Glass added to the support table

HH wrote:

“Part of the design of stands and equipment is how the vibrations go to ground,”

That’s a lightbulb statement. I’d always assumed that the purpose of stands was to separate vibrational interference getting to the equipment VIA THE FLOOR, not dispersing from what was in the boxes from (presumably) speaker-to-box air transfer.

Every day’s a schoolday, eh?

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And also the mechanical noise from things like humming transformers or CD mechanisms. This is why taking all your boxes out of the room a putting them in another room won’t necessarily improve the sound. A good, well designed rack or support is the only way you are going to sink that energy to ground.

Despite the astonishing improvement to the SQ by getting rid of all the silly extra feet and sitting the boxes directly on the Isoblue shelving there is just one downside.

“Heros” is still unlistenable. :rage:

Does the XP5XS improve the NDAC?

Well I haven’t tested that, but I think it’s safe to assume that NAIM didn’t design the nDAC with a Burndy plug just for the fun of it.

Steady now … just trying to help. That PS was designed for the entry level streamer - IIRC when the DAC was built that PS model didn’t exist … the burndy plug on the DAC envisaged XPS or 555PS. So it’s a valid question - maybe Heroes could be playable after all?

Shocking. I’ll have a listen. Could be another “ex” box to join the others in the cupboard.

At least the NAPSC can come off the floor…

…and, of course, sinking energy to ground is impaired by compliance between the equipment and ground.

I have an old friend who qualified as a gyrocopter pilot and took me on a trip from Kent to Essex across the Thames estuary on a beautiful sunny day. An unforgettable experience as the cockpit is of course fully open. Highly recommended :grinning:

The answer is… the nDAC doesn’t work without it.

It does if you put the link plug back in.

Hi Mike some time ago there was a long thread about “Support for glass” in the forum. Xanthe has developed an approach using silicon nitride ball bearings and 10 mm tempered glass (Link here). It is easy to build yourself and does not cost much investment. I have had very good experiences with it (as have other users) (Link here). However, I don’t have a rack, but a sideboard with very limited damping properties. I can’t judge whether it will do any good on the Isoblue rack.

Ah yes of course. :tired_face:

Test #2. With the blanking plug in, the SQ is less detailed and sounds kind of “constricted”.

With the XP5XS, the opposite obtains. Open, flowing and more revealing.

So it seems that even if it was specifically designed to improve my old ND5XS, just the act of taking the nDAC power supply outboard is still beneficial.

Selah.

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At least you have confirmed it’s doing the right things then, which is a result in itself.

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Good to hear, and further potential via XPS / PS555 for future projects. NDAC is excellent.

Only if I win Euromillions or my SIPP investments start going up instead of sliding down. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Anyway, let’s face it, Heroes is kinda gloomy.

The song? Surely not!

The album? OK, fair point taken.

There is a joke in there somewhere about too much Philip Glass in Bowie’s support, but I have some shame…

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Great songs, rubbish production although the three “soundscape” numbers on the B side are fortunately OK.

Tony Visconti. Over-rated.

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