. I would recommend getting something on home trial but I won't bang on about it because that's walking around with a bulls eye on my chest.

I don't know if I've been lucky with my logically considered but not expertly deployed hardware, or if it could sound a lot better. All I can say that better or not, it sounds very much the way we like it and I don't hear anything that I would describe is aural distortion, glare, hash or interference.

Have you head the NDS with two PSs yet Gav? We didn't do the home trial until we had the funds set aside to pull the trigger - should we want to. I wasn't cynical but I was not expecting a big jump in performance.

All the best with it.

Thanks Dusty.

Where does it end? Right here. Same as it always does - before it starts again!

It has been a rather busy year or there abouts. The eagerly anticipated NDS, then the DR updates, not to mention all the other stuff that has been beaming in from Salisbury, although it was the NDS we were waiting for, like you and the rest of the retirement community. I thought I would like the NDS but it would not have been the end of world if I didn't. Fat chance!

I was pretty uninterested in the potential gains from a second PS because it just didn't factor into the plan and because I could think of scores of other things to do with the money - including hanging on to it. The performance of the NDS/555PS is such that it has to be an upgrade in accordance with the laws of (very) diminishing returns. And so it seemed when circumstances and opportunity lined up such that we felt we could have a dabble.  Sure, the (non DR) 555PS we tried (in point of fact our old unit which we traded in for a new DR one) did add something musical, but it was the effect of removing the second 555PS that nailed it.

A couple of weeks ago I got Yes’ Tales From Topographic Oceans in 24/192. Unlike one or two of the other Yes HiRes releases, this is a lovely offering.  It’s like hearing it for the first time.  I have several versions and the 24Bit really does leave them all for dust. It’s not pumped up or post processed, it’s just clear, detailed, insightful and packed full of skilled musicianship, clever arrangements and yes, quite a bit of clever Dick “because we can”. I might be a lifelong fan but I’m not that blind. Or deaf – I hope! I’ve been listening to it over and over – but not exclusively – during August and early September and I’m still revelling in it. It was the obvious first candidate yesterday when I got some personal lounge time to listen solo. And it sounded even better – by some distance. A personally affirming experience which you don’t always get when new gear is first hooked up. So much more space, texture and yet more wispy detail emerging. Just how much more bloody details is there in these recordings we think we know so well? Which I suppose is a more appropriate answer to your “where will it end?” question. Answers on a post card, I think.

It’s played a fair few albums since then but the power cuts today put a crimp in it. 2112 just went through, followed by a bit of REM and it doesn’t sound to me like it’s been powered down at all. Beethoven and Mahler next up, but not tonight.

If you are curious Dusty, I can confidently recommend a try out. Should you do so, I wonder if you’ll only hear the big gains after the fact? The 555PS has been like that for me. First time round on the DAC it was only after the XPS2 went back in (and warmed up) that my hand went for the phone, almost without my brain asking it to.