New CDS3

I'm sure it's worth every penny if it makes such a big improvement.



Regards,

Steve.

Mick,your new cd player/power supply is brilliant.
could you perhaps be a bit more expansive in your description of the improvement......
i have read the reviews in the mags and it has been given some "qualified" praise.
at circa £7000 it bloody well should be good!.
happy listening Mick.

dennis

Mick

nice one me old china, you'll never before have heard Sarah Brightman!

Yep, 3 weeks to stabilise.... and then ocasionally over the next few months, you'll notice things have improved again. It's a true journey into music. Well, CD music anyway!

cheers

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

Mick

I reckon that my new CDS3/XPS2 took a real leap in performance after about a month.

It surely is a different beast to the '2' in sonic terms. A very organic analogue sound, but with the verve of the original CDS.

The old cliche applies - it sounds like a bloody good turntable with teriffic insight and detail, presented without any digital hash.

To make a CD player sound this detailed and relaxed is quite an achievement.

The best always costs; and this combo truly is excellent v.f.m.

MICK
Did you do a part-ex deal with your CDS2.
Just wondering if dealers do a good deal.

I never part exchange. The dealers actually advise you to sell privately in order to get the best deal. I sold the CDS2 and XPS on ebay. Just got their invoice today...£93.00

The CDS3 has exceeded expectations and its only been going for 20 hours. The sound is just impossible to accurately descibe. I am using a 52 and I am sorely tempted to buy a 552 because the new series is leagues ahead of anything I have ever heard.

I believe Roy George designed this and I don't know what they pay him but whatever it is, it's not enough. This is a brilliant piece of kit.

I have 3 CD's that I benchmark against because I have used them in all my Hifi systems which were

Pioneer A400, CD3.5 + Hicap, CDX, CDX + XPS, CDS2 + XPS and now the CDS3 and XPS2. This has been the biggest jump ever. I have been up since 7 am listening to this and it is great.

Goodness knows what it will sound like next month.

I am one happy bunny.

Regards

Mick

quote:

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Originally posted by Mick Parry:
The CDS3 has exceeded expectations and its only been going for 20 hours. The sound is just impossible to accurately descibe. I am using a 52 and I am sorely tempted to buy a 552 because the new series is leagues ahead of anything I have ever heard.

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Good for you Mick!

It was much too short of home dem. for me, but what it hinted at from a cold start, I could tell it was beginning of something wonderful.

Congrats, Mick!
You have a PM.
David

Congrats Mick!! Man, I'm envious;-)

Merry Christmas,

dave

Mick

Two questions:

1) Have you or Mrs. Mick purchased something equally extravagant for Mrs. Mick this Christmas?

2) Will the CDS3 distract you from your pursuit of a Greek God's body?

Mick, without breaking any confidences, can you give an idea of 'cost to change'? Also, why are dealers reluctant to fulfill their real function and make a market for the used units?

Dealers of any product (cars, Hifi or cameras) have to turn cash and make a profit to survive.

If you want the luxury of allowing a dealer to come to your house, install a new unit and buy the old one off you, he is providing a service and you have to pay for it.

I never part exchange anything with a dealer and they prefer it that way. Selling second hand goods is problematical for a dealer. He has to not offend you by offering to low a part exchange price and he cannot upset the guy who buys it off him and as to offer a warranty on top.

Your best bet is to ask your dealer "how much" for a straight purchase and installation. You sell privately and Bobs your uncle.

Alternatively let the dealer do the work and take the risk but dont moan when he makes a honest profit. We all have to eat.

Regards

Mick

To answer your questions

1) I always buy Mrs Micks Christmas present when we are abroad. Usually a lump of jewellry.

Her present for this year was a gold and diamond
"tennis" bracelet. We spend the cash equally. With me it is mainly Hifi, cameras, pens, cufflinks etc and with her it is jewellry. It costs me a fortune to insure it let alone buy the bloody stuff.

2) It is still 3 times a week in the gym.

Regards

Mick

quote:

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If you have a bit of spare cash burning a hole in your pocket, treat yourself to the CDS3, you will not regret it.

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If I had that amount of spare cash burning in my pocket I'd be in casualty! Then again, I could get the special Naim fireproof trousers which will give me enough time to get to my pusher (Ooops, sorry dealer)

quote:

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Given your somewhat patchy history with your dealer, are you sure he's set up the CDS3 properly?

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Don't forget proper dressing of your Burndy. The goal is to ensure no tension is placed on the Burndy's connectors. After connecting one end of the Burndy to the XPS, twist the cable if necessary (NOT the cable's connector though) to align cable connector to CDS's Burndy plug. This makes a huge difference in sound. (tip from Ron Toolsie and Richard Dane).

regards,

dave

Mick,

Yes it is a piece of work isnt it.

And the best part of all is the journey has only just started (thats a word we use a lot in NZ these days)

It will be interesting to see how the burn in manifests itself in the coming weeks.

My experience is that at times there has been inconsistency in material between gob-smacking and a bit aggresive at times but this seems to be smoothing out as time goes on and everything has taken on a far different character.

The other aspect I'm certain you will find is the player takes a LONG time to reveal itself and doesnt stop impressing and takes far longer than just about any other piece of Naim gear to comprehend and get used to I guess.

Best of luck and get yourself a litre of windolene for the lid!



Jonathan.

windowlene for the lid ?
i just left the plastic on mine!

regards neil

quote:

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The goal is to ensure no tension is placed on the Burndy's connectors. ... This makes a huge difference in sound.

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I can testify to this, for once "huge" isn't an exaggeration (considering that we're talking about different ways of connecting the same cable here). Y'all go check your Burndys now!

Thomas

what are we talking about here folks? from what i can see, the burndy connects only in one place. so unless you deliberately put in a 360 degree twist, and therefore cause some tension -- i cannot see how the burndy could be stressed under normal and correct connection.

please educate us.

enjoy

ken

Hi Ken

I think what we're talking about here is 'dressing' (twisting) the cable, as opposed to wrenching the Burndy plug round to line up with the socket.

If you do this; the cable and connections are strained as they leave the plug, and the plug will be applying torsional stress to the socket, and vice-versa.

Ultimately; the plug/socket contact is compromised.

Yes, there are hugeimprovements to be gained by correcting an overstressed and malrotated Burndy. My initial experimentations are to be found HERE within the leading post at the top of the page.

Ron
Dum spiro audio
Dum audio vivo

quote:

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Originally posted by Ron Toolsie:
Yes, there are _huge_improvements to be gained by correcting an overstressed and malrotated Burndy.

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ron, must have missed this somehow. many thanks to you and JN for bringing it to my attention. i will check my burndies when i next disconnect my system.

enjoy, and merry christmas

ken

hi folks, checked me burndies last night and there was no obvious sign of stress in the plug -- unless the stress has already biased the plug to a particular position.

probably more likely is the fact that my burndies connect equipment on the right to equipment on the left --rather than up/down. i find with this configuration that its somewhat easier to get the burndy sweet spot.

many thanks for bringing this to our attention.

enjoy

ken

I am no accountant but I do know that if your dealer acts as a mediator between buyer and seller of second-hand gear, i.e: you the seller of your old gear, and any potential buyer, then the transaction can be classed as a private sale. As the dealer doesn't take his own cut, then his intermediary role must surely be irrelevant for VAT purposes.

Having made a killing on the sale of the new gear, he shouldn't be looking to make anything on the sale of the old - if he has any business acumen. (Mick)

Surely it is in his financial interests to keep the upgrade path for his customers as clear as possible by not imposing obstacles resulting from charging commission and therefore VAT on the sale of the old gear.

My own dealer is/was shrewd enough to know this.



Regards,

Steve.

Chaps

I have been working furiously these last few days and as such have not had much chance to listen to any music.

Mrs Mick has had to go in to her office this morning, so I have the house to myself. I have spent the last 2 hours listening to the CDS3/XPS2 non stop.

It is now 13 days old and it has leaped forward, more than I had ever expected. This CD player is just plain unbelievable. The music sounds so organic and analogue. The music just flows out of the speakers in a way I have never heard before and this is at only 13 days.

Naim has always had a loyal following but with kit like this coming up, the following will become fanatical. I almost feel sorry for the competition.

I suggest you buy yourself this CD player irrespective of whatever amplication or speakers you have, because it releases the sound from those silver discs in a way no other player can.

Don't dither just do it.

Regards

Mick

[This message was edited by Mick Parry on THURSDAY 01 January 2004 at 10:35.]