System Pics 2016

Those new SCM40A are just great!

I got to hear the pair at the Axpona this year. Active rulz!

Halloween Man posted:

 

I really like that. 

kuma posted:

Those new SCM40A are just great!

I got to hear the pair at the Axpona this year. Active rulz!

Yes, they are exceptional speakers and great value.

just realised I missed out one important component, my iphone. i use audirvana remote app on iphone to select and control music playback. works like clockwork.

Musicmad posted:

ChrisSU posted:

Musicmad posted:

I recall being criticised when I bought the NDX and DAC ... told that I would only see a benefit from the DAC when I added an XPs.

Well, that time has come ... only now I don't know whether to use it to power the NDX or the DAC.

I always told myself that the acquisition of the XPS would lead to the demise of the CD5x and FC2x ... but now ...?

The XPS should power your DAC, not your NDX.

On paper, the above should comfortably outperform your CD player, which would be good, as getting rid of it would relieve the congestion on your rack...

Many thanks for the advice - I've been pondering this but query: what about the adage ... source first?  Also, others have suggested I get rid of the DAC as it is superfluous (I'm not inclined to do so!)

As for the NDX~DAC ... this easily surpasses the CD5x~FC2x (analogue out to SN).  As I hardly ever play a CD these days then these two boxes are superfluous ... almost.  There's just that odd occasion when I want to play a CD (e.g. the couple of CDs which didn't rip properly).

Experimentation time 

Mitch

Well, we're nearly 24hrs in and so far it's the vocals which have shown the biggest change (to my ears).

Everything sounds good but as for Fraim congestion ... oh well ...

I'm presently using the XPS to power the DAC but may switch this to the NDX.  I think that when I do remove the CD5x and FC2x I shall move the Fraim forward an inch or so as the Burndy cable is a little squashed against the rear wall.

It's good having the SN so high though I did like having the NDX on the top shelf.

Mitch

Musicmad posted:

I'm presently using the XPS to power the DAC but may switch this to the NDX.

 

Is that even possible? My understanding is that with an external DAC attached, you can't put an external PSU on the NDX.

You could do it if you wanted, but the XPS would make little, if any, difference. There is certainly a forum member who uses a PS on both the streamer and the nDac. 

ChrisSU posted:

Musicmad posted:

I'm presently using the XPS to power the DAC but may switch this to the NDX.

 

Is that even possible? My understanding is that with an external DAC attached, you can't put an external PSU on the NDX.

Chris

it is possible. I've just bought a second-hand 555PS (non DR) for my nDAC. When it arrives, I will use the resident TXPS to power an NDX. 

Will report my findings.

Adam

Hungryhalibut posted:

You could do it if you wanted, but the XPS would make little, if any, difference. There is certainly a forum member who uses a PS on both the streamer and the nDac. 

I echo HH's comment .. I had an XPS on my NDX but when I added an external DAC there were no discernible differences to the SQ from having the XPS on or not .. sold the XPS on.

Halloween Man posted:

 

That's a great looking system, James! Perhaps Naim should have gone into partnership with ATC? I missed  the active 40's by a fair bit, and klout my passive 40's, with a 250.2. I'm very happy with this system, but would love to hear SCM40A. In fact I would very much like to listen your system.

Just wondering, are those granite slabs, under your SCM40A's? I Can't quite see from your pic, but do the spikes rest in, or on anything?

I have granite slabs on top, of my SCM40's, they are on there to prevent damage by our four cats! The sound changed a little after the "slabing", Minor +/- in PRat.

Also, I see, that your speakers, are tilted upwards. I wonder how this improved the sound. I had a significant improvement by tilting my old Kabers.

My system in our holiday home in the Lake District. Macbook Pro/Amarra Symphony iRC , Sky HD, Panasonic BluRay, Amazon FIRE TV, into Naim V1 DAC/preamp, then  DIY 130-ish wpc "HackerNAP" amp., ending up in a pair of Neat Motive 2s. 

Everything that I've thrown at it, it just keeps giving. I have no way the source to know its limits !  Princeza.

Klyde posted:

Halloween Man posted:

 

That's a great looking system, James! Perhaps Naim should have gone into partnership with ATC? I missed  the active 40's by a fair bit, and klout my passive 40's, with a 250.2. I'm very happy with this system, but would love to hear SCM40A. In fact I would very much like to listen your system.

Just wondering, are those granite slabs, under your SCM40A's? I Can't quite see from your pic, but do the spikes rest in, or on anything?

I have granite slabs on top, of my SCM40's, they are on there to prevent damage by our four cats! The sound changed a little after the "slabing", Minor +/- in PRat.

Also, I see, that your speakers, are tilted upwards. I wonder how this improved the sound. I had a significant improvement by tilting my old Kabers.

 

yes, audio serenity granite slabs with spike shoes. they help stop the floorboards under the carpet vibrating and work well. i think the speakers are flat, not tilted up, maybe just the photo.

it would be an interesting shootout amp and passive vs active. i suspect i know who would win ;o)

My money would be on the active versions, now. Active speakers are ATC's main "thing". I've heard larger ATC actives, they are awesome.

Klyde posted:

Halloween Man posted:

 

That's a great looking system, James! Perhaps Naim should have gone into partnership with ATC? I missed  the active 40's by a fair bit, and klout my passive 40's, with a 250.2. I'm very happy with this system, but would love to hear SCM40A. In fact I would very much like to listen your system.

Just wondering, are those granite slabs, under your SCM40A's? I Can't quite see from your pic, but do the spikes rest in, or on anything?

I have granite slabs on top, of my SCM40's, they are on there to prevent damage by our four cats! The sound changed a little after the "slabing", Minor +/- in PRat.

Also, I see, that your speakers, are tilted upwards. I wonder how this improved the sound. I had a significant improvement by tilting my old Kabers.

 

I am toying with the idea of selling up and going active - for me it will be the SCM19a possibly with the TT... i feel I have got to the stage where I can hear the issues of passive crossovers and speaker cables and I just don't want to devote the real estate and cost to a Naim style active system- and as you improve your system elsewhere the  issues of passive speakers and passive crossovers - especially on revealing monitor setups and higher end Naim NACs -  start to become more prominent and bug - especially as things start to wam up ... I also like the idea of removing  the clutter but not sacrificing SQ. I will keep my Naim NDX as a transport renderer however... but interested in others who have gone down the active route. It may be a folly of an idea that I don't follow through - but I have been thinking about it and exploring options for a few weeks now ... enough to share on this forum 

Are the ATC's voiced to run with the (metal ?) grilles in place. The simplicity of this system (beyond the simplicity of my already simple system) really appeals but i can see the speakers not passing muster with the other half...

I have learnt they are designed to run with the metal diffuser grills on.. i only recently discovered this .. so I do this now - but marginal difference - perhaps a slightly more natural image - but nothing to write home about. Mrs SinS actually likes them - especially on the current Russ Andrew wooden stands - prefers them to the earlier ATCs and Harbeth 'boxes' . I  also have had favourable feedback from visitors - i think the curved wooden veneer really does work well.. you don't really get the impression of it from the pictures. Naturally the kids are scathing of it whatever it looks like 

S

Thanks Simon - Yes they probably look much better in the flesh - i like them. I'll be interested in your 'active' pursuits 

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

I am toying with the idea of selling up and going active - for me it will be the SCM19a possibly with the TT... i feel I have got to the stage where I can hear the issues of passive crossovers and speaker cables and I just don't want to devote the real estate and cost to a Naim style active system- and as you improve your system elsewhere the  issues of passive speakers and passive crossovers - especially on revealing monitor setups and higher end Naim NACs -  start to become more prominent and bug - especially as things start to wam up ... I also like the idea of removing  the clutter but not sacrificing SQ. I will keep my Naim NDX as a transport renderer however... but interested in others who have gone down the active route. It may be a folly of an idea that I don't follow through - but I have been thinking about it and exploring options for a few weeks now ... enough to share on this forum 

*splutters involuntarily*

Really?

The world has clearly gone mad. I get knocked off my bike, fracture my skull, spend a few days in hospital and when I come out everything has changed. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

The world has clearly gone mad. I get knocked off my bike, fracture my skull, spend a few days in hospital and when I come out everything has changed. 

...Or has it... Maybe is wasn't a 'few' days at all...

G

I'm sure you will do the extended demo Simon and make your decision. Only time i ever heard active ATC was with SCM100 and a Chord Dave. It was an unforgettable experience for sure, a bit like a bad toothache.

Also * splutters involuntarily * coffee everywhere 

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Klyde posted:

Halloween Man posted:

 

That's a great looking system, James! Perhaps Naim should have gone into partnership with ATC? I missed  the active 40's by a fair bit, and klout my passive 40's, with a 250.2. I'm very happy with this system, but would love to hear SCM40A. In fact I would very much like to listen your system.

Just wondering, are those granite slabs, under your SCM40A's? I Can't quite see from your pic, but do the spikes rest in, or on anything

I have granite slabs on top, of my SCM40's, they are on there to prevent damage by our four cats! The sound changed a little after the "slabing", Minor +/- in PRat.

Also, I see, that your speakers, are tilted upwards. I wonder how this improved the sound. I had a significant improvement by tilting my old Kabers.

 

I am toying with the idea of selling up and going active - for me it will be the SCM19a possibly with the TT... i feel I have got to the stage where I can hear the issues of passive crossovers and speaker cables and I just don't want to devote the real estate and cost to a Naim style active system- and as you improve your system elsewhere the  issues of passive speakers and passive crossovers - especially on revealing monitor setups and higher end Naim NACs -  start to become more prominent and bug - especially as things start to wam up ... I also like the idea of removing  the clutter but not sacrificing SQ. I will keep my Naim NDX as a transport renderer however... but interested in others who have gone down the active route. It may be a folly of an idea that I don't follow through - but I have been thinking about it and exploring options for a few weeks now ... enough to share on this forum 

I'll be very interested to know how you get on with this, Simon. I suspect I won't be the only one, too.

Mike