Love my CDX2. But what about vinyl??

Adam Zielinski posted:

My CDX2 is about to depart - it's power supply left yesterday. As of next week it's only streamers and two turntables left

Happy days...

You happened to mention before that NDX wasn't quite nice for you so you wouldn't have let the CDX2 depart unless you had the NDS. This is worth remembering but there cannot be any harm in keeping the CDX2 if one can afford to keep them both. I only have the CDX2 non-digital output version and these days I wouldn't quite be tempted by the price of a NDX let alone the NDS so only time will tell. 

Allante93 posted:

badlands posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

My CDX2 is about to depart - it's power supply left yesterday. As of next week it's only streamers and two turntables left

Happy days...

Why limit yourself to just the two formats, when you already have such an excellent player? I have yet to hear any streaming format that can match the sound quality of a CDX2.

I certainly hope happy days will follow, but something tells me you will miss your CDX2 player sooner than later.

2 out of 3 ain't Bad!

LP 12 & NDS, knowing Adam!

He's hooked on Naim, like crack Cocaine!

On the other hand I'm leaning towards:

Cdx2 & Streaming!

The TT & CDP, has already been perfected!

Bare minimalist! CD 555, and Loaded LP 12.

Streaming, I don't know, maybe another 3-5 years! 

I would hate to pan out NDS $, to find out, it's obsolete!

Meanwhile,  I'll be slumming with my Cdx2, MM, Airport Extreme, Airport Express to 3 different Systems, all controlled by an Android phone, Whilst lying in bed!

Ain't Bad!

Allante93!

PS. Remote II application & itunes!

 

Looks like everyone has your number, Adam!

And a good number, it is!

2 out 3, ain't bad, until Naim releases it's Reference Streamer @ $20 GBP, to complement The Statement! LOL...

Enjoy your Music, Adam!

Allante93!

PS. 1st pg. Of Thread!

Allante93 has an uncle working for naim as well,  start saving for a new streamer...

Andib posted:

@SKIP:

To understand you correctly: We are not talking about the plugs delivered with the Superline?

These plugs are an upgrade.  Totally optional.  

I noticed in an earlier post mention of isopropyl alcohol for record cleaning. Indeed years ago the 1 to 3 (pure H2O) was used. While there may be cases where even Terry of Loricraft would suggest  this, there are suggestions on the web that the solvent characteristics of isopropyl alcohol can damage and remove the coating put on the vinyl and may dissolve the stylus glue. If the surface noise is from a damaged surface then it's removal and replacement may be justified.

I think some of what L'Art du Son cleaning fluid does is also to repair the surface. I would not want to give away any trade secrets, but observation of the finished result shows a nice shiny surface. Anything that reduces friction with the stylus must be good.

Once I have cleaned a record it does not need any anti-static tool or substance. Indeed your stylus will be clean after playing. The record may acquire dust and any other stuff floating around in the air, but it is unlikely to get ground into the surface and can be removed from the stylus if noticeable with a fine artist's brush. Dynavector used to supply a carbon brush which is good for removing the fine vinyl particles that can accumulate. A periodic clean with this brush is sensible if a jeweller's magnifying glass shows a build-up. Some isopropyl alcohol make assist but be careful. Ultrasonic vibrating stylus cleaners are not recommended by Rega, especially with very expensive MC cartridges.

Today I fitted a Naim SL Phono to Din IC kindly loaned to me via my dealer by Naim (thank you). It replaced a £120 Rega Couple 2 which has sounded amazingly good. Unlike other ICs upto £800 I tried over the winter, the amazing sound of the Couple 2 was still there and now I am beginning to notice subtle improvements. Playing my "King of Instruments" introduction to organ musics I noticed the quiet deep bass notes more prominently but still quiet. Instruments are that bit crisper yet completely natural, just a bit more so than before. I will have to see what a 100 hours or more of vinyl will do. I have vinyl and CD of Jacqueline du Pre's Elgar cello concerto to compare the two replays to some degree.

I have to say I don't have any sense of noise with my vinyl setup. It sounds as good as the CDX2 through the nDAC. There is the sense of intimacy from both that makes you feel you are listening to a live performance. 

Anyone wanting to visit will be welcome.

Phil

Filipe posted:

I noticed in an earlier post mention of isopropyl alcohol for record cleaning. Indeed years ago the 1 to 3 (pure H2O) was used. While there may be cases where even Terry of Loricraft would suggest  this, there are suggestions on the web that the solvent characteristics of isopropyl alcohol can damage and remove the coating put on the vinyl and may dissolve the stylus glue. If the surface noise is from a damaged surface then it's removal and replacement may be justified.

I think some of what L'Art du Son cleaning fluid does is also to repair the surface. I would not want to give away any trade secrets, but observation of the finished result shows a nice shiny surface. Anything that reduces friction with the stylus must be good.

Once I have cleaned a record it does not need any anti-static tool or substance. Indeed your stylus will be clean after playing. The record may acquire dust and any other stuff floating around in the air, but it is unlikely to get ground into the surface and can be removed from the stylus if noticeable with a fine artist's brush. Dynavector used to supply a carbon brush which is good for removing the fine vinyl particles that can accumulate. A periodic clean with this brush is sensible if a jeweller's magnifying glass shows a build-up. Some isopropyl alcohol make assist but be careful. Ultrasonic vibrating stylus cleaners are not recommended by Rega, especially with very expensive MC cartridges.

Today I fitted a Naim SL Phono to Din IC kindly loaned to me via my dealer by Naim (thank you). It replaced a £120 Rega Couple 2 which has sounded amazingly good. Unlike other ICs upto £800 I tried over the winter, the amazing sound of the Couple 2 was still there and now I am beginning to notice subtle improvements. Playing my "King of Instruments" introduction to organ musics I noticed the quiet deep bass notes more prominently but still quiet. Instruments are that bit crisper yet completely natural, just a bit more so than before. I will have to see what a 100 hours or more of vinyl will do. I have vinyl and CD of Jacqueline du Pre's Elgar cello concerto to compare the two replays to some degree.

I have to say I don't have any sense of noise with my vinyl setup. It sounds as good as the CDX2 through the nDAC. There is the sense of intimacy from both that makes you feel you are listening to a live performance. 

Anyone wanting to visit will be welcome.

Phil

i dissolve the isopropyl with water( 1/3 water). no damage at all. i am using it since 20 years and have very very quiet surface noise. i use it also to clean my ipad...

Filipe posted:

@Mulberry I may not have been precise enough about the L'Art du Son Garrard 501 TT, which uses a friction drive arrangement. Despite all the potential problem, supreme engineering with a commensurate price tag deliver the goods. Go to the Loricraft FB page and look for the post which is dated 17 Feb 2017. Its an interesting read.

Terry takes wonderful old Garrards built by hand in a garage (and occasionally a TD124 like mine build in a Swiss factory I guess) and brings them back to life. A visit to The Piggery near Lambourne is an experience. I have yet to return since the tidy up. SomehowTerry managed to find the parts my TD124 needed to bring it back closer to new after 50 years or more without a service. The mushrooms, long since perished, have been thrown away to be replaced by a different arrangement involving Terry's squash balls in a smaller version of one of his Garrard plinths. Richard Dane has also trodden this road with a Garrard.

Phil

yes, i agree. td 124 is perhaps the best vintage turntable for the money....but perhaps a not good value with the restoration industry.....

Keler Pierre posted:

Filipe posted:

@Mulberry I may not have been precise enough about the L'Art du Son Garrard 501 TT, which uses a friction drive arrangement. Despite all the potential problem, supreme engineering with a commensurate price tag deliver the goods. Go to the Loricraft FB page and look for the post which is dated 17 Feb 2017. Its an interesting read.

Terry takes wonderful old Garrards built by hand in a garage (and occasionally a TD124 like mine build in a Swiss factory I guess) and brings them back to life. A visit to The Piggery near Lambourne is an experience. I have yet to return since the tidy up. SomehowTerry managed to find the parts my TD124 needed to bring it back closer to new after 50 years or more without a service. The mushrooms, long since perished, have been thrown away to be replaced by a different arrangement involving Terry's squash balls in a smaller version of one of his Garrard plinths. Richard Dane has also trodden this road with a Garrard.

Phil

yes, i agree. td 124 is perhaps the best vintage turntable for the money....but perhaps a not good value with the restoration industry.....

I paid about £250 for the service and a bit less for a slightly smaller Walnut plinth than his standard Garrard one. The beauty of his plinths besides the craftsmanship is the way he decouples the TT from armbord. This is an improvement over the original Thorens design which has the armboard screwing into the TT chassis. Terry's designs have remarkably low rumble or whatever.

Not quite sure what "not good value with the restoration industry....." means. Given I inherited the TD124 which cost less than £100 new in the sixties, my outlay is less than an RP8, but I have robbed it of the arm. If it plays my mono records with a dedicated mono cartridge on the TP14 arm I will be happy. Even happier if the Rega arm and Apheta rival the RP10.

Phil

Keler Pierre posted:

Filipe posted:

I noticed in an earlier post mention of isopropyl alcohol for record cleaning. Indeed years ago the 1 to 3 (pure H2O) was used. While there may be cases where even Terry of Loricraft would suggest  this, there are suggestions on the web that the solvent characteristics of isopropyl alcohol can damage and remove the coating put on the vinyl and may dissolve the stylus glue. If the surface noise is from a damaged surface then it's removal and replacement may be justified.

I think some of what L'Art du Son cleaning fluid does is also to repair the surface. I would not want to give away any trade secrets, but observation of the finished result shows a nice shiny surface. Anything that reduces friction with the stylus must be good.

Once I have cleaned a record it does not need any anti-static tool or substance. Indeed your stylus will be clean after playing. The record may acquire dust and any other stuff floating around in the air, but it is unlikely to get ground into the surface and can be removed from the stylus if noticeable with a fine artist's brush. Dynavector used to supply a carbon brush which is good for removing the fine vinyl particles that can accumulate. A periodic clean with this brush is sensible if a jeweller's magnifying glass shows a build-up. Some isopropyl alcohol make assist but be careful. Ultrasonic vibrating stylus cleaners are not recommended by Rega, especially with very expensive MC cartridges.

Today I fitted a Naim SL Phono to Din IC kindly loaned to me via my dealer by Naim (thank you). It replaced a £120 Rega Couple 2 which has sounded amazingly good. Unlike other ICs upto £800 I tried over the winter, the amazing sound of the Couple 2 was still there and now I am beginning to notice subtle improvements. Playing my "King of Instruments" introduction to organ musics I noticed the quiet deep bass notes more prominently but still quiet. Instruments are that bit crisper yet completely natural, just a bit more so than before. I will have to see what a 100 hours or more of vinyl will do. I have vinyl and CD of Jacqueline du Pre's Elgar cello concerto to compare the two replays to some degree.

I have to say I don't have any sense of noise with my vinyl setup. It sounds as good as the CDX2 through the nDAC. There is the sense of intimacy from both that makes you feel you are listening to a live performance. 

Anyone wanting to visit will be welcome.

Phil

i dissolve the isopropyl with water( 1/3 water). no damage at all. i am using it since 20 years and have very very quiet surface noise. i use it also to clean my ipad...

If you Google "isopropyl alcohol record cleaning" and read the Discogs result there are a variety of pieces of advice. These give extra advice to the last few here. The double clean first with IPA and then L'Art du Son is certainly what Terry recommends. 

I've just listened to the du Pre Elgar on vinyl and CD. I couldn't choose which I prefer now the SL IC is on the phono as well as the nDAC.

So [@mention:61965734410701809] enjoy getting your Bauer TT giving that CDX2 wow. 

Talking with my dealer he said Naim no longer supply the CDX2. He says the CD5 XS offers the same transport and spdif interface, albeit with a DAC that is not as good as the CDX2. I bought mine as a clearance at less than the cost of the CD5 XS. 

Phil

Filipe posted:

Keler Pierre posted:

Filipe posted:

I noticed in an earlier post mention of isopropyl alcohol for record cleaning. Indeed years ago the 1 to 3 (pure H2O) was used. While there may be cases where even Terry of Loricraft would suggest  this, there are suggestions on the web that the solvent characteristics of isopropyl alcohol can damage and remove the coating put on the vinyl and may dissolve the stylus glue. If the surface noise is from a damaged surface then it's removal and replacement may be justified.

I think some of what L'Art du Son cleaning fluid does is also to repair the surface. I would not want to give away any trade secrets, but observation of the finished result shows a nice shiny surface. Anything that reduces friction with the stylus must be good.

Once I have cleaned a record it does not need any anti-static tool or substance. Indeed your stylus will be clean after playing. The record may acquire dust and any other stuff floating around in the air, but it is unlikely to get ground into the surface and can be removed from the stylus if noticeable with a fine artist's brush. Dynavector used to supply a carbon brush which is good for removing the fine vinyl particles that can accumulate. A periodic clean with this brush is sensible if a jeweller's magnifying glass shows a build-up. Some isopropyl alcohol make assist but be careful. Ultrasonic vibrating stylus cleaners are not recommended by Rega, especially with very expensive MC cartridges.

Today I fitted a Naim SL Phono to Din IC kindly loaned to me via my dealer by Naim (thank you). It replaced a £120 Rega Couple 2 which has sounded amazingly good. Unlike other ICs upto £800 I tried over the winter, the amazing sound of the Couple 2 was still there and now I am beginning to notice subtle improvements. Playing my "King of Instruments" introduction to organ musics I noticed the quiet deep bass notes more prominently but still quiet. Instruments are that bit crisper yet completely natural, just a bit more so than before. I will have to see what a 100 hours or more of vinyl will do. I have vinyl and CD of Jacqueline du Pre's Elgar cello concerto to compare the two replays to some degree.

I have to say I don't have any sense of noise with my vinyl setup. It sounds as good as the CDX2 through the nDAC. There is the sense of intimacy from both that makes you feel you are listening to a live performance. 

Anyone wanting to visit will be welcome.

Phil

i dissolve the isopropyl with water( 1/3 water). no damage at all. i am using it since 20 years and have very very quiet surface noise. i use it also to clean my ipad...

If you Google "isopropyl alcohol record cleaning" and read the Discogs result there are a variety of pieces of advice. These give extra advice to the last few here. The double clean first with IPA and then L'Art du Son is certainly what Terry recommends. 

I've just listened to the du Pre Elgar on vinyl and CD. I couldn't choose which I prefer now the SL IC is on the phono as well as the nDAC.

So [@mention:61965734410701809] enjoy getting your Bauer TT giving that CDX2 wow. 

Talking with my dealer he said Naim no longer supply the CDX2. He says the CD5 XS offers the same transport and spdif interface, albeit with a DAC that is not as good as the CDX2. I bought mine as a clearance at less than the cost of the CD5 XS. 

Phil

i admitt easily that l'art du son is a more appropriate cleaning product...but more expensive if you clean each record as me before listening.  But yes your product is more recommended.

After cleaning my records with an isopropyl based liquid, nagging thoughts about alleged side effects led me to a water based liquid, too. In my case it is from Keith Monks and came with the machine. Since using both my static is no longer an issue and the records look cleaner as well. Several people I have spoken voiced their concerns, that all alcohol based cleaners have at least the potential to dissolve softening agents from the vinyl. That could lead to harder and more brittle surfaces and consequently  a noisier playback. I have no idea if this is an actual risk, but the non-alcoholic cleaner is simply better at cleaning the records and gives peace of mind as a bonus.

Filipe posted:

Keler Pierre posted:

Filipe posted:

 

If you Google "isopropyl alcohol record cleaning" and read the Discogs result there are a variety of pieces of advice. These give extra advice to the last few here. The double clean first with IPA and then L'Art du Son is certainly what Terry recommends. 

I've just listened to the du Pre Elgar on vinyl and CD. I couldn't choose which I prefer now the SL IC is on the phono as well as the nDAC.

So [@mention:61965734410701809] enjoy getting your Bauer TT giving that CDX2 wow. 

{{Talking with my dealer he said Naim no longer supply the CDX2.}}!!!!!!

He says the CD5 XS offers the same transport and spdif interface, albeit with a DAC that is not as good as the CDX2. I bought mine as a clearance at less than the cost of the CD5 XS. 

Phil

Did I read that correctly!

""Talking with my dealer he said Naim no longer supply the CDX2""

CD 555, now the CDX2!

Allante93!

To the OP's original question, I found the sound of my LP12/Ekos2/Lyra argo i remarkably similar to my CDX2.

sktn77a posted:

To the OP's original question, I found the sound of my LP12/Ekos2/Lyra argo i remarkably similar to my CDX2.

i have no doubt for it....you have the digital / analog combo very well balanced. Enjoy