RP6 and HICAP upgrade to XS

Posted by: SNAIC in the Grass on 02 May 2016

It's been a few days now since I added a HICAP and upgraded my RP3 to an RP6/Exact. I must say I'm still trying to get my head around it, hard to figure out what I'm hearing. I've expected a burn in period for the RP6, but the HICAP was used so didn't expect a burn-in there.

Having spent a good amount (compared to the value of my system), I think I've put a lot of pressure on myself to immediately be blown and way and carried off into bliss by the change. I've listened VERY HARD if you will to this thing and I'm afraid psychology is now playing a role here...however I know that I may also be reaching into the void of diminishing returns. Will I be able to enjoy the new system now is my question and worry at the same time.

Current Configuration: RP6/Exact, Stageline N, Nait XS, HICAP2, NACA5, Credo

Really different in that the noise floor is indeed lower, and I'm hearing more granularity in the music. In many songs I can now hear an instrument coming to life that I never heard before somehow. Sometimes its astounding how different a record can sound, for example a new 180gram Sgt. Peppers vinyl was so different I could not believe it. I heard many things that were net new to me and astonished me...making me wonder wtf I was listening to before and how I missed it. Specifically harmony instruments and baselines seem to pop out at me like never before. I don't listen to music as a whole, and love to key in on one instrument or the other throughout the song. Not sure why I do this, but I do and that's just how I listen.

The system is less sparkly and luminous though I'd say if that's possible. However, digital sounds WAY better through the Rega DAC...the digital seems to have been impacted a lot!

Questions:

What's the expected burn-in on the RP6/Exact? I've run maybe 15 records through it so far...it has improved a bit, over these 15 records.

HICAP burn in? Its a unit from 2010. Is there a time where the system will need to be left on and "gel" nevertheless?

Speaker separation distance? I moved my speakers closer together last night, and got a completely different sound out of the system...it seems "smaller" and the sound seems to be coming more from a specific location rather than seeming to appear from nowhere. Not sure what I'm looking for here, but I don't know how far apart is recommend for the Credo.

HICAP is underneath the XS on the shelf below, specifically underneath the power amp section (right side) of the XS, is this correct?

As I don't have much room anymore on my 4-shelf system, I have the RP6 power supply on the top shelf with my Rega DAC, is that correct?

(Shelf1: RP6 PS + Rega DAC, Shelf2: Stageline N, Shelf3: Nait XS, Shelf4: HICAP on right side)

SITG

Posted on: 08 May 2016 by SNAIC in the Grass

I've thought of it, but right now I have a tangled snarl of cables and the problem is most of them are too long actually. Not even sure where to begin.

Posted on: 08 May 2016 by joerand

Snaic,

I'm glad to read the sound is coming together for you. Congrats on your upgrade. Hope it all works out in the long term. As Charlie says, cable dressing shouldn't be overlooked. It can seem a bit daunting looking at the mass of cabling as a whole. My suggestion is find a day where you are relaxed and have time to power down the system. Then focus only on a single cable and see how it could be best routed. Then go to another, and so on, realizing that you may have to make some re-routes along the way to find the best path. Granted, the Naim IC's are bloody long, but hopefully you can slide your gear or rack a bit to find an arrangement that keeps the ICs off the floor, off the wall, and off each other. Run your fingers along them and use their stiffness to introduce bends where needed. Suspended in the air touching nothing is the goal.

Posted on: 09 May 2016 by SNAIC in the Grass

This sentence is funny taken out of context:

"Run your fingers along them and use their stiffness to introduce bends where needed"

crazy