Who Has Stopped?

Massimo Bertola posted:

Seriously – I think that a good point where to stop is at a level where you feel you're just a little above what would be reasonable for your income (hence gratifying for your ego) and just below what is Objectively Too Much. In my case, having heard everything between Nait1 and full 500, I have decided that CDX2 is presently the best source, because I am not completely fond of the CDS3 and the CD555 is OTM; similarly, a 252 is expensive (and would trigger a fantasy about a better source) so I have settled for a 282; and the same for the wonderful 300, which is OTM and has served mainly to persuade me to move from 200 to 250.2. As for an XPS (DR or not), I have had I believe four of them and am not always sure I like the CDP with more than without. Streamers are of no interest to me now.

I have moved to TelluriumQ Black for the same reason: NAC A5 is not enough, Vertere is close to OTM (in spite of my having bought them once, and found them very very good) and SuperLumina is out of the question. A HiLine can be bought for a 'reasonable' sum. So, for me CDX2-HiLine-282-HCDR-250.2-TQBlack is a good point to stop at, because I think that beyond that I won't consciously move. The only open point is speakers, because much as I like the n-Sats I can hear how inadequate they are now – having owned five pairs, I can say say that no pair sounded the same as the previous or next one, and the last two pairs were similar: lean, nasal, flat and slightly shrieking at higher volumes. So, the speaker question is still to be answered; proving that in spite of SourceFirst myth, and as many believe, speakers are the most difficult thing to buy, hence the most important.

Presently, I am moderately inclined towards Harbeth Monitor 30.1s. This is also the outcome of an exclusion method: nothing below that range of cost/quality is really up to my electronics; most speakers are boring/unlistenable. I have, more or less carefully, listened to things in the €3500/5000, trying to overcome my analytical approach in favour of a more 'domestic' one, and the only two things that made me almost want to open the wallet have been said M30 and the Graham Audio LS5/9.

I think that it's rather easy to understand where to stop: it's enough to have tried a lot, spent a lot, come back to the same things over and over and discovered the level below which you don't want, and beyond which you can not. M. 

Good post. Thanks for sharing. Similarly the NAC 282, Hicap DR and NAP 250 DR will very likely be my final amps.

After living with the Harbeth for a considerable period, I now find most speakers to sound hifi. I have recently substituted the SHL5plus with the Dali Mentor Menuets just to see how they would sound like in the main system. Although the speakers sound wonderful driven by much costlier gear, they just sound hifi. No doubt they sound enjoyable with a full and balanced presentation for such a tiny monitor though I cannot help but notice something has been added to the sound (by the speaker designer) to enhance the presentation. The sound quality just isn't as natural as the Harbeth. The sound of instruments and voices all sound more real through the Harbeth. There is a certain "sheen" with the Dalis which may sound impressive at first but after a while I figured out it's something that's extraneous. 

Apart from Harbeth M30.1 you may want to investigate the other equivalents such as Spendor or Graham. Although the M30.1 is not exactly my cup of tea, it is a very special speaker indeed and sounds wonderful with small ensemble jazz and vocals. The other plus point is it looks great in tiger ebony.

The infinite perfectibility of HiFi rather precludes the very concept of stopping. Unless by 'stopped' you mean 'paused'. 

Yup, I've stopped, it will be repair/replace mode only....

Loki posted:

The infinite perfectibility of HiFi rather precludes the very concept of stopping. Unless by 'stopped' you mean 'paused'. 

Very correct. Also, the difference between 1 second and a 1000 years is strikingly small.

We should start measuring 'time' in Naim Service Intervals far more objective than 'time'.

The problem is ... that you start with (in my case) a UnitiQute and that sounds good; so you explore further, perhaps adding a power amp to the UnitiQute or perhaps stepping up to a SuperUniti and that sounds better.  So you step up to the NAC-N 272 with your power amp ... and that sounds wonderful.  But there is always the curiosity there what if I go further ... a XPS ... a NAP250?

So I would say I'm happy without a burning desire to go further (unlike with the UnitiQute / NAP200 where I knew where I wanted to go) ... but there is a curiosity ... what if...?

Perhaps after stopping we actually start owning the Hi-Fi , before this situation the Hi-Fi owns us.

Yeah, i got owned. :-)

i went CD5X, added flatcap, traded for nDAC, added XPS2DR, then 2 Valhalla power cords and interconnects.....and that is just the source.  Listening now 2 years on i have no regrets as it sounds very nice.   Would i go 555 PS. No pressing need and getting a demo at that price level in my market (Australia)  just isn't going to happen.   It would be easier to demo a Chord Dave....probably ( that dealer might make it a harder process even though i got my speakers from him.- you know, that whole pay first thing ).  Also the increments get big as well.  Its not just finding a few grand, more like finding a spare $10k Aussie.  

Naim have other sources if revenue for aging Naimees, factory refurbishment.  Thats fine by me, its better than recycling.

Now if i won lotto the temptation to explore 555 level gear would be a no brainer.

This thread has been a very interesting read, many writers  indicating "being stopped" by lack of further rungs or further funds, some offering inspiration by finding a musical space suitable for their wants and needs. I'm not sure where or how I fit into this.

Like Eloise I (re-)started a hifi life with a Qute, which opened doors old and new and engaged me in a way I had not hoped for, during a time of personal changes when I did not know how much I needed it...the tech side of my soul enjoyed ripping and storing and serving and networking and so on, the arts side fed off music I had not visited for years, and grew thanks to discoveries of music that was new to me.

After a couple of years I added new speakers - first ever floorstanders (Tannoy Precision 6.2) - to eliminate something from "the old me"; another two-sided change for me. I enjoyed a small but clear  increase in everything being a little bit better (but not so dramatically different so as to enrapture or open eyes or whatever). 

After another couple of years I moved the Qute to the bedroom system (replacing a perfectly adequate NAD all-in-one) and brought home a SuperUniti, again enjoying "more" of everything, or fewer veils and obstacles that were not really noticed until they were no longer there  If that's grip and authority and transparency and a deeper insight, technologically speaking, I'll take it (and would love a similarly easy-to-swap vehicle to improve my own self in those same attributes!).

Another few years and I moved house, sharing now with my partner and adapting and growing still. Lovely place, huge and shiny. Lovely situation, shiny and intimate. Added new sources of material on the music side too, when firmware upgrades brought us first Spotify then Tidal. New oceans to navigate and explore, mind expanding, sharing and accommodating our different tastes. On this front, I would hope never to reach a stopping point. 

Another year and a half after the move, I was hankering for a technology upgrade, and two things happened. The new Uniti series was announced and I started thinking and reading about seriously good  speakers. I finally did something that seems common for "upgraders" but was a first-ever for me and seized the chance of a local private second-hand seller offering Kudos Super 10s; we had an hour to listen and jumped without over thinking the purchase. Possibly too small to bring much bass to the room - but truly awesome clarity and a much greater increase in the whole physical sound experience than any other single change to date. I had never heard the separation of vocals into two individual  voices, spaced almost but not quite on top of each other on Shine On..., and I've listened to that on systems since I was a geeky boy long before turning into a geeky man  Joyful.

The Tannoys came upstairs to re-join the Qute in our bedroom, which has a sitting area too.  I have yet to try the Qute back downstairs to see how it gets on with the Kudos, but will fearlessly do so, knowing that if I don't share that story here, nobody will accuse me of getting a bad haircut or having an unknown fish or invoking some other unflattering nickname...

I'm still very interested to hear the Atom (to upgrade my aging original Qute, more for the streaming platform conveniences, but will enjoy sonic improvements too) and the Nova (ditto the SU). Awaiting their arrival on these shores...and hoping for part exchange to ease the upgrade, new lamps for old.

From too much reading, here and elsewhere, I'm also very very interested to hear the Sopra 1's and maybe even the 2's. There is a place a pleasant couple of hours' drive from here where that might be possible. That would allow the Kudos to join us in the bedroom (with the Atom?!) which is huge and turning into a retreat space and listening area. It would equally address "waf" and decorating issues (if chosen in red) as we ditch things previously "yours" or "mine" in favour of things "ours"; and this is really my first "I wonder what if..." upgrade desire, fooled and fuelled as part of a much greater whole. Mindful of maintaining clarity and insight without high bass levels which are now a no-no in the housing and adjacent neighbours situation I'm more tempted by the standmounts...

No idea if any or all of this will happen, and no big heartbreak if it doesn't. But the Atom seems inevitable and logical, a next slippery slope step on a journey not at all driven by upgraded small black boxes or cables or switches, power supplies and whatever else. If I can keep moving forward in life, using the sonics sometimes to induce and other times to reinforce, then I will be happy never to stop. 

This could and maybe should have gone into the Xmas wish thread, as it is a bit of a heart's desire story of an old(ish) man and his world. Thanks if you read this far. 

Regards alan

Great thread Grame, you can certainly pick them

Until very lately I was sure I had not stopped - LP12, pre and digital stuff were in the upgrade plan).

... however I am having an, as yet unresolved, internal argument between my heart, my head, and my ears at the moment ...

The premise they are busy weighing up is "You like what you've got so why haven't you stopped?"

Allan

Are we living in 'Post-Stopped' times I wonder?

Great responses folks, thanks.

G

"Who Has Stopped?"

Many times.

Is a good thread.  I think in my case I've just about reached the end of the road - speaker project on-going - but after that the investment to really get a big uplift would mean 552/500 and that level of funding isn't available.  So there comes a time

I stopped, with Shearne Phase 6 CD player, Tag McLaren PA10, MF P270, IMF RSPM speakers. No intention ever to change, didn't read hifi press, very happy. 

Then CD player died, forcing change, when I discovered streaming, then evolved the music storage and streaming hardware as I learnt about it through experience, while an inheritance provided funds to review things in the light of more recent developments, and over a fairly short period my system completely changed. I now have no intention of changing ever again until or unless something dies forcing a replacement, or a major lottery win allows sourcing of a new listening room and an opportunity to consider whether any change might be beneficial. (System now: Mac Mini, Audirvana, Chord Dave, Bryson 4Bsst2, PMC EB1i.)

IB, how would you tune Audirvana? Specifically, all the audio params? I am playing around with my spare MM and would benefit from your experience

Peter Dinh posted:

IB, how would you tune Audirvana? Specifically, all the audio params? I am playing around with my spare MM and would benefit from your experience

I'm away from home at the moment, so can't check and post until after I get back next week - but essentially as per the manual, including dedicated USB bus output from the MM.

Thanks IB, I am more interested in advanced configs such as cutoff freq, steepness, pre-ringing, direct mode, etc.

Digital replay is still up in the air apart from the Core, not at all sure what I'm goig to put between it and the pre.

Peter Dinh posted:

Thanks IB, I am more interested in advanced configs such as cutoff freq, steepness, pre-ringing, direct mode, etc.

From memory I don't think I played with filter settings at all, but will look when back home. Yes to direct mode, no iTunes, and system optimised as in manual

Well 90 replies, I guess I better join in, I never really stopped I just change like many others when my equipment died out. Never liked playing the upgrade game,  always like to enter at mid-level separates, thought I was set LP 12, Genki CD player,  and 3 LK 280s, Full-blown Aktiv Linn!

My Karin preamp with brilliant power supply, and Linn crossover with Bingo card, died on me, leaving me naked with my Briks.

Hence, I thought I would give Naim a try. After listening to the Forum, I figured the 282 would be the proper place to jump in.  The Logical move was to go with the Supercap 2, but my Bank account, and the Forum, persuaded me to give the HCDR a try. Since my crossovers was already configured for bi-amp operation, I went with a 250.2,  and a 200. At that point I had heating problems, not with the 200 but with the 250.2.

Hence, I  re-configured my crossover, and shipped the 200 to the rec-room. After off-loading my LK 280's and LP 12, I managed to pickup an 2008 Cdx2, along with 2 more 250's.

Passive Tri-Amped Briks ain't bad, no more heating problems!

This hobby of ours can become quite expensive, if one is not born with a silver spoon, it's nice to have an end-game.

Two more components, SCDR, and Snaxo 362.

Cdx2/282/HCDR/3 x 250.2/Briks

Enjoy your Music, the Why!

Allante 93!

I didnt think I had stopped, but according to my wife, apparently I have..

AlanJ posted:

I didnt think I had stopped, but according to my wife, apparently I have..

I had stopped until I started reading this Forum ) ... No way is that a bad thing ! I've loved the last 5 or so years of reading everyones experiences , upwardly tweaking and experimenting myself . I had a CD3.5/HiCap/Nait2/Dynaudio Audience 50 set up for about 10 years and loved it . It was the the release and subsequent purchase of the ND5XS which really wet my appetite , It opened up a whole new musical world not to mention great TV sound thrown in as a bonus .

Where am I now ? My aim is the ultimate 3 box system , I have the power amp I wanted (250DR) and it really seems I've found the perfect speakers for my home environment  (ATC19s) . There's nothing in the current range that jumps out at me at the moment (272 a sideways move I feel ) and yes I could go for a 252 etc but I feel somewhere in next year or so we'll see something closer to my wishes . So I've stopped until then even though I bought a new power cable today .....

AlanJ posted:

I didnt think I had stopped, but according to my wife, apparently I have..

Lol, reply of the month for me 

Polarbear posted:

AlanJ posted:

I didnt think I had stopped, but according to my wife, apparently I have..

Lol, reply of the month for me 

I'm going to stop as soon as my wife stops collecting handbags.......and that will never happen...