I think I've had enough of upgrading

I've reached that point where I can't really upgrade anything without starting from scratch and spending a few thousand pounds.

At the moment my system is pretty well balanced and the tonal quality is right, its just absolute detail, bass and treble warmth that are slightly missing compared to a mid end system.

It does still sound very good though and I am pretty certain it would but some more badly setup expensive systems to shame.

So until I can afford to spend £2k on a system I shall be spending all my spare money (after clubbing) on music the stuff that really counts. I guess I am stuck with my four year old CD player for a bit longer now.

 

ALERT! ALERT!

ZG has a casualty....

....and its not Birkett

hifi porn required immediately. chop, chop!

...and somebody keep Tones away, while there is still a chance of recovery!

 

No it isn't Spend, Spend, Spend: You know it makes sense:JOEL:

 

Nah, you really want one of these:

NAD C521BEE:



or

Marantz CD7300:



or

Arcam CD73:



You know you want to really

 

Good on you, amazingtrade - I'm very glad you're happy with your system now, at least within current budget constraints :first things first, and all that. By the way, saw your vinyl collection music thread and....will send you a pm shortly.

 

Welcome to the club. Despite having read innumerable mouth-watering descriptions of the new bra-twanging Naim CDS3 (only seven thousand) and the utterly fantastic underpant-soiling NAC 552 (twelve thousand) on the Naim Forum, the realist in me says "If you bought either one of those, in order to get your full money's worth, you would have to write up many mouth-watering descriptions on the Naim Forum, to include the underwear effects."

And since I'm banned, I can't, so where's the fun in that?

I also saw an ectopic mouth-watering ball-bouncing 552 description on the Mana Forum, which was novel.

 

Yeah but Bub the rest of us know that your system could be transformed for a fraction of the Naim prices, Hovland pre for 4k and a Desnsen CD player would be good and with trade in of a 52 + supercap and CDS2 + XPS cost you bugger all money.

Cheers

Jason

 

You mean there's good hi-fi which doesn't have 'Naim' written upon it? Why didn't anyone mention this to me before?

I seriously can't hear all that much difference between CD players, so probably the Densen would do me fine. Of Hovland I know nothing. In truth I think that I am too lazy & stuck in my ways to change from the Naim.

Alex was meant to be coming up to see me quite soon, and if he's not in a huff, he still can. I would be interested to know what you thought of the hi-fi, so you could come too if you would like to.

 

We have tried but you do seem reticent to listen. What happened about the deck change btw, I assume you've had a rethink?

I'd like to hear your bassless system but its unlikely I will have the chance to get away in the near future. Thanks for the offer and If did come up I'd make sure I brought a black box or two for you to try out.

Cheers

Jason

 

Yes, the deck change is on indefinite hold. It was really only an aesthetic thing prompted by our visit to fox's place at Christmas. Kathie was very taken with the look of the Orbe, and I liked the sound. Having said that, I like the sound I have too much to make any changes: the TT is really, really nice, and it's not its fault it's the 'wrong' colour.

Yes, well dear PD gave you a good 'write-up', and he's a chap I trust, so the offer is open.

 

nsherin - Don't tempt me! I was that close to buying a CD6000OSE after christmas, I am glad I didn't now though. That money has come in handy.

If my part time job is made pernement which I doubt it will be then in a few months time I should have around £300 to splash out on a CD player. So much for packing it in

I still think that £300 would be better spent on actual music though, I mean thats like 100+ albums when we are talking about vynil.

 

Just out of interest, how much has your current system cost you in total?

You know you want to upgrade more!!! Believe me, my system was of a similar kind of spec not to long ago. Then I went crazy and sent all my money on it. I have never looked back!

Get a cd player with a valve output! Like this!

Do it do it do it! :JPS: :JPS: :JPS:

 

Re: Why the little minx!

I bet you couldn't say something like that on the New Mana Deportment Forum because everyone's very nice and very well-mannered.

trousers with snap-on codpiece!

You can now re-enact that shocking Janet Jackson dance, only the other way round.

 

Re: Why the little minx!

They also sound the part as well.

Read all about it: Area man in good looking and sounding kit shock!
Witnesses recount mans amazement at finding value for money
"I am amazed I have found value for money" says man


Cheers

Jason

 

Hovlands...

Haven't heard the Radion or whatever it's called, but though there was lots to like in the Hovland valve pre-power my dealer had running into LV A-OBXRs, my (much cheaper) DNM pre-power of the time ran rings around it when it came to things like getting the timing right on drums and such things. The Hovland had better timbre and tonality, more full bodied I recall. However, at that price (£10k for the pre-power at least) I expect it also to cook me tea and clean the bathroom...

I suspect a 52 into any decent power amp (or for that matter I'll concede to including large, ugly active speakers in this) will wee wee from a great height on the Hovland when it comes to the fundamentals of a good 'toon'.

The Radion-or-whatever-it's-called looks a bit B&O to me. Much prefer the heft and f**k-you appearance of the Rogue 99M/M150 valve system, though it too fell short for me.

52'd, 250'd, big funky chair'd and not looking back, me...

John

 

Re: Hovlands...

Now that it has settled is the 52 + 250 better or not than the DNM? I don't want to know about plasticyness or twin pots, just the sound.

Cheers

Jason

 

The Big Question

Difficult question. In some ways, yes, the 52/SC/250 is better - I would now agree that rhythmically it is better than the 3B/PA3^S, and the 250 drives the speakers a bit better at higher volumes (though at lower volumes I'd say the honours probably would go to the PA3^S - tough call as I'm having to do this from memory).

The DNM excelled in transparency, articulation and dynamic contrast - it is superior in this regard to the 52/SC/250. On the other hand, it also was leaner in the bass and I prefer the more full bodied presentation with the Naim kit. The DNM is much better at differentiating between similar, but subtly different instruments - say, different makes of acoustic guitar - whereas with the Naim sometimes that isn't so clear. On the other hand the Naim has a degree more excitement and 'bop' to the sound and is sublime with guitar (above criticism aside). The Naim obviously has the edge with volume capability - the DNM power amp was, after all, only 23wpc. The DNM completely destroys the Naim on imaging and high frequency extension, however, though that is a double edged sword as occasionally I felt that the DNM could be tilted towards the higher frequencies and therefore a bit lean.

Basically, Jason, both are pretty much neck and neck - a bit like comparing steak with fish, it boils down to preference rather than anything lacking - and in overall balance I don't think the differences are that significant. However, I am extremely glad that I have moved from DNM as I wanted remote control, a single volume control and better ergonomics.

Sonically, a tough call. Both are excellent, and to put it in context 82/HI/250 was a downgrade but overall I'd say 52/SC/250 is a worthwhile upgrade, though, as the overall musical package is better. Add in the ergonomics and it is for me a clear winner, though I fought against the change for so long.

John

PS. It's weird that I prefer the Nait2 to anything between Nait and 82; I think that's a balance thing - until you get to 82, I find most Naim systems I've heard sound pretty unbalanced or PA-like.

 

Thanks for the detailed post John, interesting results. I am surprised that you got on with the 82 Hicap with your Nait comments. I found that removing the 82 and replacing it with a 32.5 actually lost me very little and made me £1100.

I'm also a little surprised about your Hovland findings, there again I am not a Living voice fan tbh. I am hoping to get the Hovland for a decent period soon to benchmark it against the Dynavectors.

Cheers

Jason

 

Naits & Hovlands

Jason,

Don't take my experiences too seriously - they were, I should have stressed, at a dealer - and this self same dealer had/has a really unusually shaped demo space which the Hovland was in - it could have been a setup thing.

You should try to hear the Rogue Audio 99M (with stock toobs) and the M150 150wpc monoblock valve amps. Awesomely powerful, not to my tastes but they did a lot which neither the DNM nor the Naim can come close to - particularly on female vox.

I can't explain my feelings for my Nait. Maybe I've got an unusually good one In any case, the 82/HC was better in some ways but in others I preferred the Nait. There, I said it. I knew that the 82/HC wanted a SC, and I knew that if I went down that route I'd end up with a 52, so I just went for it. No regrets. By the 52 level all the conventional criticisms of Naim - the harshness, edge-of-your-seatness - are gone, at least in my experience - and if anyone's getting them they should look to their speakers, as the 52 is quite a bit of kit.

John

 

JJ's nipular antics @ the soopabowl

So did I, unfortunately. I assume that the wave of popular outrage in America was in response to the sight of wrinkly ones.

Anyway, you must come and see me soon, but please, no wardrobe malfunctions.