XS2 System advice

Ok thanks. I'll have a play around. I need to rip all my CDs and then I'll move onto the Mac Mini to be sure I have removed any early system issues. To be honest the iMac was only a temporary fixture. I sure the massive 27inch screen sucks some of the energy from it too.

Would a Naim Fraim considerably improve things versus the Eris rack? Any thoughts on the eris?

Cheers

ThatsNotMyNaim posted:

Fountain of information here. Thanks for these. The Proacs do sound very neutral / plain. Sometimes very lovely but definitely lack bounce. Experience of B&W hifi speakera are usually that they sound thick in the mid but I will give them a go none the less.

I had some 602.5s years and a Rotel Ra-02 which bounces nicely but again thick, muddy mids. Though it was a budget system. Sold it after uni. 

I owned a Rotel RA-1062 which I quickly sold off and tried some B&W DM601 S3 which were immediately returned to the dealer. These are probably the two least musical components I've ever had in my listening space.

Huge posted:

Sort out your physical arrangements before buying more kit - if you have the physical arrangement wrong (particularly around speaker position and stuff on the HiFi rack), then new kit will just suffer from the same problems!

Good inexpensive advice.

Even if not practical for long term placement one test you can try is placing speakers diagonally in the room. This should reduce standing wave issues.

I wouldn't swap out your chord dac for anything else. Chord dacs at the moment seem to beat everything in their respective price categories, and for me it was the biggest boost to my system I have ever made, swapping from a Naim dac V1

What amp are your running Easyryder?

I am running a nait xs2.

The sound you describe you want from your system is pretty much the same as what I want, and I did audition the exposure I have mentioned against my XS2 and loved its soundstage and spacious hi fi sound plus it had bags of power and clout but at the end of the day I chose the xs2 simply because it was more exciting and musical.

I suppose you do have to make compromises

I would also look at your speaker stands, as mentioned you cant go wrong with partington stands (dreadnought or broadsides) but they are quite expensive and if you can have a look on fleabay for a second hand pair of Atacama se24s. I have had mine since new! and would never part with them.

I think you are right there. Compromise isn't something I do well! Ha

I've spent 4 years listening to music at my iMac through MM-1s. About 2-3 ft away. So of course the sounds ping around your ears at closer range. They also sound very lively and well defined in the instrument & electronic areas. But they lose control easily due to their size and sound a bit crass/crazy at times. And very unbalanced. Still enjoyable though.

Now I have a lounge of my own I guess I was hoping to find a bigger, more controlled and a bit more refined version of that but the unicorn sound perhaps doesn't exist. 

I am starting to be swayed by this more grown up, neutral sound. Just sometimes I want my system to get up and drive on. I don't think I can live with any flatness for that long. Music is a pick up for me. So it's got to be sparkly and atmospheric. 

I just enquired about a pair on ebay at 99p with 4 days remaining. 'A few scuffs' but largely in decent condition. We shall soon see! I knew I should of gotten hefty stands. Schoolboy error. 

One of my first systems was B&W 601 S3s and a NAD 3020e intergrated and it was a really get up and go "fun" sounding setup and over the years upgrading to more expensive hi fi, I have found the sound changing more controlled - refined and focused with tons more insight into music and I do appreciate it more.

ThatsNotMyNaim posted:

I just enquired about a pair on ebay at 99p with 4 days remaining. 'A few scuffs' but largely in decent condition. We shall soon see! I knew I should of gotten hefty stands. Schoolboy error. 

Don't worry about minor scuffs, they can be re sprayed easily enough. They are pretty hefty stands so postage could be an issue.

15Kg each! I'm actually in Truro (Cornwall) at the mo and travelling by way of the seller on the way home tomorrow. If they get back to me it could great timing. 

Do you have any acoustic panels or anything like that around your room? My room needs sorting out for a fact. I tested it with some pillows in the room and made a significant difference to the focus. Which is lost without them. 

eazyryder posted:

One of my first systems was B&W 601 S3s and a NAD 3020e intergrated and it was a really get up and go "fun" sounding setup and over the years upgrading to more expensive hi fi, I have found the sound changing more controlled - refined and focused with tons more insight into music and I do appreciate it more.

 

 

The XS2 is definitely refined. NAD on the other hand is great VFM.

ThatsNotMyNaim posted:

15Kg each! I'm actually in Truro (Cornwall) at the mo and travelling by way of the seller on the way home tomorrow. If they get back to me it could great timing. 

Do you have any acoustic panels or anything like that around your room? My room needs sorting out for a fact. I tested it with some pillows in the room and made a significant difference to the focus. Which is lost without them. 

There are plenty of soft furnishings in my listening room and MOH has absolute authority when it comes to the home décor

I hope all goes well with the stands, the SE24s are a classic and IMO still cant be bettered.

The SE24s are fillable, and this can be done via a hole accessed underneath the bottom plate of the stands. Mine where filled when new many years ago with normal builders sand.