272/250DR, one year on

HH,  Yes, also I believe speakers that were excellent in the past when they were introduced, now show their age much less than other components.  My main speakers are Spendor SP2s of 1986 vintage and they don't let down my ND5 XS / TXPS + Nait XS 2 / TCIII with Mogami W2534 interconnects.

As with yourself this is as far as I can go without changing main boxes.  But I also have no intent to do so, as I also just listen to the music not the HiFi - and that's the real "Game of the Naim".  

HH - it is a very thoughtfully put together system. I bet even Justin Biber will sound wonderful through those SL2s. 

But on a serious note: it's the 2nd paragraph of your post that summarises it brilliantly - it's about enjoying the music not what it is being replayed on. 

HH - I have a vague and possibly unreliable recollection that at one stage you tried a non-Naim lead between your N272 and NAP250DR. Do you now have 2 x SL between the units? What did SL bring to the party?

So now a  CONTENTEDCOD perhaps ? Or maybe HAPPYHAKE , or even a PUCKAPUFFER ! 

Hungryhalibut posted:

Last July, having had a SuperUniti and PMC speakers for two years, I decided to push the boat out - but not too much - and get a 272 and one of the first 250DRs, with a Quadraspire SVT to sit them on. Then, a few weeks later, in a stroke of incredibly good luck, following a tipoff on the Forum, I was lucky enough to get hold of a lovely pair of maple SL2s. Then in October I added an XPSDR. Fast forward to December, and a set of SL speaker leads, and then to January and an SL din to XLR lead. With dedicated mains and Powerlines already in place, I'd pretty well maxed out the 272/250. It ran in over a few months and is now working as well as it can. 

I'm now in a really good place where I've effectively forgotten about the Hifi entirely and just sit down and enjoy the music. The system just gets out of the way and lets the music do its thing.

It's astonishing what three boxes and some ageing speakers can do.

That is good to hear. To be able to reach a good place and entirely forget about hifi is surely a tough feat to achieve. After all, it is the music that matters. I hope to reach the destination soon.

Interesting that you have the Super Lumina speaker cables with the 272/250 DR. I suppose that is the threshold to have the SL leads as in my mind the Super Lumina is more at home with the higher level 552 or Statement series of amplifiers. Perhaps one day when I can find a pair of heavily discounted SL cables I may just give it a try.

Adam Zielinski posted:

HH - it is a very thoughtfully put together system. I bet even Justin Biber will sound wonderful through those SL2s. 

Adam, any more talk like that and we will have you put in Forum time out.

There are some things even Naim can't do...

DrMark posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

HH - it is a very thoughtfully put together system. I bet even Justin Biber will sound wonderful through those SL2s. 

Adam, any more talk like that and we will have you put in Forum time out.

There are some things even Naim can't do...

Sir, yes Sir!

I shall now go and purge myself of my sins. Forgive me Father, for I have sinned - I publicly used the B word

As a user of SL speaker cables for my 272/300DR set up i am also very curious to hear about SL din to XLR. It is a big investment.

From NAC5 to SL it was a whole different presentation of the music. You might like it or you might not. 

It was a difference like live vs recorded music. Also not a good thing on badly mastered album.

They were the Justin of the 80s, WHAM!!! , i still like them (80s pop is far more better than today ) but the WHAM CD  sounds so bad it is incredible. So don't SL the WHAM.  

Emre posted:

From NAC5 to SL it was a whole different presentation of the music. You might like it or you might not. 

It was a difference like live vs recorded music. Also not a good thing on badly mastered album.

 

How could one prefer recorded over live music as it is the very ultimate goal in hifi reproduction?

Also,better the system,more acceptable badly mastered albums are.

I'd go far saying almost always badly mastered albums aren t in themselves

Try cd555 and figure out what I mean.

Maybe i explain my self in terms of headphones HD800 vs LCD 2. Detailed vs warm, analytical vs musical. 

you are right for live recording but.....

Recorded music is not live expect few live recordings, it is recorded,mixed,layer by layer.  A singer with a bad voice can sound very different live vs recorded, they can even make me sound OK  

Sometimes the records that i like in past with my sony boombox sounds awful with an "almost hi end" system..... Make it Big by Wham is a good example.. it sounded really bad, meanwhile the Smiths sounds better, specially new remastered edition.  This is my CD2X and NAC272 with my ears..... 

i felt something wrong with the songs i really really like, this is what i hear.

I would like to try CD555 someday for sure....  ı will get a second hand one day when i got a deal from trustable seller. 

Of couse, anyway I didn T explain myself well.

Shame on me I used the term live improperly

music mustn t at all sound like it was a live recording, it must respect the espression of what s bbeen mastered ,people Who are after a live experience to reflect gigs  are completely wrong.

sorry to the op for hyjacking the 3D ,though

It's always good to see mention of The Smiths, my favourite band. I find that if the system is good enough you can play any of your music and it will still be enjoyable, almost irrespective of the recording quality. Wham sounds fine on my setup, though I've never tried Justin Bieber. That would be stooping too low. 

as a member couple of orchestra in Istanbul goıing to 25+ concerts per year minimum ( one or two in Berlin and Vienna   it is definitely is not what i say , think or written actually...

That's great to hear HH, it sure looks a lovely system.

Time to enjoy now!

Adam Zielinski posted:

DrMark posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

HH - it is a very thoughtfully put together system. I bet even Justin Biber will sound wonderful through those SL2s. 

Adam, any more talk like that and we will have you put in Forum time out.

There are some things even Naim can't do...

Sir, yes Sir!

I shall now go and purge myself of my sins. Forgive me Father, for I have sinned - I publicly used the B word

Your contrition is noted, penance accepted, and as such, absolution is granted.

Let's try and be a little more careful from now on!

HH, while I prefer the look (and price!) of the Quadraspire SVT, I would be interested to know why you chose that and not the Fraim.

It is a great system, I have the 272 with XPS DR and am just waiting for my 250.2 to come back from having the DR upgrade. I shall try the SL cables once the 250 DR is run in and I am used to it.

DrMark posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

HH - it is a very thoughtfully put together system. I bet even Justin Biber will sound wonderful through those SL2s. 

Adam, any more talk like that and we will have you put in Forum time out.

There are some things even Naim can't do...

Hi DrMark

That is funny

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Andrewh posted:

HH, while I prefer the look (and price!) of the Quadraspire SVT, I would be interested to know why you chose that and not the Fraim.

Too big, too techy looking, too fiddly and too hard to clean. I had one in the past when I had a bigger system, and wanted something different this time around. I love the look of the bamboo, and with the bronze upgrade spikes the performance is extremely good. 

Emre posted:

As a user of SL speaker cables for my 272/300DR set up i am also very curious to hear about SL din to XLR. 

 

I found that the addition of the din to xlr was the step that really made the speakers disappear, so that the music inhabits the room, rather than coming from two wooden boxes. In combination with the SL speaker leads the music became much more immersive, with the change to SL leads and din to xlr being greater than the change from NACA5 to SL speaker leads. I believe that there is a definite synergy, whereby the sets of leads complement each other. Of course, with a 300 you need two leads, whereas I needed only one, so the price is, errr, double. 

As much as i like to buy,  the double price thing is very very expensive , 3000£ list price!  Maybe in long term till retirement!

But what you describe is the same with my experience fromSL speaker cables so i am happy with that part, reading that din/xlr takes that further is both good and bad news��

Hungryhalibut

I'm now in a really good place where I've effectively forgotten about the Hifi entirely and just sit down and enjoy the music. The system just gets out of the way and lets the music do its thing.

It's astonishing what three boxes and some ageing speakers can do.

Nice to hear, HH.

I might have missed it, but what would be the cornerstone, or keystone of your System?

Allante93!

If I could save just one thing from the proverbial fire it would be the speakers, because they are totally wonderful and no longer made. But I wouldn't say they were the cornerstone: I don't think in that way, I just put stuff together that works as a whole. 

Mr Fish - keep enjoying the music!

good to read about someone who has put together a system they enjoy rather than. errhmmm...'hate'

enjoy

ken

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Mr Fish - keep enjoying the music!

Don't you worry...