NDX lacking openness?

I have a ND5 XS (a closely related specie of the same genus), and that's certainly not 'veiled'.

If your NDX has been lying idle for some time then it may need another running in period of, maybe even a few weeks, before it returns to it's former glory.

Check the ground switch is in the right position. I'd certainly not call the NDX veiled.

I'd give it a few weeks to settle in but if it's still not working for you then speak to your dealer. You've either got a duff one or maybe it just doesn't work well in your system. 

sometimes lower quality digital has a false bright hard sound that maybe you are now missing?

I wonder if the dealer was demoing it with an external PSU connected?  If so then the internal PSU will need a good few weeks of exercise to regain it's fitness.

But James's point about the signal earth switch is a definite point to check:  If you don't have another earthed component, it should be 'chassis ground', if you already have an earthed component, then it should be 'floating'.

Hi Huge, I have seen this "suggestion" several times. Just to understand, if I just have apart from the streamer a turntable "normally" grounded on the phono stage the proper position is on "floating"?

Thanks for the quick replies! OK, I'll give it another one or two months run-in time.

@ James & Huge: Ground switch is on 'chassis' which should be correct in my setup (NDX/SN/HC).

@ Paul: I see your point but that wouln't explain why the NDX didn't sound veiled during my demo session. Furthermore, I also had an NDS(+XPS) for demo at home which didn't sound veiled either. So I think I'm not 'mislead' by a better quality source here.

Can you swap out the signal cable to check? Is the mains  cable the correct one?

Hi Dr Po,

The principle is quite simple, one should not have any 'earth loops'.

For a simplified explanation as to why this is bad: In this case, an earth loop is created when two pieces of equipment both have their signal returns (i.e. the screen) connected to the mains earth.  What happens then is that tiny (but different) currents get induce in the different earth leads, and this causes small differences of 'earth' voltage in the two earthed components. At each end, the signal ground is used as the 'reference voltage' for the music signal.  Because the signal ground is connected at both ends you have a conflict of which voltage is the correct reference for the signal.  As a result, the induced voltage 'bleeds' into the signal path (by affecting the reference) and is amplified along with the real music signal.

Typically this is heard as a 'mains frequency hum', but it can have other effects as well, however it always messes up the real music signal to some degree.

So yes, if your phono stage for your TT is grounded (as will usually be the case) then 'floating' is correct.

Thanks!

Sorry, just edited my post above as I realised I hadn't actually given you the simple answer in addition to the explanation!

Hi Paul, thanks for your reply! Yes my dealer offered me to borrow another signal cable for checking. Do you think a Lavender lead can age or corrode so heavily that it's not usable anymore?

My mains cable seems to be the original one, at least it looks similar to the ones of my Supernait and Hicap. But I'll check this with my dealer.

Interestingly Huge, let's considering Uniti2 with Stageline, and turntable, it means I have move to float, correct? But when turntable is off, and I listen a CD or streaming from NAS?

It doesn't make any difference, the differential earth currents are still there and still cause the problem even if some components aren't powered.

Yes, I noticed, but the illuminating response deserveda "thank you" nevertheless!

Thank you Huge also from my side.
I still have a doubt, should I really set to float on Uniti? For me what is important is to have one reference only, as Uniti is a multi source system, maybe this should be the reference for ground, on the other hands is it true that turntables may require their reference as well. I'm still confused.
Anyway I kindly suggest that such informations may deserve of publication in your (and Simon) guide!
Have a nice evening.

Hi Bicela,

If you use a turntable and have the choice of grounding location, the best place to ground the entire system is at the phono stage amplifier.  The reason for this is simple, that's where the smallest electric signal is, and hence where the greatest amplification is needed.

I'll think about including grounding in a V1.1 of my network guide.

I might actually break it into Four pieces:

1  Basics

2  Networking

3  Interference Suppression

4  Integrating other Components

The grounding rules come in Basics and get referenced by the others.