272/250DR a journey

Dan43 posted:

Compared to the NDS/SN2 it feels slightly slower, but that was compared to iPod which was fast compared to that. When NDS first played back I was struck but the slightly slower playback at that time, but it felt right as if the iPod etc was at 33 7/8 playback speed.

If NDS/SN2 is 33 1/3 this 272/250DR feels slower than that, very measured and laid back if you like, but just slightly slower tempo, it feels very noticeable 

This is interesting. I would think that 272/250.2 DR should sound faster because of more power provided by 250.2. You could think that speed comes more from the power amp than source, guess not. Of course there's different preamps there also. I guess SN2 beats 272 in preamplification. 

catalinmetal posted:

now i see that you not only tested the Ovators S400 but you actually replaced them with Aria 926.

a downgrade from any point of view if you ask me... but what matters is if you like them, then ... you like them.

i don't understand how can somebody get some lower class speaker after a better class one, apart from the cases where 1. the better speaker does not fit the room, or 2. there is desperate need for cash.

in Focal range only from Electra range and up you get the level of SQ you find in S400...

this is how i feel about it.

Blimey :-)

Downgraded need a new place for a new job, chopped in NDS/SN2 and S400s now with 272/250DR and Aria 926s.

S400s were too honest and lacked a little punch, and the price I got on the exchange was close to what I bought the S400s for originally.

S400s took about 2-4 months to really get going and only respond at their  best to high end electronics, once I tested a HCDR and SL SC & IC I decided that the NDS was becoming too expensive and shifted downwards, at the same time a new job was offered.

Although recently I really liked the Sopra No2 on a shop demo so may move back up again if funds allow later.

I like the 926s a lot, punchy bass. 

It is all subjective to some degree but the 926s are excellent, 400s different and for me not necessarily for the  better with my own taste in music a huge consideration, just my view.

So had a play now with the Aria 926s, and like the S400s before require some level of TLC.

Bass is punchy and delivered to my taste, positioning is key and sitting position makes a difference. They like volume too to reveal more, bass response is then inversely proportionate to volume increase. They perform much better at volume.

They have good vocal balance and high end response, close to S400 but just shy of the very high end but they are much weightier in the bass which I like. I found the 400s a little flat in the bass, only a little, and I only got true balance on the low/mids/highs once I used HCDR and SL cables, these Arias feel more bass weighted and lighter in the mids.

Be interesting to try SL SC and maybe IC for these 926s to have more joined up delivery.

I like them, and they are delivering the type of bass I was looking for, not for everyone agreed, and they were at a very agreeable ex-demo price to boot.

Naturally now I want to try the Sopra No1 and No2 at home next year once new house settles and funds re-emerge, oh and SL IC & SC.

Bert's thread I see the Melco getting good vibes, I thought I was downsizing looks like I'll springing back up sooner than anticipated.

Looks like some great kit for testing in 2016 so far I am looking at :

Super Lumina Interconnect and Speaker Cables

Powerlines (I have one left over from previous set up)

Melco NV1

Sopra No1 or No2

Need a pay rise, or buy my old NDS back and start over. Its so addictive once you get going thats the problem .

I have the same setup up with over 600hrs on them 272/250DR/NACA5, was going to upgrade to the Aria 948 to get more low level dynamics/imaging/soundstage but decided to get the Sopra No2

Dan (and Greekspec2), before you get swanky speakers, get an XPS DR. No amount of fancy speakerage will make up for what's not there in the first place. Get the source right and everything follows. 

Dan - I'd suggest a trip to Emsworth is in order over the holidays. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

Dan (and Greekspec2), before you get swanky speakers, get an XPS DR. No amount of fancy speakerage will make up for what's not there in the first place. Get the source right and everything follows. 

Absolutely correct and that is one of the fundamentals of Naim to get right. I would rather have a better source, preamp and then power amp and only then at the end would I bother to invest in speakers, if at all needed.

analogmusic posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

Dan (and Greekspec2), before you get swanky speakers, get an XPS DR. No amount of fancy speakerage will make up for what's not there in the first place. Get the source right and everything follows. 

Absolutely correct and that is one of the fundamentals of Naim to get right. I would rather have a better source, preamp and then power amp and only then at the end would I bother to invest in speakers, if at all needed.

 

nooo, don't bother, speakers are just for looking good in the pics, or just to fill the room, they have no real use, not in generating sound, at least!

I tried an experiment today. Using cheap headphones I first listened to my Chord Hugo, and switched to Iphone, and then last to my laptop

The cheap headphones were easily able to show the loss of information at each stage.

Once gone, no fancy speaker or expensive headphone can get it back.

But we all value different things, don't we.

To each their own. 

I am not saying to use the cheapest 5 quid speakers with Naim, but even decent speakers can show what source and preamp upgrades sound like. 

Enough has been said, and have you heard a chord Hugo anyway Catalinmetal?

analogmusic posted:

I tried an experiment today. Using cheap headphones I first listened to my Chord Hugo, and switched to Iphone, and then last to my laptop

The cheap headphones were easily able to show the loss of information at each stage.

Once gone, no fancy speaker or expensive headphone can get it back.

 

Well this naturally works other way around also. No matter how fancy source you use, if your speakers aren't capable to produce the sound information they're fed, then it's useless. I'm not sure where I stand with this subject myself, somewhere in-between I guess. Price ratio in my system goes about 30% to source, 40% to pre and poweramp and 30% to speakers. I feel like I have great balance at the moment. 

Hi,I've had the Aria 926.....very good speakers...a little too much unnatural  bass for me, upgraded to electra's 1028be about 6 months ago which has allowed for a much more natural sound and larger sound stage, just at moment I have the sopra 2 's on demo....they won't be going back......

What source is driving the Sopra No2 WENGER2015? Just curious.

I had a long discussion with a dealer regarding the spend on expensive speakers that are driven but less valued source/amp. For example 272/250DR driving Sopra No2. In his mind it provides better overall system value (outside the extras such as XPSDR, SL cables, Melco etc) as maybe the Sopra No2 more natural bed fellows are 552/300DR/NDS for example.

I owned an NDS and I see the source first value, but for me to support the NDS to its full potential it was getting very expensive, the 272/250DR in comparison would be less so to make it the best that it can be, given time with incremental upgrades/add ons.

It is entirely relative and all arguments can work depending on your viewpoint.

HH I really do need to pay that visit, with a bottle of something to sit alongside the good music. :-) 

I agree I'd rather spend my money on the voice of my system then drop it on a XPS-DR, I already spent enough on the 250DR/272 which has it's own power supply.The return on the speakers over the power supply is a no brainer, later on I can put a XPS-DR if needed.

I have been using SN with CDX2, just in process of demo with Nap 250 and Nac 282 and PS. Also using tq ultra black speaker cables, which are excellent. 

analogmusic posted:

have you heard a chord Hugo anyway Catalinmetal?

no, i have not! but why, is this the nirvana of digital sources?

i can show you some technologically way more advanced than any Naim or Chord DAC: and it is produced in Romania: Rockna Wavedream...

the owner and designer and main man of the company is a friend of mine, and he really is into serious business! when he will have a complete setup (so far he designed/manufactured only transports, DACs and amps, so no speakers yet) i will be tempted to switch my Naim gear for a complete Rockna setup. at least in digital tech, the Rockna latest thing is up there with the best!

Reflecting on the Sopra, I suppose my speakers would normally be found on higher end systems than mine, so perhaps I'm in the same boat. It's also true that I got them before the XPS DR upgrade. So clearly I'm suggesting that others don't do what I did! So perhaps 'bring on the Sopras' should be the advice. 

Agree with HH, if you can afford the sopra's, you won't be disappointed, every time I look at mine it makes me smile.

I am going to set up a demo early 2016, along with Super Lumina options.

Also looking at fibre TP Link converters are about £120 each, create a cleaner faster connection to the stored media.

Have a bit of time on my hands and getting the regular hifi bug-itis.

 

catalinmetal posted:

analogmusic posted:

have you heard a chord Hugo anyway Catalinmetal?

no, i have not! but why, is this the nirvana of digital sources?

i can show you some technologically way more advanced than any Naim or Chord DAC: and it is produced in Romania: Rockna Wavedream...

the owner and designer and main man of the company is a friend of mine, and he really is into serious business! when he will have a complete setup (so far he designed/manufactured only transports, DACs and amps, so no speakers yet) i will be tempted to switch my Naim gear for a complete Rockna setup. at least in digital tech, the Rockna latest thing is up there with the best!

I looked at it, but it cannot challenge a Chord DAC, it has 5000 taps, which Chord reached a long time ago.

Nice try though. If you are tempted to switch, good for you. But why haven't you already ?

so after asking Naim for there opinion on what they would recommend or what would they do if it was there money, I was told to purchase the Focal Sopra's over the XPS-DR upgrade and or SL cables.

Naim is in the buisness to make money too and the Naim employee felt the Sopra loudspeakers will make the biggest impact to my current system,

NAP 250DR

NAC 272

Focal Aria 926

NACA5

greekspec2 posted:

so after asking Naim for there opinion on what they would recommend or what would they do if it was there money, I was told to purchase the Focal Sopra's over the XPS-DR upgrade and or SL cables.

Naim is in the buisness to make money too and the Naim employee felt the Sopra loudspeakers will make the biggest impact to my current system,

NAP 250DR

NAC 272

Focal Aria 926

NACA5

Wise words by Naim's customers service. 

Naim and Focal are practically the same company nowadays so there's no reason why someone from Naim wouldn't recommend you to buy Focal speakers. 

If you call Naim you get a press button menu: 1 for sales, 2 for service, 3 for mullets and 0 for the switchboard. There's no need to wonder which Greekspec pressed....

greekspec2 posted:

so after asking Naim for there opinion on what they would recommend or what would they do if it was there money, I was told to purchase the Focal Sopra's over the XPS-DR upgrade and or SL cables.

Naim is in the buisness to make money too and the Naim employee felt the Sopra loudspeakers will make the biggest impact to my current system,

NAP 250DR

NAC 272

Focal Aria 926

NACA5

But. You didn't ask Naim. You asked one employee. And got one suggestion. That was wrong. You should have been told to take your ears. And have a listen.

I actually emailed them, and if I'm not mistaken it was the 250DR/272 combo that Focal used to image the Sopra's with so I think the synergy is a good match

but it's my opinion and money

Agree with you about opinion and money, and you will definitlely not be disappointed with the sopras