Uphorik or Superline

If you had an ARO that makes sense. 

I use an Aro and a DVXX2 II on my Keeled LP12. I moved from a Superline to a Uphorik largely because of the RFI issues I had with the Superline. I found the Uphorik to be a superior phonostage to the Superline but in reality, the move was a mistake because pretty soon after I replaced my NAPSA with a Radikal and the Uphorik with an Urika. I was initially drawn to the flexibility of the Uphorik, but as I have had a series of DVXX2 II cartridges I don't need flexibility and the Urika is superior to the Uphorik in my experience

What is this RFI issue folks speak of, Richard?

Radio Frequency Interference, or more generally Electro-magnetic Interference EMI

Where an external EMI source generates an unwanted current in an electrical circuit.

Your hifi set is the electrical circuit.

Your fridge, television, dimmer lights, wifi, etc are the external EMI source(s).

I agree - which is disturbing as previously I've rarely agreed with b_lund 

Probably Radio Russia  ...... 

I have each of my TT / Phono leads run one turn around a ferrite clamp.

Simple & works

I had superline and supercap, and went to the linn solution. Too much variance on the superline due to RFI issues. Which I think are only there if you have supercap not hicap. It was all a long time ago. 

I was plagued with RFI on the SL when running direct off the 282 and with the HC.  Solved it by running the earth lead on the 282 rather than the SL.  Not a problem since.

Edit - yes a ferrite clamp as well!!!

As I said, its a long time ago -- but two areas where RFI can get in (if my memory is correct -- im sure someone from Naim will correct me if not)

one is the cartridge/arm lead/cable/input to SL, where the choice of loading plug and capacitance is critical

the other is the supercap/burndy feed in

Thanks, more specifically I'm curious as to why the SL with SC combo seems to do this?

Inadequate shielding on the cables feeding from one box to the next e.g. a Burndy, plus inadequate shielding of critical cables and components within certain boxes.

Some manufacturers improve this shielding, or use ferrite cores, but this is sometimes at expense of losing overall sound quality. Choices have to be made sometimes.

As punters, that choice might require lifestyle changes e.g. move house, change cables, change fridge/television etc change hifi equipment or simply put a turn or two of wire around a lump of iron...........

 Luckily the Superline is a Naim item, not Volkswagen, so diesel will be fine.

Careful........ISTR that the holding company for Naim and Focal goes under the name of VAG.......

It's also entirely location dependent.

MC Prefix or Stageline in my office setup on a second floor picks up a local radio station ( radio tower is within 5 miles ) but the Superline even with a volume completely open on a preamp, its dead quiet. So at least I found that Naim has worked on a better shielding without ruining the sound. ( too much shielding kill the timing: so what good is it when you get the pitch black background but the tune's dead. )

I haven't had any RFI problem with Supercap either. 

Even my dealer said this is the quietest Superline he has encountered. Most of his clients are in the city with noisy RFI environment so Superline might not work some time. 

Also, the sensitivity of speakers add to how much *noise* come though. The noise might not be so apparent with insensitive speakers but you hear everything with higher sen. speakers. ( like mid 90dB and up )

True.

The source of EMI radiation generally radiates as a sphere from a point, or a line more resembling a cylinder. The source pattern is distorted by other EMI radiations and the physical environment through which it propagates, around which it diffracts and from which it reflects.

This will cause "hot-spots" and "radiation-free spots" and all "variations in between" !!

Manufacturers have to sometimes balance shielding v purity of sound. Punters have to decide which balance best suits their environment and subjective preferences.

Not always an easy decision.

Sometimes, I was able to minimise the RFI pick up by doing the following:

1. moving around the arm wires
2. moving the positioning of Stageline. ( even a few mm makes difference )
3. using shielded cables between HC and Stageline ( this just killed tune ) Also the condition vairied by weather. ( temperature/humidity etc.. )

The last resort was to paint the wall with Lead paint. :/

Naim phono stages weren't the only ones that I had problem. Ironically, the noisy ones tended to be solid state design whilst the tube phonos I tried were dead quiet.

Hmm, so when a record isn't playing you can literally hear a radio station coming out of your speakers?

Yes.

Some times, it was loud enough that I can hear it whilst a record was playing.

It would have been less annoying if it was a WFMT but the arm leads acting as an antennae picking up a local RAP station.

The lead paint option should come in handy in the event of a nuclear attack.............. 

Some products is better than this or that, some products you just love. All I can I say is that I love the Uphorik! It sounds amazing in every department and is very hassle free and versatile (and better than everything I've heard with my Linn Adikt).

One cool thing is also the alternative XLR inputs together with a Linn Balanced T-Kable. A whole new solution for a T-Kable from Linn, with a balanced cable they give the reference signal (cold) the same respect as the wanted (hot) signal, then having the earth in the screen of the cable. The input stages on Uphorik is still single ended but with XLR inputs, because single ended sounds much better than balanced input stages according to the designer. I've had the older silver rca T-kable, the new black rca T-kable and now the new black XLR T-kable, and all I can say is that I love the XLR T-kable! 

Did you Powerline your Uphorik?

You are right. The best sounding Adikt was with Uphorik with the correct capacitance applied.

I use a three rod earth ground setup that I needed to kill the RFI in my erstwhile tube rig, where RFI truly was a problem.  With the Superline, even without the capacitance plug, I have zero RFI interference today.  

A standard Linn power cord I have tried over years have been complete Krap.

I no longer have the Uphrik but I use a Powerline with Lingo and Linto. ( a must! over Linn stock lead)

But then I realise that there are a slight sample variations amongst Powerlines so possibly you had the one that did not agree with your system make up or your sonic taste. So I see why sometimes the opinions on the Powerlines on this forum is polarised. But none of them were so bad that I had to return.

Incidentally I had a home demo of Hiline RCA/DIN, but I ended up returning. It did round earth things but lost the mojo for me. 

With cables Home demo always is recommended. 

Uphorik was fantastic with Adikt.

Ok, but please remember that we have not compared the same power cords you and I! I don't know where you are located but I'm talking about the european 'shuko' type power cords. Also, as I said, Linn has supplied several different power cords over the last 10 years, I know about at least five different cords and these was also delivered with random directionality of its cable. When I say my Linn power cords are superior I'm talking about the very best of these (made by Volex), also with the best sounding direction of the cable. For example, I definitly believe I would prefer a powerline to the cable that was supplied with my 2004 model Lingo.

Strange you didn't like the Hiline since I really love it, not very 'round earth' in my opinion, just darn good! I have compared it to Linn Black rca interconnects (when I had NAC202 with rca inputs) and three different rca-din naim standard interconnects (one early 2000' factory made rca-din, one dealer made with linn black rca connectors, and my favorite of these with optimal soldered Linn silver rca's). I'm limited to rca-din since I use a NAC52. What interconnect do you prefer?