dCS Bartok as a one box solution

I see members systems in other well known forums. Some have Constellation electronics, top Audio Research, Boulder and speakers as Magico M5 and Wilson XLF with the Lumin X1 as source.
I will not say they don’t know what they do, specially if they have more than 100k systems.
At least I heard it, not as some here who prefer to advertise a particular brand.

Well its makes a change you having actually heard a piece of gear lol

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Lumin X1, Linn KDSM, Naim Nd555, Chord Dave, DCS Rossini. In the last 12 months.
And you? Rossini and Rossini. Lol.

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Nds, chord tt2, dave, both with and without mscaler, linn, nd555, 1 and 2 power supplies, with and without the latest update, dcs Bartok and rossini, both with and without clock.
Most off them at home, in fact all apart from the chords

Forgot naim dac as well, once again home demo and almost forgot the vitus one, at the shop

I hope this is not directed to my post above regarding Lumin. If so please read my post carefully as I stated that I have not heard it.

I have stated that I do not want to hear it, nor would I consider doing business with the company based on their shady practices as detailed in my post

That is a stellar lineup of demos and the cream of the crop.

I was under the impression you were looking to upgrade. Are you telling me that you are staying with your NDS because you found none of the above to beat it ?

Yes and No.
Yes, because for now I didn’t found that it’s worth paying 13k euros to have a better Nds. So maybe the day I will find a good second hand bargain.
The KDSM pleased me, on some aspects better than Nds, on others I still prefer the Nds.
For now, DCS and Chord , even if they « beat », as you say, the Nds on hifi criterias, i prefer the presentation of the Nds or Nd555. It’s not about performance but musicality.
The Lumin is on my radar. As Nd555 second hand. But I am certainly not in hurry. Neither funds actually permit, as I have made finally other upgrades for now.

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I thought we were talking of recent listenings. Because then I could add dozen and dozen more digital sources, as Audiomat, PS audio, Audionote, Eera, Metronome, Jadis,…dacs, with or without a streaming board.
For now I have always returned to Naim.
For electronics, I would more easier left Naim. I have already a non Naim pre, after having had NAP with NAC during 10 years, from 112 /150 to 252/ 250 and 300 dr.

I was, most of mine from just before the rossini was chosen, the linn, slightly before and the vitus just after it.
Heard loads more but only at shows and shops, and as we all know thats pretty much a waste of time, like buying shoes without putting it on your foot

Agree with you on that Dunc.
I do not put much credence in those who are running around HiFi shops everywhere demoing tons of different things an hour here and an hour there. Brief demos at shops and at shows are mostly, as you said above, a waste of time.

Then again your mileage may vary :wink:
I am very careful about the opinions I post on a public forum.

Maybe not the best way, for sure, but it gives nevertheless a good idea already .
In France, it’s not possible to try at home, or very very rarely. They have only one item and needs it for consumers that may enter the shop and want to listen.
And apart my Naim dealer, most dealers are not near my home.
For now, all the gear I tested at a dealer place with similar equipment as me, which pleased me, was bought after. So It was absolutely not a waste of time for me.
At Hifi shows, it’s a waste of time. But at dealer place, I can generally listen during 1 hour, and choose my music.

I’d say performance is musicality. :wink:

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Its a shame that your situation in france is like that, and i can see the problem.
But for me the quick hour or even a morning etc, at a shop is for me not ideal, as just take the vitus sia025 i tried last year, it won me over to start off and even after a week at home, it still had, but in the end it showed its true colours to me, if i had listened to it in the shop for an hour, then it would have been coming home with me and my 500/552 left at the shop, what a massive mistake that would have been, but then i wouldn’t have known would i, so none the wiser.
Honeymoon period, is what we call it over here, great at first, but then wish you hadn’t lol
Same as some things take more time to hit home, like adding a second 555dr to a nd555, its not a massive difference, lots can’t tell any difference, most say it needs time to build ?, now many reasons for this, but again it shows that an hour, morning or even a week is not ideal.
Luckily for me my chosen dealer is about 90 minutes away, we have built up a good relationship and he is happy to lend me anything, without even a question being asked.
Cheers dunc

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Are you sure? I heard mega bucks systems, very performing, but I couldn’t connect emotionally.

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You are lucky in UK, it’s the hifi land. You have a lot of high end hifi shops and much more components.
Here, for example, there’s only one shop in all Paris region, with one Rossini.
The Nd555 was shown at my dealer place during one week. But he doesn’t have it permanently.
Some dealers can borrow for one or two days a component. But they are rare. They recommend you to come with your system at their place.

Hi Hans,

Indeed, there are a lots of choices around there. Building an opinion about a particular item isn’t a simple process.

Auditioning at a dealers’ place provides, at best, an idea.

Considering room acoustics is THE first distortion source that will color the sound, it’s simply impossible to know how a certain speaker or electronic will sound in our own listening or living room.

So relying on others opinion based on an audition at a dealer’s place makes even less sense, IMHO.

But I tend to value others direct experience : from home audition or from actually owning the item.

Even if our rooms are all different, it is interesting to read someone’s evaluation of a difference perceived by direct comparison in a familiar environment.

I bought my Magico S3 MkII blindly, or nearly blindly. I knew what type of sound I was looking for.

Auditioning the speakers only confirmed that the Magicos were the kind of speakers I was looking for. But not more.

Hopefully they sound marvelously in my listening room :sweat_smile:

With all these sources if you take your headphones and headphone amp to the dealer you can get a firm handle on things. I suspect I will be concentrating on a headphone system going forward.

Indeed, a pair of nice headphones coupled with a well-chosen amp can be a marvel.

And the idea of getting rid of the room is quite appealing.

The listening room is a curse: it destroys the sound, but at the same time, you can’t do without it, so you do your best to minimize its effects.

There is something mysterious about a correctly set stereo system, in a well treated room… The orchestra “magically appearing” behind the front wall is something that continually astonishes me.

Would a friendly bartok owner be able to do me a favour and measure the depth of the unit from the front of the front feet to the back of the rear feet? (I know the case is 430mm deep but need to see if it will fit on a shelf…)

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35cm :slightly_smiling_face:

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