Aghh.. Where did the Magic go?

Mangomonkey you clearly know what you're doing and you have answered your own question. Yes, just let the SL cables burn in.

Try some Naca5 if you have some lying around....

Swap NDS and 552 head units as a first move.

Are all the Burndys locked?

One step at a time if that doesn’t get it back on song.

I’d replace the SLs with what you had before next and not put them back in until you’d got the magic back without.

Further ideas...

Did you change plug order assuming you’re using a multiblock. There are two schools of thought on this, power amp first (DB) and most source first (NDS/552/500) (reverse DB) not sure where the core fits into either but these are worth comparing at some point.

ps stack order - keep the top of the 500ps below the 552 head unit, which I think you can just do if the core stays on top with the 500ps just below, then the 555ps/552ps/space, the idea is to elevate the Burndys.

I had 

TT/CDX2/552/superline/500 on the left and 500ps/supercap/552/555 on the right and lost the magic, swapping the CDX2 and 552 brought it back. Further improvements were to be had but this is the one that put the magic back.

You need to let the SL cables run-in as IMO they put the system very 'off' for a while when new. The SL interconnects start bright and nasty then mellow and fill-out at the LF - and the SL speaker cables the other way around, dull then open-out.

You need to let it run-in over a couple of weeks and suffer it not being right then by week three it will sound magic and you should be very pleased with the effect. Some cables take longer - my SL DIN-XLR took a few more weeks before I was really happy with them; the only reason I kept some measure of cool was that I'd heard my Dealer run-in cable on home-demo and they were sublime.

If you have had the cables in the system for more than two weeks of use and things are not sounding right then that is where I'd look at if there are other problems.

The SL cable loom does let a lot more low bass come through so system set-up if you have large speakers that can do that bass becomes a bit more important to get right too.

DB.

Thanks to everyone for the tips and interesting  ideas. Ill try to resolve this via action or inaction and report back.

Darker Bears assessment of SL burn in is exactly spot on - he described the symptoms super succinctly - that's much of what I've been through..

if you have newed DIn/XLR cables from Naim these will need to run in also.

If you can, play music on them couple of hours a day, the magic will be back.

Hi I think other forum members are correct this is the SL beading in ...... this could take quite along time..... I would point the finger of blame to the din to xlr .... don't worry it will return even more magical.....

Oh Mango.   Time to go on holiday and then when you return it will sound fantastic.   

I also confirm that SL interconnect when introduced from new was pretty underwhelming. It needed a month or so of run in.

May be your new DIn/XLR cables need some run in as well ?

Regards

Roberto

I wish most of us a far away but sudden and quick death, because I can't imagine lying on our deathbed and thinking, for the last hours or days, about all the time we have spent thinking or writing about pieces of wire instead of living one life.

Best wishes

M.

Good morning Max! What a beautiful day. The sun is shining here! Hope the same for Italy!

Good morning to you! No sunshine here, but it's not raining either. I have sort of noticed that the word death doesn't enjoy top popularity on here. May I try to reword my thoughts? If it's such a wonderful day over there, what are you doing at the computer? Go out! I have a nasty headache and some thoughts of my own, but you seem happy as a bird, so..

Enjoy

Max

Max .. is your middle name 'Marvin'????

A salient tale of changing too many things at the same time.

For a meatier bottom end one could try using a few cans of spam in place of the NAP300.

...but I don't like Spam!

Richieroo posted:

Max .. is your middle name 'Marvin'????

And Max, do you have a lot of Joy Division CD's ?

Why don't you just sell it all and buy something else non naim?

or put some Naca5 back in and see if the magic returns....

Minh Nguyen posted:

For a meatier bottom end one could try using a few cans of spam in place of the NAP300.

There’s meat in Spam?

G

Well there is in the name!

Max_B posted:

Good morning to you! No sunshine here, but it's not raining either. I have sort of noticed that the word death doesn't enjoy top popularity on here. May I try to reword my thoughts? If it's such a wonderful day over there, what are you doing at the computer? Go out! I have a nasty headache and some thoughts of my own, but you seem happy as a bird, so..

Enjoy

Max

I was not really happy. I had to deliver a piece of software which I've been pushing forward for weeks and is more boring than doing an harmonic analysis of a Mozart piano piece, listening to a class full of female traverso students, or see Marlyn Monroe talk in a movie. Your post was a good reflection of my motivation. Decided to write the opposite to drag myself out of misery.

I wish I had the time to take a walk.

Hope you are feeling better, I do by now.

Sorry to Mango for being off topic, but we all know that your issue is a matter of time (what not by the way).

GraemeH posted:

Minh Nguyen posted:

For a meatier bottom end one could try using a few cans of spam in place of the NAP300.

There’s meat in Spam?

G

Would this solution work for vegetarians too?

How long do you have to wait before deciding the SL cable isn’t entirely to blame?

Do you have speakers?

If not that may help