Thanks guys. I knew the current boredom might get the better of someone if I poked
To take them in random turn then.
Lindsay - why the speakers? They’re fine with the TV and fine with some music. They’re also full range with no conventional crossover. The 10” full range driver can fill the room with bass and mids on some stuff and yet on others… near zilch. So it’s not like something has disconnected or a driver blown.
Dayjay - it’s certainly something I’ve considered. Dealer took a good long time to set them up as they are now. I’ve spent some time in the last week moving around in front of them at different heights and lengths. I can detect at least one position where the bass is more present… but I’m then halfway out the door. If speaker position is an issue though surely that’s a similar issue to my thinking it’s the room. Standing waves could reinforce bass at some frequencies and cancel it out at others. I could move the speakers (albeit that they can’t really come out further into the room or go wider) but I’m already thinking that it’s an issue which may need to be addressed in other ways. It could be a simple thing to fix it all but I’m thinking that the sofa is the quick win here.
Don - the room would look odd whatever I do but for the sake of experiment moving the sofa on the back wall forwards is an easy one to do so I’m definitely up for that. That deals with seating position too.
Much more detail with the serviced 202 and loads of PRaT so clearly there was an issue there. Even on the albums with no/limited bass/mids the PRaT is there.
In theory much more to come when I get the XPS2 back (assuming my dealer doesn’t detect issues). Dealer said they’d listened and on the face of it the XPS2 and Burndy are fine but they had no other XPS2 to compare to bar a DR and that’s an apples/oranges scenario. Social distancing not helping my cause for the next few months until the shop reopens or I can get down there.
As regards the Nait 5, this is as good on PRaT; better on detail but inconsistent on bass/mids. My suspicion is that a working Nait 5 wouldn’t necessarily have highlighted those issues to the same extent as it struggled to power the speakers. Equally, it also wasn’t perfect (and taking the XPS2 out improved it to my ears) so that would perhaps also point to another box or the room.
NigelB yes I think trying another decent Naim CDP would narrow things down further. However, shop shut at present and he’s 40 miles away. Asking him to travel at present whilst I’m on the 12 weeks would not be fair or appropriate really. So yeah, waiting for my stuff back and then maybe a conversation about a CDP.
The only thing I’m wholly not buying is the CD sound argument from seakayaker and cdboy.
I’ve played albums I’ve had for years on this system. I know his great they can sound. Right now they just don’t. I can’t see how that could possibly be the music itself.
So, unless Lindsay clarifies with something to stop me in my tracks I’m going to start with the sofa.