A few months ago I posted a another question around speaker upgrade for my NDX2 + SN3 system and got lots of great suggestions around speakers but also was made aware of the source first v speaker views.
Consequently, i opted to upgrade by adding a Hicap DR. That made a noticeable improvement around bass & generally a more fuller richer sound (which addressed some of the issues i had with my KEF LS50’s which i felt lacked in bass & punch). So encouraged was I, that I took the next step of adding a pre owned XPS DR as well, as I had read that it would add even significantly more uplift.
However, i find that the XPS , while definitely adding to the sound stage, has made the sound quite bright & harsh at times while the bass seems less pronounced now. I have checked the burndy cable connections, tried to de-stress it & let it “hang loose” as much as possible (though it is touching the floor). I have had it setup for a week now (i know not long) with all powered on 24/7 & playing approx 16hrs per day but the sound is still as bright / harsh on top end & can detect no improvement from day 1. Is this a burn in situation & i just need to be more patient or can you advise otherwise please
If you’ve tried all the obvious things then I would try another S-XPS Burndy cable (a poor example can definitely make things sound a bit harsh and constricted). Otherwise, get it checked over by your dealer - there may be an issue somewhere.
It’s a great upgrade. One should hear a clear and definitive upgrade to the overall performance - with NO negatives. Taking out that noisy transformer with a beefed up silent DR’ed PSU can only bring a positive(s) to a Naim digital source component, regardless of anything else.
If you dismantled your system to accommodate the two extra boxes, is there any possibility that you connected the speaker cables out of phase? Probably not, but it’s an easy mistake to make and would certainly result in reduced bass.
Now that you have a 4 box system, do you have a decent HiFi rack with a separate shelf for each box and carefully dressed cables. This becomes increasingly important as you climb the Naim ladder, and performance will be compromised if setup is not right.
Having tested all combinations of loan XPS & cable with current XPS & cable I am coming to the conclusion it’s me - while I can detect a slight improvement with the loan setup over mine it’s very marginal. Having said all that, whether it’s wishful thinking or me becoming more accustomed to the change in sound it does sound less harsh than before & so I will persevere with xps…….thank you all for your help - I am now off to wrap a cold towel around my head & lie in a dark room…….perhaps I should have done that 1st
The brain can be challenging at times. I think we all struggle with this from time to time. As soon as one stop to fight the parts and listen to the music things often start to bloom. A quick way getting there is a glass of your favourite red wine and a great album
