Moving on from Mu-so - newbie

Blag, sell on the awfull QED cables they are truly not a good match

Go for most Chord Co, Linn K20/Naim A4 or the eqvivalent and current Cable Talk version

b_lund posted:

Blag, sell on the awfull QED cables they are truly not a good match

Go for most Chord Co, Linn K20/Naim A4 or the eqvivalent and current Cable Talk version

Hi. I hear what you're saying. There are lots of options in the Chord Co range on UK web sites. Which do you suggest I should I be looking at?

You don't need to worry about having Naim plugs at the amplifier end, the fitted banana plugs are fine.

I used Chord Odyssey for a while and found that it gave a very ordered though ultimately uninteresting sound. The TQB was a lot better. The Naim cable is excellent, and should be cheaper than TQB, or something like Chord Epic, but it is very stiff, heavy and unwieldy, and you may find that an issue. 

My choice, based solely on the cables I've used, would be TQB, followed by Naim A5. The proviso here is that with Naim speakers I prefer Naim cable, but that does not apply in your case. 

I've also found that there's no need to worry about having the Naim plugs fitted to cables...and indeed it's near impossible if using 3rd party ones without access to/confidence with soldering. 

That said, anyone know why it still has a printed warning not to use standard plugs on the back of the amps?

SamC posted:

That said, anyone know why it still has a printed warning not to use standard plugs on the back of the amps?

I believe it's a health and safety thing for sone markets where someone might plug their 4mm plugs into the mains power socket. But also Nsim say the metal of their loudspeakers plugs sounds better than gold plate....

Best

David

Hungryhalibut posted:

You don't need to worry about having Naim plugs at the amplifier end, the fitted banana plugs are fine.

I used Chord Odyssey for a while and found that it gave a very ordered though ultimately uninteresting sound. The TQB was a lot better. The Naim cable is excellent, and should be cheaper than TQB, or something like Chord Epic, but it is very stiff, heavy and unwieldy, and you may find that an issue. 

My choice, based solely on the cables I've used, would be TQB, followed by Naim A5. The proviso here is that with Naim speakers I prefer Naim cable, but that does not apply in your case. 

Hi

I have found a realistic (shipped) price on-line for the Naim NACA5's (with correct termination) and I may just bite the bullet and listen to what you guys are saying. Am I right in thinking that TQB is Tellurium Black?

Interesting read, especially choosing the Audio Physic Classic 20s! I have the Classic 10s running off a recently acquired Supernait2 and love the combo. My listening room is a lot larger than yours so I was a little surprised with your choice but intrigued enough to give the 20s a go at my house! Enjoy your new toys!

p_m_brown posted:

Interesting read, especially choosing the Audio Physic Classic 20s! I have the Classic 10s running off a recently acquired Supernait2 and love the combo. My listening room is a lot larger than yours so I was a little surprised with your choice but intrigued enough to give the 20s a go at my house! Enjoy your new toys!

Hi

It was a bit of Hobson's choice really. Dealing with Italian tradesmen and retailers is akin to plaiting smoke. Considering Italy's economy isn't in great shape (although the GDP ranks No 7 in the world), it is difficult to get anyone to show an interest in any kind of purchase or work. Even then, they can mess you around by making promises that they don't keep. We waited 5 months for some windows to be fitted, despite having been promised fitting within 4 weeks, and a contract to that effect.

There was a limited range of speakers for me to try, but as soon as I heard the Audio Physic I felt that they were pretty close to offering me what I was looking for, so I have them unpaid-for on approval for two months. What happens if I decide to return them is anybody's guess, because the process could be very protracted.

Yes, TQB is Tellurium Q Black. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

Yes, TQB is Tellurium Q Black. 

It's a minefield. How innocent was I? A mu-so, everything in one package, very few variables, and now there seems to be an almost infinite number of variables to optimise. Fools rush in where angels ...  A fool and his money are soon parted.

Please would someone try to tell me what is wrong with the QED Silver speaker cables, before I get myself all twisted about this?

This is what Frank said...

'QED Silver anniversary? Dear oh dear. Bright, lacking in resolution, depth, recessed midrange, smeared light bass. I could go on, but in a system at your level, it's a nightmare. NACA5 is what you need. Big, difficult to manage and stiff as Deadpool's wick, but musical, powerful, cohesive and rhythmic in ways QED SA can't even start to describe.'

Where do you live? You could do with some advice from a Naim dealer. Ask Polar Bear for help!!

Blag

http://www.playstereo.com/prod...php?products_id=1585

I bought TQB here, fast delivery and not too expensive. The only dealer in Italy is located near to your location  Audio Azimuth in Pescara.

Hungryhalibut posted:

This is what Frank said...

'QED Silver anniversary? Dear oh dear. Bright, lacking in resolution, depth, recessed midrange, smeared light bass. I could go on, but in a system at your level, it's a nightmare. NACA5 is what you need. Big, difficult to manage and stiff as Deadpool's wick, but musical, powerful, cohesive and rhythmic in ways QED SA can't even start to describe.'

Thanks. I think that this is sufficient discouragement for me...

Kazibabes posted:

Where do you live? You could do with some advice from a Naim dealer. Ask Polar Bear for help!!

Hot sure that I fully understand this, but thanks. I am using a naim dealer. I'm in Le Marche, Italy.

Anto68 posted:

Blag

http://www.playstereo.com/prod...php?products_id=1585

I bought TQB here, fast delivery and not too expensive. The only dealer in Italy is located near to your location  Audio Azimuth in Pescara.

Hi, and thanks.

I've been in touch with them by email and await a response. My experience is that 1 in 10 emails to Italian companies goes unanswered, so I am not over-confident that I'll hear from them.

I'd recommend a UK dealer called Futureshop. They provide great service and you can just buy on line and have stuff delivered. Feel free to mail me if you need help, it's my forum name at gmail.

Hungryhalibut posted:

I'd recommend a UK dealer called Futureshop. They provide great service and you can just buy on line and have stuff delivered. Feel free to mail me if you need help, it's my forum name at gmail.

Hi. That noise you can hear is me eating some humble pie.

My wife talked me getting what wanted irrespective oif financial constraints, and as I will be celebrating my birthday on Monday, she felt this was sufficient justification. I decide to go with the TQB's. I contacted Futureshop this morning. They were brilliant, and the fact that they offer a 60-day returns says a lot about their confidence in the TQB's, and really confirmed what you have all been shouting at me. I talked my requirements through with Gary and reached a deal, which hurt, but hey, let's not spoil the ship for a ha'pth etc..

But... This afternoon the Italian playstereo (suggested by ANTO68) people surprised me by responding to my email. Their price was on a par with Futureshop, but they did offer me a pair of ex-demos TQB's at a price way too good to ignore.

So I called Gary at Futureshop, and he tried to match the price, but because the Italian jobs were ex-demo he was still some way adrift. Without demure he arranged a refund, and to boot gave me some ideas for a couple of other issues that I'm having.

So, although this forum is an expensive place to loiter, paradoxically, the advice I have received has saved me money.

Now a really dumb question that may have been asked a zillion times - or more. But are naim's speaker connects on the rear of, for example, the SU, round the round way. As I see it, the right speaker (as you look at the speakers from the listening position) is wired to the right plugs as you look at the rear of the SU. Obviously it's vice versa for the other speaker. This is how the dealer has connbected the speakers. It strikes me that the speaker leads will cross at some point in 3D. Of course this point of intersection may be displaced so that the cables do not actually abut each other. But it seems far more logical to put the outlets the other way round, thus the speaker leads can diverge. Am I missing something?

Anto68 posted:

Blag

http://www.playstereo.com/prod...php?products_id=1585

I bought TQB here, fast delivery and not too expensive. The only dealer in Italy is located near to your location  Audio Azimuth in Pescara.

Hi. Thanks for the tip!!! Please see my immediate previous response to HH.

Well done, and what a nice birthday surprise. Buon compleanno! 

As you look at the back of the amp, the right channel is on the right, it's called Channel 2. It originates from Naim's professional roots, where amplifiers were put on the racks back to front, so that their sockets are easy to get to. It's just the way it is. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

Well done, and what a nice birthday surprise. Buon compleanno! 

As you look at the back of the amp, the right channel is on the right, it's called Channel 2. It originates from Naim's professional roots, where amplifiers were put on the racks back to front, so that their sockets are easy to get to. It's just the way it is. 

There had to be a reason. Old habits die hard, but.... - without wishing to prolong this topic - what about cable dressing?

blag posted

Hi. Thanks for the tip!!! Please see my immediate previous response to HH.

I'm glad that you have saved money for pair of ex-demos TQB.

I purchased directly from their website but i paid full price. However, I am satisfied with TQB.

Enjoy 

Indeed the speakers connect to the amp sockets that are furthest away from them, assuming the amp is between the speakers.

blag posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

Well done, and what a nice birthday surprise. Buon compleanno! 

As you look at the back of the amp, the right channel is on the right, it's called Channel 2. It originates from Naim's professional roots, where amplifiers were put on the racks back to front, so that their sockets are easy to get to. It's just the way it is. 

There had to be a reason. Old habits die hard, but.... - without wishing to prolong this topic - what about cable dressing?

It'll be fine. Naim owners have coped for over forty years. 

Well... The TQB's arrived this afternoon - I am v. impressed by the service from stereoplay. In 10 months living here, this is the first time that Bartolini have delivered to the door - they normally ask us to meet them nearby where access is much easier!!

First impressions, then. The sound is more 'cohesive', the bass is definitely better-defined. The top-end, though has lost a little of its 'edge'. I don't think I can hear much difference in the midrange. The real bonus however, is that with the QED's - for reasons I fail to understand  - the sound was definitely skewed to the rh speaker. I put this down to the fact that the rh speaker is close to a side wall. (Hopefully, the radiator will be repositioned tomorrow and I'll put some acoustic panel in its place.) I was finding after half-an-hour's listening I had unknowingly turned my head towards the lh speaker in an effort to comepnsate. But when I changed the speaker leads to TQB, the skew is MUCH less pronounced - it's still there but much, much more acceptable.

Of course, all of this kit is new (and the TQBs have not had extensive use apparently), and from what I have read it would appear that in a few weeks it will sound different. I can't help wonder if it's similar to one's first beer - bitter as a bitter thing, but after a couple of months, somehow bitter but not gum-retracting!!