How good is the xpsdr?

Alba1320 posted:

For anyone unaware, useful info. in the FAQ:

https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...a-bit-about-burndies

Useful Link, will take a look... 

Quick update,  dedicated mains fitted today ( many thanks Finkfan,  excellent work), 

From switch on, extremely noticeable improvement, I would go as far to say would compare to a new box upgrade,  it's that good, and the Xpsdr has finally started to sing, possibly that's what the xpsdr needed.....  so one extremely happy forum member this evening 

Good news Wenger and it will just get better with use.

Foot tapper posted:

Good news Wenger and it will just get better with use.

Thanks Foot Tapper, the xpsdr is definitely staying, it's everything I was hoping for and more...

Pcd posted:

Wenger, when everything is right and the XPS can do what it's supposed to
do it's a no brainer glad it is all sorted.

Absolutely, it certainly took its time.....no doubt the dedicated power supply was pivotal..... But the xpsdr, is as you say a no brainer .... Once it starts singing 

wenger2015 posted:

Pcd posted:

Wenger, when everything is right and the XPS can do what it's supposed to
do it's a no brainer glad it is all sorted.

Absolutely, it certainly took its time.....no doubt the dedicated power supply was pivotal..... But the xpsdr, is as you say a no brainer .... Once it starts singing 

With respect to your newly installed dedicated mains power supply, did you have a dedicated radial supply fitted to your hifi gear or did you go the whole hog and have a completely separate supply from the incoming tails to a dedicated new CPU and on to the hifi power sockets? Can I also ask what size electrical cable did you go for and were there any special earthing arrangements for the dedicated supply?

Sorry to ask so many questions but I am about to move house and want to gat a dedicated power supply organised for my new home.

nigelb posted:

With respect to your newly installed dedicated mains power supply, did you have a dedicated radial supply fitted to your hifi gear or did you go the whole hog and have a completely separate supply from the incoming tails to a dedicated new CPU and on to the hifi power sockets? Can I also ask what size electrical cable did you go for and were there any special earthing arrangements for the dedicated supply?

Sorry to ask so many questions but I am about to move house and want to gat a dedicated power supply organised for my new home.

 

Nigel - go the whole way and have it built as a separate consumer unit. Also if you are having all the work done, might as well build a LAN network.

Have a look at this thread, especially input from Mr HH:

https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...ins-installed?page=1

nigelb posted:

wenger2015 posted:

Pcd posted:

Wenger, when everything is right and the XPS can do what it's supposed to
do it's a no brainer glad it is all sorted.

Absolutely, it certainly took its time.....no doubt the dedicated power supply was pivotal..... But the xpsdr, is as you say a no brainer .... Once it starts singing 

With respect to your newly installed dedicated mains power supply, did you have a dedicated radial supply fitted to your hifi gear or did you go the whole hog and have a completely separate supply from the incoming tails to a dedicated new CPU and on to the hifi power sockets? Can I also ask what size electrical cable did you go for and were there any special earthing arrangements for the dedicated supply?

Sorry to ask so many questions but I am about to move house and want to gat a dedicated power supply organised for my new home.

 

Nigelb, completely separate supply using 16 mm armoured cable, and then 10mm spurs, any questions ask Finkfan, he is my genius of a son in law.....as I've mentioned the result truly staggering, equivalent to a new black box ..

Thank you Wenger and Adam for your prompt answers.

Pcd posted:

when everything is right and the XPS can do what it's supposed to
do it's a no brainer 

Hi Pcd

+1 Spot on 

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

We could do with an FAQ on dedicated mains, though I imagine the obstacle to this is that regulations differ in different countries. Hopefully, Nigel, you have gleaned the information you need from the referenced thread. 

One thing to be aware of: make sure the earth from the separate consumer unit goes straight to the meter, rather than piggy backing off the existing consumer unit. When my installation was done about ten years ago the mains was piggybacked, and when I got it changed to go straight to the meter last year, the sound seemed to clean up a bit. 

I think Wenger's suggestion that dedicated mains is like a box upgrade is not quite right - rather than a specific improvement it gives a general improvement in clarity and solidity - think of it as a firm foundation on which to build. You should of course get the benefits of losing clicks from light switches and fridges over the stereo. 

What I find fascinating is that people will happily spend thousands on Powerlines and posh wires, yet have the system on the ring main, and often say that sorting out the mains is either daft or pointless. Good mains should always come first. 

nigelb posted:

Thank you Wenger and Adam for your prompt answers.

Just to be more specific, used 16mm tails spilt before house consumer unit into a fused isolator, then 16 mm swa to a dedicated consumer unit, 4 x 10mm radials to 4x unswitched sockets. One box per socket,  earth is same as rest of house TN-C-S.

Also to say in my house, it's been a transformation as I said black box upgrade,  that's not to say everyone will experience the same, in my previous property I had the same done and it was more as HH described, so obviously it's worked exceptionally well for me on this occasion...

Yeah definitely a vast improvement [@mention:50422349809511500]. Of course this dedicated mains install was different from the last in many ways. If I remember rightly the last install was just a dedicated 6mm ring from a second c/u in the house that was just running the office electrics. Another c/u and all that goes with it was not possible then for many reasons. There was an improvement but it was subtle. The new install is split right at the start with the earth starigh back to the main incomer. 16mm inc earth to the new c/u and 10mm from there has made an immediate Improvement to the sound.

A dedicated supply is far superior to a dedicated spur! 

Finkfan posted:

Yeah definitely a vast improvement [@mention:50422349809511500]. Of course this dedicated mains install was different from the last in many ways. If I remember rightly the last install was just a dedicated 6mm ring from a second c/u in the house that was just running the office electrics. Another c/u and all that goes with it was not possible then for many reasons. There was an improvement but it was subtle. The new install is split right at the start with the earth starigh back to the main incomer. 16mm inc earth to the new c/u and 10mm from there has made an immediate Improvement to the sound.

A dedicated supply is far superior to a dedicated spur! 

+1 

You can't really say that one is better than the other, as they go together. You can have the spur without the consumer unit, but you can't have the consumer unit without the spur. What is clear is that a spur with a dedicated consumer unit is better than a spur connected to the existing house consumer unit. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

We could do with an FAQ on dedicated mains, though I imagine the obstacle to this is that regulations differ in different countries. Hopefully, Nigel, you have gleaned the information you need from the referenced thread. 

One thing to be aware of: make sure the earth from the separate consumer unit goes straight to the meter, rather than piggy backing off the existing consumer unit. When my installation was done about ten years ago the mains was piggybacked, and when I got it changed to go straight to the meter last year, the sound seemed to clean up a bit. 

I think Wenger's suggestion that dedicated mains is like a box upgrade is not quite right - rather than a specific improvement it gives a general improvement in clarity and solidity - think of it as a firm foundation on which to build. You should of course get the benefits of losing clicks from light switches and fridges over the stereo. 

What I find fascinating is that people will happily spend thousands on Powerlines and posh wires, yet have the system on the ring main, and often say that sorting out the mains is either daft or pointless. Good mains should always come first. 

Thanks for this HH. Yes I have looked back at the old thread and the photos and description you posted are indeed very helpful. As they say a picture tells a thousand words. Your tip on the earthing arrangements is also just what I was struggling to remember.

wenger2015 posted:

nigelb posted:

Thank you Wenger and Adam for your prompt answers.

Just to be more specific, used 16mm tails spilt before house consumer unit into a fused isolator, then 16 mm swa to a dedicated consumer unit, 4 x 10mm radials to 4x unswitched sockets. One box per socket,  earth is same as rest of house TN-C-S.

Also to say in my house, it's been a transformation as I said black box upgrade,  that's not to say everyone will experience the same, in my previous property I had the same done and it was more as HH described, so obviously it's worked exceptionally well for me on this occasion...

Thanks for this, the precise description of the cable specifications is very helpful. I just need to find a sparky who doesn't think I am completely insane!

nigelb posted:

wenger2015 posted:

nigelb posted:

Thank you Wenger and Adam for your prompt answers.

Just to be more specific, used 16mm tails spilt before house consumer unit into a fused isolator, then 16 mm swa to a dedicated consumer unit, 4 x 10mm radials to 4x unswitched sockets. One box per socket,  earth is same as rest of house TN-C-S.

Also to say in my house, it's been a transformation as I said black box upgrade,  that's not to say everyone will experience the same, in my previous property I had the same done and it was more as HH described, so obviously it's worked exceptionally well for me on this occasion...

Thanks for this, the precise description of the cable specifications is very helpful. I just need to find a sparky who doesn't think I am completely insane!

Truth be known we are all a little bit insane,  the only difference is some hide it better then others , but if you get any indication your sparky is insane.....best find another one 

Just had my new XPS DR delivered and fit in this evening to my 272/250DR.  First turn on was impressive enough and as I go thru the songlist, I thought to myself, this is the single biggest improvement I've done to me setup since trading in my 172/200.  Really enjoyable foot tapping bass and rhythm thru my KEF Ref Ones.  Its stil a few hours old and I cannot wait for it to be rightly bedded in!  Wow is the right expression!

I am or rather was one of those sceptic abt how a PSU box costing almost as much as my 272 justify itself worthy of the investment.  I stand corrected tonight...and it feels good to be this wrong hah!

Just a thought:

An XPS DR isn't actually any good at all (i.e. on it's own it can't do anything), but it don't half improve a 272!

Kerwin Hing posted:

Just had my new XPS DR delivered and fit in this evening to my 272/250DR.  First turn on was impressive enough and as I go thru the songlist, I thought to myself, this is the single biggest improvement I've done to me setup since trading in my 172/200.  Really enjoyable foot tapping bass and rhythm thru my KEF Ref Ones.  Its stil a few hours old and I cannot wait for it to be rightly bedded in!  Wow is the right expression!

Congratulations on the new purchase , once you're through the burn in process,  the xps  really does make everything sing..... Mine took a while to get going but once it's does ....wow.....

Pcd posted:

Quite staggering how a XPS can transform a system source.

Yes, once it's hooked up theirs no going back...