These products represent great sound that came from small boxes, customer service was stellar and gear took the guesswork out of mixing and matching different components - the synergies were awesome
Where does the XS3 end up in this ranking?
More significant perhaps the internahe XS3 continues to demonstrate virtues cut from the same cloth as its bigger brother. The model in the middle makes the most sense, getting close to the performance of the bigger model at a more satisfying price.
Long story short, I just replaced a XS3 with 42.5/110/HiCap.
Even the 42.5/110 sounded better from the off.
Not that the XS3 sounds bad, far from it, but for me, my room and my sources, the CB kit is more engaging.
The only issue is I have 3 sources, including an external phono stage, so only have 2 connected at any one time. If I had a NAC62, as in your picture, that’d be the icing on the cake
You could always swap out the internal phono cards for 326 boards and then you’d have three line level inputs.
In the mid-80s I had the pleasure of audioning the 62, 110, and a hi-cap in a Linn LP12 and the original Linn Sara speakers system, which sounded as musical as my now XS + XS Flatcap. stageline, LP12 (NOS Asak), and B&W 602 S2 speakers. An in-home comparison would prove to be a very close if not a mirror image engaging comparison. Having in mind to add a second TT and a streamer server for a while and the MM phono stage and the streaming socket are the reasons behind upgrading to the XS3
I could, but I’d like to keep the 42.5 original. I can’t even invoke sentiment as I’ve only had it a few months, just seems the right thing to do
Keeping a gentle eye out for a 62.5, but also thinking that at some point I’ll likely converge on a single digital source which would also solve the “problem”
Have you upgraded to the XS3? Or have auditioned/are planning to? It’s a very flexible amp, I think having feature parity with the SN3, or at least very close.
Plus it does sound great, it allowed me to audition TTs a year or so ago, the differences between them, running the same cartridge, were clear enough.
Enjoy it
The boards just unplug IIRC so you are not harming anything.
Mine still has the BNC connectors for the MM stage installed, so it would mean adaptors, or having them swapped for RCAs
Fair enough
I have yet to make the leap to the XS3 though I did have the opportunity to hear it . Hopefully this spring the XS3 will be sitting in my sound room.
After hearing the musicality of the XS and adding the XS Flatcap, it elevated the music even more; as a whole, my setup amazingly sounded the best for the money, I thought the next level up would be the 202/200/Hicap route. I guess my system amazingly sounding the best for the money won the contemplation though the thought of adding a second TT stayed with me as of doing in-home comparison listening of not only other TTs but of other speakers.
If it is due a service (or not) Darran can change the bncs to rca and make up a pair of links. Links are easily removable if you want to put the cards back in.
Cheers, they’ve been to Darran already I want to keep the 42.5 original, happy to occasionally swap ICs between Chord and CD5 when I need to. Some weeks are CD weeks, some are streaming weeks!