Blimey, the 272 is even better than I thought it was...
Posted by: hungryhalibut on 19 October 2017
I’ve been using my beloved 272 since June 2015, with the addition of an XPSDR in autumn that year. Yesterday I installed a brand new 555 PS DR, with a new S-XPS Burndy. Rather like when I bought the XPS two years ago I didn’t try the 555 first, and when I picked it up from the shop Dan from Naim was there for a Uniti open day. All Dan said was ‘you’ll love it, even straight out of the box’. And he was right, and then some. I thought the system was sounding great before, but the 555 has moved it to a different level. The music is so much more real, leaping out of the speakers in a much more lifelike way. Everything is clearer, so you get more into the music. The speakers sound a lot bigger too, which I imagine is the impact of the power supply on the preamp. Five hours later to was sounding better still, and of course things will improve further over the coming weeks.
It’s bloody expensive, it weighs a ton, but blimey it’s good. The idea of a £6,500 power supply on a £3,500 streaming preamp is perhaps bit odd, but the combination is just incredible. I know there are a few others using this combination, and that they have said how much better the 555 makes the 272, and perhaps I underestimated how much difference it would make: now I have one at home I am very much over rather than underwhelmed, which is always good.
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by Beachcomber
When were you counting Elminius, Huge? I was a marine algologist a while back, and part of a team of people surveying the UK coastline for habitat/species in order to recommend SSSIs, nature reserves etc., back in the late 70s. Did a PhD on the effects of pollution on the marine macroscopic algae of the Firth of Forth. Great fun. Also did an investigation into the effects of mercury on algae. And worked in Orkney doing a base-line survey of the littoral and sublittoral before Occidental finished building their oil terminal on Flotta.
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by The Strat (Fender)
Despite being a Guardian reader (a subscriber even)
.............surely you don't like the Smiths?
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by Huge
When were you counting Elminius, Huge?
<snip>
1977 / 1978.
We seem to have a disproportionate representation of marine biologists here! (Although my professional research was on starch).
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by Beachcomber
Looks like marine biologists share great taste in hifi kit :-)
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by The Strat (Fender)
How did we get from cats to crustaceans?
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by David Hendon
There are many things about this thread that are mysterious Lindsay and that is one of them!
best
David
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by nigelb
Suddenly, I feel less guilty of thread diversion!
Getting this back on track will be a bit like herding cats. 
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by quickben
How did we get from cats to crustaceans?
With Naim, the world is your mollusc, and you can always get the cream
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by hungryhalibut
Looks like marine biologists share great taste in hifi kit :-)
My PhD is in behavioural ecology - the evolutionary consequences of adaptive behaviour. When I was doing it in Leicester in the 80s, Alec Jeffreys was doing the work that led to DNA fingerprinting, a couple of labs down the corridor from me. A very nice man, I remember. We thought nothing much about the work at the time. He certainly got a lot more from his research!! It’s amazing the benefits that come from pure research sometimes. Group behaviour in humans has many similarities to that in animals. The Forum is interesting at times.
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by Huge
Suddenly, I feel less guilty of thread diversion!
Getting this back on track will be a bit like herding cats.
Herding cats is like managing computer programmers... or is that the other way round? 
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by hungryhalibut
How did we get from cats to crustaceans?
With Naim, the world is your mollusc, and you can always get the cream
Molluscs and crustaceans are totally different though....
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by nigelb
How did we get from cats to crustaceans?
With Naim, the world is your mollusc, and you can always get the cream
Or as Del Boy used to advise his son......"Rodney, the world's your lobster".
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by Huge
How did we get from cats to crustaceans?
With Naim, the world is your mollusc, and you can always get the cream
Molluscs and crustaceans are totally different though....
Going at a snail's pace wood louse that up!
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by nigelb
Anyway, in an attempt to get this back on track (sort of), as I have the demo 555PSDR now and the burndies arrive tomorrow, a couple of quick questions on attaching burndies to a 555 and NDS. Is it still recommended to tighten the collars and then loosen a quarter of a turn? And any advice on distressing (the burndies that is) gratefully received.
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by northpole
Nigel
Please don’t distress the burndies!!
Peter
(Sorry, that was not helpful!)
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by jon h
<starts writing a posting about 30 years experience of designing, running and the statistical analysis of listening tests, and how we have an IEC listening and viewing room, and are probably the only place in the world that is ISO17025 audited and accredited for subjective listening and viewing tests>
<decides to have a cup of tea instead>
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by james n
I'd de-stress them if possible Nigel. Distressing them makes them rather anxious and spoils their performance
Enjoy your demo - An early Xmas present ??
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by hungryhalibut
I’ve never heard of loosening the collars, which sounds rather dodgy to me. I may have missed something though and would be interested to hear from anyone who advises this. I’d worry about them working undone and dropping out if they weren’t fully locked.
Just give them a good wiggle about, starting from one end and going to the other. Make sure you form them into the right shape before connecting, so that they go in without needing any twisting of the plug.
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by David Hendon
Despite being a Guardian reader (a subscriber even)
.............surely you don't like the Smiths?
To be honest I'm not sure that I would recognise the Smiths if I heard them...
So let's put that down as agnostic..
best
David
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by james n
I’ve never heard of loosening the collars, which sounds rather dodgy to me. I may have missed something though and would be interested to hear from anyone who advises this. I’d worry about them working undone and dropping out if they weren’t fully locked.
Quite right - Don't unlock / loosen the collars. I've seen the cable clamp tightness mentioned before but again best left alone as too loose will stress the cable entry and could pull a pin through.
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by The Strat (Fender)
HH - are you sure that you should wiggle crustaceans like that?
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by hungryhalibut
Despite being a Guardian reader (a subscriber even)
.............surely you don't like the Smiths?
To be honest I'm not sure that I would recognise the Smiths if I heard them...
So let's put that down as agnostic..
best
David
You are someone in need of a visit to Emsworth.
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by nigelb
Nigel
Please don’t distress the burndies!!
Peter
(Sorry, that was not helpful!)
Yes that is de-stress and not distress of course.
Bl**dy autocorrect is rather distressing at times.
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by Mike-B
RE Burndy collars: forum post from Paul Stephenson in 2001 "Forget it, cable weight is too heavy and serious damage will be done!!" Also cautions against loosening SNAIC locking rings .............
The thread was about loosening locking rings on the Preh DIN plug as fitted to the 'Lavender' IC
Posted on: 23 November 2017 by nigelb
