Linn Urika connection to NAC 252

Frank F posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

Frank - I have a meeting with my dealer next week to discuss the financials of the upgrade. Most likely will go for Ekos SE - mostly for the ease of use Don't want to frighten Ewa too  much.

I also mentioned to him that he should start thinking about the Chord SSA cable for the upgrade and calculate the suitable discounts

 

 

Hi Adam,

Yes, we have to keep the dealers on their toes.  The money is better spent on those absolutely superb hamburgers .  I tried Linn silvers with a phono to din adaptor, HiLine and neither came close to Good old lavender but Chord STA went way beyond any of them and from reports SSA is even better.

FF

Debs, it must be the odd angle (of the photo).

FF

Hi Frank

I've just realised I'm a complete idiot - I actually have Chord Signature Tuned Aray and I waste it on my AV set up. Dohhhhh...
Will swap it around to my Rega RP10 and for the AV connection use regular RCA - RCA cable (ok - it' still quite good Tellurium Q Black Diamond).

For the LP 12 I will most likely go for the Chord Sarum Super Aray.

Adam

Don't rule out the Music ...

naim_nymph posted:

Frank F posted:

Debs, are your cables are touching??

FF

no my aren't, why are yours?  

Debs

I, too, found that photo of your cables strangely touching Debs (*sob*).

tonym posted:

naim_nymph posted:

Frank F posted:

Debs, are your cables are touching??

FF

no mine aren't, why are yours?  

Debs

I, too, found that photo of your cables strangely touching Debs (*sob*).

That photo [like most photos] is only two dimensional which gives a false impression, fortunately in real life there is another dimension which gives cables far more room : )

Also, that's a photo from April [during a home trail of SSA speaker cable] the whole system has been unplugged and replugged at least twice since back then so it will look slightly different now but i can confirm there are still no touching cables!

Probably best not to be picky looking for faults that don't exist, just relax and enjoy the splendid view of the fabulous SSA cable loom : )

Debs

You can't really tell anything from a photo so it'd be daft to pass judgement. I was just being silly, as was Frank I suspect!

I was more curious about the shiny metallic wall on the right side of the pic. Looks like a sheet of aluminum or stainless steel, but as Tony says you can't tell much from a photo.

Looks like a normal wall to me - with a bit of light / shadow  

Having examined Debs's photo further, I'm intrigued by what appears to be a red horseshoe magnet on the floor. I speculate this is positioned to attract any Fraim balls that inadvertenty fall down when the units are moved. There's probably a thin chord, invisible in the photo, that allows retrieval. 

Tony - I think those are thin slices of a red bell pepper 

Perhaps Debs was spicing up the cable spaghetti....

The mystery object lying on the floor, is a very special tool; The Burndy Connector Gripper : )

Anyone with a little arthritis in their hands, and having the occasional job of loosening rather tightly clamped up Burndy [or bunch of them] may want to own one of these very special and specialist tools.

An excellent investment made few years ago from Tesco for 99p 

It will, however, need some modification with a sharp tool, the gripper needs an open aspect rather than enclosed in a loop. The thing is made from soft rubber so is harmless to the connector but allows one better purchase grip [just for the little bit of initial turning]  with no loss of skin from finger tips. 

Was thinking of buying a hundred of them, cutting them down to size, and re-marketing them as a patent Nymph Industries Burndy Connector Loosening Tool: price $99.99 available while stocks last.

TBH i'm very capable of removing tight fitting jar lids, but don't ask me to undo a tight@$$ burndy cable connector

Debs

Ahhh! As an arthritis sufferer myself, there's no way I can undo Burndys; the big ones on the 500 amps being particularly difficult. I use one of those Mini Boa strap wrenches, which do the job just fine.

One question:

Given how incredibly stiff the Chord Sarum Tuned Aray is so stiff, are there any challenges with connecting it to the Urika (mounted inside the LP12)?

You've just got to make sure you use the version designed for the Urika Adam. It's got smaller phono plugs and has the exatra length. In retrospect I do wish mine was a tadge longer than the 1.2m. 

Thank you Tony.

And apologies for the 'beautiful' syntax of my question...

Well, it is doubly stiff Adam!

tonym posted:

 I do wish mine was a tadge longer ... 

... well the double stiffness must help.

Considering Linn apparently failed to get its Silvers to work with DIN connectors, I think Chord have done an amazing job - but I supppose they are the specialists 

Also I find the stiffness of the SSA enables them to be "dressed" more easily than the droopy ones

+1 on cable dressing- much easier with the stiffer Chord. I found no issues with using a SuperSarum RCA/DIN from Urika to 552. Just get suitable length and have it properly installed into your deck.

On a similar topic- I have heard the Chord Music vs SuperSarum in this configuration and was taken by the difference- the Music shall be ordered . Imo, the IC from Urika has provided the greatest increase in SQ of all cable swaps. Linn Silvers really hold the Urika back...

ATB,

Mark

varyat posted:

+1 on cable dressing- much easier with the stiffer Chord. I found no issues with using a SuperSarum RCA/DIN from Urika to 552. Just get suitable length and have it properly installed into your deck.

On a similar topic- I have heard the Chord Music vs SuperSarum in this configuration and was taken by the difference- the Music shall be ordered . Imo, the IC from Urika has provided the greatest increase in SQ of all cable swaps. Linn Silvers really hold the Urika back...

ATB,

Mark

'Music' is the new one from Chord, isn't it? The price is almost double of the Sarum... Starting to approach 'silly money' territory.

Adam

 Adam – they'll all in silly money territory, but some are sillier than others.  But some are preferable to others, although it would help to let the ears decide 

Adam Zielinski posted:

'Music' is the new one from Chord, isn't it? The price is almost double of the Sarum... Starting to approach 'silly money' territory.

Adam

So soon?!

Chris_M

Adam Zielinski posted:

varyat posted:

+1 on cable dressing- much easier with the stiffer Chord. I found no issues with using a SuperSarum RCA/DIN from Urika to 552. Just get suitable length and have it properly installed into your deck.

On a similar topic- I have heard the Chord Music vs SuperSarum in this configuration and was taken by the difference- the Music shall be ordered . Imo, the IC from Urika has provided the greatest increase in SQ of all cable swaps. Linn Silvers really hold the Urika back...

ATB,

Mark

'Music' is the new one from Chord, isn't it? The price is almost double of the Sarum... Starting to approach 'silly money' territory.

Adam

Yes, it is pricey. I don't take these types of upgrades for granted - they need to make sense in my overall system. Fortunately, I have a very helpful dealer who has a very generous trade-back policy for these cables making the upgrade much more affordable. The Music is worth the audition if you are at the 552/300-500 level imo.

ATB,

Mark

Earlier this week I bought a cheep rca to din adapter, 15cm of what looks like lowest possibly quality, but I must say I'm impressed! I have LP12/radikal/urika/keel/ekos se/klyde and the original Linn "silver" rca-rca into a 252/300 based system.
Ok, it is possibly not the absolute reference in terms of detail, but now more lifelike and enjoyable!

This made me search the forum for Urika and Din and found this very useful and informative thread.
A short summary, all seam very happy with their rca to din cables from Urika, both Super Lumina and Chord Sarum. Possibly with a bigger following of the Chord!
To fit a Chord Sarum a special version for Urika is available from Chord (special termination and 1.2m).
As I understand the Naim SL rca-din works as it is? Correct?

Has anybody auditioned Chord's Signature version? How does it compare? Is a special Urika version required?
Spending more than 2x the cartridge price on a cable triggers my internal alarms!

If i remember discussions from when I got the Urika, HigherLine was not broadly endorsed for use with Urika and I believe the general recommendation was "stick with the linn". Or am I wrong?

Auditions will most likely be impossible since no Linn dealer here carry Naim or i believe Chord. Probably I could listen to SL vs. Chord in a Naim system but din-din versions from e.g. a streamer. What do you think, would any conclusions here be of any relevance for use with a Urika?

All feedback is much appreciated!
Jakob

Jakob,

IME the upgrade to Chord Super Sarum Aray [Urika to 552] is extremely impressive, bettering that of the Super Lumina.

I also found the same benefits of more impressive detail and sense of musical realism using a DIN-DIN Chord SSA between my CDS3 and 552, and the result from this is more enjoyment and CD plays using my CDS3 player which helps save cartridge wear on my Kandid. Even after 6 months i am pleasantly surprised with how much better my CD collection sounds.

You will probably need a 1.2m length RCA-DIN for your LP12 to 252, but IMO you also need a 1m length of Chord SSA DIN-DIN for your CDS3 player, honestly a HighLine sounds rather dull in comparison! : /

Debs

naim_nymph posted:

IME the upgrade to Chord Super Sarum Aray [Urika to 552] is extremely impressive, bettering that of the Super Lumina.

I happen to agree with Debs - I liked what the Super Lumina did, but much preferrred the Chord Sarum Super ARAY. I have yet to hear the ChordMusic cables. I have Chord SSA on the Urika and CDS3 plus use Chord SSA DIN/XLRs, but NACA5 is still the speaker cable of choice - as matters stand.

I say this without research - and am happy to  stand corrected - but I feel that more people using 552s seem to prefer the Chord SSA on the Urika but for those using 252s it is less clear cut. 

varyat posted:

Yes, it is pricey. I don't take these types of upgrades for granted - they need to make sense in my overall system. Fortunately, I have a very helpful dealer who has a very generous trade-back policy for these cables making the upgrade much more affordable. The Music is worth the audition if you are at the 552/300-500 level imo.

ATB,

Mark

Mark and I tend to run hand in hand and I counted on his demo of MUSIC when I decided to pull the trigger and upgrade my Super Sarum TA.  I had the chance to play with the MUSIC cable on my Klimax DS/2 for several days before it was installed on my Urika (system is like Mark's - 552/500/Titans)

Let me not mince words - the MUSIC cable is the equivalent of a Black Box upgrade - and perhaps more.  Staggering is an understatement.  One of the most impressive upgrades I have done (and there have been many over the years).

Best

Gregg