Time for a change??

Gazza posted:

Well timed as you never know what will be shown at a Munich in a few days, PMC have a new high end speaker, and probably others too.

I don't know why but I always forget the Munich Hi-fi show, I would love to go but haven't made it yet. I will be watching with interest to see if anything of interest turns up. In the meantime I am just enjoying the 808's, there's no rush.

One thing the Titans have taught me is that my 552/500 is sounding a little soft and could be coming up to needing a little TLC by way of a service. Time flies and I have probably had the 552 longer than I realise. 

Polarbear posted:

dave marshall posted:

yeti42 posted:

Or you find something else to demo, what’s left?

Ahem. 

Does the other alternative go active Dave?

Not without major surgery, the last time I spoke with Bob, though it might be best to check with him for up to date information.

Polarbear posted:

Gazza posted:

Well timed as you never know what will be shown at a Munich in a few days, PMC have a new high end speaker, and probably others too.

I don't know why but I always forget the Munich Hi-fi show, I would love to go but haven't made it yet. I will be watching with interest to see if anything of interest turns up. In the meantime I am just enjoying the 808's, there's no rush.

 

One thing the Titans have taught me is that my 552/500 is sounding a little soft and could be coming up to needing a little TLC by way of a service. Time flies and I have probably had the 552 longer than I realise. 

Taken the wrong way, your reference to the 552 could turn into quite a Statement!

Peter

northpole posted:

Polarbear posted:

Gazza posted:

Well timed as you never know what will be shown at a Munich in a few days, PMC have a new high end speaker, and probably others too.

I don't know why but I always forget the Munich Hi-fi show, I would love to go but haven't made it yet. I will be watching with interest to see if anything of interest turns up. In the meantime I am just enjoying the 808's, there's no rush.

 

One thing the Titans have taught me is that my 552/500 is sounding a little soft and could be coming up to needing a little TLC by way of a service. Time flies and I have probably had the 552 longer than I realise. 

Taken the wrong way, your reference to the 552 could turn into quite a Statement!

Peter

Sorry Peter, that’s just not going to happen. The statement pre is way out of range for us. I was merely thinking that the next step would be to look at getting the 552 serviced as it must be a few years old now.

Polarbear posted:

northpole posted:

Polarbear posted:

Gazza posted:

Well timed as you never know what will be shown at a Munich in a few days, PMC have a new high end speaker, and probably others too.

I don't know why but I always forget the Munich Hi-fi show, I would love to go but haven't made it yet. I will be watching with interest to see if anything of interest turns up. In the meantime I am just enjoying the 808's, there's no rush.

 

One thing the Titans have taught me is that my 552/500 is sounding a little soft and could be coming up to needing a little TLC by way of a service. Time flies and I have probably had the 552 longer than I realise. 

Taken the wrong way, your reference to the 552 could turn into quite a Statement!

Peter

Sorry Peter, that’s just not going to happen. The statement pre is way out of range for us. I was merely thinking that the next step would be to look at getting the 552 serviced as it must be a few years old now.

I’m sure the system is sounding awesome PB, but get those amps serviced and DR’d and you’ll turn those 808’s into 909’s...

I never did get what 'The one after 909' was.

kevin J Carden posted:

Polarbear posted:

northpole posted:

Polarbear posted:

Gazza posted:

Well timed as you never know what will be shown at a Munich in a few days, PMC have a new high end speaker, and probably others too.

I don't know why but I always forget the Munich Hi-fi show, I would love to go but haven't made it yet. I will be watching with interest to see if anything of interest turns up. In the meantime I am just enjoying the 808's, there's no rush.

 

One thing the Titans have taught me is that my 552/500 is sounding a little soft and could be coming up to needing a little TLC by way of a service. Time flies and I have probably had the 552 longer than I realise. 

Taken the wrong way, your reference to the 552 could turn into quite a Statement!

Peter

Sorry Peter, that’s just not going to happen. The statement pre is way out of range for us. I was merely thinking that the next step would be to look at getting the 552 serviced as it must be a few years old now.

I’m sure the system is sounding awesome PB, but get those amps serviced and DR’d and you’ll turn those 808’s into 909’s...

Yes, I know, I had a really good session this afternoon, I took a few hours to myself and gave the system a really good workout. The whole system was singing. Probably the best I have heard it for a while :-)

Polarbear posted:

northpole posted:

Polarbear posted:

Gazza posted:

Well timed as you never know what will be shown at a Munich in a few days, PMC have a new high end speaker, and probably others too.

I don't know why but I always forget the Munich Hi-fi show, I would love to go but haven't made it yet. I will be watching with interest to see if anything of interest turns up. In the meantime I am just enjoying the 808's, there's no rush.

 

One thing the Titans have taught me is that my 552/500 is sounding a little soft and could be coming up to needing a little TLC by way of a service. Time flies and I have probably had the 552 longer than I realise. 

Taken the wrong way, your reference to the 552 could turn into quite a Statement!

Peter

Sorry Peter, that’s just not going to happen. The statement pre is way out of range for us. I was merely thinking that the next step would be to look at getting the 552 serviced as it must be a few years old now.

Nigel

No need to be sorry, I was only pulling your leg.  It does strike me that whilst many may have/ had an aspiration towards 552 during their hi-fi journey, there is such a large gap to Statement’s price point that may just take it beyond thinking about for most of us - certainly the case with me!  Service or not, seems like something is gelling between you and the 808’s.

Peter

Yes I am enjoying the Titans Peter, I am lucky to have an extended home trial of them 

One of the things that attracted to me Naim in the first place was the upgrade path, you could move to the next model up at a reasonable price difference, however with the statement, the price jump is way to much for me and there is nothing wrong with the 552. Its the same with the 555, we enjoy it so much there really hasn't been a reason to look at anything else..

BTW,  what do people think about an empty Fraim level under the 555 head unit?  Someone has advised that this improves the SQ. At the moment, my 555 head unit sits above my four PSU’s.

Polarbear posted:

BTW,  what do people think about an empty Fraim level under the 555 head unit?  Someone has advised that this improves the SQ. At the moment, my 555 head unit sits above my four PSU’s.

It's a very worthwhile improvement, though I futz it with a high Fraim shelf above the 552 control unit.

Polarbear posted:

Well the immediate problem is that I don't have a pair of speakers so I need to buying something pretty sharpish or its going to be very quiet here. 

That could be part of the solution: silence for a while. I often think that typical forum members who play music each and every night or spare moments are not music lovers but music bulimics. Musical bulimia is another thing – along with Naim's own marketing structure – that gives us all, sooner or later, the urge for buying/changing or the so-called upgrading.

Live without speakers for a while, listen to some table radio, with ear buds in the cellphone; then you might discover that the speakers worth buying could be much more numerous than you thought. Become music hungry, then your parameters will be others.

Best wishes

Max 

Max_B posted:

Polarbear posted:

Well the immediate problem is that I don't have a pair of speakers so I need to buying something pretty sharpish or its going to be very quiet here. 

That could be part of the solution: silence for a while. I often think that typical forum members who play music each and every night or spare moments are not music lovers but music bulimics. Musical bulimia is another thing – along with Naim's own marketing structure – that gives us all, sooner or later, the urge for buying/changing or the so-called upgrading.

Live without speakers for a while, listen to some table radio, with ear buds in the cellphone; then you might discover that the speakers worth buying could be much more numerous than you thought. Become music hungry, then your parameters will be others.

Best wishes

Max 

Interesting thought Max   However with no speakers we have no music, no TV and no films. Everything goes through the system, hence why it would be very quiet lol.

However, you do have a point, has anyone noticed how much better your system sounds when you haven't heard it for a while??

Polarbear posted:

However, you do have a point, has anyone noticed how much better your system sounds when you haven't heard it for a while??

NO!

Stephen Tate posted:

Polarbear posted:

However, you do have a point, has anyone noticed how much better your system sounds when you haven't heard it for a while??

NO!

Ha Ha!  I can imagine it may be a bit like walking across a desert with no fluids - water, any water, would taste quite magnificent after not many days deprivation.  Not convinced that would be the optimal principle upon which to decide what drink tastes best though....!

Peter

I live in a house with a beautiful view. When I return after time away the view stuns me in a way it doesn’t when I’ve been at home for a while, but I take joy in it every day I’m here. 

Polarbear posted:

Max_B posted:

Polarbear posted:

Well the immediate problem is that I don't have a pair of speakers so I need to buying something pretty sharpish or its going to be very quiet here. 

That could be part of the solution: silence for a while. I often think that typical forum members who play music each and every night or spare moments are not music lovers but music bulimics. Musical bulimia is another thing – along with Naim's own marketing structure – that gives us all, sooner or later, the urge for buying/changing or the so-called upgrading.

Live without speakers for a while, listen to some table radio, with ear buds in the cellphone; then you might discover that the speakers worth buying could be much more numerous than you thought. Become music hungry, then your parameters will be others.

Best wishes

Max 

Interesting thought Max   However with no speakers we have no music, no TV and no films. Everything goes through the system, hence why it would be very quiet lol.

 

However, you do have a point, has anyone noticed how much better your system sounds when you haven't heard it for a while??

Hi PB,

your reply suggests that perhaps you have a DVD or BDP into a TV set. Doesn't your TV set have two speakers? Mine has, and I since I have an old Oppo DVD player with native SACD output over HDMI, I can occasionally play some HDCDs on my TV's audio.... Which is not bad!

Anyway, I still suggest a little, short Silence Therapy, if anything to avoid falling into the – seriously speaking now – risk of sound bulimia that seems to affect most of us sometimes. Music is a precious experience, it shouldn't be treated the way kids consider food.

Best,

Max

Max_B posted:

Polarbear posted:

Max_B posted:

Polarbear posted:

Well the immediate problem is that I don't have a pair of speakers so I need to buying something pretty sharpish or its going to be very quiet here. 

That could be part of the solution: silence for a while. I often think that typical forum members who play music each and every night or spare moments are not music lovers but music bulimics. Musical bulimia is another thing – along with Naim's own marketing structure – that gives us all, sooner or later, the urge for buying/changing or the so-called upgrading.

Live without speakers for a while, listen to some table radio, with ear buds in the cellphone; then you might discover that the speakers worth buying could be much more numerous than you thought. Become music hungry, then your parameters will be others.

Best wishes

Max 

Interesting thought Max   However with no speakers we have no music, no TV and no films. Everything goes through the system, hence why it would be very quiet lol.

 

However, you do have a point, has anyone noticed how much better your system sounds when you haven't heard it for a while??

Hi PB,

your reply suggests that perhaps you have a DVD or BDP into a TV set. Doesn't your TV set have two speakers? Mine has, and I since I have an old Oppo DVD player with native SACD output over HDMI, I can occasionally play some HDCDs on my TV's audio.... Which is not bad!

Anyway, I still suggest a little, short Silence Therapy, if anything to avoid falling into the – seriously speaking now – risk of sound bulimia that seems to affect most of us sometimes. Music is a precious experience, it shouldn't be treated the way kids consider food.

Best,

Max

Well, thats the problem Max, I don't have a TV, I have a monitor without speakers. I don't need speakers as everything goes through the system.

I am sure you are right though, going without will help me appreciate what I already have. As I said earlier, when I am without my system for a period of time, say a holiday, I always appreciate it more when I return.

Out of interest, what’s people’s opinion of Sonus Faber on the end of Naim gear, too polite??

I really liked the Guarneri stand mounters, which needed a bit of driving to show their true potential.

The Amati Anniversario were simply wonderful but only if the set up was spot on, otherwise they screamed out about any deficiencies upstream.

With your calibre of electronics, almost any of their larger floor standers from Amati up should sound superb, if you like their sound signature.  There was something really special and musical about the sound signature up to the Amati Anniversario era.  It has changed now and will be better hifi but I'm not sure that they are more musical.  Perhaps I need to get out and hear the latest range!

Fundamentally though, I'm not sure that they are technically superior to Wilson or Magico. Much more elegant and aesthetically pleasing, but perhaps not better soundwise.

If only to scratch that itch, I would still audition the best pair of Magicos that your budget allows...

Happy auditioning, FT

One of my dealers had Sonus faber as his main speaker line for a while. This was some time ago and he doesn’t carry Naim. So my impressions may be irrelevant, but here they are anyway: I very much liked the Cremona Auditor, Guarnieri Homage and Stradivari speakers. The Electa Amator II was nice, but did not move me as much as these three. The Stradivari was driven by Spectral amplifiers, I don’t remember the source. Because of the lasting impression it made on me, I have never heard a grand piano as realistically, I suggested the Serblin Ktema in one of the early posts.

Polarbear posted:

Out of interest, what’s people’s opinion of Sonus Faber on the end of Naim gear, too polite??

Are the 808s not doing it for you?

Out of interest PB what happened to the Arts ?

Sorry haven't followed the whole thread but do remember you saying something like their packed and going back.Did Art simply buy them back off you or did you sell them privetly.

Looking forward to hearing about how the new ones sound.

Cheers Ian

Polarbear posted:

Out of interest, what’s people’s opinion of Sonus Faber on the end of Naim gear, too polite??

I recall Edouard in Paris being enthralled when he bought his floor standing SF speakers.  Indeed I'm sure he was on the Forum earlier this year, every bit as enamored with them now as the day he bought them.  Could be well worth having a chat with him PB.

Peter

The Statement amplifiers were demonstrated on SF speakers here in Vancouver. Sounded pretty decent to me.