What HiFi? Profiles / interview with Steve Sells of Naim

Fascinating. When Jason Gould set up my SL2s he gave me an insight into his home system. Active 300s into maple SL2s with, I think, a CD555, 552 front end. He too said that he’d take new products they are designing home to try out. Amazing.

There is an interview on the Tom Tom website which has much more information.

Alba1320 posted:

Seriously, though, interesting to see SBLs in use.

Agreed. But not surprising

Alba1320 posted:

 

Seriously, though, interesting to see SBLs in use.

With subs.

Alba1320 posted:

Even top bods from Naim can't afford a top Naim system! 

Or they probably know better. ????

Chag -

Alba1320 posted:

From the article:

WHF: What system do you have at home?

SS: and two subs.

 

 

The icing on the cake. Good to hear 

Thanks for posting. To put the whole PRaT case to rest with this one from Steve Sells which I tend to agree.

ryder. posted:

Thanks for posting. To put the whole PRaT case to rest with this one from Steve Sells which I tend to agree.

WHF: What sonic qualities would your perfect hi-fi product have?

SS: Pace, rhythm and timing – if you can sit down, press play and you don’t feel the need to skip, then that’s just fantastic. That’s the difference between a really good hi-fi and the others.

??  

I suppose he means it is hard to stay in the sweet spot if you get up and start skipping!

Innocent Bystander posted:

ryder. posted:

Thanks for posting. To put the whole PRaT case to rest with this one from Steve Sells which I tend to agree.

WHF: What sonic qualities would your perfect hi-fi product have?

SS: Pace, rhythm and timing – if you can sit down, press play and you don’t feel the need to skip, then that’s just fantastic. That’s the difference between a really good hi-fi and the others.

??  

I suppose he means it is hard to stay in the sweet spot if you get up and start skipping!

Nope, that's not the way I see it. It's not really difficult to understand. To Steve Sells (and me), PRaT are important qualities that a perfect hifi should have. Nevertheless, I understand that some folks here do not appear to have "PRaT" in their dictionaries.

I’ve never heard of skipping to music! Dancing, yes (if you’re the dancing type), and foot-tapping (but over-emphasised in some quarters), but skipping? Does that mean too much PRaT?

I think it's skipping through the tracks of a music album.

Music should sound right. That means pace, rhythm and timing should sound right (and never some part like rhythm emphasised), likewise the whole frequency range should sound right, from the deepest bass upwards, nothing curtailed, nothing emphasised, etc. 

Innocent Bystander posted:

I’ve never heard of skipping to music! Dancing, yes (if you’re the dancing type), and foot-tapping (but over-emphasised in some quarters), but skipping? Does that mean too much PRaT?

Malcom MaClaren - Double Dutch

ryder. posted:

I think it's skipping through the tracks of a music album.

Oh. Odd: that’s something no hifi system has caused me to want to do, even the most basic one I had at the start. The only time I skip any tracks is if there is a particular one on an album I simply don’t like at all, of which there have only ever been a handful ( and after going over to streaming I’ve simply just deleted any such tracks!)

It's something I have experienced from time to time. Usual it's indicative of one or more of three things:

1) Something going wrong with the system.

2) Something in the source material that disagrees with me.

3) Impending illness.

Willy.

It may be that we need to differentiate between skipping because there's something else you really want to hear and skipping because what you're currently hearing isn't sufficiently engaging.

For the former, yeah I can understand that and do from time to time skip that way. For the latter, see my previous post. 

Willy.

Willy posted:

It may be that we need to differentiate between skipping because there's something else you really want to hear and skipping because what you're currently hearing isn't sufficiently engaging.

For the former, yeah I can understand that and do from time to time skip that way. For the latter, see my previous post. 

Willy.

As I haven’t experienced the latter, (ignoring CD players having made such decisions of their own accord), I take it I must have always managed to have a pratfull system.    ...but I am pleased to report that it does not induce tapping feet with minds of their own, other than  when called for by specific pieces of music or mood.

ryder. posted:

Thanks for posting. To put the whole PRaT case to rest with this one from Steve Sells which I tend to agree.

WHF: What sonic qualities would your perfect hi-fi product have?

SS: Pace, rhythm and timing – if you can sit down, press play and you don’t feel the need to skip, then that’s just fantastic. That’s the difference between a really good hi-fi and the others.

That is really reassuring and most important to enjoy music imo

Many too audiophools are often seeking soundstage, room etc. listening for effects not neccesarily in the music

Some weeks back I started to notice I was "skipping" (most definitely not in a physical sense, that would not be pretty). Was struggling to engage with any music. Having left it for sufficiently long to rule out any impending illness and given that it was occurring with tried and trusted material it seemed logical that something was amiss in the system. Identified the LP12 as the culprit and delivered it to my dealer. He called back yesterday to let me know that the Ekos is "unwell" and will be off to Linn on Monday for a rebuild.

When the stars are aligned my system will induce me to "tap" my feet in time to the music, if appropriate. Different music may induce an attempt at "conducting" the ensemble. That, like any skipping, or God forbid dancing, you are better spared the sight of.

Willy.

What's the time, half past nine.

Hang your knickers on the line.

When they're dry bring them in.

put them in the biscuit tin.

When the postman comes along.

hurry up and put them on.

Eat a biscuit, eat a cake.

eat your knickers by mistake.

     Now that's a great skipping song

Maybe he‘ll test 252 v2 :-) with new PSU?

Bob the Builder posted:

Innocent Bystander posted:

I’ve never heard of skipping to music! Dancing, yes (if you’re the dancing type), and foot-tapping (but over-emphasised in some quarters), but skipping? Does that mean too much PRaT?

Malcom MaClaren - Double Dutch

Great track! 

Bob the Builder posted:

Innocent Bystander posted:

I’ve never heard of skipping to music! Dancing, yes (if you’re the dancing type), and foot-tapping (but over-emphasised in some quarters), but skipping? Does that mean too much PRaT?

Malcom MaClaren - Double Dutch

He got it from his mother? 

Perol posted:

That is really reassuring and most important to enjoy music imo

Many too audiophools are often seeking soundstage, room etc. listening for effects not neccesarily in the music

Quite agree - sold one of my speakers, actually.

SamClaus posted:

Perol posted:

That is really reassuring and most important to enjoy music imo

Many too audiophools are often seeking soundstage, room etc. listening for effects not neccesarily in the music

Quite agree - sold one of my speakers, actually.

Mono?