NACA5: minor upgrade, major questions
Posted by: rocketeer on 27 November 2002
Dear Members
My dynaudio contour speakers are connected to my all naim system via OCOS speaker cables (dynaudio recommendation). Recently, i purchased s/h NACA5. Here's what i experienced:
The OCOS produces a tight and thin bass, but also a little less controlled. With the NACA5, bass is more tuneful and also more controlled. The midrange is fantastic and wide open with the NACA5! A clear winner over the OCOS. The NACA5 in fact seems to be more natural and musical.
But what happens to the heights!? Were they so colorful and silky with the OCOS, they become quite pale and harsh with the NACA5. This becomes very evident with voices in the pronunciation of "s". It is quite an "sh" or an "z" through the NACA5. What could be the reason for this (Although not a expert, i think i did a good job on the soldering of the naim plugs at the poweramp ends. At the speaker ends, i striped the insulation and fixed the blank cable with the speaker's plug screw)?
When experimenting with the speaker cables, i noticed something else that pretty much amazed me (with both cables): The contours are known as power hungry. With my 140, at "9 o'clock" position on the preamps volume knob, things are already quite loud. At "10 o'clock" there's already too much compression to retain musical harmony. But my normal "10pm-2am" listening level anyway corresponds to position "8 o'clock". I always had the impression that the 140 could do well at this level. But i noticed quite a substantial sound improvement when listening even below that level: the separation was much clearer, more details, the depth much increased! I was quite puzzled about this effect. I know that bolides other than my cute little 140 could drive my contours much more accurately. But is this already relevant at such low listening levels? (Do i need another poweramp?)
thanks for any feedback.
rocketeer
[This message was edited by rocketeer on WEDNESDAY 27 November 2002 at 15:56.]
My dynaudio contour speakers are connected to my all naim system via OCOS speaker cables (dynaudio recommendation). Recently, i purchased s/h NACA5. Here's what i experienced:
The OCOS produces a tight and thin bass, but also a little less controlled. With the NACA5, bass is more tuneful and also more controlled. The midrange is fantastic and wide open with the NACA5! A clear winner over the OCOS. The NACA5 in fact seems to be more natural and musical.
But what happens to the heights!? Were they so colorful and silky with the OCOS, they become quite pale and harsh with the NACA5. This becomes very evident with voices in the pronunciation of "s". It is quite an "sh" or an "z" through the NACA5. What could be the reason for this (Although not a expert, i think i did a good job on the soldering of the naim plugs at the poweramp ends. At the speaker ends, i striped the insulation and fixed the blank cable with the speaker's plug screw)?
When experimenting with the speaker cables, i noticed something else that pretty much amazed me (with both cables): The contours are known as power hungry. With my 140, at "9 o'clock" position on the preamps volume knob, things are already quite loud. At "10 o'clock" there's already too much compression to retain musical harmony. But my normal "10pm-2am" listening level anyway corresponds to position "8 o'clock". I always had the impression that the 140 could do well at this level. But i noticed quite a substantial sound improvement when listening even below that level: the separation was much clearer, more details, the depth much increased! I was quite puzzled about this effect. I know that bolides other than my cute little 140 could drive my contours much more accurately. But is this already relevant at such low listening levels? (Do i need another poweramp?)
thanks for any feedback.
rocketeer
[This message was edited by rocketeer on WEDNESDAY 27 November 2002 at 15:56.]
Rocketeer, in my experience, they take 6 long months to run in properly, average play a day, all volumes. But when not run-in properly, the treble's thin, peaky, bright, with undeveloped bass. If after 6 months of constant play they still sound bright, look further up the chain, at your set-up/ room acoustics. Bright the naca5s are not (oh no! yoda)
If you head-bang, maybe half the time, at the end of which you could end up a little deaf.
Once you look carefully into your set-up, the highs on the naca 5s are anything but harsh... clean without being recessed, clear, detailed, yet full.
In a full Naim system of course.
Don't coil them, and if you can lift them off the floor with some small rubber blocks or perhaps styrofoam cups. I would keep them well away from the power cord cables...
My Naca5s have never sounded thin or bright.
Good listening; the music's groovin' frightfully more.
Philip
naimniac for life
If you head-bang, maybe half the time, at the end of which you could end up a little deaf.
Once you look carefully into your set-up, the highs on the naca 5s are anything but harsh... clean without being recessed, clear, detailed, yet full.
In a full Naim system of course.
Don't coil them, and if you can lift them off the floor with some small rubber blocks or perhaps styrofoam cups. I would keep them well away from the power cord cables...
My Naca5s have never sounded thin or bright.
Good listening; the music's groovin' frightfully more.
Philip
naimniac for life
Rocketeer !
Glad to hear your reply.
About Naim electronics and nonnaim speakers I know that there is very much happy combination...Royd, Neat, Epos, Linn, Quad etc, but that's just accidental match which is SURE electricaly and sonicaly a little bit far away from all Naim system synergy. Even some other speakers work well with Naim, that doesn't mean that there is many speaker compnaies around which Naim amplifier can made very welcome.
My believing is that (example) Linn speakers and amps are more far away from Naim philosophy than people think. In your case, Dynaudio is very interesting speakers, but I think that force Dynaudio to play with Naim is like force Paul Mcartney to sing like Ian Gillan.
I believe that most important factor to get musical enjoyment is synergy. I can more enjoy in all Rega system than combined with Naim, but also can more enjoy with all Naim than all Rega system, ofcourse. Let's just say one more, you know Citroen AX, will be that car better if you put on it a 225cm wide tyre, certainly not, but it would be more atractive for much people, people who don't know and don't understand that this was stupid.
I really don't understand that you like more Dynaudio with Naim than SBL's. Maybe you are auditioned them with Ocos?!
I should tell you this - I have had Epos12 speakers before Intros. Epos are (some says) designed on the idea to work best with Naim. That was not true. Yes, that speaker have some sound characteristics which are well known for Naim gear, but simply don't work good with Naim.
When I was add CD5 to Epos the sound was blured, extremly dry and every guitar sounds the same.
I do not equalize that teory with Dynaudio, but this is just example. The speaker is not a speaker.
Nothing personal
Ozren
Glad to hear your reply.
About Naim electronics and nonnaim speakers I know that there is very much happy combination...Royd, Neat, Epos, Linn, Quad etc, but that's just accidental match which is SURE electricaly and sonicaly a little bit far away from all Naim system synergy. Even some other speakers work well with Naim, that doesn't mean that there is many speaker compnaies around which Naim amplifier can made very welcome.
My believing is that (example) Linn speakers and amps are more far away from Naim philosophy than people think. In your case, Dynaudio is very interesting speakers, but I think that force Dynaudio to play with Naim is like force Paul Mcartney to sing like Ian Gillan.
I believe that most important factor to get musical enjoyment is synergy. I can more enjoy in all Rega system than combined with Naim, but also can more enjoy with all Naim than all Rega system, ofcourse. Let's just say one more, you know Citroen AX, will be that car better if you put on it a 225cm wide tyre, certainly not, but it would be more atractive for much people, people who don't know and don't understand that this was stupid.
I really don't understand that you like more Dynaudio with Naim than SBL's. Maybe you are auditioned them with Ocos?!
I should tell you this - I have had Epos12 speakers before Intros. Epos are (some says) designed on the idea to work best with Naim. That was not true. Yes, that speaker have some sound characteristics which are well known for Naim gear, but simply don't work good with Naim.
When I was add CD5 to Epos the sound was blured, extremly dry and every guitar sounds the same.
I do not equalize that teory with Dynaudio, but this is just example. The speaker is not a speaker.
Nothing personal
Ozren