He’s trying to be amusing and set a Dalai Lama saying in an imagined contemporary context. He did not expect anyone to take it literally.
Best
David
2 Likes
I have just listened to the track played over upnp as a flac file, both on my main system, but also on my QB. Even on the qb these sounds are easily noticable, so all the talk of the system needing upgrade makes no sense unless the qb has stepped up to match a 282 system!
Claus
I can hear Jeff put some inflection at 0.28 in the Mojo track.
I would suggest some Melody Gardot, especially her track “So Long” from The Absence album.
As much as I love Jeff, I really mean that… Melody goes further with the use of multiple microphones when recording and playing out live. Some deployed very close to capture those lip and face nuances before the lungs.
I tested on my 272 via Tidal and local flac (hadn’t heard the album before this thread and liked it so much I bought it) and whilst I could hear the lips on both it is a lot clearer on the flac file.
Just had to try that out and could very easily spot the sound you describe playing the track in a regular Flac even on very low volume. Could this be mostly down to tweeter/speakers?
I’ve got Aries mini/Vertere DD Usb -> Dac V1/HiLine -> 202/HC/Napsc -> 200 -> Arriva’s
System on cheap metal/glass sideboard-style “rack”.
…I myself recently discovered that nice last piece of resolution by upgrading to all PL’s for all the naim boxes and also placing Aries /w Psu some bit away, and to a spare wall socket.
I’d almost pay never to hear Grace. I bought it when it was released, hated it and gave it away. His father was infinitely better.
1 Like
Out of curiosity last night, I tried to discern the lip smacking listening on my headphones, streaming from Spotify… I replayed it several times but couldn’t hear it.
This morning, I tried it on my Naim system streaming from a cd rip stored on the Melco and I can hear it clearly. Perhaps there’s something in this file quality/source first philosophy 
Seriously though, it’s been said/suggested previously by many on this thread, I think the two most important things to address are the setup [read: get fraim (or fraimlite and add your own glass shelves and isolaters)!] and look at your source. I think your streamer is capable of delivering what you want if you fed it a good quality signal i.e. cd quality through upnp from a decent server… ideally a purpose designed one such as Innous or Melco, otherwise something like minimserver running on a NAS device.
Just my two penneth but that’s where I would start… and bonus… I haven’t spent half your budget yet!
I have an open mind and susceptibility to snake juice, this cd track 9 burn in and demagnetise does good things for me.
Play this track at barely audible level. Cleans up a lot of mush left from everything.
1 Like
Wouldn’t just turning off the system and waiting then back on do the same thing?
@ £30 a pop I’ll go on your recommendation.
Hi Henkerino
Nice to know there’s a fellow Arivas owner on the Forum.
Did you buy them new?
Jim
Spot on Nigel. A better source and a better appreciation of music rather than Hi Fi is what is required IMHO.
I can’t let that lie Sir. Your taste and appetite for compromise are your own. They should not be peddled as advice. If its on the recording I want to hear it.
1 Like
i personally can’t go against this wish: a better appreciation of the music rather than hifi. It’s the most important.
Some gear are too much focused on details, bass, soundstage or strict neutrality. But they seem to have forgotten the life in music.
Then get a better source…
And some decent speakers and a good stand.
1 Like
Isn’t the point how deep you want to delve? I may be wrong, but I imagine microscopic, forensic analysis of any recording will reveal sounds not ever intended to become part of the musical product. I, for one, would not be too concerned with ‘lip smacking’ unless it’s absence implies the loss of important musical information.
Interestingly the OP says he hears those details in virtually everything that he has used accept the described system. I took that as meaning much lesser sources than the ND5, and much lesser speakers than the Kefs, however it would be useful to have some examples.
Personally, although I do like exceptional clarity of the music, I find such noises to be a distraction and would rather not hear them (for which the answer is better recording technique). However, the fact that the detail is there in the recording and expected, but not heard, is clearly frustrating to the OP.
I note that two DACs have been used in the system, Qutest as well as that in the ND5XS. Although not familiar with Qutest, Hugo bright better better clarity when I used one in place of ND5’s DAC, so it is less than certain that the fault lies with the DAC. The OP doesn’t say what rendering software was used with a MAC as an alternative player to the renderer in the ND5: some may be pretty poor, while others, such as fully optimised Audirvana, can sound better than the ND5 in that function, at least on a Mac Mini.
Regarding speakers, is that the R500 or Q500? The latter probably rather more capable than the former, but either way, I don’t know that they are to blame if lesser speakers happily reveal the sounds, though certainly positioning in the room can make a significant difference to clarity, particularly interferences such as early reflections will not help. Again, regarding references to hearing on other gear - same room? And what is the room like? (Dimensions? Where are speaker and listening positions? What is around them? Lots of hard surfaces or mainly soft?)
If only either the Qutest, or even the NAC, had a headphone output I’d suggest trying to see if you can hear through headphones to help determine if the problem us after that.
Final question, just in case: it is exactly the same file you are comparing with other systems - no possibility of being from a different mastering?
Going back to the OP, a NDX2 and PS should do the trick.
This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.