System Pics 2015

+1 

Very nice looking system and from looking at the pictures great cable management too 

Time for a system update picture or two.

The Dynavector XX-2 has returned from a visit to Mr Van den Hul, and splendid it is too.

However, Yoda (our dealer) has taken the Xerxes to the hidden depths of his laboratory for a good seeing to.  So in the meantime, we are enjoying a new turntable.  

It's a Nottingham Analogue Ace Spacedeck with an external motor controller and is on loan for a few weeks.  It is effortless to listen to for hours, calm and completely unfatiguing.  We can hear why many people like it at its price point.

Best regards, FT

Hell yes! Mostly Olive...awesome...love it.

M

FT

Nice set-up. That TT looks a beast.  Also nice to see some more Quadraspire on here. Not seen the black shelf/silver column combo before. Works well.

Mike 

nice foot tapper

That Quadraspire rack looks better than my Fraimlite, but i think you're TT will not perform optimal in that corner were low frequencies are pronounced/building up. 

FT - seeing that TT makes me yearn for my old vinyl collection - very sexy!

Thank you Mr Fjeld & MDS, very kind.  Good job that the turntable wasn't a NAS Hyperspace or Dias. They weight an absolute ton!

Hi Mackb3, well, the 52 & supercap are olive; the 135s are CB re-cased into olive; the CDS3 is classic black; the 555PS is 500 series.  Perhaps Naim can mix the generations after all.

Hi Clearaudio lover, point well made.  Having the brain stack in the corner and the brawn stack to the left (as we look at it) was also a b*gger in terms of cable dressing.  The alternative would have had the brain stack on the left.  However, that would have left the turntable cartridge right behind the rear port of a speaker, so even worse.  Hence the current arrangement is a practical, real world compromise. 

Hi DrMark, indeed.  I have really missed playing vinyl while the cartridge has been away for a refurbishment.  Next time, I'll buy a new one so that there's less downtime.  The CD player is lovely and I also enjoy streaming music on the other system but neither comes close to the musical enjoyment that I derive from listening to music on vinyl.  And it's going to get a whole lot better in a few weeks, when the TT becomes a worthy source for the ARTs ...

Best regards, FT

To me, the sound of vinyl/analog is just so much more "organic" - I am really pleased with my CDP and streaming solution, but there is a certain depth on vinyl that is palpable.  Glad you're enjoying it!

Nothing changed from last year...

Except I finally took the PMS out of the storage and put them to work.

These are extremely clean sample of early PMS with XLR speaker terminals on the back. I prefer these over later model PMS/DMS with fleet of banana sockets. I was told that these originally belong to The Audiophile Systems ( ex Linn US importer ) 

45° angle terminated NACA5 allow them to hang naturally without stress for the connection to the X-over.

I'll tweak the Fraim when I'm worked up to it...

Lovely looking system FT 

I'd swap the racks around though - it should sound a little better, cable dressing is easier and it will be far easier to get to the CD player and volume control. 

Any concerns about having the TT cartridge directly above all those mains transformers if we leave the turntable wall shelf where it is?  It's the most sensitive electromagnetic transducer in the whole system...

Access to CD & pre-amp controls is not a concern as I use the remote control from the far end of the room.  The gap between the CD shelf & the TT wall shelf was set to ensure easy access to the CDS3 drawer and it works fine.

Best regards, FT

It will be fine, there's a big enough gap. But if you did find it an issue, you could swap it all back again!

Thanks HH.  

I was concerned not to disturb all the Naim pixie dust that settles on the boxes after a few days, turning them grey and making them sound perfect for a man cave.  However, the system is nice & clean now, so that's no longer a concern.

However, the whole rig will be packed away in 3-4 weeks' time, as the room is being re-decorated & a new carpet laid (aaarrrggghhh!).  Such is the price of domestic bliss.

So I could have a play after that.

Best regards, FT

Thanks Gary.  The turntable is on loan for a few weeks.

How are the ESL63s settling in on the end of your SN2?

Kuma,

Lovely.  Just lovely.

Looks lovely Mr FT. Those Quadraspire racks are very nice indeed!

Hi Gary

Delighted that the Quads are working so well in your somewhat special acoustic environment. It has been a long search to find the right speakers.

re the NA Ace Spacedeck versus the Xerxes 20+, the first observation to make is that the Spacedeck is on loan while Yoda works on the Xerxes. It is not intended to be a direct competitor, more a delightful way of running in the cartridge.

In terms of how they sound, the Spacedeck sounds rather nice, smooth & undemanding.  Something you could listen to for hours without a hint of fatigue or harshness.  The Xerxes (or indeed a well set up LP12) imbues music with a degree of life, dynamics, vitality and attention grabbing involvement that the Spacedeck cannot quite achieve.  There's also clearer resolution and definition of each note, especially basslines.  But then again, it is a lot less expensive.  For the money, it's a decent piece of kit.

Best regards, FT

Here's another NAAS (and this one's not on loan)...

Ooh, looks like a Hyperspace with NA's own rather fancy Ace Anna unipivot arm & Lyra Delos cartridge.

That must weigh a fair bit!

Do you still own this one Jon, or did you swap it for the Xerxes?

Best regards, FT

Great looking system FT. The Spacedeck looks very cool.

I agree with HH that the racks should be swapped. The impact on the turntable will be negligible, but you will get the transformers further away from the sensitive stuff. Also, try the shelf with black bamboo and bronze cones. I knowing it's getting a bit boring, but the improvement they make is astonishing.

Keith