Best and Worst Upgrades

I actually upgraded my mk1 52 remote to a learning remote. I feel it was very worthwhile due to the naim one only working below 28C (I have no idea why). I would class it as “Very good” in terms of an upgrade and can highly recommend it. I do miss the battery rattling around whenever I pick it up though. But that’s just me. :slight_smile:

Best upgrades:
102 → 82
HC on 102/82
SC on 82
82 → 252
252 → 552
XPS2 on CDX
CDX → CDS2
CDS2 → NDS
555PS on NDS
180 → 250
250 → 500
Lavender → HiLine
PowerLines
SC on HeadLine
ARC → ACT C60
Speaker positioning

Not much difference:
Two HC’s on 82
NAPSC on 102/82
Fraim

No discernible difference:
Cigarette paper under CDX
Burndy on the floor
Cables touching each other
Boutique ethernet cables

Most intriguing comment:
After returning a couple of loaned boutique ethernet cables back to my dealer and explaining that I couldn’t discern any difference, he said in a rather irritated tone:

“It’s because your speakers are crap!”

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend :relaxed:

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A dealer, who, perhaps having supplied your electronics in the past, seeing little prospect for further sales there, favours the robust approach in highlighting a potential weakness in your system, thereby potentially opening the door to another sale.

Or, assuming the comment was not made tongue in cheek, a knob, whose doorstep I would not be inclined to darken in the future.

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Perhaps I’m not alone in this regard but I does anyone else feel apprehensive when returning loaned equipment (in a manner that requires one to talk your way out of a situation)?

When I returned the loaned boutique ethernet cables, my dealer pulled me aside and proceeded to connect up one of the cables and said to me:

“Can’t you hear it? The timing is better”.

I stood there incredulously, the timing? I replied, I cannot discern any difference which led to “it’s because your speakers are crap!”. This didn’t make any sense to me because he was demoing through speakers that were different to mine. With disdain, I left without further ado and (like you say) I haven’t been back since. Wishing you a lovely weekend :relaxed:

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Sounds like you need to find a better dealer…

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Sounds like your next best upgrade will be to find a new dealer.

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My next upgrade will most likely be Statement (like you say) at a new dealer. Wishing you a lovely weekend :relaxed:

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Wow, that really could be a massive faux-pas from the present dealer. Good luck with any future purchases.

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Back in the 80s I had my LP12-Ekos-Troika Pink Linnked. New top plate and of course the external power supply made to look a bit like a Linn afromosa plinth. What was I thinking of? The mod had a short lived popularity but was a dead end and very dated. Big mistake.
Had fun bringing the Linn back to stock with a few improvements.
The best upgrade was to get the factory re-furb my 72/HiCap/ NAP250.
The NDX2 was my next purchase and that was simply brilliant.

Lots of new boxes in the meantime (I got the upgrade bug bad) but it’s been fun.
Earlier this year on a bit of a punt I ordered a 4ft length of GR Research’s power cable.
I have an Andrews power strip mounted behind the fraimlite on the wall, and it allows the power cables to hang nicely. The MCRU lapp cable to the wall socket was swapped out and this fat cable plugged in. The overall noise level dropped, space appeared in the soundstage. The usual subtle stuff.
What I hadn’t expected was the removal of hum from the XPS dr power supply which drives the NDX2. It seems to filter the DC hum. It’s now quiet. A relatively cheap upgrade but a real result.

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May I ask you, what do you use the optical ethernet with?

May I mischievously ask if there’s any possibility he might have been right?

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Interesting topic, so here is mine:

Best:
Isotek Aquarius EVO 3
Adding HCDR to SN2
Adding XP5 XS to nDAC
Netgear Switch → EE-8 Switch
Isotek Sequel powerchords in full loom replacing a mix of different Isotek cable types
Wall socket Gira System 55 → Furutech FP-SWS Gold

Good:
Audioquest Cinnamon → ViaBlue EP-7 LAN
Replacing the rubber feet of Hutter Racktime tables with Spikes on bfly-audio b.Disc absorbers
Replacing Naim chips with bfly-audio b.Discs under my Ovator S-400s

Worse:
Naim Stock DIN interconnect-> Chord Signature Tuned somewhat DIN
Naim Stock DIN interconnect-> Tellurium Q Black II DIN
…so back to the grey cable… lessons learned :slight_smile:

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Here are my speakers:


They are Wilson Benesch ACT C60 and they are made from carbon graphite and finished in oak. I love them and I have no idea why he called them crap. He’s normally such a lovely chap and I’m not sure what came over him. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him get angry and it was very much out of character :relaxed:

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:man_shrugging:

Best -
Valhalla to Lingo 2
Cirkus to Karousel
Standard sub chassis to Kore
K9 to Klyde
NAD 3020 to Nait 2
180 to 250
Dual CS505 to Heybrook TT2
Heybrook TT2 to LP12
LVX to Ittok
Heybrook HB1s to Dynaudio Special 40s

Worst -
Nothing really

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Forgot the biggest upgrade of all - going from a Sony TC-K511S to a Nakamichi Dragon!

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He might have had a difficult day/time for whatever reason — I guess everybody has been stroppy, on the odd occasion, with the “wrong” person… Maybe be generous?

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I have done various LP12 upgrades over the years which have made a positive difference.
The biggest and it was a huge improvement was going from NAC152xs to Nac52.
Another big improvement was going from Proac 2.5 to Neat MF7.

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I go from my sky router to the EE switch. Useing TP link ethernet to optical adapters.

Perhaps you’re right, the next time I’m in the vicinity I’ll pop in to see how he is doing. Wishing you a lovely day :relaxed:

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