Where Do I Go From Here

I would sort out your front end first. Have a listen to a cdx then with xps then cds2, also the competition, preferably using your electronics or something very similar.
How much you spend on the cd should take into account other sources you may use. If cd is what you use 90 percent of the time I would try to get the best here you can afford.

You have great amplification but with a new cd player in place the next obvious step would be towards an 82 then later maybe a second hicap for it or a supercap.

Get furniture and mains sorted out. Speakers are more personal so I suggest you listen to what you have against the best in your potential price range to see if you want to keep them for the ride.

Simon, Dozy

Thanks guys.

My equipment support is a Target 5 tier stand. Not brillant, but adequate.

I've been debating with the idea of Hutter and Quardspire. Mana, I find not very pleasing to the eye.

As much as I love music, I must also consider the wife's concerns too.


Nan

Yes, with Linn, TDL, and no approved support, you were wise to apologize up front. :-)

All of the changes you list could be highly beneficial, though I would be wary of a CDi because if the transport fails, you might be without a CDP for a long while.

But before recommending a solution, I have to ask: what aspects of the sound do you want to imporve? What is annoying you about your current system?

No matter what, unless you just want to buy something new, your highest priority is to burn in the serviced components. It's simply not fair to compare 14 year old unserviced stuff to new, and the refurbished components may have stopped producing annoyances that make you want new gear.

Another Q: when you bought the Karik/Numerik, did you listen to the CDS? If you did and preferred the Linn CDP, that may be useful to remember.

Having said all this, I'd think your preamp is your weakest link.

Regards.

Phil

Hi Phil,

Oops...sorry if I upset you.

The sound is slow and sluggish. Baseline ill-defined. Tops not clear and slightly muddled(no space,air between instruments). Music started to sound boring.

I do appreciate that I need to "burn the serviced components" before any upgrade. Point taken. But the reason I ask is that I've been offered an 82/CDi/2xhicap for under £2500. What do you think of this offer?

When I purchased my Linn over 7 years ago I did no comparison with other CDP. Blind faith I suppose!

Nan

Get the mains, stands, fuses, and burn-in sorted first. These will make a BIG improvement, and set the scene for some serious demoing of CDP, Pre, and speakers later.

"All systems are perfectly designed to get the results they get."

I personally wasn't upset by you mentioning L*nn CD players, as I have Karik III / Numerik SPS , and at the point of purchase demmed them against Naim, and Linn won.

I have them on Quadraspire Ref, which would be a good staging post, every if you go Naim CD in the end.

I would find a dealer to take them to, to compare to Naim before changing sides.

DS

OTD Synergy - Sequencer

You are wanting to address slow, sluggish, sound and ill defined bass. I am not familiar with the Studio .5 that you mention but I've listened to several TDLs so they are not unknown to me.
The issues you're addressing seem more characteristic of the speakers than of the other components in your equipment. If the problem(s) persist after you get your electronics reinstalled then I'd suggest trying a different speaker, working on room placement, and trying different racks.
I think the sluggishness and ill definition will be gone by the time you've done these things. The other changes mentioned in this thread are also great changes. By improving the front end you'll get excellent improvement down line so I very much tend to recommend improving the front components first.

Nan,

I suspect your amps may not be earthed by the Linn.

What other sources (if any) do you have plugged into the 32.5?

cheers, Martin

Thanks for all the advice, guys.


Martin, I've only got the Linn connected to the 32.5

Nan,

be damned careful about how you do this. Get it wrong and you will fry the amp, and possibly yourself also!

Find a spare mains plug, and a thin (insulated) piece of wire.

Connect one end of the wire to the earth pin of the mains plug, and the other end to the screw-on binding post beside the BNC connectors on the 32.5.

Plug the mains plug into a mains socket (obviously, if you've wired to the wrong pin of the mains plug this is when things start to melt, or worse).

Compare the sound. Is it better?

Let us know, if you try it.

cheers, Martin

Nan,

The deal you have been offered is excellent, but the question is: what does it do for you? You don't need 2 Hicaps because you've already got one, and I don't know whether the CDI is better than the Linn CD players you already have.

A preamp upgrade would probably be an excellent start, but be warned: it's a slippery slope! If you upgrade your preamp all the way to 52, then you'll be thinking you need better sources to maximise your sound potential and so on it goes.

Cheers, Jens

Hi Martin, many years ago I was unfortunate to touch a live 240v wire, and vowed never to mess around things that I can't see, smell touch etc. I have kept faithful to that pledge, until now...

I think that I'm competent to try what you suggest, but can you please explain the rationale behind your suggestion, and what I hope to gain from it.

Jens, thanks for your input. The idea is to purchase the naim items and add a 140 or 180 to form 2 seperate systems. You see, my wife like to listen to "her" music on my system, so having a seperate one in our spare room would be just perfect.

TO ALL FORUM MEMBERS. Has any of you change from Karik/Numerik to a CDi, and if so, what was the outcome.

Would greatly appreciate all comments.

Nan

quote:

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Originally posted by Nan:
I think that I'm competent to try what you suggest, but can you please explain the rationale behind your suggestion, and what I hope to gain from it.

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Nan,

the Naim amps sound best when the signal is earthed. Not only that, they sound worse if they are earthed twice or more.

Now, I realise these are weird statements, but please read this:-

Thread re earthing a Linn Ikemi & Naim amp

Scroll down to Dave J's comment of Monday 22 July 2002 @ 14:27.

"The transition was simply amazing"... etc.

Interesting that Dave seems to think you can connect to the case of the player without danger of electrocuting yourself. (Your player may be different, and I don't know if you'd have to connect to the CDP or the DAC, or...).

Try e-mailing him (you'll have to remove the NOSPAM) from his address.

cheers, Martin

Martin,

Thanks for the info.

Should I still earthed the 32.5 as suggested by you, or should I get additional info from Dave J.

Regards


Nan

quote:

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Originally posted by Nan:
Should I still earthed the 32.5 as suggested by you, or should I get additional info from Dave J.

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Nan,

earthing to the CD player would be instead of earthing at a mains plug, and has less potential for problems.

cheers, Martin